Cheap Things to Do in Malta: 20 Plans Under €20 (2026)

Short answer: the best cheap things to do in Malta cost less than a round of cocktails in Paceville: a €1 return ride on the Barrakka Lift, a €2 museum about Valletta’s fortifications, a €3 harbour ferry, a Gozo day on foot for about €4.65 return, €7 social evenings, bowling for €9.95, and museums and attractions between €10 and €17. Below are 20 plans that each cost under €20 per person, with who pays, how long they take and how to get there. Every price was checked in October 2026.

Malta is not as cheap as it used to be, and rent and restaurant prices make that obvious. But the plans that make life here good are still affordable: the sea, the harbours, the old towns and a growing list of social evenings where a few euros gets you in the door. If you are looking for things that cost nothing at all, that is a different list. Everything here costs a little, and is worth it.

Prices last checked: October 2026. Bus fares are for adults without a personalised tallinja card; with one, regular buses are free.

Cheap things to do in Malta at a glance

Cheap plans under €5

1. Barrakka Lift and the Upper Barrakka view (€1)

What: ride the lift from the Grand Harbour waterfront up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, then sit with one of the best views in Europe. Cost: €1 for a return trip, according to Transport Malta; free for children under 10, Karta Anzjan holders and people with a valid harbour ferry ticket from the Three Cities. Who pays: the host can easily cover a euro. How long: an hour, longer if you sit. Getting there: combine it with the ferry from the Three Cities and the lift is free.

2. Fortress Builders Interpretation Centre (€2)

What: a small museum in Valletta that explains how the island’s walls and forts were built. Short, clever and perfect before a walk on the bastions. Cost: €2, as listed by Heritage Malta. Who pays: host pays; it is two euros. How long: about an hour. Getting there: any bus to the Valletta terminus.

3. Pastizzi and tea crawl (€2–€5)

What: pick two or three pastizzerias in one town and compare the ricotta and the pea pastizzi. Rabat, near Mdina, is a classic choice. Cost: pastizzi usually cost between about €0.50 and €1 each, so the whole crawl rarely goes above €5. Who pays: take turns, one round each. How long: one to two hours with a walk. Getting there: bus.

4. Sunset at Dingli Cliffs (bus fare plus a picnic)

What: the highest cliffs in Malta, facing west over the open sea, with a path along the edge and the tiny chapel of St Mary Magdalene. Bring food and something to sit on. Cost: a day-route bus single is €2 in winter; a picnic from a supermarket costs whatever you want it to. Who pays: pay your own, share the food. How long: two to three hours. Getting there: bus to Dingli, then a short walk. Check the last bus back, especially in winter.

5. Valletta–Sliema ferry hop (€3)

What: the cheapest harbour cruise in Malta. Ten minutes across Marsamxett with Valletta’s skyline in front of you. Cost: €3 single or €5 return for an adult by day. Who pays: pay your own. How long: make it a half-day with a walk on each side. See our Valletta–Sliema ferry guide for the winter timetable.

6. Harbour lights by night ferry (€3.50)

What: the same ferry after dark, when Valletta’s bastions are lit up. A lovely, cheap way to end a dinner on the other side. Cost: €3.50 single after 19:30. Who pays: pay your own. How long: an hour including a short walk. Check the last sailing: it is earlier in winter.

7. Gozo day on foot (€4.65 return)

What: take the bus to Ċirkewwa, then the Gozo Channel ferry to Mġarr as a foot passenger. Walk to Ħondoq ir-Rummien or catch a bus to Victoria and the Citadel. Cost: the standard Gozo Channel foot-passenger fare is €4.65 return, paid on the way back. Who pays: pay your own; split taxis on Gozo. How long: a full day. Getting there: bus to Ċirkewwa. Our hiking trails guide includes Gozo walks that fit this plan.

8. Free salsa and bachata social (free entry)

What: Barrio Latino in Sliema runs a bachata night on Tuesdays and a salsa night on Thursdays from 20:30, with free entry. Partners rotate, so you will dance with strangers whether you planned to or not. Cost: free entry; you pay for drinks. Who pays: pay your own drinks. How long: two to three hours.

9. A guest walk with the Ramblers (free to try)

What: the Ramblers’ Association of Malta organises around 50 countryside walks a year, mostly on Sunday mornings in the cooler months. Guests can try a walk before joining. Cost: free to try; membership is €10 for one year. Who pays: pay your own. How long: a morning. Getting there: meeting points vary; check the walk programme.

Cheap plans under €10

10. Talk Time conversation evening (€7)

What: English Café Malta’s weekly conversation evening on Tuesdays at 19:30 in the Sliema and St Julian’s area. Good for newcomers, language learners and anyone who wants to talk to new people without a dance floor involved. Cost: €7 per the October 2026 listings. Who pays: pay your own. How long: about two hours. More groups are in our places to meet people in Malta guide.

11. Games night (€7)

What: the same organisers run games nights, karaoke and social mixers on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 19:30. Cost: €7. Who pays: pay your own. How long: two to three hours.

12. Bowling at The Eden (€9.95)

What: SuperBowl at The Eden on St George’s Bay. Bowling is the perfect mixed-group plan: no skill needed, built-in conversation breaks, and somebody always does something ridiculous. Cost: €9.95 per adult. Who pays: each person pays a game; the inviter buys the first drinks. How long: one to two hours. For more indoor ideas, see our rainy day activities in Malta.

13. MUŻA, the national art museum (€10)

What: Malta’s national community art museum in a palace on Merchants Street, Valletta. Small enough to see in an hour, with a good café nearby for the discussion after. Cost: €10 for adults (€7.50 for youths, seniors and students). Who pays: pay your own. How long: one to two hours.

