Malta and Gozo Discovery: 8 Days — Valletta, Mdina, Blue Grotto & Comino

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Arrive Malta — Valletta

Land at Malta International Airport (Luqa). Transfer to your hotel in or near Valletta, Malta’s UNESCO-listed capital. Valletta (founded 1566) is one of the world’s most concentrated historic cities — 320 monuments in just 0.8 sq km, earning it the nickname “a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen.” The entire city is built on a peninsula of honey-colored limestone, surrounded by the Grand Harbour on one side and Marsamxett Harbour on the other. Evening: orientation walk along Republic Street, past the Grand Master’s Palace and the Auberge de Castille (now the Prime Minister’s office). Overnight in Valletta.

Day 2: Valletta — The Fortress City

Full day exploring Europe’s smallest capital. Morning: St. John’s Co-Cathedral (1577) — from the outside, it’s a severe fortress-church in plain limestone. Step inside and the transformation is breathtaking: every surface covered in gilded carving, inlaid marble tombstones (375 of them, each a unique design covering the entire floor), and Caravaggio’s largest and only signed painting — “The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” (1608), a masterpiece of chiaroscuro so powerful it can only be truly appreciated in person. The painting occupies the entire end wall of the Oratory.
Afternoon: Upper Barrakka Gardens for the iconic view across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities (Birgu, Senglea, Cospicua). Time your visit for the noon cannon firing from the Saluting Battery below — a tradition dating to the 19th century. Visit the Grand Master’s Palace with its Armoury (one of the world’s finest collections of 16th-18th century arms and armor) and the State Rooms. Evening: take the ferry across the Grand Harbour to Birgu for dinner at a waterfront restaurant. Overnight in Valletta.

Day 3: Mdina — The Silent City & Rabat

Morning: Mdina, Malta’s ancient capital (founded by the Phoenicians around 700 BC, fortified by Arabs in the 9th century, and rebuilt by Normans). Walking through Mdina’s narrow, car-free streets feels like stepping into a medieval film set — the golden limestone walls, baroque church facades, and views from the bastions across half of Malta explain why Game of Thrones filmed King’s Landing scenes here (Mdina Gate is the entrance to the Red Keep). Only about 300 people live within the walls today, giving the city its nickname “the Silent City.”
Afternoon: Rabat, Mdina’s suburb, to visit St. Paul’s Catacombs — an underground Roman necropolis (4th century AD) with over 30 hypogea (underground burial chambers) connected by a network of tunnels. The site is the largest Roman burial complex in Malta, and the table-tombs (triclinia) where families held memorial meals for the dead are a rare surviving feature. Continue to St. Paul’s Grotto, where the apostle is said to have lived for three months after being shipwrecked on Malta in 60 AD. Overnight in Valletta.

Day 4: Gozo — Malta’s Sister Island

Full day excursion to Gozo, the greener, more rural sister island of Malta (25-minute ferry from Cirkewwa). First stop: Ggantija Temples (UNESCO, c.3600 BC) — older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, these are among the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world. The name “Ggantija” means “giant’s tower” — medieval locals believed only giants could have moved the massive limestone blocks (the largest weighs over 50 tons). The temples were likely dedicated to a fertility cult, suggested by the numerous corpulent female figurines found here.
Continue to the Citadella (Citadel) in Victoria (Rabat) — Gozo’s fortified acropolis, inhabited since the Bronze Age. The Cathedral of the Assumption (1697-1711) within the walls has a striking trompe l’oeil dome — it’s actually flat, but painted to appear three-dimensional. Afternoon: Xlendi Bay for a swim in the deep fjord-like inlet, and Dwejra to see the former site of the Azure Window (the iconic limestone arch that collapsed in 2017). The Inland Sea and Fungus Rock remain — the latter was guarded by the Knights of St. John because of a rare medicinal plant (Cynomorium coccineum) that grew only there. Overnight in Valletta or Gozo.

Day 5: Three Cities & Marsaxlokk

Morning: the Three Cities (Birgu, Senglea, Cospicua) across the Grand Harbour. These were the original homes of the Knights of St. John before Valletta was built, and their quieter, more residential character makes for an authentic contrast. Visit the Inquisitor’s Palace in Birgu — the only Inquisitor’s Palace open to the public, covering over 200 years of the Roman Inquisition in Malta. The prison cells still have prisoners’ graffiti scratched into the walls.
Afternoon: Marsaxlokk, Malta’s most picturesque fishing village. The harbor is filled with luzzu — traditional Maltese fishing boats painted in primary colors (blue, yellow, red, green), each with the Eye of Osiris painted on the bow (a Phoenician symbol adopted by Maltese fishermen for protection). Sunday mornings bring the famous fish market — the catch of the day sold straight from the boats. Lunch at a waterfront restaurant for fresh seafood — try lampuki (dolphin fish/mahi-mahi, the national fish) when in season (August-November). Overnight in Valletta.

Day 6: Blue Grotto, Hagar Qim & Dingli Cliffs

Morning: Blue Grotto (Wied iz-Zurrieq) on Malta’s south coast — a series of sea caves where the sunlight creates an extraordinary fluorescent blue water color, best seen in the morning light. Take a traditional boat (luzzu) into the caves — the largest arch is 43m high. The water clarity here is exceptional, and the blue color is caused by sunlight reflecting off the white sandy seabed through the cave openings.
Afternoon: Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples (UNESCO, c.3600-2500 BC) — two more of Malta’s megalithic temples, spectacularly situated on a clifftop overlooking the sea and the uninhabited islet of Filfla. These temples are aligned with the solstices — at the summer solstice, the sun’s rays penetrate the entrance of Mnajdra and illuminate the inner altar stones. The visitor center has excellent exhibits explaining the temple-builder culture. Continue to Dingli Cliffs (253m, Malta’s highest point) for panoramic views and visit the tiny chapel of St. Mary Magdalene on the cliff edge. Overnight in Valletta.

Day 7: Comino & the Blue Lagoon

Full day boat excursion to Comino, the tiny island (3.5 sq km) between Malta and Gozo. The Blue Lagoon is the main attraction — a natural pool of impossibly clear, shallow turquoise water on a white sandy bottom, enclosed between Comino and the islet of Cominotto. It’s one of the Mediterranean’s most photographed swimming spots, and the water color has to be seen to be believed. Spend the day swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing on the boat. The island is virtually uninhabited (population: 2 permanent residents), with only the 17th-century Santa Marija Tower (built by the Knights as a watchtower) as a landmark. Return to Malta by late afternoon. Farewell dinner in a Valletta restaurant — try fenkata (rabbit stew, Malta’s national dish) and pastizzi (flaky pastry filled with ricotta or mushy peas, the ubiquitous Maltese street snack). Overnight in Valletta.

Day 8: Departure

Morning at leisure for last visits — perhaps the Malta Experience audio-visual show for a comprehensive history overview, or the National Museum of Archaeology to see the “Sleeping Lady” figurine from the Hypogeum (c.4000 BC). Transfer to Malta Airport for departure.

Included

• 7 nights in 4-star hotels
• Daily breakfast
• Expert guide throughout
• All transfers & ferry tickets (Gozo, Comino)
• Entrance fees: St. John’s, Ggantija, Hagar Qim, Inquisitor’s Palace, Catacombs
• Blue Grotto boat trip
• Comino Blue Lagoon boat excursion
• Airport transfers