Valletta, Mdina and the Wonders of Malta

Newmarket Holidays is offering 10% off tours until Sunday, 9 November.

Discover one of the Mediterranean’s most historic and welcoming islands, as well as its exquisite, greener sister-isle, Gozo. Delightful Malta – blessed year-round with an agreeable climate – radiates fascination and interest, as well as a relaxed air and a genuinely warm welcome for British visitors. Join us on this famous Mediterranean isle, strategically important throughout the centuries and boasting one of the world’s most spectacular natural harbours for an escorted tour that offers you the very best of the island, and the chance to enjoy the charms of this highly favoured getaway spot. Whether you're drawn to grand baroque cathedrals, winding alleyways or crystalline harbours, Valletta Malta holidays deliver an unforgettable blend of culture and serenity. Explore the fortified capital with guided visits to St. John's Co-Cathedral and the Grand Harbour, step inside the silent city of Mdina with its medieval palaces, and discover ancient temples that pre-date the pyramids. The itinerary also takes you across to Gozo, where dramatic coastlines and timeless villages offer a striking contrast to Valletta's elegance, creating a journey filled with history, architecture and natural beauty.

Highlights

Enjoy a week of rest, exploration and Maltese hospitality
Spend a day on Gozo, Malta's fascinating sister island
Get to know Malta's historic capital, Valletta
Explore the island's interior, including historic Mosta and the 'Silent City' of Mdina

Inclusions

Seven nights' dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation at your chosen hotel (upgrade hotel available)
Return flights to Malta
Comfortable coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Day 1

Fly to Malta - Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and transfer to your chosen hotel in the delightful Qawra area of the popular town of St Paul’s Bay. Depending on the time you arrive, you may have time to enjoy a stroll along the seafront promenade before dinner. Look out over the clear, blue waters to St Paul’s Island, on which – legend has it – the saint was once shipwrecked.

Day 2

Included Valletta guided tour - Join your tour manager for the first of your included excursions, and explore the island's fascinating capital, historic Valletta. You'll begin with a visit to the Malta Experience, an award-winning audio-visual presentation that places the city and the island in its historical context, and sets the scene not only for today’s visit but for the remainder of your stay. Your tour will also include all the major sights: the Auberge de Castille (magnificent former home to the Knights of St John) and the Upper Barrakka Gardens, from which vantage point the strategic value of the city’s Grand Harbour becomes clear. Laid out in a perfect grid above the harbour and behind the imposing battlements, the streets of the compact old city are a delight to wander. See the city’s stunning St John’s Co-cathedral, which houses treasures that include two works by the artist Caravaggio. With time for lunch (payable locally) and the opportunity for personal sightseeing, today’s visit is the perfect introduction to the island.

Day 3

Included cruise to Gozo - Today’s included excursion will be one of the highlights of your holiday, as you make the short ferry crossing from Cirkewwa to the quaint port of Mgarr on Gozo. In sharp contrast to its bustling neighbour, Gozo, which is dotted with prehistoric Neolithic temples and burial mounds, presents a sleepy, timeless face to the modern world. The highlights of your day will include the fascinating Inland Sea at Dwerja, Calypso’s Cave overlooking sandy Ramla Bay, the delightful coastal resort of Xlendi and the island capital, Victoria. here, the town is watched over by the fortified bastion of the Citadel, from atop the walls of which there are panoramic views over the island. After the fascinating history of the smaller island has been brought to life by your tour manager, your thoroughly enjoyable day will end with the return crossing to Malta, passing tiny islet of Comino.

Day 4

Included Maltese culture evening - Today is left free so that you can make the most of the hotel and its surroundings. This evening, join fellow guests for an evening of traditional Maltese hospitality in the historic town of Mosta. Enjoy a menu of Maltese cuisine served by waiters dressed in authentic island costume, and watch a demonstration of traditional Maltese dancing and folk music.

Day 5

Included tour of Mdina, Rabat and Mosta - On today’s included full-day excursion you’ll travel inland to Mdina. Malta's ancient, fortified former capital stands atop a rocky bluff, its beautiful "silent city" of narrow streets lined with stone-built houses. The tour will also include the town of Rabat, famous for its subterranean catacombs and where Bellini’s statue of St Paul depicts the Apostle’s shipwreck on the island. You'll also visit Mosta’s famous church, the vast unsupported dome of which survived a direct hit during WWII, and the spectacular Dingli Cliffs.

