Newmarket Holidays - Valletta, Mdina & the Wonders of Malta with Return flights from London Gatwick

Travel Highlights : 

Valletta, Mdina & the Wonders of Malta 

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

Delightful Malta – blessed year-round with an agreeable climate – radiates fascination and interest, as well as a relaxed air and a genuinely warm welcome for British visitors. Join us on this famous Mediterranean isle, strategically important throughout the centuries and boasting one of the world’s most spectacular natural harbours for an escorted tour that offers you the very best of the island, and the chance to enjoy the charms of this highly favoured holiday haven.

Tour Highlights 

• Enjoy a week of rest, exploration and Maltese hospitality
• Get to know Malta's historic capital, Valletta
• Spend a day on Gozo, Malta's fascinating sister island
• Explore the island's interior, including historic Mosta and the 'Silent City' of Mdina
• Valletta's 'three cities' - home to the Knights of St John
• Enjoy an evening in a traditional restaurant

WHAT DOES THIS PRICE INCLUDE?

• Seven nights' dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation at your chosen hotel (upgrade hotel available)
• Return flights to Malta
• Comfortable coach travel and transfers throughout
• Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Accommdoation : The Santana Hotel, Qawra / Dolmen Resort Hotel & Spa, Qawra 

 More Information : 

Hotel transfers time : The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 30 minutes.

Itinerary Changes : Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Special requuirements : If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Combining hotel transfers : We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.

Disabled access : The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Airport Development Fees : An Airport Development Fee has been introduced at a few UK Airports. You will be required to pay this charge at the following airports prior to checking in for your flight: Blackpool, Durham Tees Valley, Newquay and Norwich. The amount varies from airport to airport, but it is generally between £5 and £10 per person. Please visit the airport's website for further information. 

Day 1 : 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 saint was once shipwrecked.

Day 2 : 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 sea-front 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 3 : 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 opportunity for personal sightseeing, today’s visit is the perfect introduction to the island.

Day 4 : 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 5 : 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 6 : 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 7 : 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 8 : Fly Back to UK

Return to the airport and check in for your flight home at the end of a thoroughly enjoyable stay.

Prices listed are per person in Great British Pound, based on twin occupancy, rates for single occupancy may differ, Rates offered are including all discounts unless otherwise stated. All bookings are subject to availability. Other travel periods may be available. Some block out dates may apply. Rates may alter depending upon the dates requested and surcharges if applicable. Final booking confirmation only provided once payment has been processed. Contact our travel team for more details. Our Holiday Centre reserves the right to withdraw this promotion without notice at any time. Flights are not included. Pricing correct as at 4th Jan 2022