Malta
Departure from the US. Airfare is not included. Usually, the sooner you buy your airline ticket, the lower is the price. Air prices get higher as availability reduces. Celestial Voyagers can help you to get your round-trip ticket to Malta.
Private transfer can be arranged upon arrival to take you to the hotel in Sliema. Check-in at Hotel Victoria for 6 nights: The Victoria Hotel in Sliema is located very close to the seafront and the main promenade where you will find an abundance of bars, restaurants and high street top designer brand shops. It is also just a 5 minute drive away from St Julian’s the most popular hub of the nightlife in Malta. Despite being central, it is nicely tucked away from all the hustle and bustle the locality is known for and relish in tranquil and pleasant environment.
Classic Room with Balcony
Love your coffee in the morning while enjoying some fresh air? Then this room is for you. The Classic Balcony Rooms can be found on the 2nd & 3rd floors which come with your private balcony terrace and are set with classic and elegant furniture for your comfortable stay in Malta.
Welcome Dinner Ta Kris
Ta Kris is situated inside one of the oldest and largest bakeries in the Sliema. The old features of the bakery have been kept to add to the charm of the restaurant. Here you will find a mixture of traditional Maltese cuisine blended with some Mediterranean dishes.
Countryside Walk including Peter’s Pool
Join your guide for a lovely countryside walk. It’s truly unbelievable that just 20 minutes outside the hustle and bustle of central east portion of the island, you find true serenity. The walk will be fairly easy going, however, we recommend that you are able to walk on paths, over rocks and on a slight incline. Make sure to bring your swimming gear for a dip in the famous peters pool.
Marsaxlokk Fish Market: Upon arriving here after your walk, you will see the market in full swing coupled with other food and souvenir vendors.
Blue Grotto Private Boat Experience: Enjoy a private boat ride through the Blue Grotto a series of sea caverns that will highlight the beautiful waters in the area. It’s a very refreshing experience!
Hagar Qim & Mnajdra Temples: Step back some 5500 years with a visit to the Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temple sites. The temples were excavated in 1839 and are thought to have been built to worship a type of fertility goddess.
Valletta was built by the Knights of St. John after the Great Siege of Malta by the Ottomans in 1565. It is the fortified city that was said to be “Built by gentlemen for gentlemen”. It boasts over 320 monuments in a .2 square mile radius, is a Baroque capital and is being recognized as the European Capital of Culture in 2018. You’ll love what’s in store within its main gates a great mix of history and present-day culture. Below are some of the included experiences in addition to meandering the main and back streets to discover Valletta`s history.
Upper Barrakka Gardens
The Upper Barrakka Gardens overlook the Grand Harbour. From their terrace they afford one of the most beautiful panoramic views in Malta as they command a unique view of the only natural harbour in the Mediterranean with the Three Cities as its backdrop.
Manoel Theatre
The Manoel Theatre is one of the oldest working theatres in Europe. Constructed in 1731 by the Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena “for the honest entertainment of the Knights”; the theatre is a baroque gem with wonderful acoustics and a full calendar of events populated by local and international performers, with productions in English and Maltese. Maybe there is something on the calendar during your stay?
Grand Master’s Palace Staterooms & Armoury
The Grand Master’s Palace has been the administrative center of Malta for almost three and a half centuries. The original palace, built in 1571, was the seat of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John and later, during the British colonial period, served as the Governor’s palace. Today it is home to the House of Representatives of Malta and the office of the President of the Republic of Malta. Your visit will include viewing the staterooms that are adorned with beautiful frescos and house rare collections. As an added bonus, visit the Palace Armoury.
St. John’s Co-Cathedral
Built shortly after the Great Siege of Malta (1565), St. John’s CoCathedral austere exterior is in drastic contrast to its sumptuous high baroque interior. You’ll be in awe at the artistic masterpiece from its tombstone laid floors to the vaulted ceiling painted in the life of John the Baptist. Around the corner and into the oratory, stand before two wonderful masterpieces by the artist Caravaggio St. Jerome and his only signed piece The Beheading of St. John the Baptist.
