Is Malaga worth a day trip?

Yes: 7.8 hours in Malaga, £156 for the whole day, 12 min into town each way. Enough for the main sights and a proper lunch without rushing.

How long do you actually get in Malaga?

About 7.8 hours in Malaga. Landing to take-off is 10.9 hours; the trip into town and back, passport checks and the time at the airport come off that.

How do you get from Malaga airport into town?

Train C1, 12 min, €1.80. A day ticket on local transport is No day ticket sold.

What does a day in Malaga cost, not counting the flight?

About £41 a person for the day: local transport, lunch, dinner and a drink. Paid attractions are listed separately because most people do one or none, and an average that includes them is a number nobody actually pays.

Is the flight price on this page the one I will pay?

The fare shown was checked 16 October against Google Flights for this exact date and these exact flights. Fares move, so it can change before you book, and the price is not held for you.

How early do I need to be back at the airport?

Leave the city by 19:23. That allows 12 min to get back to the airport and 135 min there, including 45 min for passport checks on the way out, before the 21:50 flight home.

Will passport checks eat my day?

We allow 30 min on landing for the EU Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and a photo on your first trip) and 45 min extra on the way out. That is already taken off the 7.8 hours shown. These are estimates; queues run longer on busy days.

Day trip to Malaga.
From Edinburgh, back by 00:15, after midnight.

Spain·Mon 2 Nov · 7.8 hours in the city

£156

the whole day

7.8 hours

in the city

00:15

back in Edinburgh

Time in the city

7.8 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

8km

to the centreFrom Malaga centre (AGP)

Daylight

10.6 hours

07:42 to 18:21Sunrise 07:42, sunset 18:21

First EU trip since 2025? Allow 30 min more.

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

06:30
Leave Edinburgh
Jet2
11:37
In the city
Lands 10:55, 30min immigration, 12min from the airport
19:23
Leave the city
12min back, 135min at the airport incl. immigration
00:15
Back in Edinburgh
Flies 21:50 with Ryanair

Leave EdinburghJet206:30
Land in Malaga3h 25min10:55
In the city30min immigration, 12min from the airport11:37
Leave the city12min back, 135min at the airport incl. immigration19:23
Fly homeRyanair, 3h 25min21:50
Back in Edinburgh00:15

How we'd do it

Open up the maps to see full detail.

11:5030 min there

4 min walk

12:2460 min there

9 min walk

13:3375 min there

9 min walk

14:5730 min there

7 min walk

15:3460 min there

16:34Free timeuntil 19:05

about 18 min walk

19:23Back to the airport

Cercanías C1 · 12 min

AirportFlight 21:50

Typical weather for this date

22°C

average high

15°C

average low

2 in 10

years it rained

This date is too far out to forecast. These are Malaga's actual figures for the same date across the last 10 years.

Things to do in MalagaShow

Museo Picasso MálagaTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Malaga Flamenco ShowsTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Malaga Bus ToursTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link

All things to do in Málaga · Tiqets, affiliate link

With kids in MalagaShow

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Day Trip Flight Details

How we'd do it

Open up the maps to see full detail.

11:5030 min there

4 min walk

12:2460 min there

9 min walk

13:3375 min there

9 min walk

14:5730 min there

7 min walk

15:3460 min there

16:34Free timeuntil 19:05

about 18 min walk

19:23Back to the airport

Cercanías C1 · 12 min

AirportFlight 21:50

What a day in Malaga costs

Flights and on-the-ground spend, per person.

£156/ all in, per person

Train to city centre and back£4

Lunch£11

Dinner£26

Beer calculator× 0£0

Entry fees, on top (optional)

Alcazaba de Málaga£6 (€7)

Museo Picasso Málaga£11 (€13)

Catedral de Málaga£9 (€10)

Opening days vary, so check before you go.

Museo Picasso Málaga is free in the last two hours on Sundays, Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga is free on Sunday afternoons, La Malagueta city beachFree

On the ground£41

Prices checked 3 Oct 2026

Return flight from£115

Google Flights price. Checked 3 hours ago.

Getting to Edinburghfrom free

All in, per person£156

Out with Jet2, back with Ryanair. Two separate tickets. Book both before you go.

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 16 Oct, 03:33. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

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Become a founder

Half the price, kept for good, for the first 1,000 members.

£19a year, locked for life

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Try it for 14 days. Full refund if it's not for you.

Built by Josh and Samar

£19 today for your first year, then £19 a year for as long as you stay.

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Getting to the airportShow

Getting to Edinburgh

Per person. Not in the total above. Prices checked 25 Sept 2026.

Free

Free drop-offFree
Long Stay car park: free for 0-30 minutes, then £14 (30min-1hr), but no shuttle bus, 10-min walk to terminal Source

Train

From Edinburgh city centre (via Edinburgh Trams, no direct rail link)£7.50 each way30 min
Advance single; On the day £7.50. First train 06:30, last train 22:52 Source
First train too late for this flight: it gets you to Edinburgh less than 90 min before take-off. Last train leaves before you land.

Coach

Lothian Buses Airlink 100 from Edinburgh£6 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Source
Lothian Buses Service 17 from Ocean TerminalPrice not published
Source

Taxi

From Edinburgh city centre£24-£29 one way~8 miles
Estimate, not a quote.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-offfrom £8.50
Multi-storey ground floor quick-stop: up to 10 min £8.50, then £1/min; local EH-postcode residents get 50% off the first 10 min Source
Terminal Parking£90
Same-day rate. Source
Long Stay Parking£60
Same-day rate. Source
Plane Parking£45
Same-day rate. Source

More parking

FastParkNo same-day price
Source
Mid Stay ParkingNo same-day price
Source

Parking nearby

No same-day price published. See multi-day prices

Secure Airparks Park & Ride£37.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 2 min. Source
Flying Scot Park & Ride£38.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 3 min. Source
Low Cost Park and Ride£38.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 5 min. Source

Costs people forgetShow

Costs people forget

Not in the total above. Worth a minute before you go.

Phone data. EE, Vodafone and Three charge about £2.75 a day to use your allowance in Europe. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include it free.
Card fees. Many cards add a foreign-exchange fee to every payment abroad. Check yours before you go, or take one that doesn't charge it.

Ask about Malaga

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Comments on MalagaShow

Comments

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Day trip to Malaga.From Edinburgh, back by 00:15, after midnight.

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Day Trip Flight Details

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Day trip to Malaga.
From Edinburgh, back by 00:15, after midnight.