Welcome to the ‘The History & Heritage of Malta’ tour. You can view full details of this tour, share this tour with others, pay your final balance before departure and, once you have departed on your holiday, share your group photos and write reviews.
Itinerary
Day 1
We meet at our designated pick up points and transfer by private coach to Bristol Airport for our direct scheduled Easyjey flight to Malta. On arrival in Malta we are met by our guide and transfer by private coach to the 4* AX The Victoria Hotel at Sliema for a five night stay on a half board basis.
Day 2
Our guide meets us at our hotel this morning and accompanies us throughout the day. Valetta, the capital city of Malta is our destination today, with its fine array of Baroque buildings, palaces and churches. We firstly visit the Upper Barracca Gardens for a panoramic view of the Grand Harbour. We continue to St John’s Cathedral to see the famous Caravaggio painting ‘The Beheading of St John’. Our visit to the Grandmaster’s Palace, which houses Parliament and the offices of the President of Malta, includes a visit to the Tapestry Chamber. We visit the National Museum of Fine Arts this afternoon, located in a palace and home to a fine collection of paintings, including works by Guido Reni, Jusepe Ribera and William Turner.
Day 3
We visit the Three Megalithic Temples of Tarxien with our guide this morning, first discovered in 1915 and dating back to 3000 BC. The Tarxien Temples are notable for their fine workmanship and decorative carvings, including domestic animals carved in relief and exquisite spiral designs. We continue to Ghar Dalam, ‘the Cave of Darkness’, and its fossilised remains of prehistoric animals from the glacial period. We then spend some time at leisure for lunch in the nearby picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk, with its colourful ‘Luzzus’, traditional Maltese fishing boats. On arrival in Sliema this afternoon we enjoy an included Grand Harbour cruise, taking in the two natural harbours on either side of Valetta.
Day 4
Firstly we visit the Church of St Mary in Mosta. Built in 1860, the church is renowned for its dome which is the third largest in Europe. We continue to Mdina, the ancient capital city of Malta. Locally known as the ‘Silent City’, our guided tour takes in the defence bastions dating back to the 9th century and St Peter and St Paul’s Cathedral. We then spend some free time in Mdina, and on an individual basis you may choose to visit the Mdina Glass Shop. Mdina Glass is Malta’s original and leading producer of handmade glass. We finally visit the Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum, the former home of Captain Olof Frederick Gollcher, the son of a prosperous shipping merchant of Swedish descent. Gollcher was an artist, scholar and philanthropist, but also a discerning collector of objets d’art and historical objects. Palazzo Falson was not only his home, but also a setting for his works of art and antiques.
Day 5
Our guide accompanies us on our full day excursion to the island of Gozo, meaning ‘joy’ in Castlian. We drive to Cirkewwa where we embark on a ferry crossing to Gozo, the legendary abode of Calypso, daughter of Atlas. We firstly visit the Ggantija Temples, one of the most important archaeological sites in Malta. Round in shape and containing statues of full figured goddesses, the Ggantija Temples were dedicated to the Great Mother Earth and probably included an oracle. One of the Ggantija Temples is the oldest stone structure in the world, predating Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids by hundreds of years. We continue to Calypso’s Cave, the legendary home of Ulysses for breathtaking views of the red sands of Ramla Bay. We then spend some time at leisure in the picturesque resort of Xlendi. We continue to Victoria, the capital of Gozo. Time is at leisure to explore the town, or you may choose to accompany our guide on an uphill walk to the Citadel, to visit St Mary’s Cathedral, erected shortly after the earthquake of 1693. We return by ferry back to Cirkewwa.
Day 6
We transfer to Malta Airport for our direct scheduled Easyjet flight to Bristol, and onwards private coach travel back to our original pick up points.
NB: Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems. Flight details may be subject to change. Price based on twin share. Minimum numbers required. Normal booking conditions apply. This holiday and the flights are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Tailored Travel’s ATOL number is 5605.
Featuring
4* hotel
Half board accommodation
All excursions, entrance fees & guided tours included
Included cruise on Day 3
Ferry tickets on Day 5 included
Return UK airport coach transfers included
Direct scheduled flights from Bristol
Professional local guide
Private coach for all excursions & transfers in Malta
Audio headsets included on Days 2 to 5
Local accommodation tax included
Valletta – guided tour
St John’s Cathedral
Grandmaster’s Palace
National Museum of Fine Arts
Temples of Tarxien
Ghar Dalam
Marsaxlokk
Grand Harbour cruise
Church of St Mary in Mosta
Mdina – guided tour
St Peter and St Paul’s Cathedral
Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum
Island of Gozo – guided tour
Ggantija Temples
Calypso’s Cave
Xlendi
Victoria & the Citadel
Hotel
We stay five nights on a half board basis at the 4* AX The Victoria Hotel at Sliema (www.victoriahotel.com). Located a five minute walk from the promenade, facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, sauna, steam room and a gymnasium. All rooms are en suite and feature a hairdryer, television, telephone, mini bar, an in-room safe, and tea & coffee making facilities. A cold plate of food will be served at the restaurant on the first evening (due to the arrival time of our flight). A buffet dinner with a limited volume of wine (this includes ½ a bottle of house wine per person, ½ a bottle of water per person & coffee) is included on the remaining four evenings of our tour.
Extras
Insurance (including Covid cover) £92
Single room supplement £199
Gratuities
Lunches
Donations at any churches or cathedrals visited
Optional Excursions
All excursions, entrance fees & guided tours included
