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Castille Palace, Valletta
St. John's
Co. Cathedral, Valletta
Hagar Qim
Blue Grotto Cave
Mdina
Typical Scenery
Local
Village Scene
Luzzu Boat, Marsaxlokk
Birgu |
Saturday
Full day
Three Cities (Senglea,
Cospicua & Birgu), Cottonera Lines and Grand Harbour
tour
Our tour stats with the oldest part of the Grand Harbour and the
Three Cities. We first visit the Gardjola Gardens in Senglea. Here you
can admire the magnificent view from the Vedette (watch tower used by
the Knights), a great opportunity for some stunning photos of the huge
fortifications. Our guide will will unfold its fascinating history and
point out all of the prominent places around this famous harbour such as
Fort St. Angelo, the storage houses lining the waterfront, the dockyard
area and other important features. We continue with our tour driving
through Cospicua before arriving to the most important city of the Grand
Harbour, which is Birgu. In 1530 the Knights of St. John first
settled in this old city. Our walking tour will take us to the very
heart of city and our guide will give you an insight to an era dominated
by the Knights of St. John. The narrow streets and quaint alleys which
form an area know as the 'Collachio' was exclusively occupied by the
Knights and during the tour you will see the magnificent old Palazzo's
which where the original Auberge's occupied by the Knights', pass the
Inquisitors Palace, St. Lawrence Church which was the original church of
the order and end up on the stunning Birgu waterfront where the Galleys
use to berth...nowadays it is a beautiful Yacht marina. Lining the
waterfront are old authentic buildings used by the Knights, today they
accommodate restaurants and other catering establishments. Here you will
have some free time for lunch before continuing. The next part of the
tour will include a panoramic drive around the Cottonera Lines which are
the fortified walls surrounding this whole area and stretch a staggering
4050 metres and took 10 years to build. Our tour will end with a cruise
around the famous Grand Harbour. You will
cruise
around the two natural harbours on either side of Valletta – these are
Marsamxett Harbour and of course the Grand Harbour. A detailed
commentary will unfold the history of the two Great sieges of 1565 and
1942, as well as all the other places of interest dotted around the
harbours which can only be admired from the sea. We cruise into every
creek showing you the closest possible views which is ideal for some
great photos. After the cruise your tour will come to an end and we
return back to your hotel.
Sunday
Half
day Mellieha, Manikata, Mgarr, Bingemma Gap, Dingli Cliffs, Siggiewi
Village & Blue Grotto
A superb
tour taking you off the beaten track to some of the more secluded areas
which most visitors do not have the opportunity of exploring. We start
with a drive to the north east of the island, en route you will pass St.
Paul's and Xemxija Bay. Our first stop is the town of Mellieha, a
hilltop town which overlooks the beautiful Ghadira Bay (Mellieha Bay),
the islands longest sandy beach. Here you can admire the old church
which is one of the oldest parishes, visit the sanctuary (if permitted)
which is said to have been blessed by St. Paul and enjoy the extensive
panoramas from the village.
We continue onto the small town of Manikata which
is set in a rural area, the scenery surrounding is beautiful. We pass en
route ‘Il-Grotta ta' San Martin’, a small sacred cave on the way to the
villages of Zebbiegh and Mgarr. The village of Mgarr is a farmer’s
village and very popular with the locals that flock here to dine at one
of the many local speciality restaurants.
At this stage we will be crossing from the north to the west via
Bingemma Gap, a great opportunity for a photo stop..the view of the
north of Malta and Gozo Island in the distance is stunning.
As we drive to the west side of the island we pass Rabat and Buskett
Forrest.
This forest was
created in the 17th
century by the Grandmaster whom resided in the magnificent Verdala
Castle (not open to the public). The castle overlooks the Buskett
Forrest woodland area on one side and Girgenti on the other. We drive
through Girgenti which is a shaded
fertile valley renowned for its orchards and cultivated fields.
Citrus and other fruit trees thrive in the valley beneath the
surrounding ridge. The old picturesque farmsteads, are the homes of the
farming community who till the fields and cultivate the orchards. On a
spur overlooking the valley stands the summer palace of the Inquisitors
built by Monsignor Visconti in 1625 (not open to the public), nowadays
it is the summer residence of our Prime Minister. We continue
with our scenic drive through the rustic countryside to Dingli Cliffs.
These cliffs
are characterised by
vertical or near-vertical rock faces rising from the sea to heights of
up to 70-130m above sea level.
Some of the steep slopes are terraced and this unique feature together
with the expanse of the deep blue Mediterranean sea provide stunning
views. We will have time for a short break in the
typical local village of Siggiewi, here we visit the piazza which
surrounded by small local shops, tavernas...a typical village scene. You
can also try out a local savoury called pastizzi (these
are
filled with peas or ricotta cheese). The final stop of our tour is a
visit to the Blue Grotto.
This picturesque grotto and its neighbouring system of sea caverns
mirrors the brilliant phosphorescent colours of underwater flora. Boat
trip (which are optional) which takes you to along the coast lasts
around 25 minutes and it will allow you to explore these stunning
grottoes and sea caverns... The boat trip is not included in the
overall price as it operates subject to weather conditions, EUR7.50 paid
on the day).
This tour is accompanied by English speaking driver as there are no
historical sites included in the itinerary and therefore a Licensed Tour
Guide is not required.
Monday
Full day Valletta, Mdina Medieval City, Hagar Qim Temple & Marsaxlokk
Fishing Village
This tour
covers three different periods of Malta's golden history in one day.
Our
first visit during our tour is the capital, Valletta which was built
by the Knights of St. John in 1565.
Here
we include the Barraka
Gardens
which offer stunning views of the
Grand Harbour
and magnificent fortifications, a walk down
Triq Republikka
where you can admire numerous historical buildings built by the
Knights of St. John
including the
Aubereges,
the
Grand Masters Palace
and the
St. John's Co. Cathedral,
the church of the order and also home to
Caravaggio's
masterpiece "Beheading of St. John" amongst other treasures.
After our tour of the capital we will then visit the south west of the
island where the ancient Hagar Qim Temple site stands.
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.
This temple which dates back 3300BC, an era dominated by Neolithic man.
We then continue to our next stop and an
opportunity to experience a little local culture when visit the pretty
traditional fishing village of Marsaxlokk.
Marsaxlokk,
is a
quaint fishing village and is characterized by low lying buildings and
the colourful traditional fishing boats known as the 'luzzu'. A small
market lines the seafront and if you would like to sample fresh
Mediterranean fish there are numerous local restaurants to choose from
(other cuisine is available).
Our final stop during this
tour will be to 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 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 at this point comes to an end and we head back.
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Tour Details
Small Group
Tours have a maximum of 12 passengers on each tour and are guaranteed to
operate with a minimum of 2 passengers.
Price
€239.30 per person
Included
●
Transport from/to hotel
●
English Speaking Licensed
●
Guide/**Driver
●
All
entrance fees into museums and
●
places
of interest as featured
●
Ferry
fare to/from Gozo Island
**Driver only
accompanies the tour on Sunday
Availability
This tour is available all year round.
Groups &
Customised Tours
This tour can be customised to your specifications and is also available
to small and large groups. For more information contact us.
How to book this tour..>
Need
Accommodation?
We can also
combine your escorted tour with hotel accommodation if required,
view our full range...>
Add
more Malta Sightseeing
Add a cruise to Comino Island & the Blue Lagoon or
one of our nights out,
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selection..>
Visit
Sicily or
Tunisia from Malta
Visit Sicily for a day or if you have the time to spare you can
also stay for 2, 3 or 4 days in Sicily or Tunisia,
view our combinations..> |
