The Three Fortified Cities of Malta Half Day Tour Incl. Boat Trip and Transfers
Description
The Three Cities is a collective description of the three fortified cities of Cospicua, Vittoriosa and Senglea. The oldest of the Three Cities is Vittoriosa, which has existed since 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!
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will start your tour with a panoramic drive past the city of Cospicua, a double fortified harbour city and the largest of the Three Cities, flanked by Senglea on the West and Vittoriosa on the East. Cospicua is well known for its large dockyard and its impressive fortifications known as the Santa Margherita Lines and the Cottonera Lines.
A short stretch away from Cospicua lies the city of Vittoriosa, the city occupies a promontory of land with the impressive Fort Saint Angelo at its head and the city of Cospicua at its base. The origins of this glorious city date back to the Medieval times, over the centuries Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, the Angevines, the Aragonese and the Order of the Knights of Saint John all contributed to the development of this magnificent city. Here you will enjoy a fascinating walking tour through the distinctive narrow winding streets of the city, admiring and appreciating all the historical buildings and captivating treasures found at every twist and turn.
Upon your arrival at the stunning Vittoriosa Waterfront, we will board a traditional Maltese “Frejgatina” (a small, carvel-built fishing boat) for a delightful tour of the colourful harbour creeks.
The tour will end 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 Malta of 1565. Here you will enjoy another fascinating walk around this majestic city.
During our tour of Senglea you will also visit the Gardjola Gardens. Located at the tip of the peninsula you will enjoy a stunning 360° view of the Grand Harbour, including the impressive Fort Saint Angelo, from where the Grand Master Jean Perisot De La Valette led the defence of the island during the Great Siege of Malta of 1565.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
9:45 AM is the approximate start time of the activity and not the time when you will be picked up from your hotel (or closest meeting point). At least a few days before the date of your activity, you need to make sure to contact the tour operator to confirm your pick-up location and pick-up time. Your pick-up time can be any time between 8:15 AM and 9:15 AM, depending on where you are staying. If your pick-up location is a hotel, please wait outside near the main entrance. Do not wait in the lobby or inside the hotel. When the guide or driver arrives, they will have a list of names and will ask those waiting outside for identification. They will not enter the hotel to look for guests. Transportation will not wait for late arrivals. If you miss your morning pick-up, you will not be able to join the tour later. Once the tour has started, it cannot be interrupted to accommodate latecomers.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The time shown on the website or on your ticket is the approximate start time of the activity and not the time when you will be picked up from your hotel (or closest meeting point). At least a few days before the date of your activity, you need to make sure to contact the tour operator to confirm your pick-up location and pick-up time. Your pick-up time can be anytime between 8:15 AM and 9:15 AM, depending on where you are staying.
- The tour will be guided in the language you have booked, however please note that at times, depending on operational circumstances, the commentary might be provided by a multilingual guide (limited to a maximum of 2 languages).
- The tour in Spanish will be conducted by either a Spanish-speaking guide (subject to availability) or an English-speaking guide together with a Spanish-speaking host serving as a translator.
- The boat trip is always subject to favourable weather conditions; if the boat trip cannot be done due to poor weather conditions, we will spend more time visiting the three cities.
- The visit to Cospicua is a panoramic drive-by; we will not be stopping there.
- Pets, large luggage, and large suitcases are not allowed during the tour.
- Any personal belongings, including backpacks or rucksacks, must be carried with you at all times and may not be left unattended on the coach or bus.
- The difficulty level of this tour is considered easy to moderate; however, one should take note that it’s a rather long walk.
- Not suitable for travellers with mobility impairments.
Reviews(134)
If you want your money stolen, this is for you. If you want incorrect times, this is for you. If you want incorrect locations, this is for you. If you want unprofessional customer service, this is for you. Do not fall for it!
