Malta Through Millennia | Hidden History

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Malta Through Millennia

8 days

from £2295 per person

Get to know Malta, a small, sunny Mediterranean island with a surprisingly eventful past. Our well-balanced itinerary reveals its important World Heritage sites from history and prehistory alike, a unique multi-cultural heritage.

Highlights

Prehistoric temples even older and more impressive than Stonehenge.
The Hypogeum, a rare insight into the Neolithic world.
The beautiful baroque city of Valletta and its magnificent Grand Harbour.
The medieval gems of Mdina and the Three Cities.
Delightful Gozo, Malta’s sister island.

Dates & Prices:

22–29 April 2027. Only £2295. Booking open.
23–30 September 2027. Only £2295. Booking open.

Single supplement only £295. Early booking is recommended.

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Overview

This small, sunny archipelago in the central Mediterranean has a deep, multi-cultural heritage and a surprisingly eventful past, resulting in one of today’s most interesting and quietly enriching travel destinations.

A remarkable prehistoric fluorescence around 5000 years ago created an exceptionally sophisticated Stone Age society whose art and architecture now give us fascinating insights into the Neolithic world. Over the millennia since, numerous Mediterranean and European cultures have left their mark, from Ancient Rome to Victorian Britain. Of particular note were the Knights of St John, who made Malta their home and ruled it for more than 250 years, during which they valiantly defended Christendom in the Great Siege of 1565, and then created one of the grandest city’s of the early Baroque. Malta’s strategic location again came to the fore when, as a British Crown Colony, the famous Grand Harbour was home to the Mediterranean fleet and played a vital role in both World Wars.

See the ‘Itinerary’ tab above for full itinerary details.

: The Neolithic temples of Malta are outstanding for their age and give us vivid insights into prehistoric beliefs [1]

: Floor mosaic in the Roman House, Rabat [2]

: Valletta was the capital of the Knights of St. John, and still resonates its early Baroque character [3]

What’s Included:

Seven nights 4-star hotel accommodation (see ‘Hotel’ tab above).
All breakfasts, four evening meals plus one included lunch (3 nights free to enjoy local restaurants).
Daily excursions with all transport, entrances and guiding.
Specialist tour director accompanied by a local Maltese guide.
Flexible flight arrangements (see ‘Getting There’ tab above).
100% TTA financial guarantee.

Your Tour Director

Dr Simon Butler

As the owner of Hidden History Travel, Simon still loves to lead as many tours as his business commitments allow, and Cyprus is one of his favourites. He first starting leading tours here some 20 years ago, and was soon captivated by the island’s charms, remarkably rich archaeology and eventful history.

Activity Level

This is quite a gentle tour with an itinerary that allows an unhurried pace and time to relax and enjoy the warm weather. One of the great things about Malta is that its small size allows us to reach everywhere quite easily from a single hotel base, with driving distances of no more than about 10 miles between stops. So the days aren’t too long and none of the visits require long walks. Although not too challenging, there is the usual requirement for a normal walking pace and a reasonable level of mobility to get around the sites. Please feel free to ask for further details.

Flights and Extended Stays

Flights are added on a personal basis rather than included in the tour price. This gives you complete freedom to choose your preferred departure airport, flight times, length of stay, airline etc. We will be pleased to quote and book flights for you, and any extended stays, or you can book your own if you prefer. Flights booked with us are fully ATOL protected and can be available from as little as £100 return.

How To Book

Tours have minimum and maximum numbers of participants, so you will benefit from booking early; it secures your place and enables us to confirm your tour earlier. We keep our group sizes small, so tours can quickly fill but it is always worth checking for late availability.

Reservations & Enquiries: To reserve your place or enquire further simply click the “Book This Tour Now” button on the relevant tour page, and submit your details. You can also call us on (UK) 0121 444 1854, or email enquiries@hiddenhistory.co.uk.

There is no commitment and no payment at this stage; reservations are purely provisional until we have confirmed availability and proceeded with booking and payment.

