• Welcome Gift
• Magnetic Name Tag
• Airport: Private transfer to hotel on arrival
• Luxury coach
• VOX Radio Receivers (20+)
• Daily Mass: including special Masses at Ta Pinu, and St. Ursula Monastery
• VAT (Value Added Tax)
• 7 nights accommodations at 4-star hotel
• Continental breakfast daily, 1 Lunch, 5 dinners including a special Welcome and Farewell Dinner
• All Lunch and dinners include beverages: water/coffee & wine at dinner

7 nights accommodations at 4-star hotel.

Physical Activity: Moderate

Typical days on your trip:

Depart via best connections for your overnight flight to Europe connecting to Malta.

DAY 1

Arrive in Europe, transfer to flight to Malta. On arrival in Malta you will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. At 7:00 pm we will depart for special Welcome Dinner.

DAY 2

Rabat, Mdina (the Silent City)

We will start our day with Mass at the Sanctuary of St Publius which is situated above the Grotto of St. Paul. After Mass, we will descend below the chapel to the grotto where St. Paul is said to have taken refuge after his shipwreck on Malta. The statue of St. Paul was donated by Grand Master Pinto in 1748 and the silver galley hanging from the ceiling was a gift of the Knights of St. John (Order of Malta) in 1960 to mark the 1,900 year anniversary of St. Paul’s shipwreck.

St Agatha’s and St. Paul’s Catacombs. The Catacombs are typical of the underground Christian cemeteries that were common in the 4th Century A.D. throughout the Mediterranean. The Catacombs have remarkable medieval frescoes, some dating from the 12th century. Sitting above one catacomb complex, the church dedicated to St. Agatha was built in 1504. In 1670 the church was replaced by a larger one on the same site. The 1504 church was partially pulled down and the part retained was incorporated in the 1670 building.

Discover the Domvs Romana (Roman Villa), the remains of a rich, aristocratic roman town house which was accidentally discovered in 1881. Little remains of the villa, but the mosaic pavements rank among the finest and oldest compositions from the western Mediterranean, alongside those of Pompeii and Sicily.

Mdina is the original capital of Malta and its origin can be traced back more than 4000 years. The Phoenicians built a wall around Mdina to protect the city. The charm of its narrow, winding streets and the silence of its medieval palaces is the setting for a feast of Baroque splendor. We will visit the St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina, the original cathedral of Malta. The Cathedral was built from 1697 to 1702 to replace a Norman cathedral that had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. The lavish interior of the cathedral is similar in many ways to the Cathedral of St. John in Valetta. There are great works by the Calabrian artist and knight Mattia Preti and a marble-inlaid floor with tombstones carrying the coats of arms and inscriptions of the bishops of Mdina and other members of the cathedral chapter. (B,D)

DAY 3

Full day in Gozo (The Island of Calypso)

On the way we will pass by the village of Naxxar from where legend has it, the people from Gozo used to hear St. Paul preaching. We will also pass by St Paul’s Bay and the magnificent view of St Paul’s Islands – where St Paul was shipwrecked.

After a short trip, Gozo Channel Ferry will bring us to the island of Gozo where we will proceed to Ta’ Pinu Basilica for Mass. In its simplicity it is one of the most beautiful churches of the Maltese Islands and is known for miracles that occurred there. St. John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine during his visit to the Maltese islands. After praying in the chapel, he celebrated Mass in the forecourt of the Basilica. He added a crown of golden stars to the Image as a sign of the devotion to Our Lady of the Maltese people.

We head into the countryside to visit a Watch Tower that was built during the reign of Grandmaster Antoine de Paule in 1651, with its main objective being to guard against attacks from the sea. Lunch – A nice relaxing lunch under one of the Mediterranean’s oldest carob trees.

We will then visit Victoria, Gozo’s Capital. The Citadel in Victoria is one of the purest masterpieces on the islands. We will visit the imposing Cathedral and its museum. We will also have the opportunity to see lace making in Victoria. Gozitan lace is known all over the world for its quality and beauty

On our return to Malta, we will visit Our Lady of Mellieha Shrine. This shrine was also visited by JPII during his trip to Malta in 1990. According to tradition, the apostles Paul and Luke had visited this sanctuary. Many ex-votos attest to the miracles through our lady’s intercession. In 1614 the Turks came up Mellieha Bay and attacked the Sanctuary to destroy the icon. The Knights retook the shrine, but the lower part of the icon was destroyed. (B,D)

MedSeas has full itineraries available as part of the materials supplied for those who join the tour.

Luxury air-conditioned coach.

All breakfasts, one lunch and seven dinners with water, coffee & wine included