Malta side trip from Sicily?

In 2015, I spent 7 days in Malta and 4 days in Sicily. After doing research regarding the 90-minute ferry, I realized it would be more convenient and cheaper just to take a 40-minute Air Malta flight from Valletta to Catania (the bus connection in Sicily from the ferry to Siracusa was really the kink that made the ferry not feasible for me). I think 3-4 days in Malta is a bit short but if you only focus on Valletta and perhaps one other town (I would highly recommend Mdina and Rabat), then you should be fine. Even with 7 days, I didn't have enough time to properly see the island of Gozo, which was a wonderful side trip. So, yes, you can structure a short trip. Valletta itself has many sites to see, but the beauty of Malta is getting out of Valletta and seeing small towns/villages all over the island (as well as crossing over to Gozo). I had a great trip and enjoyed both Malta and Sicily (only the southeastern part).

I say, go for it. It's probably unlikely you'll be in that neck of the woods again, although there are budget flights to Malta from several European cities.

As Agnes says, the ferry is not convenient because of the time and effort to get to/from it. If you can spend at least 3 full days there, it's a lovely place. 5 days is not too much. One issue there is that it can take a long time to get from place to place because of traffic congestion - lots of cars and not a lot of road. And I agree with Agnes's choices of where to spend your time.

I forgot that the RS tour finishes in Catania. In that case, definitely just take a quick flight over via Air Malta (the ferry is way down south so it's not worth backtracking). The bus network in Malta works great (a brand new system was introduced when I was there) and you can get a pass for multiple days right at the airport. In 3-4 days, definitely limit yourself to Valletta, the Three Cities (right across the bay), and Mdina/Rabat. Definitely see the Hypogeum (in Paola) if open - you have to reserve in advance. I don't think you'll have enough time to get to Gozo (a separate island with its own culture and feel). It was a very long day trip for me (took the bus which took along time just to get to the ferry on the other side of the island), so if you do decide to go, you'll be quite tired from your trip. There's more than enough to see right on the mainland without going to Gozo, but if you can stretch your trip to more than 4 days, then definitely go. If you decide to go and have any questions, just PM me or search this forum for prior Malta threads.

Do it!

Malta is worth at least 3-4 days. I arrived by plane and found it relatively convenient. I cannot comment about the boat trip from Sicily. I would suggest looking into it if you really like sea voyages. The weather will be great, so it might be well worth the hours spent afloat than in transit from hotel to airport to hotel etc., via taxi or car service.

Thanks to all who took the time to respond. You have certainly stimulated my interest in visiting Malta, and provided useful information. I'll think further both about the length of time I should allot and the method of transportation.

This book, as well as the Lonely Planet guide, were my best planning resources so check them out if you end up going.

https://www.amazon.com/Malta-Gozo-Bradt-Travel-Guides/dp/1784770256/ref=dp_ob_title_bk