Malta in January is the mild winter of the Mediterranean: 12.9 °C on average at Luqa (Malta's Met Office, 1991-2020 average), 5.5 hours of sunshine a day, but also 79 mm of rain and some wind. Along with February (12.6 °C), it is one of the two coolest months of the year. It is also the low season: from January to March 2026, Malta received half as many tourists a month as in August 2026, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).
It is a good month for Valletta's museums, the Valletta Baroque Festival (7 to 24 January 2027), walks along the cliffs and a day on Gozo. It is not a beach month: the sea is around 16 °C. The Yippee and Hornblower boat trips to Comino and the Blue Lagoon do not run in January, and the Heritage Malta sites, on winter opening hours, are closed on 1 January.
- Air: 12.9 °C on average; 15.2 °C in the afternoon and 9.2 °C at night, based on the 1961-1990 average.
- Sea: around 16 °C (26.7 °C in August): swimming for the brave.
- Rain and sun: 79 mm of rain, 5.5 hours of sunshine a day, sunset around 5pm.
- Closed or reduced: no Yippee or Hornblower boat trips to the Blue Lagoon; winter opening hours at the museums.
- January 2027: Heritage Malta sites closed on the 1st; nativity cribs in Qala (Gozo) until the 3rd; Valletta Baroque Festival from the 7th to the 24th.
- Packing: several layers, a windproof and waterproof jacket, shoes with a good grip.
- With us: day trips to Gozo by quad, buggy, jeep or tuk-tuk, all winter, depending on the weather.
Weather in Malta in January: the figures
Unless stated otherwise, these figures come from Malta's Met Office, at the Luqa station. For day and night temperatures, the available reference is the 1961-1990 average, a little cooler than today (January average: 12.2 °C then, 12.9 °C now).
| January in Malta | Figure |
|---|---|
| Air, monthly average (1991-2020) | 12.9 °C |
| Air, afternoon and night (1961-1990) | 15.2 °C and 9.2 °C |
| Sea (norm quoted before 2022) | 15.8 °C |
| Rain (1991-2020) | 79.3 mm |
| Days with at least 1 mm of rain (1961-1990) | 11 |
| Days with thunderstorms (Met Office average) | 4 |
| Sunshine (1991-2020) | 169.5 hours in the month, 5.5 hours a day |
| Sunrise and sunset in Valletta, on the 1st and the 15th | 7.12am – 4.59pm; 7.12am – 5.11pm |
Sources: Malta's Met Office, monthly reports carried by the Maltese press (2018 to 2026); 1961-1990 average: NSO (2011) and the German weather service (DWD); sunshine: US Naval Observatory. The other months are on our page Malta weather and temperatures month by month.
Is Malta hot in January?
It is mild, not hot: 12.9 °C on average over the month. In January 2025, the thermometer rose to 19.4 °C on the 27th and fell to 7.2 °C on the 16th, according to the Met Office. The January record is 25.8 °C (9 January 2021); the lowest temperature ever measured in Malta, 1.4 °C, dates from 29 January 1981. During the day, a jumper and a jacket are enough; in the evening, add a layer.
Rain, wind and storms
On average 79 mm of rain falls, but it varies a lot from one year to the next: 69.2 mm in January 2025, 112.4 mm in January 2026, the month of Storm Harry. On 20 and 21 January 2026, the Met Office measured an average wind of 22.6 knots over the day and a gust of 49.6 knots (about 92 km/h), against an average wind of 8.9 knots (about 16 km/h) in normal times. The sea decides whether boats go out: in rough seas, Yippee's Gozo tours cross on the ferry.
Swimming in Malta in January: the honest answer
For most people, no. The sea is around 16 °C (the Met Office quotes a norm of 15.8 °C), more than ten degrees colder than in August (26.7 °C). If you want to try, pick a calm, sunny day, around midday, and a cove sheltered from the wind; don't swim alone and get out before you feel cold. If the sea is rough, stay on the shore. For a proper swim, wait for the warm season and choose your cove with our guide to Malta's beaches.
