All tours start and end in Valletta. Meeting time and location will be provided on the Service Voucher which you will receive after you have booked.

Monday
Valletta, Mosta Dome, Rabat & Mdina Medieval City Tour
Our tour starts near the Tritons Fountain, which is the main place for locals to meet friends before they enter the city, so an appropriate place to meet your guide for a brief intro before we enter into the city. During this tour, you will learn about the Order of St. John, otherwise known as the Knights of Malta. Most of the city was built by the Knights. They were the planners of the auberges, palaces, and magnificent fortifications that you can still see today. We start our walking tour of Valletta at Parliament Square, here will see our modern Parliament building and the old Royal Opera House which was destroyed during WWII. We continue to Castille Place and the Upper Barraka Gardens. These beautiful gardens offer amazing views of the Grand Harbour. Your guide will point out important buildings along Merchants Street as we make our way to the iconic 'Is-Suq', which is the indoor market, then onto St. George's Square which is adorned by the imposing Grand Masters Palace. 

Our walking tour of Valletta ends with a visit to the most important historical monument in Malta, this is the amazing St. John's Co. Cathedral. This Cathedral was the conventual church of the Order of St. John and is a gem of Baroque art and architecture. It also features some works from the Italian artist 'Caravaggio', including his largest work 'The Beheading of John the Baptist', which is displayed in the Oratory. 

You will then have some free time for a light lunch/snack in Republic Square aka Victoria Square, here there are several cafes including the popular Cafe Cordina.  

After our lunch break, we regroup and continue with our afternoon tour. The next part of the tour will take us into the very heart of central Malta. You will visit important landmarks and towns, and learn more about the locals' everyday life and important historical facts that have influenced the Maltese people to whom they are today.

We start with a visit to the magnificent Mosta Dome church. This is one of the most iconic buildings in Malta with its magnificent dome, considered to be one of the largest unsupported domes in the World. But Mosta Dome is known to locals as the miracle church! During one of the frequent WWII air raids, a bomb pierced the dome, falling inside the church during a service, but failed to explode. The locals hailed this as a miracle. You can see a replica of the bomb during your visit. 

Our next stop is the old town of Rabat. The history of Rabat is linked to the period of the Romans (218 BC to 879 BC) and Saint Paul, who stayed for a short period after being shipwrecked, whilst on his way to be tried in Rome. The locals claim the origins of Maltese Christianity started here when the saint preached to them. During our visit to Rabat, your guide will walk you along the main street, which is adorned by typical village architecture. You will see quaint houses with traditional balconies and doors, small local shops, the band club premises, and other important aspects of local village and town life. During our short walk, your guide will include a brief stop at 'Is-Sirkien', which is the most famous pastizzeria on the island, you will have the opportunity to taste our favorite street food called 'pastizzi'. These are diamond-shaped filo pastry parcels filled with mashed peas or ricotta cheese, they are delicious. 

And, as the saying goes, "Save the best till last". The medieval city of Mdina is our island's pride and joy!. It 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 to as the Silent City since it inspires tranquillity at any time of the day or night. The only way to 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 comes to an end and we make our way back to Valletta.


Tuesday
Hagar Qim Temples, Blue Grotto, Marsaxlokk Fishing Village & Birgu Tour
We start our day with a visit to the ancient UNESCO temples of Hagar Qim. Before entering the temples we start at the visitors centre which will help you understand how these magnificent temples were built over 5000 years ago! We then continue with our visit to the actual temple site. This temple has some of the largest and heaviest megaliths out of all the temple sites around the Maltese Islands, some slabs weighing a staggering 20 tons.

Our next stop is the beautiful Wied iz-Zurrieq, famous for the magnificent Blue Grotto. This tiny hamlet sits in a valley and has a very picturesque harbour. The grotto and neighbouring system of sea caves are home to brilliant phosphorescent marine life. A 25-minute boat trip (which is optional) explores the incredible beauty of this natural wonder and is a "must-do". You will visit many of the caves and can admire the amazing crystal clear azure sea.

We then continue to our next stop and have an opportunity to experience a little local culture when visiting the pretty traditional and active fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Marsaxlokk is a quaint fishing village and is characterized by low-lying buildings and colourful traditional fishing boats known as the 'luzzu'. A small market lines the seafront, and you will have some free time to wander around, grab a drink and enjoy the ambience of this seaside village.

Next is the stunning Cospicua waterfront, which offers magnificent views of the Three Cities. Here we will enjoy Malta's favourite snack, the traditional 'FTIRA', which is also recognized by UNESCO as a cultural intangible! The ftira is a flatbread made from sourdough and is typically filled with tuna chunks, tomatoes, capers, olives or anything you like really. Complimenting your ftira is our national soft drink, 'KINNIE'. This is made from bitter oranges and wormwood extracts and is best served cold, with ice and a slice of lemon. It has a delicious bittersweet taste. 

The final part of our tour is a 2-hour walking tour of Birgu. This walking tour will step you back in time, to an era dominated by the gallant Knights of St. John. We start at the entrance to this fortified city and make our way through three gateways. Our walking tour will take us to the heart of the city, through the narrow streets and quaint alleys known as the 'collacchio', an area of old Palazzo's which were the original Auberges occupied by the Knights. We will visit the quaint piazza, the heart and soul of this ancient community before joining the waterfront. The Birgu and Cosipicua waterfronts are considered to be one of the most beautiful harbours around the Maltese islands. In the past they would have been occupied by galleys and pirate ships, nowadays magnificent yachts occupy the berths. At this stage, our walking tour ends. 

We continue along the waterfront to the ferry terminal for a short ferry crossing the Grand Harbour. During this short ferry crossing you will be surrounded by the maritime cities of Cospicua to the south, Senglea to the West, Birgu to the East, and the magnificent view of Valletta's fortifica*tions straight ahead...it is amazing sight to see. On arrival in Valletta, we take the panoramic elevator to the upper level of the city and back to the tour starting point.


Wednesday
Gozo Island Tour
Our tour to Gozo starts with the fast ferry service from Valletta direct to the pretty port of Mgarr. 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.

Due to our early start, we have an opportunity to visit a 75-year-old traditional bakery in one of the local towns. Watch them prepare for their daily baking and you will also have the opportunity to taste something they would have baked a little earlier. 

Our next stop is the magnificent Ggantija temples, meaning 'Giant Temples'. These temples also enjoy UNESCO status and are considered to be amongst the oldest free-standing megalithic monuments in the world dating, back over 5500 years. The adjoining visitor's centre boasts artifacts from the temple site and also from the nearby underground temple site of 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 including a stop at the Calypso Cave belvedere, this viewing point offers breathtaking views over the red sands of Ramla Bay and the lush fertile valley which leads down to it. This panoramic coastal driver 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, which includes the Blue Hole, The General's Rock and the Inland Sea. 

We then go to the pretty seaside village of Xlendi. The picturesque bay has a small sandy beach and restaurants lining the waterfront. Here you will have some free time for a lunch break. 

After lunch we will visit, Victoria the capital of Gozo. The main attraction is the 'The Citadel', a small fortified town that dominates the heights above the island 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 the 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.

We make our back to Victoria and drive down to the port for the ferry back to Valletta.