14. Historical re-enactment at Fort St Elmo (€10)

What: In Guardia, a costumed military re-enactment at Fort St Elmo in Valletta, listed by Heritage Malta. Fun for a mixed group, with the fort and the harbour views as a bonus. Cost: €10 for adults for the show, or €17 including Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum. Who pays: pay your own. How long: about an hour for the show. Check the dates on Heritage Malta’s calendar.

15. La Sociale dance social (€10)

What: a Saturday dance night at the Barceló Fortina in Sliema: a workshop from 20:30, then social dancing to bachata, salsa and more. Cost: €10 entry. Who pays: pay your own. How long: the whole evening.

Cheap plans under €20

16. A pub crawl in Paceville (from about €12)

What: a guided night through several bars and a club, with welcome drinks. Popular with students and people who arrived in Malta alone. Cost: roughly €12–€25 on booking sites in October 2026, usually including welcome drinks and club entry; the cheaper options keep you under €20. Who pays: pay your own. How long: four to five hours, starting around 21:00.

17. A beginner salsa class (€14)

What: Dance Revolution in Swieqi runs beginner salsa (Level 0) on Tuesdays at 19:00, with new courses starting in the first week of each month. Cost: listed at €14 a class. Who pays: pay your own. How long: an hour, plus the drink afterwards.

18. Esplora science centre (€15)

What: Malta’s interactive science centre in Kalkara, with a planetarium dome. Not just for children: adults usually end up competing at the exhibits. Cost: €15 for adult general admission; dome shows are free. Who pays: pay your own. How long: two to three hours.

19. Malta National Aquarium (€16.90)

What: tanks, tunnels and Mediterranean sea life on the Qawra seafront. Good for a cloudy afternoon in the north. Cost: €16.90 online, €17.90 at the door for adults. Who pays: pay your own; buy online. How long: one to two hours, plus a walk on the Qawra promenade.

20. Star nights with the Astronomical Society (€18 a year)

What: the Astronomical Society of Malta organises star parties, talks and courses. Beginners are welcome, and some events are members-only. Cost: €18 a year for an adult. Who pays: pay your own. How long: evenings, on event dates.

How to make these plans even cheaper

A few of the prices above drop further if you time it right or qualify for a concession. All checked on the official price lists in October 2026:

• Malta National Aquarium: the online adult ticket falls from €16.90 to €13.90 after 16:00, and Maltese residents with an ID card pay €13.90 at any time. Seniors (60+) pay €13.90 online. A late-afternoon visit followed by sunset on the Qawra promenade is one of the best-value plans in the north.
• MUŻA: seniors (60+) and youths aged 12 to 17 pay €7.50 instead of €10.
• Heritage Malta sites: members get in free to the Fortress Builders centre and other Heritage Malta museums, which pays off quickly if you are planning several museum days over a winter.
• Buses: with a personalised tallinja card, regular routes are free, which turns the Dingli sunset, the Rabat pastizzi crawl and the Gozo day into plans where the main cost is food.

The other easy saving is the day of the week. Socials, classes and walks have fixed prices, but bowling lanes, museums and cafés are calmer on weekdays, and a plan that does not depend on a busy Saturday is easier to agree with a group anyway.

Who pays on a budget plan

When plans are cheap, money conversations should be quick. Three rules that work:

• Under €3 a head: host pays. If you invited someone to the Barrakka Lift or the Fortress Builders centre, just cover it. It is friendly, and nobody has to fumble for change.
• Fixed tickets: pay your own. For bowling, museums, socials and classes, each person buys their own ticket. Nobody chases money afterwards.
• Shared extras: split equally. Taxis, a shared picnic, a bottle of wine: divide by heads.

The trick is saying it upfront, in the invitation. “€10 each, pay your own” takes four words and stops anyone from saying no because they are worried about the bill. MeetNow, for what it is worth, makes this part of every plan: the host says who pays before anyone asks to join. If you like this kind of plan with a bit more spend, our guide to wine tasting in Malta covers the step up, and things to do with friends in Malta has 20 more group ideas.

Messages you can copy

• To a friend: “€3 plan: ferry to Valletta on Saturday at 10:00, walk the bastions, pastizzi on the way back. Pay your own, I’ll get the pastizzi.”
• To a group chat: “Bowling at The Eden on Thursday at 19:00? €9.95 each, pay your own, first round’s on me.”
• To someone new: “Want to try the Talk Time evening on Tuesday? It’s €7, starts at 19:30, and nobody knows anyone at first.”

Cheap things to do in Malta FAQ

What are cheap things to do in Malta with friends?

A €3 ferry hop between Sliema and Valletta, the €1 Barrakka Lift and the Upper Barrakka view, bowling at The Eden for €9.95, a €7 games night, a Gozo day on foot for €4.65 return, and museums like MUŻA for €10.

How much does a day trip to Gozo cost on a budget?

As a foot passenger, the Gozo Channel ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr costs €4.65 return. Add buses (free with a personalised tallinja card) and your own food, and a full day can stay well under €20.

Are buses in Malta free?

Regular bus routes are free for holders of a personalised tallinja card. Without one, a day-route single was €2 in winter and the night fare is €3 when we checked in October 2026.

What can I do in Malta on a rainy day for under €20?

Bowling at The Eden (€9.95), MUŻA (€10), Esplora (€15) and the Malta National Aquarium (€16.90 online) are all under €20 per adult.

How do we decide who pays on a cheap plan?

Host pays for anything under about €3 a head, everyone pays their own fixed tickets, and shared extras like taxis are split equally. Say it in the invitation so nobody worries about the bill.

Make one of these happen

A cheap plan only works if someone actually suggests it. Pick one from the list, choose a day, and send the message.