Tour Description

Day One
Full day tour Three Cities, Grand Harbour & Valletta
We start this tour visiting the oldest region of the Grand Harbour, otherwise known as the Three Cities. Our first stop includes a visit to the Gardjola Gardens in Senglea. From here you can admire the fantastic view from the Vedette (watch tower used by the Knights). We continue with a scenic drive along the seafront to Cospicua. Here you can admire the magnificent beautifully transformed marina, which used to shelter the galleys of the Knights and British navy vessels during the British era.

Our next location is Vittoriosa, otherwise known as Birgu. In 1532 the Knights of St. John first settled here, and we will explore the old historical centre which is known as the Collacchio. Here the Knights' built their Palazzos and Auberges. It is a maze of narrow streets and quaint alleys. Your visit will give you a good insight into the way the Knights lived. A short distance from the old historical centre is the original conventual church of the Order, St. Lawrence's. This beautiful church overlooks the harbour area which was the main place of commercial activity during the period of the Knights.

We will stop for a short drink/coffee break in Birgu Piazza, before making our way down to the harbour to board a Dghajsa, a traditional Maltese boat used for centuries taxying people around the Grand Harbour. This boat trip will end on the Valletta shoreline. On arrival in Valletta, we will take the Barraka Lift (elevator) to the upper level of the city, and the magnificent Upper Barraka Gardens.

Note!The Dghajsa boat trip is optional, see price panel below. The alternative is crossing by ferry or drive by car/van.

Valletta, our capital, is the youngest of our fortified cities and it was built soon after the Great Siege of 1565 against the Ottomans. We start our tour of Valletta at the Upper Barraka Gardens, from where you can admire views over the magnificent fortified Grand Harbour. We continue with our walking tour of the city, enroute passing Castille Place and Merchants Street, here you can admire the beautiful Auberges and Palazzi which were built in the baroque style architecture and have imposing facades.

At this stage we will stop for a lunch break (not included in the tour rate). After lunch we continue with our tour which will include an internal visit of St. John's Co. Cathedral. This was the Conventual Church of the Order of St. Johns/Knights of St. John and historically one of the most important buildings built by the Knights. Here you can also admire the Carravaggio masterpiece 'The Beheading of St. John', considered as his most important work south of Rome.

We continue along Republic Street, the main commercial hub of the city. Here you can admire more stunning architecture, large open piazza's, the Bibliotheca, Law Courts, and the imposing Grand Masters Palace. Our tour will end in Palace Square, and then we will make our way back to your hotel.


Day Two
Full day tour to Blue Grotto, Hagar Qim Temples, Marsaxlokk Fishing Village, Rabat & Mdina Medieval City
We start our full day tour with a visit to the south of the island. Our first stop is the Blue Grotto belvedere. Here you can enjoy amazing vistas of ‘Il-Hnejja’, a magnificent 30 meter arch and is one of the many caves dotted along this stunning coastline. We then drive down into the valley and the small hamlet in ‘Wied iZ-Zurrieq’. Here you can join the popular Blue Grotto boat trip experience. This 25-minute boat trip explores the incredible beauty of this natural wonder and is a "must-do". The grotto and neighbouring system of sea caves are home to brilliant phosphorescent marine life.

We continue to the Hagar Qim temple site. 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. Our guide will unfold the history related to this ancient temple which dates back to 3300BC.

Our next stop includes a visit to Marsaxlokk. This quaint fishing village on the south coast is characterized by low lying buildings and the colourful traditional fishing boats known as the 'luzzu'. A small local market lines the seafront and for those that enjoy fresh fish there are plenty of good quality restaurants to choose from. You will have free time for lunch.

In the afternoon we will visit the central part of the island. We start with the old town of Rabat. Here we will make our way through the narrow streets to the centre which is dominated by the imposing St. Paul's Church which overlooks the piazza. It was here in AD60 that the Apostle St Paul is said to have stayed after being shipwrecked on the Islands. You will also see good examples of the Roman era in Rabat, and we will include a visit to Domus Romana, which was an upper-class Roman townhouse from that period.

Our final location during this tour is the medieval city of 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 in 1566 has had many names including Melite(Roman occupation), Medina (Arabic occupation), Citta Notabile and Citta Vecchia (after Valletta was built). Today it is also referred 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 incredible far reaching views from the high bastion walls.

At this stage our tour come to an end and we make our way back.


Day Three
Full day tour to Gozo Island
We start our tour to Gozo with a pleasant 25 minute ferry crossing. The charm of Gozo is apparent the moment you arrive there. Greener, more rural and smaller than Malta. Our tour is a combination of scenic spots, historical sites, local culture and food.

We feature most of the main highlights during our tour. The first stop is at Ggantija temples, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered to be amongst the oldest free standing megalithic monuments in the world dating back over 5500 years. The adjoining visitor's centre boasts artefacts from the temple site and also from the Xaghra Circle (4100BC), studies of samples and results from which are still emerging.

A scenic drive will pass through quaint sleepy villages that characterise Gozo's unique charm. The drive also highlights the north coast. A brief stop at the Calypso Cave Belvedere, offers magnificent views over the red sands of Ramla Bay and the lush fertile valley which leads down to it. The drive takes us to Xwejni bay with its salt pans and the natural feature of Qolla l-Bajda.

We continue on to one of the most photographed sites on Gozo, Dwejra. This is a site of ecological and geological importance. The General's Rock and Inland Sea will be pointed out. One can take an optional boat trip out to the different caves (optional and operates weather permitting).

We proceed to Xlendi Bay for a lunch break. Xlendi is a very picturesque colourful bay, with a small sandy beach and restaurants lining the waterfront.

After lunch we will visit one of Gozo's most prominent sites, 'The Citadel', This small fortified town dominates the heights above Victoria, Gozo's capital. This site has been inhabited since the Bronze Age period. Walking through this historical gem one can admire the medieval layout with interesting features and some excellent examples of domestic medieval architecture, blending with buildings of the Knights of St John. Once at the top, a stunning panorama of the whole island and even Malta's northern coast enfolds.

At this stage our tour comes to an end and we make our way back to Malta.