Day 3 : This morning we explore the World Heritage City of Valetta which was built for the Knights of St John after the great siege of 1565. This glorious city of golden stone straddles a narrow promontory flanked on either side by natural harbours. Our first stop is the Co Cathedral of St John which is adorned in riches including a Caravaggio painting “The Beheading of St John”. Next comes the Palace of the Grand Masters filled with opulent tapestries and paintings.  We then head for the St Elmo area where we have lunch. 

After lunch we see an excellent audio-visual production "The Malta Experience" which shows us the history of Malta from pre-historic times to the present. There is now free time to explore the Sacra Infermia and learn about medicine in the 1500's. We see how siege medicine was administered and battle wounds were treated in a display that re-enacts the night attack on Fort St. Elmo in 1565. Foremost amongst the exhibits is a display featuring the Great Ward with never-ending rows of various beds with the sick being attended to by physicians. There are  full-scale figures depicting surgeons who practised in the Holy Infirmary and a recreation of a perceived 17th Century surgical theatre with an operation in progress. The Holy Infirmary contained a block for housing patients with venereal disease and there is a gripping display  showing patients undergoing treatments. We  hear an account of how an outbreak of plague was dealt with..

The War Museum is nearby and the star of this exhibit is the only surviving "Gloster Sea Gladiator" bi-plane from the air defence of Malta during WWII. 

We return to our hotel with time for relaxation before DINNER.  

Day 5 : Morning at leisure.  

This afternoon we travel a short distance by coach to visit the Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar built in 1733 for a Grand Master. In 1898 a Marquis bought the Palazzo and commissioned the finest craftsman to embellish his palace and gardens. He installed the first electric lights and first telephone in Malta. The Palazzo is quiet oasis and there is time for afternoon tea in the garden. On our return we stop to see the impressive Mosta Dome church, the third largest unsupported dome in the world after St Peters in Rome and St Sophia in Istanbul. The dome was penetrated by a German bomb during WWII but fortunately failed to explode. 

We return to our hotel with time for relaxation before DINNER.   

Day 6 : This morning we travel a short distance to the walled city of Mdina also known as of the “silent city” . Here, we walk through the narrow pedestrian-only streets with their ornate, colourful balconies and admire the Cathedral, the Palazzo Falzon. From the Bastions  we see commanding views of the island. Mdina was inhabited by Phoenicians and Romans but much of the magnificent architecture reflects the Arab Fatmid period from 999AD. A short walk back through the main gate takes us to Rabat - a special place for devout Maltese as it was here, legend says, that the Apostle St Paul was brought after a shipwreck in AD 60. We visit the Roman Domus and St Paul's Church and Grotto.

We return to our hotel in mid afternoon so there is time for relaxation or a walk into town before DINNER. . 

  Day 7 : Free day to enjoy the hotel pool, the shops and cafes in Valletta or further browsing in museums. There are optional harbour cruises available and often there are classical concerts and art exhibits in the pedestrian area of the town.  You may want to reserve to visit Hypogeum, the underground three-level temple which only allows ten people per hour to visit (optional).  

Day 8 : This morning we attend IN GUARDIA, an historical re-enactment set inside the walls of Valletta, that portrays an authentic event of the late 16th century - the inspection of the fort and its garrison by the Grand Bailiff of the Order of the Knights of St. John who was in charge of military affairs. During the re-enactment, the fort's garrison (some 70 characters) is dressed in uniform and includes a cannon-firing demonstration.

In the afternoon we cross the harbour to explore the “Three Cities” to see some of the historic buildings including Inquisitors’ Palace where the dungeons still show prisoners’ graffiti.  There is the Maritime Museum and we walk along Dockyard Creek to Vedette Lookout.

Day 9 : Today is a full day tour. We travel across the island and then take a twenty-minute ferry ride passing the small and pretty island of Comino and continuing to the island of Gozo. This picturesque island is greener than Malta with many scenic routes and interesting sights including the Azure Window and the Inland Sea. We visit Ggantiga a UNESCO World Heritage site and the most impressive of Malta’s prehistoric temples standing for more than five and a half millennia – over a 1000 years longer than the pyramids of Egypt.  In Victoria, the capital, we walk the ramparts of the imposing Citadel and visit the Cathedral with its fascinating ceiling and the Museum of Archaeology. There is time for lunch and we then continue to the beautiful seaside village of Xlendi Bay for afternoon tea (included).  Throughout the day we see some of Gozo’s typical old villages where the pace of life is typical of Mediterranean lifestyle of years gone by. 

In late afternoon we return by ferry to our hotel in Malta and DINNER

Day 10 : This morning is a highlight for those interested in ancient history. We visit Hagar Qim, a complex of standing stone megalithic temples reminiscent of Stonehenge. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s major religious sites. The temple is situated on the top of a hill and features two massive rocks at the entrance plus a massive wall and forecourt. Built between 3600-3200 BC, there is a main temple and three other additional buildings.  The main sites in the complex are: The Temple Forecourt, Dwelling Houses, Northern Temple, Women’s Chamber with an Oracle Hole which was used for transmitting sound, the Main Temple and The Watering Place with seven reservoirs.

Nearby is the serenely sited Mnajdra Temple site. Set in a rural area, this ancient temple dates back to 3300 BC.  Excavation has uncovered numerous statuettes of deities and highly decorated pottery including “fat ladies” who are assumed to be fertility goddesses.  

Afternoon at leisure.

DINNER with folk-lore entertainment in the evening.

Day 11:  This morning we tour to see some of the island’s most famous prehistoric sites including the “Cart Ruts”. There are many theories about the origin of these mysterious lines cut into the rock including some that are extra-terrestrial although the main theory seems to be that the ruts were cart tracks made by Bronze Age temple builders.

Just beyond, the remains of cave dwellings at Ghar il Kbir display signs of habitation by a troglodyte community. A short ride takes us to the massive Dingli Cliffs where ancient grain silos can be seen. This site isn’t just about ancient history – there are spectacular views as well. 

On our way back we move from ancient times to the 16^th century at the Verdala Palace built in 1583 by a Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller and now the summer residence of the President of Malta. The Palace is closed to the public but we have a stroll in Buskett Gardens, once the hunting grounds of the Grand Master. 

DINNER

Day 12: At mid-day we transfer to the airport for our return Lufthansa flight.