Booking & Payment: Once we have checked availability, a deposit is required to secure your booking (£100 for UK tours, £250 for non-UK tours). We will email you a payment link which enables payment by credit card, debit card or bank transfer. Card payment can also be made by telephone (UK) 0121 444 1854.

Places and prices are guaranteed only with a deposit. Full payment is usually required 2 or 3 months ahead of the tour.

Financial Protection: Hidden History Travel is a member of the Travel Trust Association with membership number Q2398. This means that we provide you with the strongest consumer protection available in the travel industry. Any payments you make are 100% protected by the association to pay for your holiday or to reimburse you if we fail to provide it. Hidden History Travel also holds ATOL licence number 12463. This means that if you book your flights with us you will be protected if we or your airline cease trading.

See our booking conditions for further details.

BOOK THIS TOUR NOW

Image Attributes

[1] Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source

[2] Michael Gunther, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source

[3] Georg Karl Ell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source

[Hero image] Adobe Stock (Free), Source

Day 1: UK/Malta

You are met on arrival in Malta and transferred to your hotel. Dinner will be available and your tour director will be on hand to help with any questions.

Day 2: Stone Age Malta

We begin our exploration of this charming Mediterranean island with an introduction to its world-class prehistory. There will be a lecture by your tour director and visits to the Neolithic temples at Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Dating from some 5000 years ago, these fascinating structures reveal much about early human society and beliefs. We also visit Ghar Dalam, a cave containing the bones of an extraordinary range of animals from Ice Age times.

Day 3: Valletta

Built by the Knights of St John around 1570, the capital of Malta is now a World Heritage site with beautifully coherent Baroque architecture and a friendly Maltese feel. Our walking tour takes in the Cathedral, famous for Caravaggio’s ‘Beheading of St John’, the Grand Master’s Palace and, of course, the National Archaeological Museum, which focuses on the extraordinary prehistory of Malta. We also enjoy fantastic views of the famous Grand Harbour.

Day 4: Gozo

A short boat ride brings us to the island of Gozo, with a character and beauty all of its own. We visit the island’s citadel in Victoria, which offers panoramic views from its fortifications and houses the island’s interesting little archaeology museum. At Gigantija, we see the massive monoliths that give this Neolithic temple its name, and which are older even than Stonehenge. Lunch is included today in one of the island’s restaurants, and there will be time to enjoy one of the lovely coastal bays of Gozo before returning to your hotel.

Day 5: The Hypogeum & Tarxien

The underground burial complex known as the Hypogeum is one of the archaeological highlights of Malta, a mysterious collective tomb for the Neolithic community which built the stone temples. Our visits today explore the connection between temples and tombs by seeing both the Hypogeum and its associated temple at nearby Tarxien.

Day 6: Mdina, Rabat & Clapham Junction Cart Ruts

Mdina is Malta’s medieval gem, the former capital of the island before Valletta and now a tiny city of winding alleys and noble palaces. It was also the capital of the island in Roman times, and below present street level there are remains dating back to even earlier times. We visit St Paul’s early Christian catacombs and the excavated Roman house in Rabat, before heading off to see the best examples of Malta’s enigmatic cart ruts at ‘Clapham Junction’.

Day 7: The Three Cities

Across the Grand Harbour from Valletta a series of inlets and promontories formed the first centre of activity for the Knights of St John when they took control of Malta in 1530. Centred around Galley Creek, the area became known as the ‘Three Cities’, and this morning we explore its history and architecture on a walking tour through its narrow, hidden streets.

Day 8: Departure

You will be transferred from your hotel to the airport for your flight home, or why not stay longer and make the most of your time in Malta – feel free to ask us for information and ideas.

Please note that the itinerary may be subject to change or re-ordering according to the weather or other circumstances beyond our control.

One of the great things about Malta is that its small size means you can reach everywhere easily from a single hotel-base. So we have chosen the perfect location and picked out one of its best 4-star hotels.

Please note that we sometimes have to change hotels for reasons beyond our control. However, we always choose hotels of a similar standard, designed to give you a little luxury and leisure alongside your cultural enrichment.

