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Itinerary 4: 4 Day Discover
Malta Multi Day Group Tour
Starts on Monday/Ends on Thursday OR
Starts on Tuesday/Ends on Friday
Abbreviations: FD Full
Day Tour, HD Half Day Morning, HD+ Extended Half Day
Tour
The times that appear in the brackets indicate the tours (start/end)
times.
These times may change depending on your pick up location.
!Note The
order in which the tours operate may be different to how they are
displayed below.
Tour 1:
Discovering Gozo FD (0800hrs/1700hrs)
We transfer
to the Cirkewwa terminal located in the north of Malta to board
our ferry for a short ferry crossing to the island of Gozo.
During the crossing you will pass the smaller island of Comino
and you will notice a top of the high rugged cliffs stands the
Santa Maria Fort which was used during the movie 'Count of Monte
Cristo' (filmed 2002). Our ferry crossing lasts only 25 minutes
and on arrival we join the guide and tour transport for our tour
of Gozo.
You will immediately notice that Gozo is much greener and has
certain characteristics making it different to the larger of
island of Malta. We start our tour with a visit to shrine of
Ta'Pinu (dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu). This
important church is set in a stunning location, on the edge of a
ridge in open countryside and providing beautiful views of the
surrounding area. The church is also linked to a number or
'miracles' which you will discover during your visit.
We continue to our next stop and the area known as 'Dewjra'.
Here you will see interesting geological sites including Dwejra
Bay and the Inland Sea which is a lagoon of seawater which has
access to the open sea though a small arch like tunnel. You can take
a small boat trip around the inland sea and through the tunnel (cost
of boat trip is not included in the tour rate, allow eur4 per person
if you would like to do this and if time allows). Another of Dwejra's geological delights is the Admiral's Rock
or as it is better know, Fungus Rock. A special plant is said to
grow here which has various medical cures for conditions such as
dysentery, bleeding and impotence.
Just before our lunch break we will visit the Ta' Dbiegi Crafts
Village where you can view local handmade pottery, mouth blown
glass, Gozo lace and silver filigree. This short stop is ideal
if you want to pick up a souvenir or just a short rest stop
before you settle down for lunch.
After lunch in the main city which is locally called Rabat but
you are likely to know it as Victoria, we will take a short walk
through this busy little city to join a trackless train for a
short trip up the steep hill to the fortified Cittadella. The
Cittadellla is a small walled city within the city Victoria,
only a small number of families still live within the walls.
This historical fortified city has recently undergone major
restoration works and you can visit the new visitors centre,
explore quaint alleys or stroll around the walls enjoying
amazing views of the island from the high bastions.
The final part of our tour of Gozo will take us through some of
the villages, en route we will stop at the Qala Belvedere. This
stop gives you an amazing scenic view of the landscape cascading
down to the coast and in the distance the smallest island of
Comino and the larger island of Malta...all in one photo. At
this stage our tour is coming to an end and we will make our way
back to the ferry for our return to Malta and transport you back
to the drop off point.
Tour 2:
Three Cities
HD (0900hrs/1300hrs)
The
Three Cities of Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa are located to
the south of Valletta and form part of the magnificent Grand
Harbour. These cities have endured so much in the past including
the Great Seige of 1565 against the might of the Ottomon Empire
and of course endless bombardments during WWII. This short half
day tour is a mere introduction to these unique cities, their
history, heritage and people.
The Threes Cities are located inside fortifications known as the
'Cottonera Lines' which where built by the Knights of St. John
to protect these cities during the 17th and 18th centuries. We
start our tour with a visit to Senglea. Senglea was built on a
peninsula and could only be accessed by a bridge on one side and
from the sea from the other three sides. As you enter the city
you will notice the magnificent church which is dedicated to the
Nativity of Our Lady. Today Senglea is flanked on one side by a
ship yard, on the other side the stunning yacht marina and at
the point of the city one can enjoy magnificent views of the
harbour.
