Tour of Malta (Private Driver) Including Lunch Platter & Wine in the countryside

Malta packs an astonishing amount into a small island, and this private tour tries to show you the full spread in one day: ancient Mdina, local crafts, family attractions, sea views, and the grand harborfront. The best part is the countryside lunch platter and wine, where meat, goat cheese, olives, and other Maltese snacks replace a rushed restaurant meal.

I like the private format, since your group can set the pace and avoid being tied to strangers. I also like the round-trip transport, especially because the route crosses much of Malta. The main concern is time: six stops in roughly six hours leaves little room for lingering, and one past booking had trouble with the guide’s English and with knowing what the tour included.

Key points to know before booking

• Mdina gives you Malta’s most atmospheric hour, with old stone lanes and the nickname Silent City.
• The countryside meal is the tour’s strongest feature, with a full Maltese platter and unlimited red and white wine.
• A private vehicle makes the wide-ranging route practical, especially for a group of up to eight.
• Six stops in six hours create a brisk schedule, so you will see many places without having time for a thorough visit.
• The National Aquarium and Popeye Village cost extra, and neither admission is included.
• Guide quality may matter, since one booking reported weak English and confusion about the planned inclusions.

A wide Malta sampler in six hours

This is not a slow, single-city walking tour. It is a broad look at Malta by private vehicle, with stops spread from the old capital of Mdina to the southern coast and the harbor area near Valletta.

You start at 9:00 a.m., with pickup provided. The tour lasts about six hours, so the schedule works best if you want an introduction to several parts of Malta rather than a deep visit to one or two sites. Your driver or guide handles the transportation and the practical details, while you focus on getting out, seeing the place, and getting back in.

For a group of eight, the price is $959.94 total. That works out to about $120 per person if the vehicle is full. For two people, however, the same price becomes a much bigger purchase. I would judge the value by the size of your group, the convenience of private transport, and how much you care about the included food and wine.

The route also asks you to make choices. The aquarium and Popeye Village each have admission fees, but the other stops are free. If your group includes children, Popeye Village may be worth the extra cost. If you care more about old towns, churches, and coastal views, you may prefer to spend less time at paid attractions and more time walking.

Mdina, Malta’s Silent City

Your first stop is Mdina, where you have about an hour. The city’s story reaches back more than 4,000 years, and tradition connects it with St. Paul after his shipwreck on Malta in 60 A.D. Nearby Rabat includes St. Paul’s Grotto, also known as Fuori le Mura, meaning outside the city walls.

The appeal of Mdina is its mood. Stone walls, narrow lanes, and a quieter feel give it a strong sense of age. At night, lamps add to its Silent City nickname, but the old streets are worth seeing in daylight too.

One hour is enough to get your bearings, walk through the central lanes, and enjoy the old architecture. It is not enough for a full examination of Mdina’s religious and cultural sites. If you enjoy taking photographs or reading every plaque, you may feel rushed.

A small practical point matters here: ask your guide early where the bathroom is. One booking reported that the guide did not understand the question or could not direct the person clearly, leaving the visitor to find it alone. That is a minor problem, but it shows why clear communication matters on a tightly timed private tour.

Ta’ Qali Crafts Village and Maltese making

The next stop lasts about 30 minutes at Ta’ Qali Crafts Village. The village occupies a former RAF wartime airfield and now houses workshops and shops selling locally made goods.

You may watch glass being blown and shaped, see goldsmiths working on filigree and jewelry, and look at sculptures and lace. This stop gives the day a useful local angle. Instead of only viewing old buildings and scenic points, you get a glimpse of Malta’s working crafts.

Half an hour is enough for a quick look and perhaps a purchase. It is not enough to explore every workshop at leisure. If someone in your group enjoys handmade goods, you may want to agree in advance on how long to spend here. A private tour gives you some flexibility, but the remaining stops still have to fit within the six-hour window.

The National Aquarium at Qawra

The Malta National Aquarium takes about an hour on this route, though admission is not included. The project covers about 20,000 square meters and includes the public aquarium, a landscaped promenade-level belvedere, a multi-story car park, food facilities, a beach club, a shop, and a tourist information kiosk.

Inside, the public aquarium has 41 tanks. Displays include Mediterranean fish and other species found in Maltese waters, along with reptiles, insects, amphibians, and replicas of historical objects associated with the seas around Malta. The main tank features species from the Indian Ocean.

