Malta in December runs daytime highs around 16°C, night lows near 11°C, and 85–110 mm of rain across roughly 12 to 13 wet days – jacket weather rather than winter-coat weather, and one of the two wettest months of the Maltese year. The sun still appears regularly between the wet spells, but the days are the shortest of the year.
The sea cools across the month, from about 18–19°C in the first days to around 17°C by New Year, which puts swimming out of reach for all but the committed. What December offers instead is a Baroque capital at its most atmospheric: an 80-stall Christmas market at Is-Suq tal-Belt, cribs in every village church, and a New Year's Eve in Valletta that draws tens of thousands.
What is the weather like in Malta in December?
Mild, changeable and short on daylight. December is one of Malta's two wettest months alongside November, but the rain arrives in bursts and the temperature never approaches northern European winter.
| Measure | December |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | ~16°C |
| Night low | ~11°C |
| Sea temperature | ~18–19°C early, ~17°C by month's end |
| Rainfall | ~85–110 mm across about 12–13 wet days |
| Sunset | just before 17:00 all month |
The rainfall range is genuinely wide because December varies more year to year than any other month – some years deliver 85 mm across a handful of heavy days, others push past 110 mm. Plan for roughly two wet days in five and you will not be far out.
Daylight is the bigger constraint. Malta's earliest sunsets fall in the first fortnight of December, at about 16:45, and the month never recovers more than ten minutes of that. An effective sightseeing day runs from 08:00 to about 16:30, which is shorter than most visitors plan for. Our Malta temperature by month page sets December against the rest of the year, and November is the closest month in feel if your dates are flexible.
What is Christmas like in Malta?
Malta takes Christmas seriously, and the country is overwhelmingly Catholic, so the season is genuinely observed rather than purely commercial.
Valletta's Christmas market runs at Is-Suq tal-Belt, the restored covered market on Merchants Street, with more than 80 stalls alongside an ice rink, a Ferris wheel and a Santa's House for children. It is the largest concentration of festive activity in the country and the natural base for an evening in the capital.
Beyond the market, the tradition worth seeking out is the presepju – the crib. Churches, village squares and private houses across both islands display them through Advent, some mechanised, some built to a scale that takes over an entire room. They are free to visit and they are the part of a Maltese Christmas that no other European city break replicates.
- Valletta lights – the main streets are strung from late November through early January
- Is-Suq tal-Belt market – 80+ stalls, ice rink, Ferris wheel, Santa's House
- Presepji – traditional cribs in churches and squares across Malta and Gozo
- Midnight Mass – held in parish churches across the islands on 24 December
- Winter food – hearty Maltese cooking is at its best in the cold months
What happens in Valletta on New Year's Eve?
It is the biggest night of the Maltese year, and the scale surprises people who booked a quiet winter break. The 2025 into 2026 celebration drew an estimated 70,000 people into Valletta, spread across St George's Square, Triton Square and the vantage points around the Grand Harbour, with live performances through the evening and a 25-minute fireworks display at midnight.
The programme and line-up for the 2026 into 2027 edition had not been announced at the time of writing, so treat the format above as what to expect rather than what is confirmed. The fireworks and the square-based staging have been consistent year to year; the acts change.
Two practical points if you are coming for it. Public transport into and out of Valletta is exceptionally busy and roads into the capital close, so plan to walk in or stay within walking distance. And accommodation over the New Year window is the one genuine price spike in an otherwise cheap month, so book it months rather than weeks ahead.
Is Malta worth visiting in December?
Yes, for a mild festive city break – but be clear about which trip you are buying. At 16°C with 12 to 13 wet days, December is a sightseeing, eating and festive-lights month, and the water is closed for the season. Beaches are unstaffed and Comino boat trips pause until spring.
What you get in exchange is Malta without competition. The sights have no queues, restaurants have tables, and Valletta and Mdina in low winter light are better-looking than they are under a July sun. Outside the Christmas and New Year window, prices are among the lowest of the year.
The honest caveat is the daylight. Losing the afternoon at 16:45 removes roughly a third of a normal sightseeing day, and two wet days in five will interrupt something. Our best time to visit Malta guide sets December against the alternatives, and January offers the same mild quiet without the festive pull or the New Year price spike.
What is there to do in Malta in December?
Everything indoors and on foot, which in Malta is most of the good material.
- Valletta – the lights, the market at Is-Suq tal-Belt, St John's Co-Cathedral and the palaces
- Mdina and Rabat – the silent city is at its most atmospheric in winter light, with the coach traffic gone
- The Three Cities – Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua across the harbour, quiet and residential in December
- Museums and the temples – the reliable wet-weather cover, and empty at this time of year
- New Year's Eve in Valletta – fireworks at midnight and live performance across the main squares
The wider things to do in Malta guide has entry prices and opening hours. Check opening times against your dates carefully in December, because several Heritage Malta sites close on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January – the exact days most winter visitors are on the island.
What does December cost, and what should you pack?
December is two months on price. From the 1st to around the 20th, rates are among the lowest of the year; from Christmas Eve through New Year they spike hard, and Valletta hotels in particular sell out. Book the festive window early and the early-month one late. Our is Malta expensive guide sets a realistic daily budget, and the best hotels in Malta list covers the festive bases.
Pack for mild and wet rather than cold:
- Layers and a jumper – 16°C days and 11°C nights, with a noticeable drop after sunset
- A proper waterproof jacket – 12 to 13 wet days makes this the one month where it earns its space
- Comfortable walking shoes with grip – Valletta's polished limestone is genuinely slippery wet
- Sunglasses – the bright spells between showers are bright
- Leave the swimwear – unless the hotel has a heated pool, or you are a committed cold-water swimmer
One thing that catches visitors out: Maltese buildings are designed to shed summer heat, not retain winter warmth, and older apartments and guesthouses can feel colder indoors than the 16°C outside. Check that your accommodation has heating before you book.
Featured image: Txllxt TxllxT / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0