Compare Local Living Italy—Tuscany San Gimignano by G Adventures vs Easter In Malta by Academy Travel

Day 1 Rome

Arrive at any time.

We highly recommend booking pre-tour accommodations in Rome to fully experience all this amazing city has to offer. There's lots to explore! Please note that if Vatican City is on your must-see list, we highly recommend purchasing your tickets online several weeks prior to your trip. Same-day entrance to St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel) cannot be guaranteed without advance tickets. Please speak to a G Adventures representative about booking accommodations in Rome before Day 1 of this itinerary.

Day 2 Rome/San Gimignano

Enjoy a morning orientation walk in Rome, then travel in the afternoon via train and bus to your home for the week. Take an orientation stroll with the CEO for a first glance at San Gimignano.

Transfer by train and bus to San Gimignano and walk to your home for the week, which is located just outside the beautiful medieval hill town of San Gimignano. The property owner, Ugo, is a San Gimignano native and is a fountain of information about the area. He lives in one of the apartments in his remodeled medieval house.

Day 3 San Gimignano

Enjoy an included half-day cooking class this morning before setting out on an afternoon walk on top of the medieval city walls of San Gimignano for a new perspective on the town and sweeping views of the area.

Day 4 Florence Day Trip

Enjoy a day trip to Florence with plenty of free time to check out local museums and plazas. Opt to go out for a group dinner back in San Gimignano or cook together at the apartments.

While the group will travel together to Florence, the return time is flexible and can vary by each person's touristing stamina. The return ticket is provided, but you decide when to leave.

Day 5 San Gimignano

Enjoy free time to visit the San Gimignano market in the morning before a leisurely walk through the Tuscan countryside along the historical Via Francigena path to Montauto, where great views of San Gimignano from afar await. In the evening, enjoy a tasting of some local wines.

The Via Francigena, a historical path in use approximately 1,000 years ago by those making pilgrimage between Canterbury, England, and Rome, runs very close to the Local Living house. It is great path for those who wish to explore the Tuscan countryside by foot.

Day 6 Siena Day Trip

Enjoy a day trip to Siena including an orientation walk with the CEO. In the evening, sit down to a home cooked dinner with your Local Living host, Ugo.

Day 7 San Gimignano/Rome

Transfer by bus and train to Rome. Depart in the early afternoon from the Rome train station (Termini). Book flights for no earlier than 6 pm.

If you wish to extend your stay in Rome, consider booking post-tour accommodation with us. Please speak to a G Adventures representative about booking accommodations in Rome after your tour ends.

Day 1: Arrival

Meals: Dinner

Meet your tour leader, Dr Estelle Lazer, at Rome airport and together fly to Valletta, arriving in the early afternoon. After time to settle in and freshen up we meet for a light dinner in the hotel. Overnight Valletta

Day 2: Valletta, Tarxien and Hal Saflieni

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight Valletta

The city of Valletta is our focus today. Built by the Knights of the Order of Saint John after their victory over the Turks in 1565, its massive bastion walls were designed to discourage any further invasion. Our walking tour includes the Upper Barracca Gardens, which command a breathtaking view of the Grand Harbour. We also visit St John’s Co-Cathedral which holds, amongst its treasures, two paintings by Caravaggio – St Jerome and the vast Beheading of St John, painted in 1608 while the artist was briefly serving as a novice of the Order of Saint John in Valletta. This afternoon we visit the Neolithic temple complex at Tarxien, a site of extraordinary archaeological significance consisting of three temples built around 3000-2500 BC and a fourth dating from an earlier building phase. In small groups we visit the recently reopened Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, a complex underground burial chamber.

Day 3: Good Friday

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Overnight Valletta

Mid-morning, we meet for a guided tour that focuses on the south of Malta, starting with a visit to the Blue Grotto Caves. We take a short boat trip to view at close range the magnificent underwater flora in these grottoes. We then proceed to the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk, to admire the waterfront lined with the colourful Maltese luzzu boats painted in the traditional reds, blue and yellows. We have lunch together at a local restaurant before continuing on to the Good Friday Procession in the Village of Zebbug. The Zebbug procession is particularly well known, and we can expect to see people in costume as Roman soldiers wearing armour, biblical characters and children carrying symbolic items. The procession takes place around the village, accompanied by the village band and scout groups.

Day 4: Mdina and Rabat

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Overnight Valletta

We visit Mdina, one of Europe’s finest examples of an ancient walled city, with an extraordinary mix of medieval and baroque architecture. Archaeological evidence traces settlement back over 4000 years to the Phoenicians. Its strategic location on the highest point of the island has made it home to Arab, Norman, Sicilian and Spanish rulers and earned it the name of Citta Notabile, the noble city. After lunch together at a local restaurant, we continue to Rabat and visit the atmospheric catacombs. We stop at the Dingli Cliffs for spectacular views over the Mediterranean before proceeding to the botanic gardens of San Anton, nowadays the official residence of Malta’s President.

Day 5: Three Cities and Harbour Cruise

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Overnight Valletta

Today we explore the old three cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. We start in Vittoriosa, the original home of the Knights of St. John and where the Great Siege of 1565 took place. There is time to watch the fascinating and famous Easter Sunday procession in Vittoriosa, to see the locals running with the statue of the Risen Christ. In the afternoon, we take a cruise around the two natural ports of Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour, whose natural creeks make these ports unique. The views of the fortifications from the seaward side are unique and a treasure trove for photographers.

Day 6: Gozo

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Overnight Valletta

Today we travel to the north coast and join a private boat to the island of Gozo, Malta’s smaller and more relaxed neighbour. Our visit includes the Ggantija Temples, the most complete temple complex on the islands, part of which predates Stonehenge and the Pyramids. We also visit the Calypso’s Cave and Old Citadel in Victoria. After lunch together in a local restaurant, we visit Xlendi Bay and Dwejra. In the later afternoon, we return to Valletta by boat.

Day 7: Departure

There will be a midday group flight to Rome Fiumicino airport, where the tour ends.