15 Food Experiences in Malta to Build a Day Around

1.Street Food and Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,251 reviews · 3 hours · from $65Our pick

Spend three hours walking Valletta with a licensed English-speaking guide such as Nadine, Ernest, Marissa, or Charlotte. Along the way, taste pastizzi, ftira, rabbit, Maltese sweets, Cisk lager, and Kinnie while learning how the city’s food connects to its past. Arrive hungry and wear comfortable shoes.

“Mirabel was an excellent guide, personable and knowledgeable. the food was great and varied so we learned about the city as well as the food.”

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2.Lazy Pirate Boat Party with Drinks & Food

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 788 reviews · 4 hours · from $81

Join the Lazy Pirate Boat Party from Sliema for four hours of DJ music, an open bar with vodka, tequila, whiskey, rum, beer, wine, and sangria, plus snacks and fruit. You will cruise Malta’s coast at sunset, stop for a moonlight swim, and return around midnight. It is for adults 18 and over.

“It was amazing, I can truly recommend it. I met a lot of friendly people, the workers were also always super nice! One of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”

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3.The Valletta Street Food and Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 711 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $66Top rated

Start at Valletta’s New Parliament Building at 9:30 am for a small-group walk led by a licensed guide such as Ernest, Marisa, or Charlotte. Taste pastizzi, ftira, Kinnie, coffee, sweets, Cisk lager, and a changing local dish while learning how Malta’s past shaped its food.

“Great tour of Valletta with excellent guide and delicious food. The tour guide, Marisa, was excellent and highly informative. We loved it and highly recommend it.”

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4.Valletta Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 711 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

Spend about 3.5 hours walking from Floriana into Valletta, sampling pastizzi, imqaret, ftira, Kinnie, Maltese coffee, beer, and other local treats. Guides such as Romina, Karl, and Chris mix food with city stories, small details, and practical restaurant tips. The group is limited to 11 people.

“Lots of local food, Maltese coffee, and a beverage to try. Also learned historical facts about the area.”

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5.Maltese Food and Drink Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 601 reviews · 3 hours · from $59

Walk from Valletta’s City Gate through historic streets with an English-speaking guide such as Matthew or Julia. Stop for pastizzi, ftira, timpana, sweets, chocolate, and local drinks, with a generous final meal at an indoor food hall. Vegetarian menus are available when requested in advance.

“We had a great time trying some Maltese, traditional and current food selections. The locations were diverse from coffee shops to open market. The Maltese cuisine is adopted from many cultures so it does lack a bit of originality. In my opinion, it is worth taking this tour as a guide was very knowledgeable about the history of Malta, including some specific points in Valaretta that proved to be very interesting. Overall, it’s worth the time.”

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6.Food Walking Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 220 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $65

Walk Valletta with an English-speaking guide such as Romina, Chris, or Karl, stopping for pastizzi, sweets, drinks, and hearty Maltese food. The route covers the area near Triton Fountain, Republic Street, and Merchants Street, with history and local customs woven into each tasting. Come hungry, wear good shoes, and bring water.

“The tour was excellent. The tour guide, Chris, was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging. It was clear how much he knew about the city, its history, and of course its cuisine. The tour provided a good balance of sightseeing, food and drink, and gentle exercise to burn some of it off - we would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Malta.”

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7.Sailboat Party with an Open Bar, Food, and Swimming

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 155 reviews · from $79

Board the sailboat Faith in Sliema for a four-hour evening party with an open bar, live DJ, photographer, Maltese ftira sandwiches, fruit, and a swim stop. You’ll cruise past Valletta, dance to reggaeton and upbeat music, and jump from the boat into clear water. This experience is for adults 18 and older.

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8.Valletta Food Tour – Eat like a local

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 137 reviews · from $52

Walk Valletta from the New Parliament Building to Is-Suq Tal-Belt with a local guide such as Matthew or Julia. Over about three hours, taste enough Maltese snacks to replace lunch or dinner while learning how the Knights, foreign influences, and city life shaped the food. The tour welcomes ages 16 and up, with a vegetarian option but limited help for other dietary needs.

“Interesting and knowledgeable guide. Great tour, completed with sit down food at the end and the opportunity to ask the guide many questions about Malta, its traditions and history.”

