Malta Long Weekend: Hard Rock Hotel & St Julian’s Guide

Swap grey UK skies for honey-coloured bastions, harbour ferries and lunch outside in the winter sunshine. This Malta long weekend is based at the brand-new Hard Rock Hotel in St Julian’s, with Valletta, the Three Cities, Mdina, the Blue Grotto and Gozo all within easy reach. It suits couples, friends and families who want winter sun without a long flight.

Why go

Why Malta works for a winter long weekend

Malta packs a lot into a small space. In four days you can explore a fortified capital, cross the Grand Harbour by ferry, wander a walled medieval city and sail to a second island.

It is easy for UK visitors too. English is an official language, cars drive on the left, and the plugs are the same three-pin type as at home. The currency is the euro.

From November to March the crowds thin out and the light turns golden. It is not beach weather, but days are usually mild and sunny spells are common. This is also Malta’s wettest season, so pack a waterproof and keep one day flexible in case the sea is too rough for boat trips.

Your base

Hard Rock Hotel Malta: what you need to know

The Hard Rock Hotel Malta is open. It celebrated its official opening, complete with a guitar-smash ceremony, in early September 2026. It is Hard Rock’s first hotel in Malta and is rated five-star.

It sits on the seafront at St George’s Bay in St Julian’s, on the former Institute of Tourism Studies site. The bay’s small sandy beach is right by the hotel, Paceville’s bars are a short walk away, and a large new shopping mall is part of the same development.

• Rooms: 397 rooms and suites, all with balconies. Some suites have their own heated pools.
• Pools: 11, including a rooftop cantilever pool and a guitar-shaped pool. Three are indoors, which is handy in winter.
• Spa and gym: Rock Spa and the Body Rock gym share about 3,800 square metres of space.
• Food and drink: More than ten restaurants and bars, including a rooftop restaurant and a Hard Rock Cafe.
• Families: Roxity Kids Club for children and Vibe City for teens.
• Worth knowing: The hotel is completely smoke-free, including vapes, inside and out. Parking costs extra.

As it is so new, check recent guest reviews before you book.

Explore

Best things to do on a Malta long weekend

• Upper Barrakka Gardens and the Saluting BatteryThe gardens are free and look straight across the Grand Harbour. Below them, the Saluting Battery fires its guns at noon and 4pm, Monday to Saturday. You can watch from the gardens, or buy a ticket (adults from €6), which includes a guided tour and the Malta Time-Gun Museum.
• St John’s Co-CathedralPlain outside and dazzling inside, with gilded stone, marble tombstones covering the floor and Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John the Baptist. It opens Monday to Saturday (last entry 4pm) and is closed Sundays and public holidays. Adult tickets cost from €15, and under-12s go free with an adult. Official site or book a Valletta walking tour.
• The Three Cities by ferryA small ferry crosses the Grand Harbour from the Valletta waterfront to Cospicua, a short walk from Birgu and Fort St Angelo. Senglea’s harbour-tip gardens give the classic view back to Valletta. See Valletta Ferry Services or compare Three Cities tours.
• Mdina and RabatMdina, the walled former capital, is mostly car-free and at its best at dusk. In neighbouring Rabat, St Paul’s Catacombs is Malta’s largest burial site from the classical period, and in 2026 it became the country’s first European Heritage Label site. See Mdina tours.
• The Blue GrottoSmall boats leave Wied iż-Żurrieq for sea caves where the water glows blue. They only sail when the sea is calm, so stay flexible in winter. The clifftop viewpoint is free, and the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra temples are close by. Compare Blue Grotto trips.
• Marsaxlokk Sunday fish marketThis fishing village is full of painted luzzu boats, and on Sunday mornings its waterfront becomes a busy fish and general market. Go early, then stay for a seafood lunch by the harbour. See Marsaxlokk trips.
• A day on GozoMalta’s greener, slower sister island has the Citadel in Victoria, Ta’ Pinu basilica, the cliffs at Dwejra (the Azure Window arch collapsed in 2017) and the red sand of Ramla Bay. Compare Gozo day trips.

How to get to Gozo

The main route is the Gozo Channel car and passenger ferry from Ċirkewwa, at Malta’s northern tip, to Mġarr on Gozo. The crossing is short, and you normally pay when you leave Gozo rather than on the way out. Ċirkewwa is a fair trip from St Julian’s, so allow time. Passenger fast ferries have also run direct from Valletta to Mġarr. Check they are sailing on your dates, because winter crossings can be cancelled in rough seas.

Stay

Where to stay: Hard Rock and the best alternatives

St Julian’s and Sliema share one long seafront promenade lined with restaurants and served by good buses. Valletta is quieter at night but puts the main sights on your doorstep. Use the map below to compare places to stay.