Day 6

Day at leisure - Rest and relax in your hotel and its surroundings, today, getting to know the area. Set on the quieter side of St Paul’s Bay, but with easy access to lively and colourful Bugibba, Qawra has plenty to offer, with sea-front bars and cafes as well as a sandy beach fringing the bay. Stroll along the promenade to Qawra Point for far-reaching views, or perhaps enjoy a long lunch in the sunshine.

Day 7

Included tour of Vittoriosa, Cospicua, Senglea and Marsaxlokk - Your final included excursion takes you ‘back in time’, as you explore the area across Valletta’s Grand Harbour, where three medieval ‘cities’ reflect the island’s rich history. In Vittoriosa, the façade of the Parish Church of St Lawrence displays an early Maltese Cross. Cospicua is one of the Mediterranean’s oldest dockyards and still in use today. Lastly, Senglea, with its houses built on the waterline and steps down to the sea, is known as Little Venice. During the day, you’ll also visit the colourful fishing village of Marsaxlokk, with its busy market, and Tarxien, where ancient temples contain carved symbols not dissimilar to the Celtic engravings found in Ireland.

Day 8

Fly back to the UK - Return to the airport and check in for your flight home at the end of a thoroughly enjoyable stay.

Further Information

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Combining hotel transfers

We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 30 minutes.

Hotel room tax

All accommodation in Malta will be required to collect an Environmental Contribution equivalent of €0.50 per person per night. The contribution is capped at €5.00 per person per stay and is payable locally in cash

Visas & Passports

Rules may have changed since you last travelled to European Union countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure. You do require government issued passport to travel. Names - It is very important that all passenger names are exactly as per your passport although we do not require middle names. Passport - Your passport must meet two requirements to travel to an EU country and to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It must be: Less than 10 years old on the day you return home (please check the "date of issue") and valid for at least 3 months after the day you return home (please check the "expiry date"). Visa - You do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.

European Entry/Exit Scheme (EES)

EES is a new digital border management system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of most European countries. Once introduced, when you go through passport control on arrival, as well as producing your passport for checking, you will also have your photograph taken and fingerprints scanned. The system will register your entry on arrival and your exit when departing. You will only need to do this on your first entry into Europe after the scheme starts. The EES scheme is not live yet - the latest information can be found at https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en. We recommend keeping yourself updated on the planned commencement date and, once live, ensure you are familiar with the process. For those travelling via Eurostar, there is a dual British and French/Belgian border in operational at St Pancras International. Therefore the EES system will be in place at the station, you will not need to be checked again on arrival at the other side. For further information please visit the ABTA website here. Please note: Irish passport holders or British Passport holders with an EU residency are currently excluded.

European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS)

Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, changes have been planned which affect the eligibility of citizens of the United Kingdom to have visa free travel to the EU. ETIAS travel authorisation is a new entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of the European Union and Schengen counties. The ETIAS system is not live yet - the latest information can be found at www.etias.com. We recommend keeping yourself updated on the planned commencement date and, once live (and if applicable to you), apply for your ETIAS in good time prior to travel. Newmarket Holidays will not be able to undertake ETIAS applications on your behalf, so have instead instructed the services of the Travel Visa Company to provide help, should you need it. You can find more information about this service here. Please note: ETIAS will not be required for UK citizens travelling on our UK and Ireland tours.

Terms and conditions

Maximum 10% discount applies to a selection of tours. All other holidays and tours will have up to 10% applied. This offer applies to new bookings only booked between 1st October, 2025 and 9th November, 2025 and cannot be applied retrospectively to bookings already confirmed. This offer does not apply to child pricing. The offer does not apply to holidays with late availability pricing and excludes Festive, River Cruise, Edinburgh Tattoo, André Rieu events, Lapland and Wimbledon. This offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other discount, promotion or concession. When booking a holiday as described above, prices shown will automatically have the discount applied. The discount applies to the original tour price (excluding any discounts already applied, extras and holiday insurance) at the time of booking. This offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Newmarket Holidays reserves the right to cancel, change or amend any tour. Holidays booked with Newmarket Holidays, are financially protected in accordance with ABTA, ATOL & ABTOT regulations. Newmarket Holidays Limited is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 02238316.