Christmas in Malta

This five-night escorted tour with Just You sets off in Malta, starting with a Valletta city tour that includes St John’s Co-Cathedral and the Upper Barrakka Gardens, plus a harbour cruise around the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. A salute from one of the eight replica cannons is part of the package, a reminder of Malta's long military history.

On Christmas Eve the group visits Mosta, where the church’s dome famously survived a wartime bomb, then wanders the silent streets of Mdina and neighbouring Rabat. Christmas Day itself is a pause for a leisurely lunch and time at St Paul’s Bay. A free day follows, with an optional trip to Gozo where the wild coast, Ta’Pinu shrine and the inland lagoon at Dwejra may be admired if you step off the ferry. The pace is gentle, with plenty of opportunity to look up from the guidebook and appreciate the winter light here.

After this festive interlude on Malta, the tour returns to the UK. The group size is small and the style relaxed, with a focus on local history and atmosphere rather than rushing to cram in landmarks.