The Maltese Islands: Positively Mythic
Malta's countryside is strewn with megalithic temples, pre-dating the pyramids of Egypt, built to venerate the Great Mother Goddess. Local lore, Homeric epic, discoveries of Phoenician temples & Roman villas reveal Malta's intriguing ancient past. Narrow meandering streets of villages and medieval citadels crowded with Renaissance cathedrals and Baroque palaces tell of Malta's fascinating history from the Fatimid conquest & the rule of the Knights of St. John to British colonial times.

Join us on this exclusive journey, limited to 10 participants, with optional post-tour excursion to Sicily, Italy.

This tour has just a couple of spaces available, including a ROOM SHARE.
Dates: April 11-18 (or 21 with Sicily extension) Email us for availability

Malta travel itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival at the Malta International Airport in Valletta
Upon arrival at Valetta Airport (MLA) you will be met by your WanderWoman™ tour escort and transferred to our hotel, a historic Maltese 5-star property, located just outside the city walls of Valletta and within walking distance to points of interest and wonderful local restaurants. After an opportunity to rest and freshen up, we will venture out with our local guide for an introduction to Maltese cuisine & culture and to get acquainted with fellow travelers. (D)

Day 2: Walking Tour of Valletta and Evening Boat Tour
Explore Valletta, Malta’s capital city, founded by the Knights of St. John Order of Malta in 1566. Visit the National Archaeological Museum, which houses artifacts from Malta's prehistoric past. Here we find the famed “Sleeping Goddess” figurine dating back 5,000 years. Enjoy views of the harbor from the Upper Barrakka Gardens.  Tour St. John’s Cathedral, where the floor is paved with marble slabs, each the tomb of a knight, bearing his coat of arms in intricate inlay.  Visit the Cathedral's Oratory to view Caravaggio’s masterpiece "The Beheading of St. John." Tour the Grand Master’s Palace, once the headquarters of the Order of St. John, as well as the formal court of the Grand Master.  Plaques and paintings, decoration and furnishings give us a glimpse into the history of the Order, British colonial rule, and the Republic of Malta. Today it is the office of the President and home of Parliament. Enjoy lunch at one of Valletta's lively piazzas. Afternoon at leisure to rest or explore. Evening boat trip aboard a ‘Dghajsa’, a small traditional Maltese boat, across the harbor to Vittoriosa. At the tip of this city is the oldest fortification on the Island, Fort St. Angelo. A walking tour of the city brings us through narrow streets with typical Maltese houses, band clubs, and churches that make up this ‘Victorious’ city. (B, L)

Day 3: Unveiling Malta’s Neolithic Temples
The prehistoric temples of the islands of Malta are the oldest man-made freestanding stone structures in the world and are listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  Many of these megalithic temples and Malta’s subterranean complexes pre-date the Great Pyramid of Giza by 1000 years!  Scholars believe Malta’s temple complexes to have been built as sanctuaries for the worship of an ancient Great Mother Goddess.

We begin our exploration of these fascinating temple sites with an exclusive private visit (limited to 10 people) to the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. This unique subterranean complex has been given an individual UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.   It consists of three levels, the oldest of which dates to 3600 BCE. Originally the site was a sanctuary, perhaps an oracle, then it appears to have been transformed into an ossuary, as is evident by the remains of more than 7,000 individuals discovered during excavation. Next we will walk to the nearby Tarxien Temple Complex.  This freestanding megalithic temple was built between 3000 and 2500 BCE.  It is known for its elaborate spiral carvings, which resemble those at New Grange in Ireland (3100 to 2900 BCE). After lunch at a typical village restaurant, visit the Hagar Qim Temples on the southern coast. These temples were built around the fourth millennium. Less than 1km downhill from the Hagar Qim Temples lie the Mnajdra Temples. Thanks to its good state of preservation and spectacular location, the Mnajdra is the most atmospheric of Malta's many ancient sites and consists of three temples that radiate from an oval forecourt.  (B, L)

Day 4: Maltese Traditions Past & Present
Optional early morning hiking tour of the south part of the island, visiting the Delimara area, Xrob l-Ghagin and St. Peter's Pool. Later visit a Maltese wine estate. Learn about Maltese viniculture, which dates back thousands of years. Our visit includes a traditional Maltese lunch served overlooking the vineyards and a winetasting. After lunch we continue to Rabat to visit the Roman Villa, with its fantastic mosaic floors dating to the 1st century BCE.  Before returning to Valletta, visit an 18th-century palazzo for a traditional afternoon tea. (B, L, Tea)

Day 5: Gozo’s Ancient Past
Morning transfer to Cirkewwa from where we travel by ferry (approx 20 minutes) to Gozo harbor. Gozo is an island rich with myths, folklore, and traditional crafts.

