Because travelers will be departing from airports around the country, arrival times to Malta will vary on the morning of May 15th. We are happy to connect travelers with our travel agent in Asheville who can assist with booking your airfare. Upon arriving to Malta and making it through customs, participants will travel by taxi to the group hotel and convene with fellow travelers. Those departing from Asheville are welcome to travel as a group with Anna Welton, the program assistant.

Participants will arrive to Malta and will make their way to the group lodging at the Diplomat Hotel via taxi. For those who are up for it, the group will do an afternoon walking tour through Sliema to get acquainted with the area you’ll call home for the next six days. The group will then convene for a welcome dinner with Ian Robertson and Anna Welton, the program hosts.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, the group will catch the 10 am ferry to the historic walled capital city of Valletta and will explore Valletta and the Three Cities (a group of three fortified cities that are full of history and culture). The group will procure a picnic lunch from local shops and will picnic in the gardens overlooking the Grand Harbor. Following lunch the group will tour St. John’s Co-Cathedral, a Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. The group will then return by ferry to Sliema and will reconvene for a group dinner later that evening.

Departing from Sliema ferries, the group will cruise north to the sister island Gozo with a private tour operator via ferry. We stop at Mgarr Harbour (Gozo’s main harbour) where you will board one of our buses  which will take for a short stop at Xlendi Bay, and then stop at Victoria (The Capital City)  where you can also see the Citadel (Old Fortified City).

In the afternoon, the group will board the ferry once again and proceed to the island of Comino, where we will stop in the crystal clear waters of the famous Blue Lagoon for approx. 1hr 30min for swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling etc… After our stop at the Blue Lagoon, we visit the Crystal Caves of Comino and cruise back to Sliema. That evening dinner will be independent, and folks are welcome to peel off for a quieter meal on their own.

Following breakfast at the hotel, the group will depart by private van for Qrendi, a small historic village in Southern Malta where the group will be welcomed by David Schembri, the town mayor. David will take the group on a private tour of the town and will share insights into Maltese culture, history, and civic life. That afternoon will be free time for relaxing or independent exploration, and then the group will reconvene for dinner followed by a sunset harbor cruise.

Following breakfast the group will travel by private van to visit the Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni (often referred to simply as the Hypogeum), a neolithic subterranean structure dating to the Saflieni phase (3300-3000 BC). The Hypogeum is thought to have been a sanctuary and necropolis, with the estimated remains of more than 7,000 people documented by archeologists. The group will then continue traveling on to Rabat and Mdina, where we will have a group lunch, time for exploration, and we will visit the Wignacourt Museum (the baroque residence of the Chaplains of the Knights of St. John). We will then return to Sliema where folks will do an independent dinner on their own.

Following breakfast at the hotel, the group will convene with Elaine and her friends from the Malta Ramblers Association, a group of Maltese walking enthusiasts for whom Elaine has been a walks leader for over 30 years. The exact destination will be decided on closer to the date, but you can expect a nice long walk through the beautiful Maltese countryside with great conversation along the way. Following the walk there will be a group dinner close to the hotel that evening, which will mark the final night of the group’s stay in Sliema.

After a final breakfast at the Diplomat Hotel, the group will checkout and travel by private vans to their new lodging in Marsaskala at Eldoris Boutique Living. After an afternoon walkabout and free time in Marsaskala, the group will convene at Elaine’s house for a big meal, prepared by Ian with local ingredients.

After breakfast at the hotel the group will travel by private vans to visit the Palazzo Parisio home and gardens, followed by a group lunch. In the afternoon the group can slow down, take a bit more free time, and choose optional excursions to St. Peter’s Pool (a popular swim spot with cliff diving) or a walk through the Zonqor Point Salt Pans just outside of Marsaskala. Dinner will be independent, so folks can peel off and explore on their own.

This will mark the final full day of the trip, so the morning will be free with time to pack and do any last minute independent exploration, and an independent lunch. In the afternoon the group will convene at St. Thomas Bay to enjoy beach time, with options to paddleboard or kayak. That evening the group will convene with Elaine and her husband Joe for a final farewell dinner at Tal-Familja, a beloved seafood establishment in Marsaskala.

The group will check out of their lodging in Marsaskala and will return to the airport via private vans (just 20 minutes), in time to catch morning or afternoon flights (or travelers can choose to extend their travels independently!).