If you are planning to visit Malta’s Blue Grotto, the colourful fishing village of Marsaxlokk, and ancient Ghar Dalam caves, here’s everything you need to know about this popular southern Malta day trip, including what to expect, how much it costs, and honest tips from my visit.
Today we’re visiting the Blue Grotto, the fishing village of Marsaxlokk and Ghar Dalam caves in a small group tour with a guide in an air-conditioned minivan.
I booked this tour through Viator before my Malta trip, and it ended up being the perfect introduction to the island’s history, natural beauty, and ridiculously strong cocktails (more on that later!).
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In this post:
- What This Day Trip to Blue Grotto, Marsaxlokk and Ghar Dalam Includes
- Getting Started: The Small Group Tour
- Ghar Dalam Caves
- Marsaxlokk Malta: Fresh Fish and Colourful Boats
- Quick Stop: Vineyards and Birzebbuga Church
- Tarxien Temples: UNESCO Heritage in a Residential Area
- Evening at Compass Bar
- How to Visit Southern Malta: Tour vs Independent
- Where to Stay for Exploring Southern Malta
- Blue Grotto & Marsaxlokk FAQ
What This Day Trip to Blue Grotto, Marsaxlokk and Ghar Dalam Includes
Main stops:
- Blue Grotto sea caves (boat ride extra)
- Ghar Dalam Cave & Museum (prehistoric fossils)
- Marsaxlokk fishing village (lunch stop)
- Tarxien Temples UNESCO site (bonus stop on some tours)
Duration: Full day (approximately 6-7 hours) Best for: First-time visitors, history lovers, photographers When to go: April-October for best weather, avoid winter for boat trips Cost: €50-80 for guided tours, or €10 boat trip + €11 entry fees if independent
In a Rush? Here are some great Hotels to stay in Malta
⭐⭐⭐ 136 Old Bakery – Located in Valletta, it’s a lovely, well beautiful apartment in my opinion, centre of the city for convenience
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Courtyard by Marriott Sliema Located in Sliema which was where I stayed, modern hotel, and close to the beach and close to ferries to island hop.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best Western Premier Malta Located at St Pauls Bay, near Bugibba Perched Beach and Malta National Aquarium, and a shopping centre nearby.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta Based in St Julians, stunning resort Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with 2 private beaches, one of the best resorts in Malta
Car Rental: Compare prices on DiscoverCars for the best deals
Stay Connected: Get an Airalo eSIM or Saily eSIM for data (Have used both and it’s easy to use)
Flights to Malta: Search on Booking.com for the best deals
Book Tours in Advance:
Getting Started: The Small Group Tour
Setting off at 9.30am and after collecting a small group of other tourists from their hotels, we set off to the Blue Grotto.
Johanna, our tour guide explained the history of Malta and pointed out the sites as we drove by. It’s like getting an additional guided tour of Malta.
To get to the Blue Grotto is an additional payment paid at the site itself. The only reason being if it is bad weather or too windy, then the boats are unable to take us.
Fortunately, it was good condition for sailing albeit being a wee bit choppy.
Knowing my luck, I had the most flirtatious boat guide ever! It would have been cute if he was my type.
If you can’t swim, have no fear as we are all equipped with lifejackets. And a fair warning for those prone to sea sickness, bring some tablets with you cause it was a bumpy ride.
The Blue Grotto is probably Malta’s most photographed natural attraction after the Azure Window (RIP). It’s a series of sea caves on the southern coast where the water glows this brilliant electric blue when sunlight hits it just right.
Needless to say, the Blue Grotto was amazing and the light blue waters were just fantastic! We sailed through several caves, each with different light effects. The main grotto is about 30 meters deep, and when you’re floating inside looking up at the cave ceiling with that luminous blue water all around you, it’s genuinely breathtaking.
I desperately wanted to jump in because it looked so inviting, but unfortunately swimming isn’t allowed during the boat tours. (Though locals tell me you can swim nearby at other spots along the coast.)
After about 20 minutes exploring the caves from the boat, we headed back. There’s a steep climb up to where the minivan waits, but there’s a golf buggy shuttle for €1 if you can’t face the stairs.
Blue Grotto Tips
- Bring cash for the €10 boat ride (some vendors don’t take cards)
- Wear sunscreen (no shade on the boats)
- Motion sickness tablets if needed
- Camera ready (the water colour is unreal)
- Check weather before you go (call ahead if unsure)
Ghar Dalam Caves
Next destination was Ghar Dalam Cave and Museum, which translates to “Cave of Darkness.” Don’t be fooled by the normal-looking entrance. There’s way more here than meets the eye.
