The Maltese Archipelago
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itinerary
The Maltese Archipelago
Day 1
Malta is a very small island and easy to get around from wherever you choose your base to be. Base yourself in the capital city of Valletta or nearby coastal towns like Sliema or St Julians Bay. This itinerary uses St Julians Bay as a base. Feel free to swap days around depending on your chosen base.
Settle in. Get to know your area. Restaurants and bars to try in St Julians Bay:
High spec medium value hotel situated in a convenient and well-connected location. Roof top pool on site.
Day 2
Head into the capital city of Valletta for history, grand palaces, and great food. Take bus routes 13, 14, 22, TD13 from St Julians Bay area towards Valletta or simply catch a Bolt/ taxi. Valletta is 15-20 mins away from St Julians Bay/ Sliema/ St George's Bay so it can be visited simply for dinner in the evening if you have other plans during the day.
Richly decorated cathedral with frescoes illustrating St John the Baptist's life.
Upper Barrakka Gardens
Valletta's highest point with views over the Grand Harbour.
Hop across the water to visit the other fortified Three Cities that sit across from Valletta.
Day 3
On Day 3, venture into the historic and fortified cities of Mdina and Rabat in the centre of the island. The easiest way to get there is by Bolt which will cost between €20 and €30. You can take the bus route 202 for just €3 but it will take approximately 1 hour.
Mdina sits across the road from Rabat behind a wall and has less that 300 inhabitants. It was a filming location for popular TV series Game of Thrones and is home to unique architecture and history dating back to the 8th century. Here are some great landmarks to check out:
St Paul's and St Agatha's Catacombs
Located in Rabat, these catacombs were used to bury the dead in Roman times.
Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum
A historic Medieval Maltese townhouse with artefacts and antiques.
Located in the very passageways and chambers where the gruesome events occurred, this attraction details the darker history of Mdina.
Day 4
Today, take an excursion to the famous Blue Lagoon and/or Crystal Lagoon on Comino Island.
The easiest way to visit these lagoons is by booking a group or private boat tour. There are many companies that operate from different ports on the main island so choose the one most convenient to where you're staying. Some include food and drinks.
Here are some tour providers:
If you'd prefer to make your own way to Comino Island, you can get the local ferry from the very north of Malta main island. The ferry takes around 25 mins and costs €13 for adults. You'll need to take the 222 bus route towards the ferry port in the north of the island.
Day 5
Having now explored 2 of 3 islands that make up the Maltese Archipelago, Day 5 is dedicated to conquering the 3rd!
Gozo - the northern most island in the archipelago and the second largest.
Gozo is often seen as what the main island would have looked like 15 years ago. Think rustic, a slower pace of life, less developed and touristy, and more chilled.
To get to Gozo, take the Gozo Ferry from the Cirkewwa ferry terminal on the far north side of the main island. Many bus routes go towards the ferry terminal, X1 being the most popular. As mentioned on Day 4, this can be time consuming so you may wish to consider either a Bolt to the ferry terminal or a private charter directly to Gozo.
Whether you decide to simply take a boat tour and admire the island from the water, or have a land adventure, here are some great things to do on Gozo:
Victoria & the ancient Citadella
Ramla Bay
Hike up to Tal-Mixta Cave to get your blood pumping!
Dwerja Bay & the Azure Window
Ta'Kola Windmill
Ggantija Temples UNESCO World Heritage Site
Whilst perhaps not as architecturally as impressive as the Egyptian pyramids, these stones are thought to be older than the pyramids and there is still speculation as to how and why they are there.
Day 6
Spend your last full day exploring one or more of the beaches on the main island. A perfect rest day to end your trip!
Golden Bay
Mellieha Beach
Ghajn Tuffeiha
Gnejna Bay
St Peter's Pool
Day 7
Depending on how much time you have before your flight home, why not go back and do one of your favourite things you have done this week!