The Seaview Hotel,
Islet Promenade, Bugibba, St Paul’s Bay, SPB 2441, Malta

Website: seaviewmaltahotel.com

This four-star superior hotel is perfectly located on the seafront promenade within easy walking distance of local shops and restaurants, and with spectacular views of St Paul’s Bay from its own restaurant and from its roof-top terrace which also has a beautiful outdoor pool. The hotel is adults only and has a tranquil, relaxed atmosphere, with just 180 modern, comfortable rooms.

Flexibility: Rather than reserve group seats on a particular flight, we keep your flight options open to give you greater choice of price, departure airport, flight times, cabin class, use of air miles etc. Once we have confirmed the availability of the tour, you can choose either to book your flights with us or to make your own travel arrangements. Before booking any flights of your own please ensure we have confirmed the availability of the tour, as our tours are subject to minimum and maximum numbers of participants.

Airports & Airlines: A wide choice of scheduled, charter and low cost airlines regularly fly direct to Malta from a large number of UK airports.

Airfares: Ask us for a quote. Use the booking form or call us on 0121 444 1854.

What is ATOL Protection? The ATOL scheme (which stands for Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) is financial protection that protects you when you book a package trip that includes a flight. It protects you and your money if the travel operator you booked with ceases trading, before, or whilst you’re on holiday. This means you will be able to claim your money back or continue your holiday and be repatriated. It is separate to travel insurance.

Hidden History Travel holds ATOL licence number 12463.

: The Neolithic temples of Malta are outstanding for their age and give us vivid insights into prehistoric beliefs [1]

: Stunning megalithic architecture older than Stonehenge [2]

: Valletta, a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen [3]

: Enjoying an included lunch on Gozo [4]

: Floor mosaic in the Roman House, Rabat [5]

: Valletta was the capital of the Knights of St. John, and still resonates its early Baroque character [6]

Image Attributes

[1] Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source

[2] Michael Gunther, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source

[3] Mandyy88, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source

[4] © Hidden History

[5] © Marie-Lan Nguyen,CC0 Public Domain, Source

[6] Crvenapress, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source

Clarissa Clarke, April 21, 2022

Everything about the trip was fantastic. The itinerary was well thought out and timed well. There is so much to see on Malta and this tour is the perfect way to do it. Hotel was fantastic and a great base for going to the sites. Simon Butler was our UK guide and we had a Maltese guide and both their knowledge and insights were wonderful. Also a great value for the money! Will definitely be taking another Hidden History tour in the future!

Terrence Michael Tanham, October 25, 2019

Mr and Mrs Tanham - A very enjoyable tour during which we learned lots, especially about pre-history and Megalithic. Malta is a hectic country yet somehow maintaining its holiday feel. The harbour is spectacular and full of history. Mdina is quaint and shows a different part of Malta's past (Middle ages). Hidden History looked after us very well with a good mix of information and leisure. We were fortunate to have an engaged and knowledgeable group who were good company.

Mrs Antonini, April 23, 2018

I think I was looking for exactly what I found: a group of people with real interest in history, able to travel, and good company. The group size seemed just right. Malta has a very important and complex history and I didn’t expect to be so enthusiastic or to get so involved in understanding the country and people

Mr Halliday, April 23, 2018

For what we get and the expert knowledge readily offered this is value for money

Mrs Le Baigue, September 23, 2017

We would certainly use Hidden History again as we had a fantastic holiday. We were attracted because we like holidays which are educational as well as fun and this holiday was. We had not been to Malta before and the trip really met our expectations

Mr Bell, September 23, 2017

Excellent tour in all aspects. Arrived in Malta knowing nothing about it and left knowing quite a bit – exactly what I was looking for

Mr and Mrs McCulloch, September 23, 2016

Very good mix – enjoyed the archaeology and the time to explore. The lectures were very helpful and well-paced

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April 22 - April 29, 2027
September 23 - September 30, 2027

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