January in Malta: who it suits
A good month if you are coming for Valletta, Mdina, the temples, the museums, walking or baroque music. It is less crowded: from January to March 2026, Malta received 806,563 tourists, about 269,000 a month, against 539,655 in August 2026 (NSO figures published by BusinessNow on 4 May 2026 and by Newsbook on 2 October 2026). And the bus is cheaper: €2 a journey from 18 October 2026 to 12 June 2027, against €2.50 in summer (fares as of 22 October 2026).
A bad month if you want the beach, snorkelling or the Blue Lagoon by boat: the boat trips we sell with Yippee run from mid-April to mid-October. It gets dark around 5pm. February brings longer days (sunset at 5.29pm on 1 February) and the return of the Hornblower boat trips: read Malta in February and, for the festive season, Malta in December.
Things to do in Malta in January
The days are short: set off early, and keep the museums for the rain and the outdoors for the sun. Here are the winter opening hours of Heritage Malta, which runs these sites.
| Heritage Malta sites | From 1 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 |
|---|---|
| Grand Master's Palace, Fort St Elmo and the National War Museum, National Museum of Archaeology, MUŻA (Valletta); Fort St Angelo (Birgu); Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra; Tarxien; St Paul's Catacombs (Rabat); Ġgantija (Gozo) | 9am to 5pm, every day |
| Inquisitor's Palace, Domvs Romana, Għar Dalam, Gran Castello Historic House, Old Prison, National Museum of Natural History | 9am to 5pm, except Mondays |
| Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum | 10am to 6pm, booking compulsory |
Last entry 30 minutes before closing; everything is closed on 1 January. The opening hours after 3 January 2027 are not yet published as of 22 October 2026: check Heritage Malta's opening hours before you go.
Valletta, its museums and the Saluting Battery
At the Grand Master's Palace, the Throne Room is closed until further notice, and on Wednesday 27 January 2027 the State Rooms stay closed until 1.30pm (only the Armoury can be visited in the morning). From the Upper Barrakka Gardens, you walk into the Saluting Battery, whose cannon fires at 12 noon and 4pm: arrive a quarter of an hour early. It is open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5.30pm (€3 per adult as of 22 October 2026), and closed on 1 January. Everything else is in things to do in Valletta.
Mdina and Rabat
In Mdina, take your time and wander: in winter there are fewer people. Right next door, in Rabat, St Paul's Catacombs cost €6 per adult as of 22 October 2026. For the full visit, see things to do in Mdina.
The Three Cities
The Valletta Ferry Services ferry links Valletta and Cospicua all year round, with a winter timetable from 1 November to 31 May. In Birgu, Fort St Angelo is open every day and the Inquisitor's Palace every day except Monday (see the table). Read more in our article on the Three Cities.
The prehistoric temples
Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra (€10 per adult as of 22 October 2026), Tarxien and Ġgantija (often spelt Ggantija), in Xagħra on the island of Gozo, are open every day (hours published until 3 January 2027). For the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, Heritage Malta says that booking online is compulsory: don't turn up without a ticket.
Walking along the cliffs and in the countryside
In January it is cool enough to walk in the middle of the day, which is not the case in summer (31.7 °C on average in the afternoon in July). Set off in the morning, wear shoes that grip on wet paths, and keep well away from the cliff edge on very windy days. To choose your route, read hiking in Malta and the Dingli Cliffs.
Gozo as a day trip
Buses 41 and 42 run from Valletta to the Ċirkewwa terminal (often spelt Cirkewwa), where the Gozo Channel ferry leaves for Mġarr, on Gozo, taking about 25 minutes. The adult ticket costs €4.65 as of 22 October 2026, covers the return journey and is checked at the Gozo terminal. The winter timetable is not online yet: check the Gozo Channel timetable before you set off. Ideas for your visit are in things to do in Gozo, and the other ways to get there in how to get to Gozo.
Events and concerts in January 2027
The main event of the month is the Valletta Baroque Festival, launched in 2013 and organised every January by Festivals Malta. In 2027 it runs from 7 to 24 January, in venues such as St John's Co-Cathedral, Verdala Palace, Palazzo Parisio and Teatru Manoel; as of 22 October 2026, prices are not yet given on the festival page.