Farm Lunch Experience
Direct from the farmers and straight to your plate. Enjoy a wonderful farmer’s lunch coupled by an exploration of a farm. You’ll be in one of the most rural areas of Malta in your own little oasis to enjoy a delectable array or food products and local wine. Mdina the
Silent and Medieval City
You will feel the power as you enter the Old Capital City of Mdina and fall in love with it inasmuch as the families who continue to live here. It’s Malta’s only medieval city with a range of architecture that includes Norman and Arabic features. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you will recognize the main gates immediately.
Walk through the village of Rabat
The Arabs, during their 200 years of rule, divided the old Roman City of Melita into two: the citadel became known as Mdina and the rest of the area as Rabat. In Rabat we find St. Paul’s Church and Grotto as well as the St. Paul’s Catacombs. It is here where we learn the story of a shipwrecked St. Paul in Malta. The Christian, Jewish and Pagan Catacombs of St. Paul are not themselves associated with Paul but derive their name from their proximity to St. Paul’s Church and Grotto. They are a fascinating labyrinth of 3rdcentury AD subterranean tombs and the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta.
The Dingli Cliffs and Cart Ruts
You will be treated to the spectacular views of Dingli Cliffs which are the highest point of the Maltese Islands at 253 metres above sea level. The Cliffs propose a majestic, overlooking the small terraced fields below, the open sea and Filfla & the small uninhabited island (used as target practice during the WWII). Nearby arrive at Clapham Junction to discover the mysterious cart ruts. These deep ruts, rilles, tracks, grooves, channels left in Malta’s limestone but in such numbers, variety and confusion that they leave more questions than answers.
Enjoy a day out on the Mediterranean as you sail up the eastern coast to Comino Island to discover the Blue Lagoon and other amazing vistas. A picnic lunch is included on board. ALLEGRA is a 47.7 Beneteau racer cruiser performance boat. She has all the luxuries of a modern cruiser coupled with a hull design and sail configuration of a competitive racer;, in other words, she’s comfortable and fast.
Depart your hotel with your guide for the island of Gozo where you will spend the day. Enjoy private touring coupled with a fantastic culinary experience. Gozo is Malta’s sister island and liken it to our Sicily. The island is much more rural and boasts unbelievable and quaint villages.
The Xwejni Salt Pans
Your first stop will be at the Roman salt pans. The production of sea salt has a long tradition in Gozo and the saltpans found near Marsalforn are still used today.
Wied il-Mielah
Explore one of Malta natural wonders. The valley of Wied il-Mielah is rich in flora and a lovely place to walk especially in the autumn and spring. The way down the valley is like a botanical display of vegetation typical of the Mediterranean. Yellow rather than green is the primary color here especially from late autumn until spring, when many fields bloom with the small yellow flower of the Cape Sorrel.
Wine tasting at Tal-Massar Vineyards
Enjoy a private visit to Tal-Massar vineyards and winery to meet the winemaker to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Fungus Rock and Dwejra Bay Just off the sheer cliffs of Western Gozo lie a rock, some 60 meters high. It guards a small deep lagoon and is obviously the remnant of what was once a sea cave whose roof collapsed, isolating it forever from the mainland. Indeed there are no mushrooms on Fungus Rock today however back during the Knights of St. John period, there was a certain mushroom that grew on it that was said to have been a miracle cure. Spend some time here at Dwejra and the inland sea taking in all of the beauty.
The Citadella & Victoria
Venture to the capital of Gozo for a leisurely walk through the village streets as we witness local people in their daily life. The Citadel or Citadella is an area known to have been first fortified during the Bronze Age and later developed by the Phoenicians and continues development until, by Roman times, it had become a complex Acropolis. Up until the 18th Century, it was the only fortified refuge against attack for the inhabitants of the island. Enjoy some free time roaming the back streets of the Capital City of Victoria.
Enjoy Malta at your Leisure with recommendations from your guide.
Farewell Dinner in a Private Pallazzo
Tonight you will be welcomed into the private home of James Dunn. James is a writer on luxury, travel, design, and interiors and has regular pages in the Design and Décor magazine. Jim and his partner Arthur take great pride in their masterpiece and you will understand why as they share with you the history of their home and their several personal collectibles.
After breakfast we can arrange your transfer to the airport to take your return flight home
Gineth is a senior travel planner for CelestialVoyagers. With over ten years of experience in the travel industry, Gineth acquired her master’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College while working for CelestialVoyagers. She loved her job at CelestialVoyagers so much that she continued working up the company’s ranks and currently focuses on strategic planning and project management.
