valleta Malta on our own or with tour group?

Would anyone recommend visiting Gozo while in Malta? Debating on on-our-own tour vs a Jeep/Powerboat tour into Gozo. It's a bit pricy but if anyone can recommend it as a must-see I will definitely consider!

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Would anyone recommend visiting Gozo while in Malta? Debating on on-our-own tour vs a Jeep/Powerboat tour into Gozo. It's a bit pricy but if anyone can recommend it as a must-see I will definitely consider!

 

 

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If you've never been to Malta before, I still recommend some of the other suggestions, including mine. You can easily fill a day for less money and more Malta culture.....my opinion, of course.

Whatever you plan, enjoy.

Thank you! I will definitely reconsider and research it a bit more before making a decision!

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Our cruise is in Valletta 2-10. Will we be able to go to Blue Grotto in the afternoon? What are the hours there?

Our cruise is in Valletta 2-10. Will we be able to go to Blue Grotto in the afternoon? What are the hours there?

Not sure of the hours but it will be weather dependent. Our tour of the Blue Grotto was canceled because of wind and rain.

Malta is so worth seeing...as much as you can and M'Dina is gorgeous.

Our itinerary got changed last year due to bad weather but the ship did a bus tour. We did see a lot but not for long enough.

 

We have a tour booked through Amy Pace...70 Euro per person and it's an 8 hour tour.

You could customize the tour to make it less hours.

 

This is what we are doing this year:

 

My suggested itinerary would be to take a drive round the walled Capital,

>Valletta, to view the fortifications of the city and the harbours on

>either

>side of it, then to get the stunning view of the Grand Harbour from the

>Barracca Gardens on high grounds. St. John's co-Cathedral is only a five

>minute stroll down the road. This amazing monument used to be the

>Conventual

>church for the Order of St. John, and along with touring the church you'll

>also view the Caravaggio paintings in the Oratory.

> We'll then be picked up to proceed for a drive through Attard, Balzan

>and

>Lija, 3 quaint little villages nestled below Mdina, the walled city. The 3

>villages were built, when the inhabitants of Mdina, stopped feeling the

>need

>for living behind walls.

>

>Mdina, is what used to be the Capital of the island, until the building of

>Valletta. Here, it will need to be a walking tour, so you're able to take

>in

>the city's charm. Perched on a hilltop, Mdina has an irregular plan of

>narrow winding streets intended to confuse the enemy. This mediaeval city,

>has always been the seat of the island's nobility.

>

>A drive to Mellieha will allow for a little rest. The view from high, from

>by its 300 year-old church, is lovely - it is one of Mellieha bay, and the

>sister islands in the background. This can be followed up by another very

>pretty view, one of the rugged coastline across from St. Paul's Bay, very

>old world. On to St. Julian's and Sliema, thus balancing the old with the

>modern, and finally via Ta' Xbiex, a prestigious residential area with

>its

>early 20th century homes overlooking a yacht marina and enjoying the

>classic

>view of the Valletta bastions.

>

>The Tarxien Prehistoric Temples deserve a visit. They are a 3-temple site

>ranging between 2,500 and 2,900 B.C. Tarxien is the most highly decorated

>of

>the temple sites, the one that reveals most about the people who built

>them.

>

>Vittoriosa, the Maritime city is only a 10 minute drive away, this is

>where

>the Knights of St. John first settled before building Valletta, here to

>take

>a short walk in the Collachio, the area reserved for the Knights. This

>will

>be followed up with the impressive view of the entrance to the Grand

>Harbour

>and the Kalkara fishing village.

>

>The tour will also include Marsaxlokk, a picturesque fishing village.

>

>The excursion as proposed, involves two entrance fees, the cost being 6

>Euros/person (EUR 4.50 for seniors), not included in the quoted costs.

>

>Lunch can be had at the place of your choice.

>

>The proposed itinerary is only a suggestion, it can be altered or trimmed

>to

>your preference, even as the tour progresses.

Did you do this from a private tour operator? If so, can you provide contact info.It sounds like my kind of day? How long did it take ? we are in port from 7 am-5 pm. thanks

Muriel

Malta is so worth seeing...as much as you can and M'Dina is gorgeous.

Our itinerary got changed last year due to bad weather but the ship did a bus tour. We did see a lot but not for long enough.

