Today depart with your overnight flight to Malta

Welcome to the beautiful and peaceful Maltese Islands.  Upon arrival you will be greeted by your Perillo Tours representative. We transfer to our hotel. Check in.  Non-alcoholic welcome drinks are served. Welcome dinner is arranged at our hotel.                            (D.)

Valletta was built by the Knights of St. John after the Great Siege of Malta by the Ottomans in 1565. It is the fortified city that was said to be "Built by gentlemen for gentlemen".

We visit many of the historic sites in Valletta including the Manoel Theater; 3rd oldest operating theatre in all of Europe. Built in 1731, the Jews Sallyport located on the lower part of Valletta.  During the rule of the Knights many of the Jews in Malta were slaves, however the Free Jews wishing to visit the island had to first get permission from the Grand Master and were only permitted to enter and leave the country through the Jews Sallyport. Its location was strategically positioned as it was close to the Jewish Ghetto and where the Synagogue used to be located.   We take a short walk to the Malta Experience audiovisual show depicting Malta through the ages followed by a visit to the Sacra Infermeria, the old Hospital of the Knights of St. John. After our included lunch, enjoy some free time in Valletta and then gather for your grand finale - St. John’s Co-Cathedral.  It’s much more than “just” a cathedral.  It tells the storyline of the Knights of St. John through the extreme beauty of the high baroque frescos to the Caravaggio masterpiece: The Beheading of John the Baptist; it is the only signed masterpiece from Caravaggio. We enjoy dinner this evening at a local Maltese Restaurant.   (B.L.D.)

After breakfast, depart for the Old Capital of Mdina.  We stop for an exclusive visit to the Marsa Jewish Cemetery. The cemetery was established in 1879. The first readable gravestones are from 1887. In these  holy grounds lie side by side Jews who escaped from concentration camps, Budapest , Tunis and German villages. Learn about the prominent families of the last 100 years with a focus on the Tayar and Ohayon families. We continue to Mdina. during the height of the Middle Ages, Jews represented 30% to 40% of the population. Evidence of their existence in Mdina includes the old Jewish quarter, archives which highlight their activities including serving in the militia. Ultimately it was the Edict of Expulsion of 1492 which drove the Jewish people out, those who stayed had to convert to Christianity.

In Rabat we find St. Paul’s Church and Grotto as well as the St. Paul’s Catacombs. It is here where we learn the story of a shipwrecked St. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) in Malta.  The Christian, Jewish and Pagan Catacombs of St. Paul derived its name from their proximity to St. Paul's Church and Grotto. They are a fascinating labyrinth of 3rd-century AD subterranean tombs and the earliest archaeological evidence of Judaism in Malta. Next, we will enjoy a farm to table lunch at a nearby Restaurant.  After lunch we   depart for the Blue Grotto.  We then enjoy a short boat trip through the grotto as well as some of the other water caves. Lastly we visit the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Learn about these colorful boats and the significance of this village. We return for dinner at our hotel (includes half bottle of wine, half bottle of water and coffee).                                                                                         (B.L.D.)

After breakfast the rest of the day is at leisure. Take a nice walk along the 6 Mile Promenade in Sliema or venture back to Valletta for some shopping. Your guide will be provide additional recommendations. Dinner and overnight accommodations at our hotel (includes half bottle of wine, half bottle of water and coffee).                                                                                                                                                                                                    (B.D.)

It is at Cottonera, or the Three Cities where the story of the Knights of St. John began in the Maltese Islands.  These cities are Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa.   While in Senglea, you will discover the watchtower at the Gardjola Gardens with views of the Grand Harbour and Valletta.  Lunch will be followed at a local restaurant within the 3 cities. After lunch, we visit the Inquisitor’s Palace and the Maritime Museum as well as enjoy a walk through its quaint back streets of Birgu.  We also visit the Upper Fort St. Angelo for a rare opportunity to visit the private grounds of the Order of St. John.  Enjoy a walk around the private lands and enjoy the most spectacular views of the Grand Harbour and Valletta. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight (includes half bottle of wine, half bottle of water and coffee).                                                                                                                                       (B.L.D.)

After breakfast we travel north to Cirkewwa for our 25 minute ferry to Gozo, Malta’s Sister Island. On this day, we will discover Gozo’s splendour.  The production of sea salt has a long tradition in Gozo and the saltpans found near Marsalforn are still used today.  We arrive after breakfast to see these magnificent saltpans. We continue to a local farm to learn of Gozitan dairy production.  We’ll have a hands-on opportunity in the collection of goat milk as well as a Gozitan cheese-making demonstration.  The most popular cheese in all of Malta is called Gbejna and the very best comes from Gozo. After we'll venture to the capital of Gozo for a leisurely walk through the village. The Citadel or Citadella is an area known to have been first fortified during the Bronze Age and later developed by the Phoenicians with continued development until, by Roman times, it had become a complex Acropolis.  We enjoy a traditional Gozitan platter lunch at a local restaurant.  Our last stop;  Ggantija Temples, a UNESCO world heritage site dating back between 3600 to 3200 BC; predating the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge by 1,000 Years. We return  by private charter boat to Chirkewwa passing by Comino Island.  The island of Comino was once inhabited by a very well known Jewish mystic named Avraham Abulafia – and he might just have been the founder of modern practical Kabbalah. It’s believed that Avraham moved to Comino in 1285 until his death in the 1290s.  While living on Comino,  he wrote Sefer ha Ot – The Book Of The Sign – in 1288, as well as Imre Shefer – Words of Beauty. Imre Shefer is considered his greatest work, and was written in approximately 1291 while in Comino. It is believed he died a few years later, but no-one knows exactly when, or where. Dinner at hotel (includes half bottle of wine, half bottle of water and coffee).                                                                                                                                                             (B.L.D.)

Today after breakfast, enjoy your last day on the island exploring local villages or relaxing in a nearby piazza. Recommendations will be provided by your guide / tour director.  Farewell dinner at a local restaurant (includes half bottle of wine, half bottle of water and coffee).                                              (B.D.)

After breakfast transfer to the airport for your Flight home.                       (B.)