In Qala, on Gozo, the nativity crib exhibition “Qala Enchanted by Cribs” stays open until 3 January 2027, according to Visit Malta. 1 January 2027 falls on a Friday: for the night of the 31st and New Year's Day, read New Year in Malta; for December, Christmas in Malta; for the rest of the winter, the Malta Carnival.
What is closed or reduced in January
At sea. Yippee's Blue Lagoon boat trips run from mid-April to mid-October. The Hornblower boat trips from Buġibba have no departures in December or January and start again on 1 February 2027. The Spirit of Malta and the boat parties are summer outings. Comino Ferries advertises a daily return service from Marfa and Ċirkewwa (about 20 minutes, €15 per adult as of 22 October 2026), but its timetable page says nothing about winter: check before you go. To swim at the Blue Lagoon, wait for the warm season: it is all in our Blue Lagoon guide.
At the sites. Winter opening hours at Heritage Malta (table above), everything closed on 1 January, Throne Room of the Grand Master's Palace closed.
On public transport. A bus ticket is valid for 2 hours, changes included, and you pay the driver, in cash or by contactless card (Malta Public Transport fares). The harbour ferries run on their winter timetable from 1 November to 31 May.
Instead, keep the museums for the rain, Gozo by ferry for calm days and the festival concerts for the evening.
What to pack for January
- Several layers: the 1961-1990 average gives a gap of 6 degrees between afternoon and night.
- A windproof and waterproof jacket, more useful than an umbrella on windy days.
- Closed shoes with a good grip, for the narrow streets and wet paths.
- Sunglasses: 5.5 hours of sunshine a day on average.
- A swimsuit only for a heated pool, or to try the sea at 16 °C.
Our tours in January: Gozo day trips
In January, the trips running with us are the Gozo day trips (see our page Gozo tours). Yippee's tours run every day, all year round, depending on the weather: the guided quad tour of Gozo, the guided buggy tour of Gozo, the 4x4 jeep safari with a driver and the tuk-tuk tour with a driver. When the sea is too rough, the crossing is made by ferry, tickets included; in winter, you are back in Marfa around 5pm, and the swimming stop at Comino only happens in summer.
Gozo Pride Tours runs the full-day quad tour with lunch and the full-day buggy tour with lunch all year round; in bad weather, the tour is moved or cancelled free of charge. Pick-up depends on where you are staying; the details are given when you book.
The sunset tours, on the other hand, only start again in mid-April. And if you prefer Gozo without a guide, the Gozo Channel ferry is all you need.
FAQ: Malta in January
Is Malta hot in January?
It is mild, not hot: 12.9 °C on average, with 15.2 °C in the afternoon and 9.2 °C at night as a reference point (1961-1990 average).
Can you swim in Malta in January?
The sea is around 16 °C: it is possible on a calm day, for the brave, but it is not a beach month.
What can you do in Malta in January when it rains?
Valletta's museums (Grand Master's Palace, National Museum of Archaeology, MUŻA, Fort St Elmo) are open from 9am to 5pm every day until 3 January 2027. Keep the cliffs and Gozo for dry days.
Can you go to Comino in January?
The Yippee and Hornblower Blue Lagoon boat trips do not run in January. Comino Ferries advertises a daily return service from Marfa and Ċirkewwa, with no winter timetable on its page as of 22 October 2026: check before you go.
What should you pack for Malta in January?
Several layers, a windproof and waterproof jacket, shoes with a good grip and a jumper for the evening.
Are the museums open on 1 January?
No: all Heritage Malta sites are closed that day, as is the Saluting Battery.
Is it less crowded in January?
Yes: from January to March 2026, Malta received about 269,000 tourists a month, half as many as in August 2026 (539,655), according to the NSO.
Can you go to Gozo in January?
Yes: the Gozo Channel ferry links Ċirkewwa and Mġarr in about 25 minutes, and our Gozo day trips by quad, buggy, jeep or tuk-tuk also run in January, depending on the weather.
What are the dates of the Valletta Baroque Festival 2027?
From 7 to 24 January 2027, according to Festivals Malta, in venues including St John's Co-Cathedral and Teatru Manoel.