Walk through some of the most enchanting towns and botanical gardens in Malta, while admiring the architectural and archaeological treasures the reveal that island’s extraordinary history.

NOTE: Much of this tour is on foot, at time over uneven ground and as such is not recommended for anyone with walking difficulty or guests who utilize a wheelchair.

DAY 1

Upon arrival at the Malta International Airport, you will be met in the Arrivals Hall after Customs and luggage claim and transferred to your hotel. Check-in time is 3:00pm. Although every effort will be made to have rooms available sooner, this cannot be guaranteed.

There will be a Hospitality desk set up in the hotel for any program questions or assistance with local sightseeing and dining recommendations for the week. The time will be determined once arrival flight details are known. The welcome letter that you will receive upon arrival at the hotel will detail the location and times.

The remainder of the day will be at your leisure and meals will be on your own.

DAY 2

After departing the hotel on foot, you will enjoy a guided walking tour of Valletta, Malta’s capital city. While browsing the Upper Barracca Gardens, you will be treated to a panoramic view of Malta’s natural harbors and the historic cities of Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa.

You will continue to St John’s Co-Cathedral – the Conventual Church of the Knights of Malta – where you can view Caravaggio’s masterpiece “The Beheading of St. John the Baptist.”

You will then walk to the Museum of Archaeology, where you will see a collection of artefacts dating back from Malta’s Neolithic period (5900 – 2500BC) up till the early Phoenician period (8th – 6th Century BC).

Next, drive to Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa for an enlightening walk through the city.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you will embark a traditional Maltese Dghajsa boat for a 30-minute cruise around the harbor. Be aware that these traditional boats hold a maximum of 6 passengers and are not covered, so sun protection is a must.

Meet the coach on the other side to finally return back to the Hotel.

Finally, after returning to the hotel, the remainder of the day and evening will be at your leisure with dinner on your own.

DAY 3

Following breakfast, depart your hotel to Rabat, where you will walk through town and visit St. Paul’s Catacombs, an underground burial place used by the early Christians. Continuing on, you will see the Cathedral in Mdina and the defensive bastions that date to the 9th century. The elevated bastions offer a lovely panoramic view of the island. Proceed then to Mosta and visit its massive church dome, considered the third largest in Europe.

Lunch at a local restaurant. To complement the experience, you will spend time in the San Anton Gardens, as well.

After returning to the hotel, the remainder of the day and evening will be at your leisure with dinner on your own.

Next proceed to Naxxar to visit Palazzo Parisio and its beautiful gardens where you will walk through town.

Following Naxxar will be a stop to spend some time in the San Anton Gardens before returning to your hotel where the remainder of the day and evening will be at your leisure. Dinner is on your own.

DAY 4

After breakfast and check out from the hotel, you will drive to the southern part of the island to visit the Tarxien Temples archaeological complex and Hagar Qim, another excavated temple site.

You will then drive to the Blue Grotto in Wied iz-Zurrieq, where you will have the option of seeing it by boat for a charge of about 8 Euros or just wandering about the grotto at your leisure. See the grotto from a cliff viewpoint or relax at a seaside café taking in the views.

NOTE: only Euros are accepted as form of payment for the optional boat tour, the tour is weather dependent.

Afterwards, you will drive to the port and embark the cruise ship.

Land Program Details Step by Step

•The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.

•Itineraries with up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.

•The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.

•Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered no-shows and their hotel spaces released.

Extra Nights

•All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the hotel that is used on the FIRST NIGHT of your land program

•If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.

•If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.

•If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.

DAY 1

Arrive at the Malta airport, meet our representative in the Arrivals Hall and transfer to your hotel. Check in is at 3:00pm. Although every effort will be made to have rooms available sooner, this cannot be guaranteed. Meals will be on your own.

Overnight at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta or similar

Meet and greet and transfers

•Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.

•Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.

•Meet and Greets and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Transfers will not be included for guests arriving independently before the program start date.

•If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.

DAY 2

7:00am Breakfast at the hotel

9:00am Group departs the hotel for the historical city center

9:30am Walk to the Upper Barracca Gardens

9:45am Visit the gardens

10:15am Walk to St. John’s Co-Cathedral

11:00am Visit St. John’s Co-Cathedral

11:05am Walk to the Museum of Archaeology

12:30pm Free time for browsing and shopping

1:00pm Walk back to your coach and drive towards Senglea, Cospicua & Vittoriosa

1:30pm Walk through the narrow streets of Senglea

1:45pm Stop for lunch in a local restaurant

3:00pm Boat ride on a traditional Maltese Dghajsa

3:30pm Meet Transport

4:00pm Drive back to hotel

4:30pm Return to the hotel

Dinner on your own

Overnight at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta or similar

DAY 3

From 7:00am Breakfast at the hotel

9:00am Drive to Rabat

9:30am Visit St. Paul’s Catacombs

10:30am Walk to Mdina

10:40am Visit the Cathedral and ramparts in Mdina

11:25am Drive to Mosta and visit the Mosta Church

11:45am Walk to a local restaurant for lunch

12:00pm Lunch

2:00pm Drive to Naxxar

2:20pm Visit Palazzo Parisio and its gardens

3:30pm Visit the San Anton Gardens

4:00pm Drive back to your hotel

4:30pm Arrive at your hotel

Remainder of the day at leisure, dinner on own

Overnight at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta or similar

DAY 4

From 7:00am Breakfast at the hotel

9:00am Board coach for a panoramic drive to Tarxien

9:30am Visit the Neolithic Tarxien Temples

10:15am Drive towards the Hagar Qim Temple

10:40am Visit the Temple

11:10am Drive towards Zurrieq to the Blue Grotto

11:30am Time at leisure or for those wishing to take the boat ride

Cost is not included and subject to weather conditions

1:00pm Drive to the port

Approximate arrival at the port for embarkation

Expected Weather

Expect sunny and humid weather in August and September with possible rain showers.

Daytime high temperature is 27°C / 80°F

What to Bring

Casual attire, good walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, umbrella, camera and bathing suit.

Local Currency

The official currency of Malta is the Euro. USD are rarely accepted. Credit and debit cards such as American Express, Master card and Visa are accepted everywhere on the island.

Electricity

For Malta, the associated plug type is G, which has three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern. Malta operates on a 220V/240V supply voltage and 50Hz. We recommend brining a universal travel adaptor for electric devices.

Documents and Visa Requirements

A valid passport valid for at least 3 months after your departure date is required. Guests should consult with their local Maltese embassy for any visa regulations for their nationality.

Hotel address

Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta or similar

Great Siege Road, Floriana FRN1810, Malta

Phone: +356 2125 0520

*We will only source different hotels in unforeseen situations. If similar hotels are required, they will be of equal ratings and standards and you will be notified of the change. If you are not notified of any changes before your departure, then you will be staying at the hotel listed in this program.

Program Includes for guests

•3 nights in Superior Deluxe Partial Seaview room including breakfast at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta or similar hotel

•2 lunches including a glass of wine, water and coffee/tea

•Entrances per the itinerary

•English-speaking guide throughout

•Transfers

Please Note: Guests booking their own flights independently of the cruise line are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.

Program Excludes for guests

•Gratuities for drivers and guides.

•Hotel incidentals including mini bar and room service.

•Meals or beverages not specified above.

Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces that may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, gravel and natural paths. There may also be occasional steps or stairs. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation.

Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations.

Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released. Arrangements for accommodation and transfers will be at the expense of guests.