• Hard Rock Hotel Malta, St Julian’sThe big, brand-new five-star option, with pools, a spa, kids’ clubs and a beach on the doorstep. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.
• Hotel Juliani, St Julian’sA four-star boutique hotel with 65 rooms, an outdoor pool and a restaurant, a minute’s walk from pretty Spinola Bay. It is smaller and calmer, in the same town. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.
• AX The Palace, SliemaA five-star hotel on Sliema’s High Street with indoor and outdoor pools and a spa. The seafront promenade is about ten minutes’ walk away, and the Valletta ferry is a short ride. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.
• The Phoenicia Malta, VallettaA grand, historic five-star hotel just outside Valletta’s City Gate, set in seven acres of gardens. The harbour-view infinity pool is seasonal, but the indoor spa pool is open all year. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.
• Self-catering in SliemaTravelling as a family or group? An apartment near Sliema’s seafront gives you more space and a kitchen. Browse holiday homes on Vrbo.

Travel

How to get to Malta and get around

Flights from the UK

Timetables checked in October 2026 show direct flights to Malta International Airport (MLA) from:

• London Gatwick: British Airways, KM Malta Airlines, easyJet and Jet2
• London Heathrow: British Airways and KM Malta Airlines
• London Stansted and Luton: Ryanair, plus Jet2 from Stansted and easyJet from Luton
• Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle: Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2
• Bristol: easyJet and Jet2
• Leeds Bradford: Jet2
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Ryanair and Jet2, plus easyJet from Glasgow

Winter timetables are thinner than summer ones, and some regional routes only fly twice a week or pause in mid-winter, so check your dates first. Example search: Manchester to Malta, 12 to 16 November 2026 (example dates, change them to suit).

From the airport to St Julian’s

A taxi or ride-hailing car to St George’s Bay usually takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic. Public buses are much cheaper but take around 50 minutes. Check routes with Malta Public Transport or Malta International Airport. The Hard Rock can also arrange a pick-up for an extra charge.

Getting around Malta

• Buses: Malta Public Transport (Tallinja) covers the whole island, and Valletta’s bus terminus is just outside City Gate. If you will use the bus a lot, compare single tickets with multi-day tourist cards such as the Explore card. Check today’s prices before you buy.
• Ferries: The harbour ferries from Sliema to Valletta and from Valletta to the Three Cities are quick, scenic and beat sitting in traffic.
• Ride-hailing: Bolt and eCabs work through apps and are handy for evenings out or getting to Mdina for sunset.
• Car hire: Malta drives on the left, but roads are busy and parking is hard in St Julian’s, Sliema and Valletta. One day’s hire for the south coast or Gozo usually makes more sense than a car all weekend. Compare car hire at Malta Airport.

Plan

A 4-day Malta itinerary

This plan assumes a Thursday arrival, so Valletta falls on a weekday (St John’s and the Saluting Battery close on Sundays) and Sunday is free for Marsaxlokk.

Day 1: Arrive in St Julian’s

Check in, then walk the seafront from St George’s Bay past Spinola Bay to Balluta Bay. Have dinner by the water, or try the hotel’s indoor pools if the evening is cool.

Day 2: Valletta and the Three Cities

Take the bus, or the ferry from Sliema, into Valletta. Visit St John’s in the morning and be at Upper Barrakka Gardens for the noon gun. After lunch, take the ferry to the Three Cities and explore Birgu’s lanes before heading back for an evening in Valletta.

Day 3: Gozo

Start early with the ferry from Ċirkewwa, or the fast ferry from Valletta if it is running. Spend the day at the Citadel, Ta’ Pinu and Dwejra, with lunch by a bay, or let a guided day trip do the planning.

Day 4 (Sunday): Marsaxlokk, the Blue Grotto and Mdina

Get to Marsaxlokk early for the market and stay for a seafood lunch. In the afternoon, head along the south coast to the Blue Grotto if the sea is calm, or to the temples if it is not. Finish in Mdina as the lights come on. A hire car or ride-hailing app saves a lot of time on this day.

Got a fourth night? Enjoy a slow Monday breakfast, a swim or a spa treatment before your flight.

Save

Money-saving tips for Malta

• Avoid half-term and Christmas. Flights and hotels are usually cheaper outside school holidays and the Christmas and New Year weeks.
• Enjoy the free sights. Upper Barrakka Gardens, the noon gun seen from the gardens, Mdina’s streets, the Blue Grotto viewpoint and Marsaxlokk market cost nothing.
• Get more from your tickets. Under-12s go free at St John’s with an adult, and a Saluting Battery ticket also covers the Time-Gun Museum.
• Hire a car for one day, not four. Parking is limited and the Hard Rock charges for it. Buses, ferries and the odd Bolt ride cover the rest.
• Compare room rates. A room-only rate can work out cheaper than one with breakfast, because the seafront is full of cafés.
• Skip the adaptor. Malta uses UK-style plugs. For euro spending, use a card with no foreign transaction fees.

MAKE MORE OF YOUR DAY

Explore more places on the map

Choose what you need, then use the map to compare locations and plan the rest of your day.

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