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Discover Malta & Gozo

Activity

Culture

Overview

Delve deep into fallen empires and ancient ruins in the sunny European islands of Malta and Gozo

History-packed is an understatement. The Mediterranean island of Malta is an open-air museum, crammed with the sun-kissed ruins and remnants of long-gone empires and invaders. Join this compact adventure to time travel through the centuries, visiting ancient temples and cities, exploring the sister island of Gozo, and witnessing the natural phenomenon of the Blue Grotto. To elevate your adventure, we stay in a stylish four-star hotel throughout, allowing you to rest and relax during your down time.

Key Information

Trip Code: AGO
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Malta
Carbon Footprint: 26.6kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All breakfasts and one dinner
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Group arrival and departure transfers available

Highlights

Dive deep into the historic and cultural charms of Malta and Gozo
Time travel through the diverse cities of Valletta, Mdina and more
Enjoy a day trip to the lesser-visited sister island of Malta, Gozo
Take a boat to witness the mystical beauty of the Blue Grotto caves
Head underground to explore the Roman catacombs of Rabat
Tour the magnificent Palazzo Parisio, known as a mini-Versailles

Itinerary

First Destination: Qawra
Next Destination: Qawra

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Qawra
Next Destination: Qawra

Begin your adventure in Qawra, a lively seaside zone of St Paul’s Bay in northern Malta.

Around 6pm, say bongu (bon-ju) to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Your tour leader then ensures a big Maltese welcome by arranging a group dinner.

Want to extend your adventure? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Meals included:Dinner

Begin with an exploration of the Three Cities: Birgu (also known as Vittoriosa), Senglea and Cospicua. This historic trio, which are separated from the capital, Valletta, by the Grand Harbour, has provided home and fort to almost every civilisation who settled on the island, including the Knights of St John.

Guided by our expert tour leader, we delve into Malta’s past and present. Our exploration takes us to the top of Birgu, with glorious views over Valletta, and to Senglea to see the Gardjola Gardens.

After, enjoy a short cruise across the harbour to Valletta, taking a traditional dghajsa water taxi, while gazing over the Three Cities from the water.

Arriving in the capital, we take a panoramic lift to the Upper Barrakka, a public gardens with views over the Grand Harbour. Taking the minibus back from the main gate, we explore the highlights of Valletta, including the magnificent St John’s Co-Cathedral, where we can see Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John the Baptist, plus the Grandmasters Palace and many of the city squares.

Meals included:Breakfast

We’re off to Gozo today, Malta’s sister island, separated by 3mi (5km) of sea. After breakfast, we depart our hotel by minivan, heading north for the 25-minute ferry crossing to Mgarr Harbour, where our Gozo discovery begins.

Though small, Gozo is packed with history and culture, which we explore with our expert tour leader.

Our odyssey of discovery takes us to the 5,000-year-old Ggantija Temples, where we learn about Neolithic life on the island. We then head to the capital of Gozo, Victoria, to explore the citadel and magnificent Basilica of Ta Pinu.

We also explore Dwejra Natural Park, where scenes for Game of Thrones were filmed, and the salt pans of Qbajjar, where we learn about the Gozitan salt harvesting tradition, which stretches back to the Phoenician era.

In the late afternoon, we catch the ferry back to the mainland and return to the hotel.

Meals included:Breakfast

After breakfast, we travel (35 minutes) to southern Malta to explore the hilltop megalithic temple complex of Hagar Qim, which was discovered under rubble in 1839, and dates from around 3600 BCE. We also explore the Mnajdra Temple complex, which stands about 1,640ft (500m) further down.

After, we have a five-minute drive to the Blue Grotto, which is actually several sea caverns. Every day from sunrise until about 1pm, sunlight streams through the cave, throwing numerous shades of blue on the cave walls. We explore in a traditional boat, weather permitting.

Back on land, we visit the Għar Dalam, meaning dark cave, which provides the earliest evidence of human presence in Malta, with artefacts dating back 7,400 years to the Neolithic period. The attraction is divided into two sections: the cave and a museum, which displays a treasure of remains ranging from animal bones to artwork, with the most important discovery being two teeth from a Neanderthal man.

