Valletta Malta

[porcia]

We are considering an all day tour with Malta Travel Net that goes to:

Hypogeum

Hagar Qim

Blue Grotto

Marsaxlokk

Ghar Dalam

Tarxien Temples

 

Has anyone used this tour service before? Appreciate any comments regarding tour company or sites. Thanks.

[sondi 14]

We have booked with them for our cruise in Sept/Oct. So far I have been impressed with their responses and promptness in replying. I remember reading a good review of their services and a recommendation to use them on these boards.

[taxatty]

We are considering an all day tour with Malta Travel Net that goes to:

Hypogeum

Hagar Qim

Blue Grotto

Marsaxlokk

Ghar Dalam

Tarxien Temples

 

Has anyone used this tour service before? Appreciate any comments regarding tour company or sites. Thanks.

We used them last month for a tour that spent time in Valletta, then went to Mdina, Marsaxlokk, and Hagar Qim. They provided a nice car and driver and an excellent guide (Flora). They were waiting at the dock and got us back to the ship in plenty of time--highly recommended.

Les

[porcia]

Thank you both for the reply. We are very excited about getting to see the standing stones. Booking today. Porcia

[judybee]

We had Joan Sheridan as our guide and we can recommend her.

http://www.touringmalta.com/

 

For some photos of Malta go to: http://www.maltavista.net/en/index.html

[Trvlingal]

Can either of you tell the cost and for how many people? Anyone using them for the Royal Princess cruise Sept 29?

 

Thanks.

Sue

[newfarmers]

Can either of you tell the cost and for how many people? Anyone using them for the Royal Princess cruise Sept 29?

 

Thanks.

Sue

 

Hi Sue

 

We have also booked with them. The tour is costing us EUR232.50 including entry to the Hypogeum that had to be booked and paid for due to limited numbers being allowed in. Here's parts of the emails from Chris Sheridan with entrance fees per person.

 

can't wait

 

al and pete

 

Based on a full day 7 hour duration with private transport and licensed tour guide.

Pick-up at 0830hrs as you disembark form your ship

Visits to include:

Hypogeum

Hagar Qim

Blue Grotto

Marsaxlokk

Mdina Medieval City

As the above tour will end at 1530hrs we can drop you off in Valletta instead of directly to the ship. You can spend the last hour in the centre of Valletta and you will only be 10/15 minutes away from your ship by walk which also a downhill walk.

The cost for this tour is EUR212.50 for both passengers, entrance fees are additional

Entrance fees, if you go to all the sites featured on the tour planned for you are as follows:

Hypogeum EUR10.00 (included in 232.50 total)

Blue Grotto boat trip EUR7.50

Hagar Qim EUR5.00

Mdina Cathedral EUR3.75

[porcia]

Our tour is 212 Euros for two people; 7 hours Less if you have more people, it is 70 euros for every 2 additional passengers. Entrance fees extra. I think the max number of persons is 6 or 8 per tour

[Debbierpof]

Just in case anyone needs a private tour for alot of folks, we had 12 in our group and we used Vince DeBono. We didn't go to as many places as you have planned, but we had a great time and learned alot about the history of Malta. We did Valetta, Marsaxlokk, Mdina (incredible lunch there) and northern beach. Pricewise, it was a steal at $35 per person.

[zutalors]

We have also booked them for Tunisia in Sept. They can arrange for Sicily too if you need it. Chris was very responsive and always replied promptly to my emails.

 

I must have read the same good review as Sondigreen!

 

There are 8 of us on this tour for a half day in Tunisia. We are looking forward to it! It is reassuring to see some other positive comments!

[itsjb1]

We were on the Royal Princess July 19-31 and had a great day in Malta with Joan Sheridan. She is very knowledgeable about her country and proud of it. She knew when the ship tours were doing Valetta and we did a reverse of the itinerary, so as to avoid the crowds. I highly reccommend her as a guide. It was 212 Euros for the 2 of us, plus entry fees.

[porcia]

Hopefully we will be lucky and get Joan too! Thanks everyone for the good reviews. Porcia

[Jade13]

We have them booked for July. I am just looking for feedback.

 

We will be there on a Sunday and I was told the Cathedral in Valetta was closed (maybe they mean after services). Our requested tour is outside of Valetta and then dropped off so we may or may not have time at the Archeology museum, depending on what time it closes.

[Lisette49]

Is this a port that is easy to get a taxi driver who can serve as a guide??? We will be there in April, and were thinking of not hiring a private service, but rather just get a taxi. Anyone have any experience with taxis in Malta?? Thoughts???

[Jade13]

We have them booked for July. I am just looking for feedback.

 

Our requested tour is outside of Valetta and then dropped off so we may or may not have time at the Archeology museum, depending on what time it closes.

 

This is what we have planned. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has been to any of these, if they recommend these sites and/or think we should skip any in favor of another? This is a 7 hour tour on a Sunday.

 

Your itinerary includes the following:

Birgu (Inquisitors Palace & Harbour Trip)

Hypogeum

Ghar Dalam

Hagar Qim

Mdina Medieval City

Note that I was told that the shops in Valetta will be closed on Sunday (but we have found that when we travel and ships are in port sometimes the shop keeps open up.)

[taxatty]

This is what we have planned. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has been to any of these, if they recommend these sites and/or think we should skip any in favor of another? This is a 7 hour tour on a Sunday.

 

Your itinerary includes the following:

Birgu (Inquisitors Palace & Harbour Trip)

Hypogeum

Ghar Dalam

Hagar Qim

Mdina Medieval City

 

Note that I was told that the shops in Valetta will be closed on Sunday (but we have found that when we travel and ships are in port sometimes the shop keeps open up.)

Hagar Qim is an interesting windswept Stonehenge type of place, a good distance from Valletta. The drive there along the coast is scenic.