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9.The Food & History Private Tour of Malta

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 44 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $167

Spend four to five hours exploring Mdina, Rabat, Mosta, and possibly Valletta with a private English-speaking guide. You’ll hear Maltese history, sample pastizzi and other local foods, and, on the Mdina version, receive snacks, a three-course dinner, dessert, and alcoholic drinks. Pickup costs extra.

“Catherine was a brilliant guide and told us lots of interesting facts about Mdina. We loved seeing the city at night and the food we had was all delicious and tasty. Would highly recommend this tour 🫶🏻”

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10.The Valletta Food Tour Experience, a private tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $510

Spend about three and a half hours walking Valletta with a private English-speaking guide such as Nadine, Angele, Marisa, or Mariella. Taste pastizzi, ftira, a local platter, Kinnie beer, and a traditional sweet, with possible additions such as rabbit and ravioli. The route is flexible, but church and museum admission costs extra.

“Amazing short intro to Valletta and Malta and their history accompanied with a taste of local food. Visnja was a great host, gave us not just what was planned but extended the info to everything that we could need or use during our short vacation. Ver recommended!”

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11.Private Valletta Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Spend about three hours tasting Maltese snacks, drinks, sandwiches, sweets, and food-court samples around Valletta with a private English-speaking guide. Giulia and Matthew have led this experience, pairing food with stories about Malta’s changing rulers, language, architecture, and daily life. Start and finish at Victoria Gate.

“A wonderful tour! Matthew took us around the city and we got to sample many types of Maltese food—both on the street and in the sit down setting while getting a good history of the city and how it influenced the cuisine. Highly recommended !”

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12.Maltese Folklore Night Tour incl. food and drinks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $78

Start with hotel pickup in St. Julian’s, then settle in at Ta’ Marija restaurant for a four-course Maltese meal, wine, water, and coffee. Traditional dancers in colorful costume perform after dinner, followed by music and dancing for all. Belinda and the restaurant team are noted for warm service, while transport timing can vary.

“It was a lot of fun! Host and staff were lovely, fast service, pretty good food, and true to their word regarding free-flowing drinks! Great choice of songs for the impromptu disco following the traditional dances, all of which tell a story!”

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13.Mdina and Rabat Food and History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $81

Walk Mdina and Rabat with a licensed guide such as Chris, Bridgette, or Darrell, stopping for Maltese favorites including pastizzi, kinnie, rabbit, bragoli, and imqaret. You’ll see Mdina’s Baroque gate, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and St. Paul’s Grotto during a 3.5-hour English-language tour capped at 12 people.

“This was a great tour. Small and personal with only 6 participants in the group. Bridgette was a delight. We were lucky to be in Rabat on the eve of the festa, so we got to see the set up of the flags and lights and see the locals come together as one. The food was plentiful. Stop one: Pasitizzi & Kinnie ( best pasitizzi's in Malta) Stop two: Maltese coffee and fresh fruit Stop three: maltese platter Stop four: rabbit stew, bragoli, roast potatoes and veggies, Maltese bread, wine imqaret This tour is definitely worth a try if you want traditional food and history too.”

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14.5 hr Vintage Bus Tour – Mdina & Blue Grotto inc. food

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · from $51Best value

Spend five hours crossing Malta in a 36-seat vintage bus with an English-speaking driver such as Dan, Mark, or Daniel. Visit Marsaxlokk, the Blue Grotto, Siġġiewi, Dingli Cliffs, and Mdina. Food and drinks are included, while the optional Blue Grotto boat trip costs extra and depends on weather.

“We really enjoyed the tour, our tour guide Dan was great! Very knowledgeable, the sights were beautiful and we would definitely go again!”

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15.Private Valletta Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $216

Explore Valletta with a private guide such as Josianne, Gianni, Romina, Chris, Karl, or Tracey. Over about three and a half hours, you’ll see palaces, churches, and tucked-away streets while sampling pastizzi, rabbit, Maltese wine, Kinnie, chocolate, ftira, and other local favorites. Pickup is available at the cruise port or Valletta gates.

“Gianni was the best. His knowledge about his home country was remarkable. He was proud to share in the rich cultural heritage of the various influences other countries brought to the culinary industry in Malta. From the sweet and savory pastizzi to the traditional rabbit and assortment of caponata, the food was delicious. We are grateful for the experience and for the company.”

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