The final stop is Marsaxlokk, a traditional fishing village in the southeast of Malta. Here, we can enjoy lunch at a traditional fish restaurant in the harbour, before returning to the hotel in the early afternoon.

Meals included:Breakfast

Take a bus (25 minutes) to the inland city of Rabat, which was founded by the Romans. Here, we visit St Paul’s Catacombs, a complex of interconnected, underground cemeteries in use up to the fourth century. These Roman catacombs represent the earliest and largest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta, where Christians, Jews and Pagans were buried near each other.

After, we head to Mdina, one of the finest ancient walled cities in Europe, an extraordinary mix of medieval and baroque architecture, with magnificent panoramic views from the bastions. Here, we visit the 17^th-century St Paul’s Cathedral, which was designed by vanguard baroque architect Lorenzo Gafa, and holds a rich collection of historic artefacts, including engravings by Rembrandt.

After lunch, we head to the Dingli Cliffs. At 830ft (253m) above sea level, it’s the highest point on the Maltese islands, offering views of the Mediterranean, petite terraced fields, and the tiny uninhabited island of Filfla.

Walking along the cliffs, we see a little chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalene on the cliff’s edge.

Finally, we head to Palazzo Parisio, one of Malta’s premier heritage attractions. Built as a hunting lodge in 1722 by grand master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, it was taken over by the Order of St John after his death, eventually passing into the hands of the Parisio family who used it as a summer residence. In 1798, the palace briefly served as a barracks during the French occupation of Malta, before being acquired by the Marquis Giuseppe Scicluna who enriched and endowed it to its present state.

Often described as a miniature Versailles, this quintessentially Maltese palazzo is a glorious showcase of Maltese and Italian craftsmanship. The magnificent gilded, mirrored ballroom is unique in Malta. Additionally, the two walled gardens rank among the best in Malta, a fine example of classic baroque formality mixed with the vivid colours and scents of the Mediterranean.

After, we transfer back to the hotel for our final night.

Meals included:Breakfast

Having time travelled through Malta, explored Gozo and witnessed the azure walls of the Blue Grotto, our adventure comes to an end today. Begin your return journey home. Or, if you’d like more time to explore the island, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Call us on 0203 733 5948

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Accommodation

Best Western Premier Malta

Throughout this adventure, we stay at the Best Western Premier Malta. This four-star property is ideally placed for our adventures and just a few minutes’ walk from the sea, with many restaurants, bars and shops nearby.

Inside, there’s the ninth-floor Alta Cucina restaurant with glorious views, plus a spa and fitness space if you’d really like to indulge yourself. For further relaxation, head to the roof, where you’ll find a pool, wet bar (seasonal), and sun loungers – the ideal spot to relax with the group.

Tailor your trip: Extend your adventure by securing extra hotel nights before or after the main itinerary. Speak to your sales representative to book.

Private rooms: Like most tour operators, we room solo passengers together. If you’d prefer to have a private room, it’s normally possible to do this for a supplement. Speak to your sales representative to book.

Room upgrades: Upgrade to a room with a sea-view – speak to your sales representative for more details.

Essential Information

This trip is rated Activity Level 1 (Easy). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

This itinerary involves plenty of sightseeing in Malta and Gozo – prepare for walking around towns and cities on good paths. A good pair of sports shoes is recommended for comfort. The trip is suitable for all fitness levels and activities can be opted out of, if required

Key information

Start hotel: Best Western Premier Malta, Triq It-Tamar, San Pawl il-Baħar, Malta
Phone: +356 2152 9440
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing around 6pm.
Airport: Malta International Airport (MLA)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately 20-25 minutes’ drive from the airport. We provide one group transfer from the airport to the hotel, which you can join at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.

Catching your return flight

There’s one group transfer to the airport, which you can join at no extra cost. Please speak to your sales representative for the time of the transfer. If the group transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative.

Malta

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Malta. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/malta
Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/malta
United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malta/entry-requirements
USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Malta.html

Malta and Gozo are blessed with a subtropical Mediterranean climate; summers are generally hot and dry, winters mild, and autumns warm and sporadically wet. Being islands, however, they can face strong winds coming off the sea, particularly in the springtime, which can make it feel a little chilly.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.