As soon as you leave Senglea you will immediately arrive in the
second of the three cities, Cospicua. This history of this
ancient maritime city can be traced back to the Phoenicians era
at 600 BC. The Knights of St. John built the first Dock Yard
during the 18th century, however it was the during the British
rule in Malta (1800 to 1964) that Cospicua was used extensively
by the Royal Navy. Today the old dock yard area has been
transformed into a beautiful marina and a new university.
The last of the Three Cities and undoubtedly the oldest and most
important is Vittoriosa. Otherwise and more commonly known as
Birgu, the history of Birgu is heavily linked to the Knights of
St. John. In 1530 when the Knights first arrived they made Birgu
the capital. They fortified the area and built their Palazzo's,
hospital, churches and the castle of St. Angelo, this large
fortification was separated from the main city of Birgu
connected only by a draw bridge. Today, it is known as Fort St.
Angelo and is still commands a prominent place at the heart of
the Grand Harbour. The Birgu waterfront, once lined with
Galley's nowadays is lined with super yachts from all over the
world!
The final part of this tour includes a visit to one of the
oldest wineries. Wine making in Malta dates back many many years
and we will visit these 400 year old cellars where you can
experience some authentic Maltese heritage. You can sample some
wines during the visit.
Tour 3:
Mosta Dome, Crafts Village & Mdina Medieval City
HD (0900hrs/1300hrs)
This tour includes some of central Malta's highlights and our
first stop includes a visit to the town of Mosta. Dominating the
central piazza is the Rotunda church, more commonly known as
Mosta Dome. It is probably
the most famous church in Malta, mainly because of it's large
dome which is the fourth largest unsupported dome in Europe. For
many visitors the most fascinating feature of this church was
the World War II incident when during an air raid a bomb pierced
the dome and fell inside the church during a service which was
attended by 300 locals, but the bomb failed to explode and this
the locals hailed as a miracle. You can visit the sacristy which
displays the events and houses a replica of the bomb.
Our next stop is the Ta'Qali Village. Ta'Qali was once the
British RAF base in central Malta, this old air field is now
home to our National Football Stadium, a National park,
conventions centre and Crafts Village which houses an array of
artisans. Here we can
view the local crafts and it is also the ideal place to purchase
some gifts from a good selection of locally made pottery and
ceramics, filigree and jewellery, cane works, stone 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 final visit is to the medieval
city of Mdina. Mdina is built on a plateau in the centre of the
island, the city's 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 Melite (Roman occupation), Medina
(Arabic occupation), Citta Notabile (Knights of St. John) and
Citta Vecchia (after Valletta was built). Today it is also
referred to as the Silent City since it inspires tranquility 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 from the high bastion walls.
At this stage our tour comes to an end and we make our way back.
Tour 4:
Valletta - Malta's Capital City HD (0900hrs/1300hrs)
During our tour of Valletta our guide will unfold the history of
this magnificent city which was built by the Knights of St. John
during the 16th and 17th centuries. Valletta is often referred
to as one big open air museum and this is evident as you start
to explore it and discover something different around every
corner.
We start our walking tour of Valletta at the Upper Barraka
Gardens which
offer stunning views of the Grand Harbour and magnificent
fortifications, a walk down the mains streets where you can
admire numerous historical buildings built by the Knights of St.
John including the Auberges, Palazzos, the Grand Master's 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. We
include an internal tour of the cathedral before proceeding to
our final visit at the Malta Experience which is 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.
At this stage our tour comes to an end and we make our way back.
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Tour Details
Price eur183.90 per person
Operates all year-round and
GUARANTEED weekly departures
Including:
4 day tour
Accompanied by *Licensed Tour Guide
Entrance fees (as per itinerary)
Lunch
included if specified
Ferry fare to/from Gozo Island
Not Included:
Optional boat trips if applicable
*Licensed Tour Guide & Tour Language
Licensed Tour Guide. Available in 4 languages - English, German,
French, Italian
Your choice of
language is guaranteed, however in case of shared language tours the
guide will provide the commentary in more than one language.
Tour Pick Up Point:
From most hotels or central pick up points.
How to Book
If you would like
to book this tour only
click here
If you would like to include this tour in a multi day
customised itinerary
click here
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