7 days tailor made from £5,660 pp
From £5,660 pp
At a glance
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Don't forget that all of our itineraries are totally customized and so this is just an idea of what we can build for you.
Malta packs an unusual amount of history into a small footprint, prehistoric temples, Roman ruins, and medieval streets all within a short drive of each other, which makes it a great destination for a long weekend rather than a place that demands a full week to make sense of.
It’s also one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and that density is part of what makes it work as a short trip: nothing is far from anything else, so a few days here cover more ground, literally and historically, than the same amount of time would in most other destinations. Valletta’s fortified streets, Mdina’s quiet lanes, and some of the oldest freestanding structures on earth all sit within easy reach of one base.
This particular itinerary is built for a first visit, or for anyone who wants the essentials of Malta without needing a full week to get there. Five days is enough to properly cover the capital, spend an afternoon among prehistoric temples older than anything else on the trip, and still leave room for an unhurried day with no fixed plan.
It works equally well as a standalone weekend or as the opening chapter of a longer Mediterranean trip, a base to return to from Sicily, Gozo, or the south of Italy.
In detail
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Don't forget that most of our itineraries can be totally customized. Our expert team will be able to talk you through all the options.
Day 1: Valletta
When you arrive in the capital city of Valletta your driver will meet you and take you to your hotel. Day and evening at leisure.
Day 2: Valletta
The day starts at the City Gate, whose 16th-century walls now open through a modern gateway redesigned by Renzo Piano, the architect also behind London’s Shard. From there, the route passes the new Parliament building and the Auberge de Castille, before reaching the Upper Barrakka Gardens for a wide view over the city and harbor below.
On Republic Street, the National Museum of Archaeology holds much of Malta’s prehistoric material, including carvings that predate the island’s written history entirely. Further down the same street, St. John’s Co-Cathedral pairs Baroque marble and gilding with two Caravaggio paintings, works the artist completed during his time on the island as a Knight of the Order of St. John.
Dinner in the evening is at Malata, on Valletta’s main square, with a terrace well suited to watching the city go by.
Day 3: Mdina
After breakfast, the day starts south at Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim, UNESCO-recognized as the oldest freestanding monuments on the planet, older than Stonehenge or the pyramids. Both sites belong to the same broader temple-building culture, one whose beliefs and society are almost entirely lost to history, leaving only these structures as evidence they existed at all.
From there, the route continues to Mdina, Malta’s former capital, for an afternoon spent wandering its narrow, largely traffic-free streets. Dinner in the evening is at Medina Restaurant, inside the old city.
Day 4: Valletta
The last full day is left unstructured, time to revisit favourite spots from earlier in the trip, do some shopping, or simply follow the day where it leads. A drink at Café Society, overlooking Marsamxett Harbour, is a good way to close out the evening.
Day 5: Departure
Today you’ll be transferred to the airport for your return flight.
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