Discover Malta

This week-long escorted tour with Travelsphere gives a measured taste of Malta’s layered history and Mediterranean setting. Starting in Valletta, afternoons offer intriguing rituals such as the firing of the Saluting Battery cannon, backed by views over the Grand Harbour and the city’s fortified walls. The following evening features a folklore dinner show, where traditional dance and storytelling unfold alongside Maltese dishes.

Free days in the resort town of Qawra provide time to linger by the sea or set off on optional excursions, such as a full day discovering the island of Gozo, with its countryside church Ta'Pinu and the saltwater lagoon at Dwejra. Inland visits include Rabat’s Roman catacombs and the rural village of Dingli, where olive oil production is demonstrated. Mdina, the Silent City, reveals narrow streets and palatial homes enclosed in battlements.

The final days concentrate on the Three Cities, whose narrow streets trace the Knights of Malta’s past, and Mosta, home to a remarkable domed church that survived a wartime bomb. At Ta'Qali craft village, glass-blowing is part of the local tradition. The mood is measured rather than rushed, allowing time to notice the contrasts between Malta’s sunlit exteriors and the deep shadows of its old stone buildings.

New to Malta? Our Malta guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.