Mdina is a small walled town that is very quaint and pretty. You get a panoramic view at the end of the town.

Each of them take about an hour or so to see--Mdina longer if you want to eat there or check out the Mdina Dungeons.

FYI--We were able to sneak into the back of the Cathedral in Valletta during a Sunday service so long as we kept quiet--the interior is beautiful. We also found a tour of the Grandmaster's Palace there to be worthwhile. You could easily spend the whole day in Valletta by itself, but it was nice to get a taste of the rest of the island.

Les

[Jade13]

Hagar Qim is an interesting windswept Stonehenge type of place, a good distance from Valletta. The drive there along the coast is scenic.

 

Mdina is a small walled town that is very quaint and pretty. You get a panoramic view at the end of the town.

 

Each of them take about an hour or so to see--Mdina longer if you want to eat there or check out the Mdina Dungeons.

 

FYI--We were able to sneak into the back of the Cathedral in Valletta during a Sunday service so long as we kept quiet--the interior is beautiful. We also found a tour of the Grandmaster's Palace there to be worthwhile. You could easily spend the whole day in Valletta by itself, but it was nice to get a taste of the rest of the island.

 

Les

 

Thanks Les!

[luv2cruise1701]

We just return from a Med cruise and used touring Malta while in Malta. We were able to request Joan as our guide, who is the owner's wife and the best tour guide in the entire country of Malta. Joan did an unbelievable job of getting us to locations in and around the big cruise tours. She was by far the best guide we had on our entire cruise. She took us to Mdina first, and the city was practically empty! By the time we left, the entrance to the city was FILLED with people and buses. Joan was incredible. I couldn't recommend her any more strongly.

 

We saw Mdina, which was amazing, Tarxien Temple, which Joan made come absolutely alive for us, and then Valetta, with a lovely stop at St. John's Co-Cathedral. Don't miss the cathedral, it's spectaular. Wish we would have had time for more, but only had a 5 hour time frame. If I could have chosen 1 more thing, it would have been the hypogeum.

 

One note - be sure if the prices you are being quotes are for a driver, or for a driver AND guide. We had a driver AND Guide (Joan was the guide) and I wouldn't have done it any other way.

 

www.touringmalta.com - talk to Chris Sheridan and ask for Joan Sheridan as your guide.

[twoputt.plusone]

Is this a port that is easy to get a taxi driver who can serve as a guide??? We will be there in April, and were thinking of not hiring a private service, but rather just get a taxi. Anyone have any experience with taxis in Malta?? Thoughts???

 

We were just there a couple of weeks ago and didn't use any ship or private tour guides. We used public transport, both cabs and city buses. They are cheap and reliable. If you do your research first, there's no need to book a private tour of Valletta. Get a city map and bus schedule and go from there. The main bus terminal is at the top of the hill overlooking the port. We took a bus up because it's a long steep climb. It's all very doable on your own.

 

Keep one thing in mind. If you're planning to see the Hypogeum, book your tickets online as soon as you can. The Temples of Tarxien are also withing walking distance from Hypogeum. We were lucky enough to see both of these fantastic treasures but others were not. Only 10 people per hour are admitted with a max. of 80 per day. We were there the beginning of Oct and the sign in the front office said all openings were fully booked to Oct. 22. The only way you can get in otherwise is on a cancellation. And nobody cancels. One poor man was getting the dickens from his wife because he thought they could just show up and purchase a ticket. She didn't want to see anything else on the island and since they couldn't get in, she wanted to go back to the ship. I imagine he paid dearly for that blunder.

 

2P.P1

[Twirl]

HI Everyone

Make sure that you are all on deck or on your balconies (deck better as you can view both sides of the harbour) as you enter or leave Malta. The port is spectacular and not to be missed

[PATfromCA]

Last Fall we spent four days in Malta and had Joan Sheridan for a night tour of the old cities and also for a full-day custom tour. As she had a previously scheduled tour for another day, she gave us a detailed plan to tour Valletta on our own. She scheduled us to avoid the cruise tours (there were eight ships in port on that day!), told us how to find the "hidden elevators", and had us get pensioner (senior) rates.

 

She is truly a fantastic guide. We enjoyed the marvelous sights of Malta and especially the individuals that Joan introduced us to on the tours. These included the owners of a restaurant and a wine bar and also a goldsmith.

 

She has in-depth knowledge and a lively personality.

[Westaussie]

Hi Pat - we will be in Malta in June. Could you tell me what/where the "hidden elevators" are. I used to live there (many years ago) and all I remember is a ricketty old lift from the Lower to Upper Barracca (harbor)!!

Thanks. Vera

[PATfromCA]

As an example of a hidden elevator, the Grand Masters palace does not have an elevator. However, when purchasing admission, one can insist on using an elevator (because of disability) and one of the ticket personnel will walk you to the attached Malta President's office and get the guards to allow you to use the elevator to reach the top floor and then walk into the Grand Masters palace.

 

As another example, while dining at one of the old restaurants with a roof-top dining room, we we able to use the service elevator (with matre'd operator and boxess of food stuffs) to assend and enter through the kitchen.

 

These options allowed my wife (who has a knee problem and uses a cane) to get around Valletta and experience the sites, many of which are arduous to access for a handicapped person.

 

Malta is truly a wonderful place!

[joan24]

We just booked a day with Joan Sheridan in May. Chris listed the standard 7 hour tour as the best way to see Malta. I know that Hypogeum was not listed. For people who have toured with Joan, are they willing to change their basic tour? I haven't done my "homework" on Malta yet, so I don't know what to add or subtract.

Joan

[PATfromCA]

They are quite willing to modify the tour. The company consists of Joan and Chris and they are wonderful. We did the Hypogeum on our one day customized tour. It is great!