Valletta, Mdina and Rabat, Gozo

We are docking for about 10 hours. I have been looking at the usual Rick Steves guidebooks and can't find anything on Malta. I'm a DIY guy that likes a structured itinerary of the top sites in the areas. Can anyone with experience provide me with a helpful detailed itinerary with at least of the 2 cities mentioned in the subject line - specific landmarks to visit in the cities and in what order (to visit the specific landmarks) to make the most of my time?

You have me a little confused. Gozo is actually a different island from Valletta and the Mdina. So, if your ship is docking at Valletta you are not going to have time to enjoy this main island and also take a ferry over to Gozo (which is more of a full day trip).

As to Mdina and Rabat, they are located within easy tour distance from the city of Valletta. You can get there on your own by using the excellent island bus system, a taxi, or you could rent a car for the day to explore much of the island. Personally, we never tie ourselves down with detailed itineraries (its why we do our own thing) and we think the amount of time spent at a particular place like Mdina is a personal thing depending on how much shopping you do, whether you want to stop for a nice lunch (in Mdina you can do this at a café along the top of the wall..if you choose), etc. Using public transportation allows you to vary your day depending on how you feel at the time. Malta also has several Hop On Hop Off bus routes...one of which goes to the furthest parts of the island (we have done this with our own rental car).

There is a lot of information about Malta (including suggested itineraries) on various web sites.

Hank

We're heading to Malta on a land cruise next April and I bought a reasonable guide book on Amazon for about €5.

If it’s your first time visiting Malta I do suggest to stay in Malta and visit the sites there. Mdina is the old capital, you can reach it by taxi or public transport. In Valletta there’s St John Co-Cathedral a must see. There’ s also several museums and many find Upper and/or Lower Barraca Gardens very enjoyable. Personally I love roaming the narrow streets of Valletta filled with Auberges and its Baroque architecture when visiting. Many tourists find it a must to visit the Hypogeum and Hagar Qim. Please note that for the Hypogeum you need an advanced online reservation.

With regards to Gozo it’s a smaller island in the Maltese archipelago. I grew up there. It’s more quant and quiet. In Gozo there’s the oldest temples called Ggantija but in Malta there’s more history if your more into it. Gozo is surrounded by quant beaches, the most famous is Ramla Bay.

Here are some links to help you plan your visit in Malta:

http://www.visitmalta.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/malta

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g190320-c131957/Island-Of-Malta:Malta:Visiting.Malta.Things.To.Know.html

http://wikitravel.org/en/Malta

Thanks for those links.

We visited Malta in June 2014 and enjoyed it very much. The sail in is gorgeous!

We DIY'ed Malta which was easy to do. In retrospect, I wish we had gone to the Co-Cathedral and some other sights but with teens in tow, I had to make some choices.

We first toured the Lascaris War Rooms which we found VERY interesting (though hard to find).

Wandered through the streets of Valetta which reminded me of San Francisco.

Then took a cab over to Mdina which is other-worldly. It was so perfect and historic that we felt that it was a Disney World attraction. Wish I had arranged for a walking tour of this town so that we would understand more of it. Had a snack at the famous restaurant that is high up on the walls overlooking the countryside.

Returned to the ship. Could have toured longer.

For those interested in Malta - I found these two websites that offer suggested itineraries, maps, and points of interests, and in what order to see them. They also offer directions on how to get between cities - Just what I was looking for!

http://www.malta-guide.net

http://www.maltatourguide.com

For those interested in Malta - I found these two websites that offer suggested itineraries, maps, and points of interests, and in what order to see them. They also offer directions on how to get between cities - Just what I was looking for!

 

http://www.malta-guide.net

 

http://www.maltatourguide.com

The link with the guide is really helpful. Thank you for posting.

Ended up traveling to Malta last summer after a cruise and it has become my new favorite destination. Our hotel set us up with a taxi driver/guide for a couple of hours and we took in a lot. We still stay in contact to this day because I plan to go back sooner than later. Loved the Mdina.

Ended up traveling to Malta last summer after a cruise and it has become my new favorite destination. Our hotel set us up with a taxi driver/guide for a couple of hours and we took in a lot. We still stay in contact to this day because I plan to go back sooner than later. Loved the Mdina.

Do you have the info for the taxi driver? do you remember the rates? We will be in Malta on Aug 13th. Been there before 5 years ago on our first European cruise when the kids were much younger. Coming back with all of them again:) All I remember is taking a tour with a taxi (5 of us Squeezed into a 5 person car plus a driver, kids were not happy). He dropped us off at a resort not far form the port with a nice pool and rocky swimming area. I remember we had to pay an entrance fee. It was a nice day. Looking to see more history this time and visit an off the beaten path beach. Advice? Thank you!

Do you have the info for the taxi driver? do you remember the rates? We will be in Malta on Aug 13th. Been there before 5 years ago on our first European cruise when the kids were much younger. Coming back with all of them again:) All I remember is taking a tour with a taxi (5 of us Squeezed into a 5 person car plus a driver, kids were not happy). He dropped us off at a resort not far form the port with a nice pool and rocky swimming area. I remember we had to pay an entrance fee. It was a nice day. Looking to see more history this time and visit an off the beaten path beach. Advice? Thank you!

The best beaches are waaaay off to the north of the island. Most are just rocks ;(

Has anyone gone to the Blue Grotto on Malta? It looks very nice on whatever website I found it on, which I don't recall. I want to be sure you don't have to transfer from one boat to another in the water like you do at the Blue Grotto in Capri - I could not do that for sure. Last year in Venice I was getting in the gondola and the boat swayed and the darn gondolier let go of my hand - I went flying across the gondola and broke my tailbone on the side of it. Worse than that (which still hurts a year later) it detached my retina and I still have a black blob that flies around inside my eye and drives me crazy, and the eye doctor said nothing can be done. Just mentioning that so you all can remember to be careful!

Has anyone gone to the Blue Grotto on Malta? It looks very nice on whatever website I found it on, which I don't recall. I want to be sure you don't have to transfer from one boat to another in the water like you do at the Blue Grotto in Capri!

Once you're in the boat.... you stay there. They are pretty good about holding the boat steady, I think ours sat about 8 people although I think we were only 5 people in the boat that day. They aren't as 'tippy' as a gondola. You walk down the steep incline to the ticket booth and then down a bit more to the mooring place where the boats are tied up. Its a nice little jaunt around the rocks and through them and the grotto is pretty. We walked from that town to the stone age temples (I wish I could find the disc with my pics on from that trip) about 2 miles along the upper road. Watch the bus schedules as they don't run often in the early evening.

Thanks Sauer-kraut - that is very helpful info!