Depart on your flight to Malta and transfer to St Paul's Bay. Get to know your travelling companions on a walking tour of the area around the hotel and an included dinner.
The village’s name refers to Saint Paul’s shipwreck. According to the Bible, he was shipwrecked on an island while travelling from Caesarea to Rome and it is believed that this island was Malta. Saint Paul is believed to have introduced Christianity to the Maltese.
Our first stop in Valletta is The Malta Experience, an audio-visual show which tells the story of the island's 7,000-year history. After this we'll board the 'fun train' to see more of the city. At the Barrakka Gardens we'll see the saluting battery, when eight replica cannons are fired.
Our final stop is St Paul's Church. Christianity has almost 2000 years of history in Malta. According to tradition, it was brought to the Islands by none other than the Apostle Paul himself in around A.D. 60.
We'll enjoy free time before heading back to the hotel this afternoon. Dinner at the hotel is included this evening.
Explore Malta's sister island, Gozo, on our optional excursion. After the ferry crossing we'll head to Marsalforn to board the trackless train. View the island's rock-cut salt pans and Tas-Salvatur Hill, topped with a statue of Christ.
Gozo is a lesser-known destination in Malta and is the second largest island in the archipelago. With a population of just 37,000 or so people, yet covering an area of 67 km2 (26 square miles), Gozo is a much quieter place to be. In fact, many people refer to Gozo as “what Malta used to be like”, a rural area where time just seems to be passing slower than most places.
Today is free for you spend as you wish. Perhaps join our optional tour which takes us to the seaside resort of Mellieha. From here we'll visit air-raid shelters cut by hand into rocks to shelter residents from World War II bombs. We'll also visit the Aviation Museum and the beautiful Palazzo Parisio.
Mellieħa is one of the northernmost villages of main island Malta and overlooks Malta’s largest sandy beach called Mellieħa Bay, also referred to as Ghadira (pron. a-deera). The village has a lovely character and picturesque scenes that provide you with a view of life in Malta as well as offering you all amenities for a comfortable holiday.
Palazzo Parisio, formerly known as Scicluna Palace, Palazzo Scicluna, and officially Palazzo Parisio and Gardens, is a 20th-century palace in Naxxar, Malta. On site was a hunting lodge built in 1733 by Paolo Parisio, and was used as a summer or permanent residence, barracks and a college, before being acquired by the Marquis Scicluna in 1898.
Our included tour today is a scenic tour by vintage bus. Stops include the botanical gardens of San Anton Palace and the Ta'Qali Crafts Village. In Rabat, we'll taste pastizzi – a traditional pastry usually filled with ricotta cheese or peas. Our final stop is Mosta Village, whose church was modelled on Rome's Pantheon. It became famous during World War II when a bomb crashed through its dome but failed to explode.
After an afternoon at leisure you might choose to join our optional evening excursion to Mdina, an atmospheric fortified town lamp lit by night.
The history of Mdina traces back more than 4000 years. According to tradition it was here that in 60 A.D. that the Apostle St. Paul is said to have lived after being shipwrecked on the Islands. Furthermore it is said that St. Paul resided inside the grotto know as Fuori le Mura (outside the city walls) now known as St. Paul's Grotto in Rabat. Lamp lit by night and referred to as "the silent city", Mdina is fascinating to visit for its timeless atmosphere as well as its cultural and religious treasures.
If you are looking for some fine dining, then we recommend the restaurants of Carvv Steakhouse & Menhir restaurant.
Carvv Steakhouse is the latest addition to the Dolmen Hotel outlets. It is our interpretation of the traditional and sought after American Steakhouse. Within the premises, we have combined a bistro-like ambiance with that bold steakhouse flare that also translates onto our delectable dishes.
Unpretentious but beautifully prepared Mediterranean cuisine is served for lunch and dinner at Menhir restaurant. The Menhir is also the venue where a full buffet breakfast is served, catering for all tastes.
Spend the day at leisure or join our optional excursion to the picturesque fishing town of Marsaxlokk to see its colourful market. In the afternoon we'll see the Blue Grotto caves and the prehistoric Hagar Qim temples.
As a tourist destination, Marsaxlokk is popular for a daily open-air market, offering a selection of the finest fish restaurants on the island, for the peaceful walks around the coast and harbour, as well as for its secluded and untainted swimming zones. Locals enjoy the nightlife especially in Summer when you can walk the promenade, grabbing an ice cream as you go and letting the sea breeze cool off the typical Summer heat.
Today's included excursion begins with a walking tour of Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea - the Three Cities, which were built and fortified by the Knights of Malta. Next we board a boat for a cruise around Valletta's famous Grand Harbour. This evening we'll gather for a farewell dinner and folklore show.
Today we'll fly back to the UK
