Use the correct year’s calendar
Malta’s official government calendar lists national and other public holidays. Use the page for your travel year rather than assuming a date from an old itinerary still falls on the same weekday. Good Friday, in particular, needs the current year’s date. A public holiday can affect the shape of a day even when you are not attending a celebration. Check whether the attractions, restaurants and services you want publish special arrangements, and keep essential administrative tasks away from an unverified holiday opening. The calendar gives dates; it does not describe every business’s operation.
Check each booking separately
A museum, church, restaurant and ferry operator may follow different arrangements on the same date. St John’s Co-Cathedral, for example, distinguishes visitor opening from ecclesiastical services, so do not treat a worship time as a sightseeing admission. Ferry timetables can also specify separate Sunday and holiday provisions. Read the current operator page for your exact route and date. If you already hold a timed ticket, check notices shortly before travelling and keep the confirmation available. A general statement that the island is open or closed is not useful enough.
Plan a flexible holiday day
Choose one confirmed activity and leave the rest of the day suitable for a town walk, a meal or another option with verified access. Buy anything essential in advance if its availability matters to your plans. Keep travel buffers around busy events without assuming that every holiday creates the same traffic pattern. If you want a local celebration, use its organiser’s current programme rather than projecting last year’s route or time. Merħba’s planning advice is evergreen, while the linked official calendar and operator notices should be checked again for the year and day you will actually visit.
The useful details.
- Use the official calendar for your travel year.
- Check sightseeing access separately from worship times.
- Verify holiday transport and each venue’s arrangements.
Sources & updates
Reviewed 2026-10-28. Prices, opening times, transport and access rules can change; use the official sources below before setting off.
