Malta and Gozo: Valletta, Mdina and the Three Cities

1. Day 1: Arrive in Valletta

   Malta International Airport (MLA) to your hotel in Valletta

   • Drive about 18 min
   • Dinner
   • Stay in Valletta
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Malta International Airport, about 8 km from Valletta, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the short transfer into the capital; the exact latest arrival time is confirmed with your final itinerary. Valletta is a small walled city on a ridge between two harbours, built from honey-coloured limestone in the 1500s, and almost everything we visit is within a short walk of the hotel. After you settle in there is time to walk the streets near the hotel before your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the days ahead: how the two bases work, when we make the early starts, and what to pack for Gozo's coastal paths. We then sit down to a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, where the first plates of Maltese cooking are shared across the table.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Malta International Airport (MLA)
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner in Valletta

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

   

2. Day 2: Valletta and the Three Cities

   Valletta on foot, then by traditional boat across the Grand Harbour to Birgu and Senglea

   • By boat
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Valletta
   Day 2 details

   Our proposed morning visit is St John's Co-Cathedral and its oratory, which holds Caravaggio's Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Tourist visits are not available on Sundays and public holidays, so departure dates and this visit must be checked together before booking. The plain limestone front hides a gilded interior; we allow time to explore rather than promise a crowd-free visit. Then we walk down through the Upper Barrakka Gardens for the view over the Grand Harbour and let your guide explain how the Knights of St John built the city after the Great Siege of 1565. Lunch is a sit-down meal in the old town. In the afternoon we cross the harbour by dghajsa, the traditional Maltese water taxi, to Birgu and Senglea, two of the Three Cities, and walk their quiet waterfront lanes and fortifications. We plan to return to Valletta by harbour boat before the free evening; the operator, passenger capacity and both crossings must be confirmed before booking.

   Included

   • St John's Co-Cathedral and the Caravaggio oratory (opening dates to be confirmed)
   • Upper Barrakka Gardens
   • Valletta walking tour with your guide
   • Harbour boat travel to the Three Cities and back to Valletta (operator and capacity to be confirmed)
   • Walk through the Three Cities

   Optional experiences

   • Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum in Paola: a separately quoted itinerary change, not an add-on assumed to fit this day. Limited entry may require separate tour slots; tickets, transfers, timing and any displaced visits must be agreed before booking.

   Easier option: Skip the walk back across Birgu and return from the quay by boat, then rest before the free evening

   More active option: Use free time for a self-guided walk through the Lower Barrakka Gardens

   Free time: Free evening in Valletta

   Activity: Cobbled streets with steps; no vehicle on this day

   

3. Day 3: Mdina, Rabat and the ferry to Gozo

   Valletta to Mdina and Rabat, then Ċirkewwa by road and the ferry to Gozo

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Gozo
   Day 3 details

   We leave Valletta by van after breakfast, about 14 km west, so we reach Mdina close to opening, when its lanes are quiet and the golden light is low on the walls. Mdina is the old capital on its hill, known as the silent city because most of it is closed to cars. We walk the bastions and lanes with your guide and visit the cathedral museum. Rabat, the town just outside the gate, is next: we go down into the St Paul's Catacombs, early Christian underground burial chambers. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Rabat or Mdina. In the afternoon we drive to Ċirkewwa on the north-west tip of Malta and take the ferry to Mġarr in Gozo, a crossing of about 25 minutes, then continue to our base for the next three nights, with the afternoon free.

   Included

   • Mdina walking tour with your guide
   • Mdina Cathedral Museum
   • St Paul's Catacombs in Rabat
   • Ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr, Gozo

   Easier option: Stay on the surface in Rabat and enjoy a longer lunch while the group visits the catacombs

   More active option: Spend the free time during our Mdina stop walking the bastion viewpoints before lunch

   Free time: Free late afternoon on Gozo

   Activity: Steps down into the catacombs; the cathedral museum is closed on Sundays

   

4. Day 4: Gozo: temples and the Citadel

   Ġgantija temples, a village lunch and the Citadel in Victoria

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Gozo
   Day 4 details

   The morning belongs to prehistory. We plan a morning visit to the Ġgantija temples in Xagħra, built from enormous limestone blocks. Your guide walks the two temples and the visitor centre with us; the visit time depends on confirmed seasonal opening hours. Next comes a village lunch of Gozitan dishes, cooked simply with local cheese, tomatoes and bread. In the afternoon we drive to Victoria, Gozo's main town, and climb to the Citadel, the fortified hill above it, walking the ramparts for views across the island to the sea. Free time in Victoria's market streets follows before we return to the hotel, and the evening is yours. Tell us about mobility needs before booking so we can assess the uneven surfaces and steps with you.

   Included

   • Ġgantija temples with your guide
   • Village lunch
   • The Citadel in Victoria and its ramparts
   • Free time in Victoria

   Optional experiences

   • Dinner on the waterfront at Marsalforn or Mġarr, chosen by you (not included)

   Easier option: Ride to each stop and skip the Citadel's upper steps

   More active option: Add a short walk from Xagħra through the fields to the salt pans at the coast

   Free time: Free evening on Gozo

   Activity: Mostly level walking; steps and uneven stone at the Citadel

5. Day 5: Dwejra coast and a slow afternoon

   Dwejra Bay and the western cliffs, then a free afternoon and farewell dinner

   • Drive about 48 min
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Gozo
   Day 5 details

   This is the day for the coast. After breakfast we drive west to Dwejra on Gozo's wild western shore, where tall limestone cliffs fall to the sea and Fungus Rock stands at the mouth of the bay. The famous Azure Window arch collapsed in a storm in March 2017, so we come for the cliffs and the rock instead, and your guide explains how it fell. We walk a coastal path above the water with a choice of lengths, then have lunch at a family restaurant in a nearby village. The afternoon is free: swim at a small beach if the sea allows, wander the hotel's town or rest. In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner together; drinks are paid separately.

   Included

   • Dwejra coast with your guide
   • Coastal walk above Dwejra Bay
   • Lunch at a family restaurant
   • Farewell dinner

   Optional experiences

   • Boat trip along the Gozo coast on a calm day, booked locally (not included)

   Easier option: Walk only the first section of the path and wait at the viewpoint

   More active option: Extend the walk along the cliff path for a longer coastal hike, about 2 hours more

   Free time: Free afternoon

   Activity: Uneven rock underfoot; sturdy shoes, sun protection and water

   

6. Day 6: Ferry back and departure

   Gozo to Malta International Airport (MLA) via the ferry

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast
   Day 6 details

   After breakfast we take the road from the hotel to the Mġarr ferry terminal, about 6 km, and cross to Ċirkewwa on a short sailing of about 25 minutes. Our vehicle meets us on the Malta side and drives about 30 km to Malta International Airport (MLA), roughly 40 minutes without traffic. Do not book flights until we confirm a suitable departure time against the hotel location, ferry timetable, check-in requirements and disruption plan. An earlier flight may require a separately quoted change or an additional mainland night; neither is included in these five nights. The trip ends at the airport. Keep your passport, medication and other essentials accessible during the crossing.

   Included

   • Ferry from Mġarr to Ċirkewwa
   • Transfer to Malta International Airport (MLA)

   Activity: Confirm the flight departure window with us before booking flights

Wildlife and weather: March to June is mild and green on Gozo, with wildflowers in spring. September to November has warm seas and light that suits photography, and the first rain falls in late autumn. Strong winds can delay or cancel crossings; a disruption plan and its implications for airport transfers must be agreed before booking.

• Valletta2 nights
• Gozo3 nights