If you're looking for a customer who ignores clear booking instructions and then blames the operator for their own mistake, this is exactly that type of customer. The facts are straightforward. You failed to attend your scheduled pick-up despite being informed of your pick-up time and meeting point on four separate occasions, beginning as early as 21 June. This information was provided via email, the Viator app, and WhatsApp. In addition, your voucher clearly explained what you were required to do before the tour. Unfortunately, none of these instructions were followed. Rather than checking the information provided or contacting us for clarification, you simply did not present yourself at the designated meeting point. Missing the tour was entirely your own responsibility. It was not caused by any failure on our part, but solely by your failure to read and follow the instructions that were repeatedly provided. Instead of posting false and misleading allegations in an attempt to shift the blame, the appropriate response would be to accept responsibility for your own actions. Every adult is accountable for reading the information provided with their booking and ensuring they arrive at the correct meeting point at the correct time. Blaming others for your own failure to do so does not change the facts. Booking tours online means that all essential correspondence is sent through digital channels such as email, the booking platform, and messaging services. If you choose to book online, it is your responsibility to read those communications and follow the instructions provided.
A lovely tour and fantastic and friendly tour guide. Transport was very good and efficient. Loads of facts and fun within the 3 cities. Boat ride a good half way point. Kinda wanna go back and walk around a bit more now. Excellent value for money.
Great experience. Picked us up at the port and returned us to the port. We loved the boat ride through Grand Harbor. Thanks for a great time in Malta
It was a good overview of the three fortified cities. Thte locations chosen were good and walking through the old city streets was fun. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and a hat if it's hot outside.
We decided to do this half day four and then stay in valetta afterwards. Our guide John was very funny, very knowledgable and imparted that knowledge as if we were there storming the cities. He walked us through the streets of the 3 cities which was very informative. The fabulous boat ride on a Maltese boat around the harbour was a must! We went late morning and got to see the gun shots from Valetta go off at 12 noon from the water instead. Fabulous trip
Interesting information, knowledgeable guide, answered all the questions travelers asked additionally
Elizabeth was a darling, she was a tour guide, professional, helpful, full of local knowledge and always smiling even though it was mega hot!! Boyyy she has some energy!! Book this tour ! You will NOT regret it!
Be careful with the time; they do not wait. The guide does not wait; we arrived at 9:35, and they left us behind. A guide called us in English when we were in the taxi. We explained the situation that there was a traffic jam, and he said they were leaving.
It is your responsibility to arrive on time. The tour will not be delayed, shortened, or compromised at the expense of other guests who were punctual because of late arrivals. If you cannot respect the schedule, please book elsewhere. Allowing sufficient time for traffic, parking, and any other delays is entirely your responsibility. You missed the tour because you arrived late, and you have nobody to blame except yourself. Leaving a one-star review because you missed the tour due to your own lateness says far more about your attitude than it does about the quality of the tour. You missed the tour because you arrived late. Behave like an adult, accept responsibility for your actions, and stop blaming others for your own shortcomings.
I would like to make a complaint. I missed the pick-up time of the tour I booked- Three Cities Malta. The phone calls (2 ) that I received to inform me of the pickup time was labeled Italy, and the second Germany. My home is the U.S. and I get hundreds of scam phone calls daily. Because no message was left and the return caller ID did not say Viator, I assumed that the Italy and Germany calls were scammers- naturally, I did not pick up. I missed the pick-up time but met the tour group later. I called the provider third party number and they spent ten minutes yelling at me about not meeting at the correct time. Instead, they should have suggested a resolution. I took a taxi to meet the group which cost me $50.00 U.S. extra. This could have been rectified by having a phone call that said Viator, not Italy or Germany. Also, they should have left a message or texted me the correct pick-up time.
Another example of shifting blame to everyone else instead of taking responsibility. If you book a tour, please read the instructions. Your pick-up time was communicated to you more than once. You missed your pick-up because you were late — there is only one party to blame: yourself. Also, please read the instructions on your ticket. There are three separate sections clearly indicating that you must contact the provider to confirm your pick-up time. Even if you did not read or follow these instructions, your pick-up time was still communicated to you twice. The calls you received were from a Maltese number — we are based in Malta. No calls were made from Italian or German numbers.
Moderate waking with fun boat ride. Good for those who don’t like long tours. Some time provided for shopping and eating.
