A Taste of Malta
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Port
Valletta, Malta
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$100
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4 hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Board your coach and drive to the south of the island to the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk, where colorful luzzu fishing boats bob about in the quaint harbor.
Enjoy some free time to purchase a coffee (at your own expense) and explore the village, including the quaint square dominated by the Parish church. Note at the top of the portico, the Virgin Mary herself is depicted riding on a luzzu.
If the fishermen are back from the sea, you may have a chance to meet with one of them. Otherwise your guide will have some stories to tell about the harbor, whose interesting history includes the hosting of the Malta Summit between US President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The summit signaled the end of the Cold War.
Next, board your coach for a panoramic drive. Once a simple fishing village, St Julian's proximity to a cluster of top hotels and Malta's buzzing nightlife zone has made it a gastronomic meeting point for foodies and wine lovers.
At a quayside restaurant specializing in Maltese food, sample a selection of island delicacies and some local wines -- an authentic introduction to what the locals love to eat.
Afterward, your guide will walk you back to your transport, and you'll return to the ship.
Malta Island Discovery
It is a short drive to the Malta Experience in Valletta -- a 45-minute movie presentation that presents and explains clearly Malta's amazing story from prehistory to the present day.
With your newfound knowledge gleaned from the presentation, you will set out on a panoramic drive to discover the island's rich 6,000-year history of civilization. Despite the damage suffered in the bombings during World War II, Malta's most important landmarks are incredibly intact and obsessively fascinating for those interested in the area's long and diverse history.
From the coach, you will see Vittoriosa, whose honorific name was granted after its victorious stand in the Great Siege of 1565. Perhaps not surprisingly, this city was originally known as Birgu, the Mediterranean term for a coastal village under the shelter of a fort or castle.
Your drive continues through the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Here, colorful luzzu fishing boats bob in the quaint harbor, which you can view from above.
Heading north, watch for Mdina, Malta's former capital and now a 'city of silence' -- motor traffic is not allowed there.
En route to the north of the island, you will pass through St Paul's Bay, where the Apostle Paul came ashore after his dramatic, faith-testing shipwreck. Despite his harrowing experience, he had only nice things to say about the local people's "unusual kindness." From the coastal road, you can see the small island where the ship ran aground in AD 60.
From there, you will return to the pier.
Please note: Terrain includes numerous steps and a dimly-lit tunnel to enter the auditorium. Wear comfortable walking shoes.