Cities of Antiquity

Immerse yourself in Valletta’s rich history during a guided walk through its UNESCO-listed streets. Drive by motor coach to Tritons’ Fountain, where you will meet your guide and set out on foot through Malta’s fortified capital. The city is considered a masterpiece of late Renaissance and baroque architecture and was collectively inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Enter the Upper Barrakka Gardens, set atop the 16th-century bastions built by the Knights of St. John, where you may pause to take in the sweeping views of the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities. As you continue along the city streets, your guide will outline Valletta’s layered civic and military history. View the New Parliament building and see St. John’s Co-Cathedral and the Grand Master’s Palace from the exterior, then return by coach to the waterfront and your awaiting ship.

Experience Valletta’s rich history during a leisurely guided walk through its UNESCO-listed streets. Drive by motor coach to Tritons’ Fountain, where you will meet your guide and set out on foot through Malta’s fortified capital. The city is considered a masterpiece of late Renaissance and baroque architecture and was collectively inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Enter the Upper Barrakka Gardens, set atop the 16th-century bastions built by the Knights of St. John, where you may pause to take in the sweeping views of the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities. As you continue along the city streets at a relaxed pace, your guide will outline Valletta’s layered civic and military history. View the New Parliament building and see St. John’s Co-Cathedral and the Grand Master’s Palace from the exterior, then return by coach to the waterfront and your ship.

Step into the medieval splendor of Mdina and see Mosta’s remarkable dome on this fascinating excursion. Drive with your guide to the old walled city of Mdina, sitting atop a hill. En route, you will pause outside the walls at an arts center to witness glassblowing by local artisans. In Mdina itself, enjoy a walking tour through timeless streets lined with stunning architecture, stopping to enjoy views from the bastions and to step inside the magnificent Mdina Cathedral with its pair of majestic bell towers. Continue to nearby Mosta for a visit to the spectacular Mosta Basilica. Constructed in the early 19th century by the town’s residents, it boasts one of the world’s largest unsupported domes. During World War II, a bomb pierced the dome but miraculously did not explode; you can see a replica of the bomb in the sacristy. Later, enjoy a scenic drive back to your ship.

Visit a fabulous palace lovingly maintained by a baroness in the name of her long line of ancestors, the Sciclunas. Meet your guide and drive by motor coach to Naxxar. Here, in the heart of the village, the 18th-century Palazzo Parisio has stood for generations. This opulent and grand residence features gilded plasterworks, ceiling frescoes, crystal chandeliers, lush paintings, sculptures and formal gardens. On a guided tour, you will see the grand ballroom, the chapel and, weather permitting, the landscaped gardens and orangery. Conclude your visit with a glass of Prosecco and light refreshments. En route back to the ship, stop in the village of Mosta to visit its distinctive basilica. Built by the town’s citizens during the 19th century, it boasts one of the world’s largest unsupported domes. During the World War II, a bomb pierced the dome but it miraculously failed to explode.

Discover Valletta, a UNESCO Site, and learn about its ties to the Knights of Malta from a present-day knight. With a local guide, set out to explore this mighty fortress city, viewing the auberges built to house the knights of the Order of St. John. Visit St. John’s Co-Cathedral, one of Europe’s finest examples of high Baroque architecture. Its most famous work, Caravaggio’s The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, hangs in the Oratory. You will also meet a local member of the present-day Hospitaller Military Order of Jerusalem. He will present a short talk about the historical role of the knights, their founding as part of a hospital providing care to sick pilgrims in the Holy Land, their emergence as a military order during the Crusades and how they conduct business today. A light snack will be provided before the return to your ship via motor coach.