What to Expect at Ghar Dalam
This isn’t just any cave. It’s one of Malta’s most important prehistoric sites, containing evidence of animals that lived here over 180,000 years ago. We’re talking dwarf elephants, dwarf hippos, giant swans, all sorts of species that evolved differently because they were stuck on an island.
You start in an informative museum explaining the cave’s geological and archaeological significance, which I found genuinely interesting. Then you move across to an exhibition room showing literally thousands of bones discovered in the cave over the decades. The picture below is an exhibit of a real drawf elephant!
The cave itself is charming but very short. You walk along a raised wooden platform for about 50 meters before a sign informs you the rest of the cave system is off limits to tourists for preservation.
I was picturing myself as Indiana Jane exploring deep into the caves with a headlight, discovering hidden treasures! Reality was a bit less adventurous. The guide explained where different fossils were found throughout the cave layers, and you can see stalactites and stalagmites forming here and there.
Ghar Dalam Practical Information
Entry fee: €5 per adult (2025) Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour Temperature: Cave stays cool year-round (about 18°C), bring a light jacket Accessibility: Raised walkway makes it fairly accessible Skip if: You’re not into museums or natural history.
Marsaxlokk Malta: Fresh Fish and Colourful Boats
Next, we zoomed off towards the fishing village of Marsaxlokk for a spot of lunch. We were crammed into a massive room filled with other people from various tours.
Marsaxlokk (pronounced mar-sa-shlock) is a traditional fishing village on Malta’s south-eastern coast. It’s famous for its colourful luzzu boats which are traditional Maltese fishing boats with the Eye of Osiris painted on the bow to ward off evil spirits.
But the food was actually not too bad for a tour. We were provided with Maltese white wine – a hearty fish soup as a starter and bread.
The main course was steamed whole fish which was a bit bony for me accompanied by fries and coleslaw which wasn’t incredibly fresh but edible nonetheless, and dessert was a massive piece of profiterole haha! I was expecting maybe a traditional Maltese dessert but it was tasty.
The real highlight was the view. Just look at that harbour! Traditional fishing boats everywhere, turquoise water, the Mediterranean stretching out in front of you.
Exploring Marsaxlokk Village
After lunch we had 45 minutes to explore.
Walking along the harbour is genuinely a photographer’s dream. The luzzu boats are painted in vibrant reds, blues, yellows and greens. Combined with the turquoise water and traditional architecture, every angle is Instagram gold.
The bay area is lined with outdoor restaurants (mostly seafood, obviously) and souvenir stalls selling everything from lace tablecloths to local honey.
What I Discovered in Marsaxlokk
The Marsaxlokk Parish Church is open till 12:30pm on weekdays if you want to pop in. It’s dedicated to Our Lady of Pompei and quite beautiful inside.
The souvenier aprons – I absolutely adored these! Printed with traditional Maltese recipes like rabbit stew and lampuki pie. Lampuki is a type of fish, by the way, also known as dolphinfish or mahi-mahi. Such unique souvenirs compared to the usual fridge magnets.
What I Wish I’d Known About Marsaxlokk
You can pay a local fisherman to take you to St Peter’s Pool, a natural swimming area carved into the rocks. The boat trip takes about half an hour, which would’ve fit perfectly into our free time!
There’s also a sandy beach called Pretty Bay about 2km away if you fancy a proper swim. Bring swimwear if you’re visiting in summer.
If you’re driving yourself, there’s decent parking near the harbour, though it fills up quickly on Sunday mornings.
Marsaxlokk Sunday Market
If you can time your visit for Sunday morning, Marsaxlokk hosts Malta’s largest and most famous fish market. It runs from early morning (around 6am when fishermen arrive) until about 1pm.
The Sunday market is incredibly lively with locals haggling over fresh catch, tourists browsing souvenir stalls, and the whole harbour buzzing with energy. I visited on a weekday so missed this, but several locals told me it’s absolutely worth timing your visit for Sunday if possible.
Where to Eat in Marsaxlokk (Beyond the Tour)
If you’re exploring independently, there are loads of seafood restaurants along the harbour front. Quality varies, so ask locals for recommendations or look for places busy with Maltese families rather than just tourists.
Several people recommended Tartarun Restaurant and Ir-Rizzu for fresh fish, though I didn’t get to try them myself.
Getting to Marsaxlokk independently:
- Bus 81, 85, or 627 from Valletta (about 40 minutes)
- Easy to combine with Blue Grotto (about 15 minutes drive between them)
- Free parking near the harbour (gets busy Sunday mornings)
Quick Stop: Vineyards and Birzebbuga Church
On the way between locations, I managed to snap pictures of Malta’s vineyards along the way. The countryside was gorgeous, much greener than I expected.
We also had a pit stop at a beautiful church in Birzebbuga for toilets and photos. These little bonus stops made the tour feel more comprehensive than just hitting the three main attractions.
