Traditional Harbour Cruise
Birgu
Auberge Castille
San Anton Gardens
Mdina
Ghar Dalam
Hagar Qim Temple
Marsaxlokk Fishing Village
Calypso View
Village Scene
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4
Day Multi Day Tour
Day
One
Full day tour to Valletta, Three Cities & Traditional Harbour Cruise
We
start our tour with Valletta. Our first stop in the city as a visit to the
Barraka Gardens
where you can admire views over the magnificent fortified Grand
Harbour.
We continue with you tour through the heart of Valletta, en route
admire the beautiful architecture and large open piazza's. A visit
to St. John Co. Cathedral which was
the
conventual church of the order and historically the most important
building built by the Knights and the magnificent Grandmasters
Palace State Rooms. We end our tour of the city with the
Malta Experience.
The Malta Experience, is a superb 45-minute show illustrating the
history of the Maltese Islands - from Neolithic to modern times. The
show features 3000 colour slides displayed by 39 projectors and
outstanding audio effects. You will have free time for lunch (lunch
is additional) In the afternoon we visit the oldest area the Grand
Harbour, otherwise know as the Three Cities.
Our first stop during our tour is a visit to the Gardjola Gardens, here you can admire the magnificent view from the
Vedette (watch tower used by the Knights). We continue to our next
location of Birgu. In 1530 the Knights of St. John first settled in
this area. You can explore the old historical centre which is knows
as the Collachio. They built their Palazzos and Auberges in this
part of the city which is a maze of narrow streets and quaint
alleys, your visit will give you a good insight at the way the
Knights lived. A short distance from the old historical centre is
the original conventual church of the order, St. Lawrence Church.
This beautiful church overlooks the harbour area which was the main
place of commercial activity during the period of the Knights. A
stroll along the waterfront will take you to the end of the
peninsula where the magnificent Fort St. Angelo stands, majestically
overlooking the harbour it once protected. Your tour will end with a
traditional boat trip on a Dghajsa (weather permitting), a type of
gondola. This is one of the best ways to appreciate the Grand
Harbour as you slowly cruise around the various creeks and admire
the views across the harbour which are quite stunning. Your tour
will end with a boat trip on the tradional Dghajsa (type of
gondola).
Our tour ends here and we make our way back.
Day Two
Full day tour to Mdina, Mosta Dome, Rabat, San Anton Gardens & Artisans
Our first stop during this tour is to one of Malta's most famous
churches, Mosta Dome. The
church’s dome is the third largest unsupported dome in the world, exceeded in
size only by St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Sophia in Istanbul. Mosta Dome is also
popular with visitors as it was at this church where a bomb pierced
the dome during a World War II air attack. The bomb fell inside the
church during a service and failed to explode, locals hailed as a
miracle. We next visit the
Medieval city of Mdina. Mdina is
built on a plateau in the centre of the island, the cities 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 1565 has had many names including Melita (Roman
occupation), Medina (Arabic occupation), Citta Notabile (Knights of
St. John) 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 magnificent far reaching
views form the high bastion walls.
Our tour will then continue to 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. Rabat, can claim the origins of Maltese
Christianity and also good examples of the Roman period are found here. It was here in AD60 that the
Apostle St Paul
is said to have stayed after being shipwrecked on the Islands. We will visit
the St.
Paul's Grotto
which is said to be the resting place of St. Paul during his stay on
the islands.
Our
visit to Rabat also features the Roman Domus.
In 1881
remains of a Roman townhouse where discovered on this site. There
are some excellent exhibits and the museum houses the principle
remains of Malta’s Roman period (218 BCE – 870 ACE) and enclose the
Roman Villa, notable for its fine mosaics.