We begin our adventure on Gozo with a tour of the Ggantija Temples, which consist of two megalithic temples surrounded by a massive common boundary wall and dating to between 3600 and 3200 BCE. Archaeologists believe the temples to have been the site of a fertility cult.  According to local folklore, these temples were constructed by a giantess as places of worship. Next visit the seaside resort town of Marsalforn before transferring to Xlendi to check in at our hotel overlooking the sea. Enjoy an optional late afternoon hike to the Cave of Calypso. This cave is alleged to be the cave referred to by Homer in "The Odyssey" and Gozo to be the island of Ogygia where the beautiful nymph Calypso kept Odysseus as a "prisoner of love" for seven years. (B)

Day 6: Jeep Safari
Discover hidden Gozo by 4 x 4 Jeeps and explore places which are even unknown to the people of Gozo themselves.  Highlights of places to be visited include the capital city Victoria with its walled city citadel, the Azure Window rock formation, and the Salt Pans.

Have lunch at a local restaurant specializing in fresh local products such as ‘Gbejniet’, Gozitan cheeslets. Next visit Ta’Mena Estate for an opportunity to taste local wine and for an optional cooking lesson on how to prepare the Gozitan ‘Gbejniet’. (B, L)

Day 7: The Medieval First Capital of Malta, Mdina
Morning transfer to the ferry and back to the island of Malta and to her first capital city, Mdina. After checking in to our 5-star hotel, an 18^th century palazzo, explore this beautifully preserved fortified medieval city with our guide.  Free time to relax before our farewell gala dinner at the island’s only Reilas Chaetae restaurant located in our hotel. (B, D)

Day 8: Bid Farewell to Malta
After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport or if continuing on to Sicily to the Valletta ferry terminal. (B)

Post-tour Sicily option: 4 days / 3 nights

Day 1: Tour Sicily's Baroque Villages
Travel by ferry to Pozzalo, Sicily (2 hours). We begin our exploration of southeastern Sicily with a guided tour of the unspoiled baroque villages of Noto and Ragusa. These beautiful towns of the Val di Noto are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Due to their ornate architecture, these towns are described as gardens of stone. En route to Syracuse we will stop for a traditional Sicilian lunch at a local winery. Our hotel in Syracuse is located in the ancient section of the city on the island of Ortygia. It is here that the ancient Greeks of the 8th century BCE first built a colony. (L)

Day 2: Ancient Goddesses and Christian Saints
Tour the Syracuse Archaeological Park with its ancient Greek and Roman structures including a Greek theater that seats 15,000 and the ruins of a Roman amphitheater. After lunch, enjoy a walking tour of Ortygia. According to the Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo, Ortygia is where Leto gave birth to the goddess Artemis. After her birth, Artemis assisted her mother across the sea to the island of Delos in Greece, where Leto gave birth to Apollo. Discover ancient Greek temples, one dedicated to Apollo, protruding from the earth in the middle of the old city. Another dedicated to the virgin goddess Artemis is hidden beneath a municipal building. Next to the temple of Artemis is another temple to the virgin goddess, Athena. Today Athena's temple still stands, but it has been incorporated into a Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Nearby, across the piazza, is the Church of Santa Lucia which, according to tradition, is built on the site where Syracuse's virgin patron saint was martyred. (B)

Day 3: Exploring Modern Syracuse (Siracusa)
Enjoy a day of leisure shopping, visiting museums or just wandering about Ortygia and Syracuse. Optional morning tour to Sortino/Pantalica for a guided tour of the ancient necropolis with a local naturalist. Evening farewell dinner at one of Ortygia's fine restaurants. (B, D)

Day 4: Transfer to Catania Airport
Transfer to Catania Airport (CTA) in time for 12pm flights. Optional stay over night in Catania with shuttle service to airport.