Tarxien Temples: UNESCO Heritage in a Residential Area
Our last stop was the UNESCO world heritage site of The Tarxien Temples. It is noticeably smaller than Hagar Qim.
Rather than being dramatically positioned on top of a cliff like Ħaġar Qim, Tarxien Temples sit in the middle of a residential area, surrounded by houses and shops. It’s quite surreal walking through modern streets then suddenly finding yourself face-to-face with 5,500-year-old stone structures.
The doorways are very similar to Ħaġar Qim’s architecture, which makes sense as they’re from the same prehistoric Maltese temple-building culture.
This tour didn’t come with audio guides, but Johanna explained everything about the history, how archaeologists discovered the site in 1913 when a farmer kept hitting stones while ploughing, and how they found animal bones and circular spiral patterns carved beautifully into the stones.
We spent around an hour here, and I’ll be honest, I was relieved to get back into the air-conditioned souvenir shop because it was absolutely boiling outside!
Still, hearing about the history was fascinating. These structures date from about 3600-2500 BC. That’s older than Stonehenge, older than the Egyptian pyramids. I still can’t get my head around how people built something this sophisticated that long ago without modern tools.
It was an interesting experience hearing about the history and I still can’t fathom how old these structures are!
Entry fee: €6 per adult (2025) Time needed: About 1 hour Combined ticket: You can get a multi-site ticket covering several megalithic temples if you’re planning to visit multiple
We arrived back at our hotel around 4:30pm, which left the whole evening free.
Evening at Compass Bar
After a quick shower and change, we headed to Compass Bar just outside our hotel.
Why? Because it’s happy hour with two-for-one drinks till 6pm. Yes please!
The Drinks
This is the Blue Lagoon cocktail. You know something, they know how to make drinks in Malta! It was reasonably priced at about €8 during happy hour (so €4 per drink with the two-for-one deal), but goodness me, they’re strong.
I’m not usually a lightweight, but this had me feeling pleasantly tipsy after one. It tasted brilliant though – sweet, citrusy, with that gorgeous blue colour.
The Food: Best Octopus Pasta of My Life
Obviously we had to order calamari. It’s practically mandatory when you’re by the Mediterranean! Big portion, very crispy and succulent, served with lemon wedges and aioli.
They served the baby octopus whole, which is kind of cute in a weird way. Like mini octopuses just lying there on the plate.
Speaking of octopus, we also ordered the octopus ragu pasta, and this was seriously incredible.
I cannot remember the last time I had pasta this good. The sauce was rich and tomatoey, the pasta was perfectly al dente, and it came with generous amounts of tender octopus tentacles. They were definitely not rubbery like badly-cooked octopus can be.
Just look at that juicy piece of tentacle… it was so tender and flavourful!
If you’ve never tried octopus, Malta’s the place to do it. When cooked properly (slowly braised or grilled), it’s tender and has this lovely slightly sweet, meaty flavour. Nothing like the rubber bands you sometimes get at bad restaurants.
How to Visit Southern Malta: Tour vs Independent
Book a Guided Tour If:
✅ You don’t fancy driving on Malta’s narrow roads (they drive on the left) ✅ You want historical context and stories from a knowledgeable guide ✅ You prefer not worrying about logistics, parking, and timing ✅ You’re travelling solo and want to meet other people ✅ You want lunch included so you don’t have to research restaurants
Average tour cost: €50-80 per person including hotel pickup, guide, entrance fees, and lunch
What I liked about the tour: Johanna’s historical explanations added so much context I wouldn’t have gotten wandering around alone. Plus, someone else dealt with parking and navigation, which was lovely after days of figuring everything out myself.
Explore Independently If:
✅ You have a rental car and enjoy driving ✅ You want complete flexibility with timing (longer at Blue Grotto, skip something else) ✅ You want to spend more time at Marsaxlokk (45 minutes wasn’t quite enough for me) ✅ You’re comfortable using Google Maps and researching sites yourself ✅ You want to choose your own restaurants rather than set tour lunch
Cost independently: Roughly €30-40 per person (€25 car rental split between passengers, €10 Blue Grotto, €5 Ghar Dalam, €6 Tarxien, plus lunch)
My Honest Recommendation
For first-timers to Malta, I’d suggest the guided tour. Having Johanna explain the history made everything more meaningful, and I learned things I’d never have known just reading signs.
Plus, Malta’s roads are confusing (one-way systems everywhere, terrible signage), and parking at Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk can be a nightmare in high season.
But if you’ve been to Malta before or you’re staying longer, hire a car and explore at your own pace. You’ll have more time at each location, can discover hidden spots like St Peter’s Pool, and won’t feel rushed.
Where to Stay for Exploring Southern Malta
Marsaxlokk Area Best if you want a quiet, authentic fishing village base away from touristy areas. Limited accommodation options but lovely atmosphere.