 

We have a tour booked through Amy Pace...70 Euro per person and it's an 8 hour tour.

You could customize the tour to make it less hours.

 

This is what we are doing this year:

 

My suggested itinerary would be to take a drive round the walled Capital,

>Valletta, to view the fortifications of the city and the harbours on

>either

>side of it, then to get the stunning view of the Grand Harbour from the

>Barracca Gardens on high grounds. St. John's co-Cathedral is only a five

>minute stroll down the road. This amazing monument used to be the

>Conventual

>church for the Order of St. John, and along with touring the church you'll

>also view the Caravaggio paintings in the Oratory.

> We'll then be picked up to proceed for a drive through Attard, Balzan

>and

>Lija, 3 quaint little villages nestled below Mdina, the walled city. The 3

>villages were built, when the inhabitants of Mdina, stopped feeling the

>need

>for living behind walls.

>

>Mdina, is what used to be the Capital of the island, until the building of

>Valletta. Here, it will need to be a walking tour, so you're able to take

>in

>the city's charm. Perched on a hilltop, Mdina has an irregular plan of

>narrow winding streets intended to confuse the enemy. This mediaeval city,

>has always been the seat of the island's nobility.

>

>A drive to Mellieha will allow for a little rest. The view from high, from

>by its 300 year-old church, is lovely - it is one of Mellieha bay, and the

>sister islands in the background. This can be followed up by another very

>pretty view, one of the rugged coastline across from St. Paul's Bay, very

>old world. On to St. Julian's and Sliema, thus balancing the old with the

>modern, and finally via Ta' Xbiex, a prestigious residential area with

>its

>early 20th century homes overlooking a yacht marina and enjoying the

>classic

>view of the Valletta bastions.

>

>The Tarxien Prehistoric Temples deserve a visit. They are a 3-temple site

>ranging between 2,500 and 2,900 B.C. Tarxien is the most highly decorated

>of

>the temple sites, the one that reveals most about the people who built

>them.

>

>Vittoriosa, the Maritime city is only a 10 minute drive away, this is

>where

>the Knights of St. John first settled before building Valletta, here to

>take

>a short walk in the Collachio, the area reserved for the Knights. This

>will

>be followed up with the impressive view of the entrance to the Grand

>Harbour

>and the Kalkara fishing village.

>

>The tour will also include Marsaxlokk, a picturesque fishing village.

>

>The excursion as proposed, involves two entrance fees, the cost being 6

>Euros/person (EUR 4.50 for seniors), not included in the quoted costs.

>

>Lunch can be had at the place of your choice.

>

>The proposed itinerary is only a suggestion, it can be altered or trimmed

>to

>your preference, even as the tour progresses.

Here is a strong 2nd for “there is much more to Malta than Valletta” and for Amy Pace. We had read wonderful things about Amy and Malta and could never be prepared for what we experienced today.

First of all, this island is both beautiful and historic. Amy brought all this to life for us and the other couple that was a part of this private custom tour. She explained things with the proper amount of detail that put what you were seeing in context. Nothing was rushed nor was there too much detail . . . Just right. Hey, when Rick Steves came to Malta, who did he call? Amy. Impressive. She was courteous, professional, lived all her life on the island, and kept us very interested. Her driver was also very professional and was prompt and safe and managed to maneuver the narrow streets very well.

We had so much fun, we plan to return to this beautiful place and when we do, we will be contacting Amy to show us around.

Would advise any land based vacationer or cruise passenger to book Amy to see all that this location has to offer. Only problem is that she has now set the bar pretty high for any other tours we may book in the future

Wow, what a day!

The problem for most cruisers is that they only have one day (some cruises do overnight so you might get 2 days) for Malta. We agree that the island (outside of Valletta and Mdna) is a nice place to visit....but cruisers need to prioritize their time....especially on a first visit. So we have long suggested spending your first visit in Valletta and the nearby Mdiina.....and leaving the rest of the island for a future visit. When going afar on the island we prefer renting a car (which we can usually have delivered to the port). But there is also a HoHo bus route that covers much of the best parts of the island. The problem with the HoHo is that it does not run very frequently (sometimes only about once an hour) so its not ideal for those who want to get off the bus and many stops. Hence our recommendation for a rental car.

Hank

Want to share my experience with 'Walk the City' an nice day just strolling through Valletta,

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