Valetta, Malta...what to do?

[VIPcruzer]

Hi I am looking fo reccomendations on what to do in Valetta (sorry, search is down). Is this a good place to just do on your own? Is the port far from everything? What excursions have you tried????

 

Thank you!

:)

[agabbymama]

Hopefully someone will respond that has been here. My favorite site of

port reviews doesn't cover Malta. I was amazed. I did find this website

though. Good Luck!

 

http://www.cityofvalletta.org/cityofvalletta/home.aspx

 

You can aklso try the "search this forum" in yellow at the header of your thread. The main CC search has been disabled, but when I emailed them, they told me to use the forum search.

[Preds]

We met a few individuals from Malta at our Cruise Critic Meet & Greet on the Pride of Hawaii last April.

 

Hopefuly NefartariMalta and GrimmitMalta are still around and can give some advice!

 

We'll be in Malta off the Gem on July 1st, so we're very interested in the best things to do as well.

[itsjb1]

We did a tour with Joan Sheridan and had a great day.

[Jade13]

We did a tour with Joan Sheridan and had a great day.

 

Where did you go and is there anything you recommend vs do not recommend? We have a private tour scheduled with them also. Note sure if Joan will be the guide.

[Ms Understood]

We were there last year. It is very hot in Malta and there are no trees. My sister and I took the ship's tour of the cathedral et al and really did not care much for Malta. However, my other sister and 2 nieces passed on the city tour and took a sailing excursion and had a great time and came back raving about how much they enjoyed Malta so, you choose. Obviously if I had to do it over again I would choose differently.

[meselibibob]

We visited Malta on the Golden Princess in 2002. It is an amazing city, one of our favorites. Make sure you are on deck when coming into this beautiful city. We explored on our own by taking a taxi at the pier. The taxi driver, at his suggestion, took us first to the San Manton Gardens. It was nice, but we would have preferred to have skipped this. We then stopped at Mdina, a medieval city that was Matla's capital before Valletta was built and should not be missed. The Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul is there as well as beautifully preserved buildings. It really felt as if we stepped back in time. We stopped in the town of Mosta and the Assumption Church. What a beautiful church! During the 1942 bombing raids, a bomb entered the church through the central dome during a packed service. Miraculously it did not explode and no one was injured. He then drove us to what he referred to as "the other port" of Malta, which I am sorry to say, I don't remember the name. The scenery was amazing. Our final stop was in the city of Valletta where the Church of St. John is located with the burial places of the Knights of Malta. We walked back to the ship from town which was maybe a ten minute walk. In any event, it wasn't very far. Yes, it is hot in Malta. This white city, because of the stark white of its buildings, can be covered with a thin white dust visible on cars, etc. Malta brings back so many wonderful memories and is definitely a city we are so happy we were able to visit. Enjoy!!!

[itsjb1]

Where did you go and is there anything you recommend vs do not recommend? We have a private tour scheduled with them also. Note sure if Joan will be the guide.

 

 

They have a relatively standard tour for cruises, that includes Valetta, Mdina, the Terxian temples and a stop in a fishing village for lunch. The fish was so fresh and so tasty. We really had a good day. We did not really have any expectations, and were pleasantly surprised. We were there in July and it was VERY hot.Normally she does Valletta at the end but Joan knew that the ship tours were doing Mdina in the morning and that a large RCCL ship was coming into port at 2, so we did Valletta in the am.We were 1st in line for the Cathedral so were able to appreciate it without the large crowds. She and Chris are very nice to deal with and can really switch things up as the day goes on. We also made a stop(at our request) at a ceramics shop where we bought a really nice bowl.

[ta tommy]

Malta has a very warm climate and anyone visiting in summer will get the impression that it has no greenery....come in Spring and you will be impressed. Make sure you are on deck, camera in hand, when entering Grand Harbour......you won't see another one like it. It's very easy to get around in Malta either by bus or Taxi. Do go to Mdina as this is called the Silent City and is very unique. Fontanella is a great place to sit and have one of their delicious cakes and the place has an incredible view.

 

 

http://www.visitmalta.com/main

http://vallettasuites.blogspot.com/2008/04/mtv-hits-malta-this-summer.html

http://www.gov.mt/index.asp?l=2

[Andym]

We visited the film set for the Film 'Popeye' (Robin Williams) http://www.popeyemalta.com/. There is a very nice beach here as well.

[joan24]

We'll be stopping in Malta next May. Does Joan Sheridan have a website or email that you can share. Thanks.

Joan

[polyagent68]

Our group of 5 is going to try scuba diving for the first time. The company will give you a training course for 3 hours and then take us on two 1/2 hour dives. He is charging us 70 Euros each for 5-6 hours total on the day. We're excited to try scuba diving in the Med!

[itsjb1]

We'll be stopping in Malta next May. Does Joan Sheridan have a website or email that you can share. Thanks.

Joan

 

Here is her web site address:

 

http://www.touringmalta.com

 

 

We had a great day with Joan.

[joan24]

Thank you for the website information.

Joan

[hezzy]

Valletta is very easy to do on your own. We took the local bus up to the city from the dock because it is a difficult climb. I think a round trip bus pass was $2 euros. Walking around the town is very interesting. The church of the Knights of St. John is a must! It was actually one of my very favorite sights. It is spectacular and you will see nothing like it anywhere. The entire floor is inlaid marble tombs of the knights. We really liked Valletta.

[sjsuda]

Hi! I'm Joanne from Msida (Malta) and being Maltese I can post some suggestions on what to do while in Malta.

