Things to do in

Tarxien

Explore Malta's incredible estates, history, and sights at your own pace. Take the exclusive hop-on, hop-off tours, and ride at your own convenience on the open-top double decker buses. During your tour, you can stop at any of the following major attractions in the city, on these routes: South Malta Route (Red Route) • Valletta • Hypogeum • Vittoriosa Waterfront • Zejtun Church • Marsaxlokk Fishing Village • Ghar Dalam Cave & Museum • Blue Grotto • Hagar Qim & Mnajdra Temples • The Limestone Heritage • Sliema North Malta Route (Blue Route) • Valletta • San Anton Gardens • The Crafts Village • Aviation Museum • Mosta Church • Mdina • Rabat • Mgarr Church • Golden Bay • Bugibba Square • Splash and Fun Water Park • St. George’s Bay • Spinola Bay

The Three Cities is a collective description of the three fortified cities of Cospicua, Birgu (Vittoriosa), and Senglea. The oldest of the Three Cities is Vittoriosa, which has existed since prior to the Middle Ages. The other two cities, Senglea and Cospicua, were both founded by the Order of the Knights of Saint John in the 16th and 17th centuries respectively. During this half day tour, you will have the opportunity to appreciate these unique historical fortified cities and admire magnificent churches, traditional piazzas, incredible fortifications, and architectural treasures found all around the Three Cities area. Pieces of living history kept alive by hundreds of years of preservation! We start with a panoramic drive past the city of Cospicua, a double fortified harbour city and the largest of the three cities, to reach the city of Vittoriosa, this glorious city has been inhabited since the time of the Phoenicians, but the current city dates back from the time of the Order of the Knights of Saint John. Vittoriosa was chosen as the capital city of Malta instead of Mdina upon the arrival of the Order in the year 1530. Enjoy a fascinating walking tour through the narrow streets of the city admiring and appreciating all the historical buildings and captivating treasures found at every twist and turn. Upon arrival at the stunning Vittoriosa waterfront, board a traditional Maltese “Frejgatina” (a small, carvel-built fishing boat) for a delightful tour of the colourful harbour creeks. The tour ends at Senglea, named after Claude De La Sengle, the Grand Master who founded the city, Senglea is also known as “Civitas Invicta” a name given to the city for managing to resist the Ottoman invasion during the Great Siege of 1565. The island on which Senglea lies was joined by a land bridge to Cospicua during the time of the Knights of St. John and as a result, it became peninsular in shape. From the Gardjola Gardens located at the tip of the peninsula enjoy a stunning 360° view of the Grand Harbour, including the impressive Fort Sant Angelo, from where the Grand Master Jean Perisot De La Valette led the defence of the island during the Great Siege of 1565. During the whole tour knowledgeable and experienced guides will be providing you with riveting information and enhance your experience through narration and engaging storytelling.

Visit one of the top tourist destinations the Maltese islands have to offer: an authentic original film set turned into a family-friendly theme park, which originally served as the film set for the 1980 Robin Williams movie "Popeye". Offering a variety of vibrantly enjoyable activities for people of all ages and being open all year round, we guarantee an enjoyable visit for all our guests. The village also has unique themed seasonal events throughout the year; these activities and adornments are often held around Christmas, Carnival, Easter, and Halloween. Take advantage of the convenience of roundtrip transfers with pick-up from your accommodation (transfers are optional, only if the transport option is selected). We guarantee that you will have a full day of enjoyment, laughter, and fun, whether you are traveling alone, with friends, or with your family. Roam around the whole village and appreciate the 40+-year-old structure still in its original glory. Visit Popeye’s house and take pictures in the sailor’s nook. Make your way to the school, the firehouse, the dentist shop, and the baker, all of which are depicted clearly in the 1980 musical film Popeye. Meet Popeye, Olive Oyl, Captain Bluto, and all their friends during the very enjoyable and ever-so-amusing animation shows that are continuously going on in the village. Learn about the movie and the building of the film set in the very detailed 15-minute documentary showing continuously in the cinema, then make your way to Popeye’s comic museum to see all the memorabilia that has been collected throughout the years. Join a cast and experience what it's like to be a movie star for a day by appearing in a real movie. You and your pals will have a blast imitating the lifestyle of your Hollywood heroes while planning the scenes, practicing them, choosing costumes, and actually filming them. Visit the theater at the end of your stay to see the world premiere of your own movie. After the preview, you can buy copies of this epic thriller. Jump your way on our inflatables while bathing in the crystal-clear waters of Anchor Bay and relax at the Anchor Bay Lido during a very hot Maltese summer day. Make use of the sun beds, sun umbrellas, sun decks, floating bathing platforms, and splash pools (water activities are available only during the summer season).

Travel back in time to approximately 3150 BC and explore the prehistoric temples of the Maltese Islands. Tour the megalithic temples of Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and the Tarxien Temples and discover intricately carved stonework that we have in the Maltese Islands. Visit the ancient Ghar Dalam Cave and the Museum, to discover its story.

After having been picked up from your hotel or the cruise terminal, you'll depart with your guide to the southern part of Malta. Your first stop includes a visit to the Tarxien Temple, which offers a unique collection of circa 3000 B.C. sanctuaries. You can admire stone idols and tablets, domestic animal carvings, altars and screens decorated with spiral designs and other patterns, and oracular chambers. Your tour then continues to the Hagar Qim and Mnejidra Megalithic Temples. Set in a rural area near the village of Zurrieq, this ancient temple which dates back to 3300 B.C. has the largest and heaviest megaliths of all the temple sites around the Maltese Islands. The Mnajidra Temple, less than 1 kilometer from Hagar Qim, offers unique views of the high cliffs that characterize the coast of this part of the island. Just before the fisherman's village of Marsaxlokk on your way back, you will discover Ghar Dalam. The Ghar Dalam Cave is a highly important site where the earliest evidence of human settlement on Malta, which dates back 7,000 years ago, was discovered. The site is a huge 80-meter cavern which is opened to visitors, and the small annexed museum contains fossil remains of animals such as hippopotamus and volatives which were found in the cave and date back to the Pleistocene era. Following this last visit, your tour will end with you being returned to your point of origin.