Valletta, Mdina & the Wonders of Malta

Discover one of the Mediterranean’s most historic and welcoming islands, together with its exquisite greener sister-isle Gozo.

Valletta

Main Square, Mdina Day One – Fly to Malta Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and transfer to your chosen hotel in the delightful Qawra area of the popular town of St Paul’s Bay. Depending on the time you arrive, you may have time to enjoy a stroll along the seafront promenade before dinner. Look out over the clear, blue waters to St Paul’s Island, on which – legend has it – the Apostle was once shipwrecked. Day Two – Day at leisure Rest and relax in your hotel and its surroundings, today, getting to know the area. Set on the quieter side of St Paul’s Bay, but with easy access to lively and colourful Bugibba, Qawra has plenty to offer, with seafront bars and cafes as well as a sandy beach fringing the bay. Stroll along the promenade to Qawra Point for far-reaching views, or perhaps enjoy a long lunch in the sunshine.

Day Three – Included Valletta guided tour

Join your tour manager for the first of your included excursions, and explore the island’s fascinating capital, historic Valletta. You’ll begin with a visit to the Malta Experience, an award-winning audio-visual presentation that places the city and the island in its historical context, and sets the scene not only for today’s visit but for the remainder of your stay. Your tour will also include all the major sights: the Auberge de Castille (magnificent former home to the Knights of St John) and the Upper Barrakka Gardens, from which vantage point the strategic value of the city’s Grand Harbour becomes clear. Laid out in a perfect grid above the harbour and behind the imposing battlements, the streets of the compact old city are a delight to wander. See the city’s stunning St John’s Co-cathedral, which houses treasures that include two works by the artist Caravaggio. With time for lunch (payable locally) and the

Available Mar to Jun 2023

Fly direct from these airports. Prices from

• Gatwick £909 • Luton £909 • Manchester £1,109 • Stansted £989 Extend your holiday from £360

Seven night extension Add an extra seven days to your holiday at either of the featured hotels. Room for Sole Use from £165

Please note: The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 30 minutes. *Local beer, wine and soft drinks are complimentary with dinner. The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately one hour. Gozo

Victoria

Qawra

Mdina

Malta

Valletta

• Enjoy a week of rest, relaxation, exploration and traditional Maltese hospitality • Get to know Malta’s historic capital,

Valletta, one of the world’s greatest natural anchorages • Spend a day on fascinating sister island Gozo • Explore the island’s interior, including historic

Mosta and ‘silent city’ Mdina • Tour Valletta’s three medieval ‘Cities’, once home to the Knights of St John • Enjoy an evening in a traditional Maltese restaurant • Seven nights’ carefully chosen four-star dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation at the Hotel Santana, Qawra (upgrade hotel available for a supplement) • Return flights to Malta, with coach travel and transfers throughout • Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Did you know that this small island is an attractive destination for big-budget movies? Scenes in movies like Gladiator, World War Z and Captain Philips as well as the TV series Game of Thrones were all filmed here.

Luzzu Boats, Marsaxlokk Mdina Senglea

opportunity for personal sightseeing, today’s visit is the perfect introduction to the island. Day Four – Included cruise to Gozo Today’s included excursion will be one of the highlights of your holiday, as you make the short ferry crossing from Cirkewwa to the quaint port of Mgarr on Gozo. In sharp contrast to its bustling neighbour, Gozo, which is dotted with prehistoric Neolithic temples and burial mounds, presents a sleepy, timeless face to the modern world. The highlights of your day will include the fascinating Inland Sea at Dwerja, Calypso’s Cave overlooking sandy Ramla Bay, the delightful coastal resort of Xlendi and the island capital, Victoria. Here, the town is watched over by the fortified bastion of the Citadel, from atop the walls of which there are panoramic views over the island. After the fascinating history of the smaller island has been brought to life by your tour manager, your thoroughly enjoyable day will end with the return crossing to Malta, passing tiny islet of Comino.

Day Five – Included Maltese culture evening

Today is another left free so that you can make the most of the hotel and its surroundings. This evening, join fellow guests for an evening of traditional Maltese hospitality in the historic town of Mosta. Enjoy a menu of Maltese cuisine served by waiters dressed in authentic island costume, and watch a demonstration of traditional Maltese dancing and folk music.

Day Six – Included tour of Mdina, Rabat and

Mosta On today’s included full-day excursion you’ll travel inland to Mdina. Malta’s ancient, fortified former capital stands atop a rocky bluff, its beautiful “silent city” of narrow streets lined with stone-built houses. The tour will also include the town of Rabat, famous for its subterranean catacombs and where Bellini’s statue of St Paul depicts the Apostle’s shipwreck on the island. You’ll also visit Mosta’s famous church, the vast unsupported dome of which survived a direct hit during WWII, and the spectacular Dingli Cliffs.

Day Seven – Included tour of Vittoriosa,

Cospicua, Senglea and Marsaxlokk Your final included excursion takes you ‘back in time’, as you explore the area across Valletta’s Grand Harbour, where three medieval ‘cities’ reflect the island’s rich history. In Vittoriosa, the façade of the Parish Church of St Lawrence displays an early Maltese Cross. Cospicua is one of the Mediterranean’s oldest dockyards and still in use today. Lastly, Senglea, with its houses built on the waterline and steps down to the sea, is known as Little Venice. During the day, you’ll also visit the colourful fishing village of Marsaxlokk, with its busy market, and Tarxien, where ancient temples contain carved symbols not dissimilar to the Celtic engravings found in Ireland. Day Eight – Fly back to the UK Return to the airport and check in for your flight home at the end of a thoroughly enjoyable stay.

your hotel choices

Hotel Santana, Qawra

HHHH Half-Board from £909 150 metres from Qawra’s seafront and offering panoramic views, the Santana is a comfortable base with an indoor pool and spa. Guestrooms have a balcony. A drinks package with dinner and superior rooms are available for a supplement. Dolmen Resort Hotel, Qawra HHHH Half-Board* from £994

This recently renovated hotel has a spa/leisure centre (treatments payable locally), pools, restaurants, a bar, lift, coffee shop and casino. Airconditioned rooms have a TV, safe, hairdryer, minibar and balcony. Sea view rooms are available for a supplement.

Hotel Santana

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Small in size but colossal in stature, the island of Malta is a melting pot of different cultures, cuisines and people. A bastion in WWII, modernday Malta has much to attract visitors with a thriving food scene, excellent museums and ruins 2,000 years older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt.

Dolmen Resort Hotel Malta