We'll have a day to spend in Malta during our cruise this coming July. Since we'll be traveling with our then 21 month old, we're not planning on doing any in depth touring (meaning we plan on "popping in and out" of sights since our daughter is not going to have the attention span to tour museums or sit through a movie or show, etc.). I would really like to spend a little time in Mdina and see Hagar Qim (again, don't plan on getting the complete "experience"), but also want some time to stroll around in Valletta. Keeping in mind that we are not planning on seeing everything there is to see in Valletta (I know that we could easily spend the whole day there alone) or Mdina, is it feasible to try to get to all of these places in a day? At first I was just setting my sights on Valletta and Mdina, but I would really love to see one of Malta's megalithic temples too. If it is feasible, what order should I plan on seeing them in? Right now I am thinking Hagar Quim, Mdina (have lunch there) and finish up in Valletta. I believe we would save time by taking taxis instead of the buses.... should we try to hire a taxi for the day? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Valletta, Mdina and Hagar Qim in a day and what order?
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Is renting a car a possibility? I would try to see the temple first or last, as the mid day sun will be intense. Mdina is quite small, and since you won't be lingering in museums, Valletta does not really take too much time either.
I think a cab is better - we rented a car for a couple of days. The roads were inconsistently marked and we found parking to be a challenge so it would be easier to have a cab driver waiting for you I think.
Even if you just have a short visit - the co-Cathedral in Valletta is fascinating and the Caravaggio not to be missed!
We enjoyed the pizza at La Cave - good kid place!
http://www.hotelcastillemalta.com/en/en-la-cave.asp
Thank you both very much. Not going to rent a car- too much hassle for only a few hours time. I'd be worried that we would waste our time getting lost trying to find the places that we want to see
Based on your replies, it seems like it would not be crazy to attempt to spend time in all three places. We will probably start off at Hagar Qim and then head over to Mdina and finish off our time in Valletta. Can anyone tell me if taxis are easy to get once we are in Mdina or if it would be better to arrange for our Hagar Qim driver to wait for us? Also, I am assuming it will be easy to get a taxi in the port once we get off the ship....
La Cave sounds perfect, but do you (or anyone else) have any recommendations for a restaurant in Mdina if our daughter can't hold out until we get back to Valletta?
In Mdina the Fontanella Tea Garden is one of the few (only?) restaurants on the ramparts - beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Simple food, not too expensive and also kid friendly
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g190324-d1632278-Reviews-Fontanella_Tea_Garden-Mdina_Island_of_Malta.html
I think you should probably hire a taxi at the port for Hagar Qim and Mdina, and have him drop you off in Valletta, where you should be able to easily catch a taxi back to the port after sightseeing there.
After Hagar Qim, have him drive you by the overlook for the blue grotto. Enjoy!
There is a good map at http://www.visitmalta.com/interactive-map-of-malta
Thanks once again. One more question, which I should have asked in my original post... Should we consider perhaps visiting Marsaxlott instead of Mdina? I know they are very different, but they both look so nice and now I'm wavering about which one to go. Any thoughts?
I would only visit Marsaxlott if you were going to be there on a Sunday when they have a good market. I liked Mdina better than Marsaxlott. I doubt you'll have time for all three places. How much time do you actually have off the ship? 6 hours?
Adrienne- Ashore time is 8:30 AM and onboard time is 6 pm. I'm assuming that means 9 1/2 ish hours off the ship. Again, we're not trying to see everything there is to see in those three places. This is going to be a different kind of trip for us because we're traveling with our toddler. It's more to get a little "taste" of the places that I mentioned above.
You'll find more to see and do in Valletta than most other towns on Malta so I would spend most of the time there. The other towns are very quiet except for the St. Julians area in the north. I think it's a good thing to see one archeological site since they are very interesting.
Marsaxlokk has the nice harbor with colorful boats and a small market during the week.
If you hire a private driver you should be able to also see Marsaxlokk plus the other 3 places. The towns on Malta are small and once you've walked around for a bit you've seen the town.
One of the more fascinating places for me was the aviation museum with WWII planes. It was one of the top places I wanted to visit and I'm glad I did.
I think you have to leave time to get back on board the ship. I've not cruised but I understand it takes time for hundreds of people to board. You'll probably have a better take on this from your previous stops.