After a lunch break (lunch is additional) we
proceed to San Anton Gardens. These magnificent gardens
are
located in the grounds of the San Anton Palace – the official residence of the
President of Malta. Probably the best known of our public gardens, San Anton was
first laid out by Grand Master Antoine de Paule between 1623 and 1636. You can
wander along paths and terraces which are lined with enormous trees,
hedges, flower beds and old stone pots full of plants to any of five
ponds with ducks, fountains and water lilies. Our final stop
includes a visit to an artisans centre. Here can view the local
crafts and it is also the ideal place to purchase some gift from a good
selection of locally made pottery and ceramics, filigree and
jewellery, cane works, wrought iron and much more. Do not miss out
on the glassblowers – decorative glass made in the traditional
manner by hand and mouth; also etching and crystal cutting. Our tour
comes to an end and we make our way back to your hotel.
Day Three
Full day tour to
Hagar Qim Temple, Blue Grotto, Tarxien, Ghar Dalam, Hypogeum
& Marsaxlokk Fishing Village
We will be touring
the south of the island during this tour, starting at the
Blue Grotto. This picturesque grotto and its neighboring system of
sea caverns mirrors the brilliant phosphorescent colors of
underwater flora. Boat trips, which take around 25 minutes allow you
to explore these grottoes and sea caverns along this stretch of
coast (he boat trip is not included in the overall price as it
operates subject to weather conditions, allow EUR7.50pp).
We
continue with our tour 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 temple which dates
back 3300BC, an era dominated by Neolithic man. Our next
stop includes a visit to Marsaxlokk.
This quaint
fishing village on the south coast is characterized by low lying
buildings and the colorful 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
continue with our tour and our first stop includes a visit to
Tarxien. Tarxien was the first temple site to be excavated and it offers a unique
collection of
circa. 3000
BC
sanctuaries. Stone idols and tablets, domestic animals carved in relief, altars
and screens decorated with spiral designs and other patterns, oracular chambers
and riches enhance the attractions of these temples. Our next site is considered
as the most unique archaeological discoveries, Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. This
ancient underground monument is 12 metres below street level. It consists of a
network of passages, chambers and caves cut on three levels, similar to the
interior of a megalithic temple.
The most impressive part of the temple is the "Holy of Holies" and one of the
most important prehistoric masterpieces known as the "Sleeping Lady" was also
found here.
Our tour continues to Ghar Dalam.
The Ghar Dalam Cave is a
highly important site as it was here that the earliest evidence of
human settlement on Malta, some 7,400 years ago, was discovered.
This huge cavern is some 144 metres deep, but only the first 50
metres are open to visitors. The lowermost layers, more than 500,000
years old, contained the fossil bones of dwarf elephants,
hippopotami, micro-mammals and birds.
Our tour ends here and we make our way back.
Day Four
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 and
local culture. We feature most of the main highlights during our tour including
the oldest free standing temples in the world, known as Ggantija Temples, we
will pass through quaint sleepy villages that characterise Gozo's unique charm,
visit stunning sites such as Calypso Cave which offers magnificent views over
the red sands of Ramla Bay. Just before lunch we will also stop at the Fontana
Cottage where you can sample local delicacies such as sun dried tomatoes, olive
pate, local cheeslets, wines liquors and anything made locally, you will also
have some time for a spot of shopping for popular buys such as lace.
Free time for lunch
will be at the pretty bay of Xlendi. After lunch we continue our tour with
visits to one of the most photographed sites in Gozo, the Azzur Window and
Inland Sea. Here you can take an optional boat trip (the boat trip is not
included in the overall price as it operates subject to weather
conditions, EUR7.00 paid on the day) around the sea locked lake. Our
final stop before we head back to the ferry for Malta includes a visit to the
main town on Gozo, Victoria and The Citadel. The Citadel is a small fortified
city that dominates the heights above Victoria. The history of The Citadel dates
back to an early period when Gozo was under Roman and Arab occupation. The views
from its fortified walls offer panoramas of the whole island. Our tour comes to
an end and we make our way back to the ferry terminal for our return to the main
island.
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Tour
Details
What is Included
4 Full Day Tours
Private Transport
English Speaking Driver/Tour Guide
Hotel or Residence Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Price & Availability
As this is a private multi day tour, the price is based on the
number of passengers in your group.
Click here
to contact us
for a quote
Need Accommodation?
We can also combine your multi day tour with apartment, traditional
property and hotel accommodation
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