Is Malaga worth a day trip?

Yes, as a short day: 6.2 hours in Malaga, £686 for the whole day, 12 min into town each way. Enough for the centre and one paid sight; pick one, not three.

How long do you actually get in Malaga?

About 6.2 hours in Malaga. Landing to take-off is 9.3 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 is the cheapest recently seen on this route, not a live quote for these exact flights. Check the airline or the booking link for the price you will actually pay.

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

Leave the city by 17:38. 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 20:05 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 6.2 hours shown. These are estimates; queues run longer on busy days.

Day trip to Malaga.
From London Heathrow, back by 21:50.

Spain·Fri 23 Oct · 6.2 hours in the city

£686

the whole day

6.2 hours

in the city

21:50

back in London Heathrow

£206 on Mon 5 Apr, 70% less

Time in the city

6.2 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

8km

to the centreFrom Malaga centre (AGP)

Daylight

11.0 hours

08:32 to 19:32Sunrise 08:32, sunset 19:32

First EU trip since 2025? Allow 30 min more.

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

06:55
Leave London Heathrow
British Airways, direct
11:27
In the city
Lands 10:45, 30min immigration, 12min from the airport
17:38
Leave the city
12min back, 135min at the airport incl. immigration
21:50
Back in London Heathrow
Flies 20:05

Leave London HeathrowBritish Airways, direct06:55
Land in Malaga2h 50min10:45
In the city30min immigration, 12min from the airport11:27
Leave the city12min back, 135min at the airport incl. immigration17:38
Fly home2h 50min20:05
Back in London Heathrow21:50

How we'd do it

Open up the maps to see full detail.

11:4030 min there

4 min walk

12:1460 min there

9 min walk

13:2375 min there

9 min walk

14:4730 min there

7 min walk

15:2460 min there

16:24Free timeuntil 17:20

about 18 min walk

17:38Back to the airport

Cercanías C1 · 12 min

AirportFlight 20:05

Weather while you are there

12:0019°

13:0021°

14:0022°

15:0022°

16:0022°

17:0021°

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.

11:4030 min there

4 min walk

12:1460 min there

9 min walk

13:2375 min there

9 min walk

14:4730 min there

7 min walk

15:2460 min there

16:24Free timeuntil 17:20

about 18 min walk

17:38Back to the airport

Cercanías C1 · 12 min

AirportFlight 20:05

What a day in Malaga costs

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

£686/ 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)

Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga£10 (€12)

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£645

Google Flights price. Checked 12 hours ago.

Getting to Heathrowfrom free

All in, per person£686

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 15 Oct, 18:30. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

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£19a year, locked for life

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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 Heathrow

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

Free

Free drop-offFree
Park & Ride car parks: first 29 minutes free, then a free shuttle bus to the terminal (7-20 min depending on terminal). Source

Train

From London (Heathrow Express, Paddington)£10 each way15-20 min
Advance single; On the day £26. First train 04:34, last train 23:57 Source
From London (Elizabeth line)Price not published
On the day £13.90. First train 05:21, last train 00:12 Source

Coach

National Express from London£10.50 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Source

Taxi

From London£60-£100 one way~18 miles
Estimate, not a quote.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-offfrom £7
Terminal Drop-Off Charge: £7 per entry, no time allowance (any dwell counts as one visit), ANPR-enforced 24/7/365, no cash accepted. Source
Terminal Parking (was Short Stay)£98
12-24hr tariff. Source
Park & Ride (was Long Stay)£46.80
Same-day rate. Source
Priority Park & Ride (was Business)£47.90
Same-day rate. Source

More parking

Meet & GreetNo same-day price
From £138.60 (per day). Source
Valet ParkingNo same-day price
Source
Pod Parking (T5 only)No same-day price
From £59.60 (from price). Source

Parking nearby

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

Purple Parking Park & Ride PLUS (T2/T3/T5)£9.24
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 8-18 min. Source
Maple Parking Express Park & Ride (T2&3/T5)£12.31
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 4-10 min. Source
MBW Meet & Greet (T3/T5)£15.86
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 2 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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Tips from day trippers

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Comments on MalagaShow

Comments

No one has been yet, as far as we know. If you have, tell the next person what made the day.

Day trip to Malaga.From London Heathrow, back by 21:50.

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Day Trip Flight Details

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Day trip to Malaga.
From London Heathrow, back by 21:50.