|
Gozo Scenery
Ggantija Temples
Blue Grotto Caves
Luzzu
Boat
Valletta
Quaint Mdina Street
Birgu
Typical Scenery
Local
Village Scene |
Saturday
Start 0800hrs/End 1600hrs
Gozo – Island Tour
Our
tour starts with a short 25min. ferry crossing which passes the small
and pretty island of Comino. On arrival at the picturesque Mgarr harbour,
you will notice how much greener it is on Gozo. Even though so close to
the larger island of Malta, the smaller island has many different
characteristics. Included on our tour is a variety of scenic routes and
interesting sights. We include stops at the Inland Sea and Azure Window
at Dwejra, Victoria and the imposing Citadel, the beautiful seaside
village of Xlendi Bay and
the oldest free standing
temples in the world, known as Ggantija Temples, these temples date back
circa.3500
to 4000BC. A local lunch is
included and some time for shopping for local hand made lace and woolen
goods, both very popular buys on the island. Throughout the day you will
also see some of Gozo’s typical old villages where the pace of life
is typical of Mediterranean lifestyle of years gone by.
Sunday
Start 0830hrs/End 1330hrs
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
Start 1300hrs/End 1700hrs
Valletta - Malta Experience Show
Our guided tour of Valletta starts with a visit to the Barraka Gardens,
here you can enjoy breathtaking views overlooking the magnificent Grand
Harbour and the Three Cities. The tour also includes a walk through the
bustling Republic street, our guide pointing out prominent buildings
en-route. A tour of St. John’s Co. Cathedral, historically one of the
most important buildings in Malta and which is adorned in riches dating
back to the era of the Knights of St. John is a highlight of this tour.
Here you can also admire the magnificent Caravaggio painting “The
Beheading of St. John”, after our tour of the cathedral you will also
have time to visit the church museum, a main feature are the numerous
Flemish tapestries. Our tour ends at the Malta Experience, a superb
45-minute show illustrating the history of the Maltese Islands - from
Neolithic to modern times. The show is displayed on a giant screen by
means of state of the art visual and audio effects.
Tuesday
Start 0900hrs/End 1600hrs
Mdina – Mosta Dome - San Anton - Crafts Village - Rabat
Today’s
tour takes us to the central part of Malta that is dominated by the
ancient medieval city of Mdina. Our walking tour takes through a maze of
magnificent architecture in an olde worlde setting, evidence that this
magnificent city is also known as the ‘silent city’. From the high
bastion walls you can admire views of most of the island. Close to Mdina
is the Roman town of Rabat, here we will visit the catacombs before
proceeding to the remote Westside of the island visiting the spectacular
cliffs of Dingli. After lunch we will stop at the botanic gardens of San
Anton and the impressive Mosta Dome church, the fourth largest
unsupported dome in the world. To end our tour we include the Crafts
Village. Here you can admire the local glassblowers, filigree, pottery
and variety of other local crafts with time for some shopping.
Wednesday
Start 0900hrs/End 1300hrs
Gardjola Gardens - Birgu - Traditional Boat Trip
This half day tour visits the oldest part of the Grand Harbour.
We first visit the Gardjola Gardens, here you can admire the
magnificent view from the Vedette (watch tower used by the Knights). We
continue with the tour of this area next Birgu. Birgu is the oldest city
of the Grand Harbour. In 1530 the Knights of St. John first settled in
this area, and we will give you an insight to an era dominated by the
Knights of St. John. Our walking tour will take us to the heart of city,
the narrow streets and quaint alleys known as the 'collachio', an area
of old Palazzo's which where the original Auberge's occupied by the
Knights'. We finish this tour with a trip around the harbour on a
traditional Dghajsa (type of gondola). This is the end of our tour and
we make our way back to the hotel.
!Every
effort is made to provide the tour as described above, however the
itinerary may change due to situation beyond our control. Start and end
times are for guidance. |
Tour Details
Coach Group
Tours can have up to
50 passengers on each tour and are guaranteed to operate.
Price
€235.00 per person
Included
●
Transport from/to hotel
●
Multilingual Licensed Guide/**Driver
●
Guide
●
All
entrance fees into museums and
●
places
of interest as featured
●
Ferry
fare to/from Gozo Island
**Driver only
accompanies the tour on Sunday
Not Included
●
Optional boat trips around Inland Sea
●
(Gozo)
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,
view selection..>
Visit
Sicily or
Tunisia from Malta
Visit Sicily a one day tour or if you have the time to spare you can also
stay for 4 days in Sicily or Tunisia,
view our
combinations..> |
