Tour Description

This tour covers three different periods of Malta's golden history in one day. Our first visit during our tour is the capital, Valletta which was built by the Knights of St. John in 1566. Here we include the Barrakka Gardens which offer stunning views of the Grand Harbour and magnificent fortifications, a walk down Triq Repubblika where you can admire numerous historical buildings built by the Knights of St. John including the Auberges, the Grand Master's Palace and the St. John's Co. Cathedral, the Church of the Order and also home to Caravaggio's masterpiece "Beheading of St. John" amongst other treasures.

After our tour of the capital we will then visit the south west of the island where the ancient Hagar Qim Temple site stands. Set in a rural area this ancient temple is particularly interesting as it has the largest and heaviest megaliths out of all the temple sites around the Maltese Islands, some slabs weighing a staggering 20 tons. This temple dates back to 3300BC, an era dominated by Neolithic man.

We then continue to our next stop and an opportunity to experience a little local culture when visiting the pretty traditional fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Marsaxlokk, is a quaint fishing village and is characterized by low lying buildings and the colourful traditional fishing boats known as the 'luzzu'. A small market lines the seafront and if you would like to sample fresh Mediterranean fish there are numerous local restaurants to choose from (other cuisine is available).

Our final stop during this tour will be in Mdina. Mdina is built on a plateau in the centre of the island, the city's old Baroque buildings, Cathedral and magnificent bastion walls dominate the rural skyline. Mdina, once the capital of Malta until the modern city of Valletta was built had many names including Melite (Roman occupation), Medina (Arabic occupation), Citta Notabile (Knights of St. John) and Citta Vecchia (after Valletta was built). Today it is also referred to as the Silent City since it inspires tranquillity at any time of the day or night. The only way to really experience and enjoy this city is on foot, explore the quaint alleys, narrow streets, ancient buildings and magnificent far reaching views from the high bastion walls. Exiting Mdina, our tour at this point comes to an end and we head back.