Sliema or St Julian’s Good central location for exploring all of Malta, including the south. Loads of restaurants, bars, and hotels. Where I stayed and it worked brilliantly for day trips.
Valletta Beautiful historic capital, easy bus connections to everywhere including southern Malta. More expensive but worth it for the location.
Bugibba/Qawra North coast resort area, budget-friendly, less convenient for southern Malta but buses connect everything.
Blue Grotto & Marsaxlokk FAQ
Is Blue Grotto Malta worth visiting?
Absolutely. The boat trip through the sea caves with that incredible electric blue water is stunning. Just check weather conditions first as boats don’t operate in rough seas (typically November-March). Budget about €10 for the 20-minute boat ride plus time for the steep walk back up.
How much does Blue Grotto boat trip cost?
€10 per person (2025 price). You pay directly at the site, not included in tour prices, because boats can’t operate in bad weather. The ticket sellers will tell you if it’s too rough before you pay.
Can you swim in Blue Grotto Malta?
Not inside the caves themselves during boat tours, but nearby St Peter’s Pool is brilliant for swimming. You can hire a local fisherman in Marsaxlokk to take you there (about 30-minute trip). There’s also Pretty Bay beach about 2km from Marsaxlokk.
What day is Marsaxlokk market?
Sunday mornings from about 6am (when fishermen arrive with fresh catch) until roughly 1pm. It’s Malta’s largest fish market with locals buying seafood and tourists browsing souvenir stalls. Gets very busy, arrive early for the best atmosphere and freshest fish.
Is Marsaxlokk worth visiting?
Yes, especially on Sunday for the famous fish market. Even on other days, the harbour lined with traditional luzzu boats is gorgeous for photos, and the restaurants serve excellent fresh seafood. Don’t skip the octopus pasta!
How long does southern Malta day trip take?
Full guided tour takes about 6-7 hours including Blue Grotto, Marsaxlokk, Ghar Dalam, Tarxien Temples and hotel pickup/drop-off. If exploring independently, budget 8am-5pm to see everything comfortably with a leisurely lunch.
Do Blue Grotto boats operate in winter?
Rarely. Boats typically don’t operate November through March due to rough seas and bad weather. April through October is most reliable. Even in summer, very windy days can cancel boats, so always check conditions before making the trip.
What is Ghar Dalam?
Ghar Dalam means “Cave of Darkness” in Maltese. It’s a prehistoric cave containing fossils of animals that lived in Malta over 180,000 years ago, including dwarf elephants and dwarf hippos. The museum displays thousands of bones discovered in the cave.
Can you visit Blue Grotto without a tour?
Yes, easily. Drive yourself or take public bus. Parking is available at Blue Grotto (gets full quickly in summer). You buy boat trip tickets directly at the site. Tours just handle the logistics and combine multiple southern Malta attractions in one day.
Where can I eat in Marsaxlokk?
Loads of seafood restaurants line the harbour. Look for places busy with Maltese families rather than just tourists. Try octopus pasta, fresh grilled fish, or traditional lampuki pie. Many restaurants display their fresh catch outside.
Final Thoughts on Southern Malta
This day trip showed me a completely different side of Malta beyond Valletta’s grand historic streets and Mdina’s ancient walls.
The Blue Grotto’s luminous blue waters, Marsaxlokk’s authentic fishing village atmosphere with those gorgeous traditional boats, the prehistoric significance of Ghar Dalam caves, and the ancient mystery of Tarxien Temples all showcase different sides of this tiny island nation.
Plus, ending the day with ridiculously strong cocktails and the best octopus pasta I’ve ever eaten while overlooking the Mediterranean was pretty much perfect.
If you’re planning a Malta trip, definitely include the southern coast in your itinerary. Whether you book a tour like I did or explore independently with a rental car, these spots are absolutely worth your time.
And seriously, don’t skip the octopus pasta if you visit Marsaxlokk. Trust me on this one.
You know something, I will seriously miss waking up to this view every day. We are exploring Valetta tomorrow before our flight in the evening. And munching in the oldest restaurant cafe in Malta.
What’s a holiday without more food right!
Courtney xx
You might also like:
- Visiting Valletta: Malta’s Capital City Guide
- Exploring Mdina and Ħaġar Qim Temples
- Complete Gozo and Comino Island Tour Guide
HeyWhatsupCourtney
Owner/ Writer/ Content Creator
Hey! I’m Courtney, I set out to create a blog that brings a whole lot of adventure to our readers. Instead of the traditional influencer and Instagram travels that you normally would see, I am trying instead, to show you the real, raw, and exotic side of travel and a whole lots of food that goes with it. Because I believe food is part of the country culture and needs to be tried and shown proudly.
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