Explore the island of Gozo’s rugged cliffs, breathtaking landscapes and historic remains. Inhabited since the 5th millennium BC, Gozo is the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago. Transfer with your guide by motor coach and embark a ferry for a short crossing. You will first visit the Ggantija temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site older than the pyramids of Egypt. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive past the island’s capital of Victoria, named for the British queen, and take in the views of its imposing Cittadella, a historic fort whose bastions date from the 17th century. Continue to Ta’Pinu, known as the “Church of Miracles,” located on the outskirts of the village of Gharb. Here, step inside to view its wall of answered prayers, which has earned the minor basilica the name “Madonna ta’ Pinu.” After, return to your awaiting ship.

Journey across the Grand Harbour to Birgu, where you will explore the sights of this old fortified city. A short distance from your berth, you will board a dgħajsa, a traditional Maltese water taxi that traces its roots back to the 17th century. Set out on a scenic boat ride across the Grand Harbour to the vibrant marina of Birgu, located on the harbor’s southern shores and teeming with sailing boats and super yachts. Here, enjoy a guided walk down ancient alleys and past sights such as the Freedom Monument, which commemorates the withdrawal of British troops in 1879, and the 18th-century baroque St. Lawrence Church. Visit the Inquisitor’s Palace, the seat of the Maltese Inquisition for 200 years. View its restored rooms and learn more about Maltese society through the centuries, before boarding your dgħajsa and passing by the medieval Fort St. Angelo en route to your ship.

Visit Malta’s stunning archeological sites, including the world’s oldest underground temple. Meet your guide at the pier and journey to Hagar Qim, a more than 5,000-year-old prehistoric temple with commanding views over the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. Afterward, journey to the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum for a Privileged Access visit to its underground chambers that cover an impressive 5,300 square feet. The site can be accessed in small groups to allow for preservation of the site and optimum viewing. An informative video will also be shown which explains the story of its discovery during the early 20th century by a local stone mason. Drive toward Valletta and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then visit the National Museum of Archaeology to view a wealth of prehistoric artifacts, including pottery, personal ornaments and carved figurines. Later, return to your ship.

Explore Malta’s most important wartime sites, from the times of the Crusades to World War II. Journey by motor coach to the town of Mosta. Here, the eponymous basilica resides, its dome dominating the city’s skyline. Walk the grounds with your guide and view the replica of the German bomb that penetrated the dome but did not detonate, sparing hundreds of people who were attending mass. After refreshments, continue on to the Lascaris War Rooms, a captivating underground system of chambers and tunnels, where the Allies conducted the Mediterranean campaign undetected. Delve further into Malta’s past with a visit to Fort St. Elmo. Stroll along the ramparts and visit its museum to see wartime artifacts, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s jeep, “Husky,” and the George Cross, Malta’s award for gallantry, an image of which is displayed on the country’s flag today.

Survey Vittoriosa’s streets and learn the history of its fort to uncover the city’s ties to the Knights of Malta. Board your motor coach and trace the Grand Harbour to arrive in Vittoriosa, the first settlement of the Knights of the Order of St. John. With your guide, ride a city train to explore the picturesque streets of this fortified city and admire its stunning landmarks, including historic churches and squares. After, you will take a short stroll to the impressive Fort St. Angelo, first known as “Castle by the Sea,” before its reconstitution by the Knights in the 1500s to the fortress it is today. Explore the ramparts to take in the views of the Grand Harbour and learn the history of this remarkable structure that spans a millennium, including the crucial role it played in the defense of Malta during both the Great Siege of 1565 and World War II. Afterward, return to your ship.

Discover the treasures of Malta during a full-day excursion to this historic Mediterranean isle. Journey into Valletta for a guided walk through this UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a short transfer by motor coach, set out on foot to explore. Ascend to the Upper Barrakka Gardens for sweeping views of the Grand Harbor and the historic “Three Cities,” Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa, then continue on foot to St. John’s Co-Cathedral; its spectacular interior features Caravaggio’s painting The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Rejoin your coach outside Valletta’s main gate and drive to the Hagar Qim, a megalithic, 5,000-year-old stone temple and a UNESCO Site. After lunch, travel to the ancient city of Vittoriosa, once the home of the Knights of the Order of St. John, for a walk along its winding streets before returning to your ship.