 

With 7000 years of history, the sites to visit in Malta are endless. Not to miss obviously is the impressive St. John's Cathedral in Valletta (capital city). Art lovers here can visit the Caravaggio's Beheading of St. John. The museum of Archaeology in Valletta also houses collection of prehistoric artefacts.

 

The fortified medieval city of Mdina (called also the silent city ) with its cathedral and museum is not to be missed. Other attractions in Mdina are the torturous Mdina dungeons and the Mdina Experience.

 

In Mosta one can visit the church, famous for its large dome (third largest in Europe).

 

As others suggested before, please try not to miss to be on deck for the entry of the ship in Malta's Grand Harbour because it is spectacular.

 

Hope I gave you some ideas of what you can do while in Malta. Should you have any questions, please post and I would be happy to answer. Even if you like suggestions about restaurants in Malta.

 

Joanne

[1happyfam]

Meselibibob, do you recall what the taxi cost? The ship is offering similar excursion for $45pp.

[cynbar]

Thanks Joanne for your tips!! Yes, please post any suggestions you have for lunch in Malta -- we will be there on June 10th on Norwegian Gem, and there isn't as much info about Malta as there is about our other ports.

[Whippets]

Joanne (sjsuda)

We will be arriving in your town the week of November 9th, 2008

 

What sort of weather should we expect? I imagine we will need coats by then?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Diane

[wendilyn5]

We visited the film set for the Film 'Popeye' (Robin Williams) http://www.popeyemalta.com/. There is a very nice beach here as well.

 

How did you get here? Did you spend the whole day?

[1happyfam]

Hi! I'm Joanne from Msida (Malta) and being Maltese I can post some suggestions on what to do while in Malta.

 

With 7000 years of history, the sites to visit in Malta are endless. Not to miss obviously is the impressive St. John's Cathedral in Valletta (capital city). Art lovers here can visit the Caravaggio's Beheading of St. John. The museum of Archaeology in Valletta also houses collection of prehistoric artefacts.

 

The fortified medieval city of Mdina (called also the silent city ) with its cathedral and museum is not to be missed. Other attractions in Mdina are the torturous Mdina dungeons and the Mdina Experience.

 

In Mosta one can visit the church, famous for its large dome (third largest in Europe).

 

As others suggested before, please try not to miss to be on deck for the entry of the ship in Malta's Grand Harbour because it is spectacular.

 

Hope I gave you some ideas of what you can do while in Malta. Should you have any questions, please post and I would be happy to answer. Even if you like suggestions about restaurants in Malta.

 

Joanne

Hi Joanne, athnks for the great info. The ship offers a tour Mdina and Mosta 4hrs $45pp or Malta capitals old and new 4.5hrs $49pp. We ususally prefer to do things on our own, would a taxi ride be doable an dhow much to Mdina if you know??Thanks! So much planning...aaaargh!

[NefertariMalta]

We met a few individuals from Malta at our Cruise Critic Meet & Greet on the Pride of Hawaii last April.

 

Hopefuly NefartariMalta and GrimmitMalta are still around and can give some advice!

 

We'll be in Malta off the Gem on July 1st, so we're very interested in the best things to do as well.

Hi Preds how are you? Yes we are still around and actually going on a cruise to Alaska this year! :)

 

So you are coming to Malta on the 1st of July! :D For how long? do you need anything . ... i should be working till 4pm but will be free afterwards if you' ll still be here!

[NefertariMalta]

Hi! I'm Joanne from Msida (Malta) and being Maltese I can post some suggestions on what to do while in Malta.

 

With 7000 years of history, the sites to visit in Malta are endless. Not to miss obviously is the impressive St. John's Cathedral in Valletta (capital city). Art lovers here can visit the Caravaggio's Beheading of St. John. The museum of Archaeology in Valletta also houses collection of prehistoric artefacts.

 

The fortified medieval city of Mdina (called also the silent city ) with its cathedral and museum is not to be missed. Other attractions in Mdina are the torturous Mdina dungeons and the Mdina Experience.

 

In Mosta one can visit the church, famous for its large dome (third largest in Europe).

 

As others suggested before, please try not to miss to be on deck for the entry of the ship in Malta's Grand Harbour because it is spectacular.

 

Hope I gave you some ideas of what you can do while in Malta. Should you have any questions, please post and I would be happy to answer. Even if you like suggestions about restaurants in Malta.

 

Joanne

 

Perfectly said! :D I agree with all of you i think that our port is the best in the world! You see the three cities on one side and valletta on the other! just great!

 

there is so much to see that it depends what your interests are! We also have the oldest free standing temples in the world for example!

 

http://www.heritagemalta.org/heritagesites.html . heritage site where you can find a list of some of the important sites to visit! :D

[NefertariMalta]

Hi Joanne, athnks for the great info. The ship offers a tour Mdina and Mosta 4hrs $45pp or Malta capitals old and new 4.5hrs $49pp. We ususally prefer to do things on our own, would a taxi ride be doable an dhow much to Mdina if you know??Thanks! So much planning...aaaargh!

 

Taxis can be a bit on the expensive side so try and agree a price from before. I never used a taxi since i have a car and drive so cannot tell you the price:( sorry. The tour though seems to be quite reasonably priced i would say. I would go to the Mdina and Mosta tour (both really nice places) and then tour valletta on my own since it is within walking distance from the port! How long will you be staying in Malta?

[NefertariMalta]

Joanne (sjsuda)

We will be arriving in your town the week of November 9th, 2008

 

What sort of weather should we expect? I imagine we will need coats by then?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Diane

 

check the weather forecast i would since since if it is a nice day you can get by with a t-shirt and a cardi! Do not worry if it is really cold during the day it would go down to a minimum of 9 or 10C .. which i would say would not be cold for most people!