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Small group Malta tours

Malta’s undoubted attraction is its fascinating history, with each epoch having left its legacy. Our Cultural Gozo and Malta tours will take you discover these legacies…

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Scheduled dates for Malta Tour

2021
6th Sep – 13th Sep 2021£2395* (approx $3,102USD)Guaranteed Departure (places available)Book this!
2022
8th May – 15th May 2022£2595* (approx $3,361USD)Places availableBook this!
* price per person, based on 2 people sharing a room. Single supplement, if applicable: £395. Prices do not include flights.

Tour Features

  • Small group travel: maximum group size is 12 guests.
  • Guaranteed departure dates
  • UNESCO World heritage sites
  • Accompanied by a Tour manager throughout your journey
  • Tour cost includes entrance fees to main sites/museums
  • Private minibus
  • Tour cost includes all hotel city taxes
Tour highlights:
  • Guided tour of Valletta including St Johns Cathedral, The Grandmaster’s Palace, Strait Street and the Upper/Lower Barrakka Gardens
  • Visits to the main WWII sites of Valletta
  • Visits to the Malta of the knights of St John
  • Birgu and Kalkara
  • Gozo
  • The fishing village of Marsaxlokk
  • Mdina and Rabat
  • Mnajdara & Ħaġar Qim Temples
  • Cliffs of Dingli
Accommodation:
  • 5 nights in Valletta (classic room)
  • 2 nights in Gozo
Included meals:
  • all lunches/breakfasts and evening meals are included
Arrival and Departure:
  • Transfers and pick-ups/drop-offs from/to Luqa airport of arrival on the day of arrival/departure of the tour are included
Activity level:
  • Some walking involved – you should be able to walk a kilometre without difficulty.
  enquire about this tour
Malta map
Malta map

This tiny island has been the theatre of some of the most pivotal battles in Europe. Had the outcomes of the Siege of Malta by Sultan Suleyman in 1565 and the bombardment of Malta by the Germans during World War two been different, it could well be argued that the course of history of Western Europe would have been vastly different.

In addition to being the scene of decisive moments in history, it was also the home of the Knights of St John for hundreds of years. Their presence on the island has endowed it with some stunning architecture and some equally astonishing artefacts.

Whilst these aspects will immediately appeal to anyone with even a cursive interest in military history, we should not overlook the intense fascination of Malta’s pre-history. Unique in southern Europe, Malta is the site of some of the most spectacular prehistoric temples. In addition, there are also some amazing Roman catacombs.

Finally, of course, we must not forget the Arab influence on history of the island. From the language, to the food, the culture and the architecture, this is one of the most appealing aspects of any visitor’s experience of Malta.

We travel in a small group (maximum twelve people) which we believe is the ideal way to see the island.

Fort Saint Angelo, Malta
Fort Saint Angelo, Malta

Full Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Malta and transfer to our hotel in Valletta

Assuming we all arrive around lunchtime, we will spend the afternoon with an orientation tour of Valletta. Without delving too far into the history just yet, we start off just be getting a feel for the town.

There will be a couple of free hours to relax and unwind before dinner.

Evening meal and overnight in Valletta.

Day 2

Valletta – the Knights of St John

On our second day, we really start by exploring the influence of the Knights of St John on Valletta. In the morning, we walk through the Upper Barrakka Gardens and admire some of the astonishing defensive walls of Valletta, before visiting St John’s co-cathedral. In the oratory we stop to admire Caravaggio’s Beheading of St. John before moving on to the Grand Master’s Palace.

In the afternoon, you can make use of the Malta Heritage pass to visit sites of particular interest to yourself – perhaps the National Museum of Archaeology, or the Palace Armoury, or the National War Museum at Fort St. Elmo. Or maybe just to take a walk along Strait Street – perhaps the most charming of all Valletta’s streets.

Evening meal and overnight in Valletta.

Day 3

Valletta – continued

This morning we take the boat across the harbour to Vittoriosa where we have a small walking tour taking in the Inquisitor’s Place and the Fort Sant’Angelo.

Afterwards, we take the minibus to visit one of Malta’s foremost wineries where we enjoy a delicious lunch to the accompaniment of Maltese wines. After lunch, we return to Valletta where there will be more opportunity to explore the city at will.

Evening meal and overnight in Valletta.

Day 4

Prehistoric Malta: Ħal Saflieni and the Mnajdara & Ħaġar Qim Temples

These are quite unlike anything else in Europe and more than justify a day exploring these splendid sites.

In the morning we visit the Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni – a 5000 year old sanctuary and necropolis and one of the the best preserved examples of the Maltese temple building culture.

In the afternoon we visit the Mnajdra Temples, the Ħaġar Qim Temples and the Tarxien Temples. For lunch we make a stop at the beautifully picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk.

Evening meal and overnight in Valletta.

Day 5

Transfer to Gozo

Today we travel to Gozo (40 minutes drive + 30 minutes ferry) where we first go to visit the splendid Cittadella of Victoria. After a fine Maltese lunch we pay a visit to the Ġgantija temples, before tranferring to our hotel.

Evening meal at the hotel and overnight in Gozo.

Day 6

Gozo

Today is largely a free day, relaxing in Gozo and enjoying the surrounding of the beautiful hotel. There are plenty of opportunities to walk above the Ta Cenc cliffs or to swim in one of the two hotel swimming pools. For lunch we go to visit an old bakery, still making the traditional Maltese bread

Evening meal at the hotel and overnight in Gozo.

Day 7

Mdina and Rabat

Today we return to the main island of Malta and visit two towns of immense interest: Mdina and Rabat. On the way we stop off at the church in Mosta.

Mdina was the capital of Malta from antiquity right up until the medieval period and until the arrival of the Order of St John when the capital was moved to Birgu. Afterwards, it remained the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities. It’s baroque buildings are some of Malta’s highlights

Rabat was once a suburb of the old capital Mdina and is the home of the famous catacombs of St. Paul. They were created during Roman times as it was considered unhygienic to bury the dead in the centre of Mdina. Tunnelled out underneath the surface in the soft limestone rock, in later times (most recently during the second World War) they were used as shelters and hiding places during times of persecution.

Evening meal and overnight in Valletta.

Day 8

Departure

Transport provided for the short journey back to the airport.

  see photo gallery of this tour
Valletta Harbour, Malta
Valletta Harbour, Malta
 

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Esplora Travel

16, Cockcroft Place, Cambridge, CB3 0HF, UK

tel:+44 (0)1223 328446

trips@esplora.co.uk

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