The aquarium may be the most flexible stop for families, especially if children need a change from old streets and churches. It also gives you a closer look at Malta’s marine setting without requiring a boat trip.

The catch is the extra admission cost and the limited time. If you want to read displays carefully or spend time at the promenade, one hour may pass quickly. Ask about the ticket price before deciding, since it is not part of the tour price.

Popeye Village and Anchor Bay

Popeye Village is the original film set for the musical production Popeye. It sits near Mellieha Bay and Anchor Bay, with beaches and coves in the surrounding area.

The village is aimed strongly at families. You may see the film-set buildings and meet characters connected with the cartoon. Nearby facilities include sun beds, umbrellas, showers, bathing areas, splash pools, and a small children’s area.

Admission is not included, so this stop requires another spending decision. For adults seeking Malta’s oldest towns and natural views, Popeye Village may feel less essential. For families with children, it can be one of the most appealing parts of the day.

You have about an hour here. That is enough for a look around, but not for a long beach visit and a full village visit at the same time. Treat it as a quick attraction stop, not a full beach day.

Blue Grotto and Malta’s southern coast

The Blue Grotto, known locally as Il-Hnejja, is one of the day’s strongest scenic stops. It sits on Malta’s southern coast, west of Wied iz-Zurrieq, facing the small uninhabited islet of Filfla.

The name came from a British soldier who compared the site with Capri’s Grotta Azzurra. Sunlight passes into the chain of caves and reflects off the water and submerged plant life, producing the blue tones that made the place famous. The area also appeared in the 2004 film Troy.

You have about an hour, with no admission fee listed. That gives you time to take in the coastal view and the cave system from the viewing area. The description does not specify a boat ride, so do not assume one is part of the tour. This stop is best understood as a coastal viewpoint visit unless your guide explains additional options.

The Blue Grotto provides a welcome change after the built-up attractions. It also shows why private transport helps here. You can reach a scenic point without worrying about arranging separate connections between several parts of the island.

The Maltese platter and countryside wine

The meal is the most distinctive part of the experience. You receive a full platter with meat, goat cheese, olives, and other Maltese snacks, served in the countryside. Red and white wine are unlimited.

That food stop adds something a standard sightseeing circuit often lacks. You are not simply collecting photographs. You are sitting down with familiar local flavors and getting a taste of how Malta presents food outside a formal restaurant meal.

The platter should work well for a group because it is designed for sharing. It also helps break up a day that otherwise moves from one attraction to another. The wine is a major part of the offer, but it is worth pacing yourself carefully, especially when the tour still includes transport and more sightseeing.

The exact location and timing of the meal are not specified, so ask your guide at the start of the day when it will happen. That matters because the published stops already account for about six hours, and the lunch needs to fit within the same tour period.

One of the strongest reports about this experience praised the countryside lunch, wine, and chance to interact with local people. That is the clearest sign of where the tour delivers something more personal than a simple drive around Malta.

Valletta Waterfront and the end of the route

The final stop is Valletta Waterfront, a harbor promenade in Floriana. Its most recognizable buildings include the central church, the Pinto Stores on one side, and the Forni Stores on the other.

These 18th-century warehouses were designed by Andrea Belli. The Forni Stores once served as British naval bakeries until 1844. Today, the area includes the Forni Cruise Passenger Terminal, bars, shops, restaurants, and spaces used for concerts and other events.

One hour here gives you time to stroll along the waterfront and look at the old warehouse fronts. It is a good closing stop because it combines Malta’s maritime past with its modern cruise and restaurant activity.

The waterfront is not the same kind of experience as Mdina or the Blue Grotto. It is more open and commercial, with places to eat and shop. If you have a cruise connection, this area may feel especially relevant. If you are seeking old lanes and quiet stone buildings, Mdina will likely leave the stronger impression.

Private transport, pace, and guide quality

The private format is the tour’s practical advantage. Only your group participates, and the vehicle takes you between places that are not clustered together. You do not need to build a route through Malta’s public transport system or coordinate several separate taxis.

You can also set the tone more easily. A group interested in crafts can linger at Ta’ Qali. A family may give more attention to Popeye Village. A group focused on old Malta can keep the aquarium visit short. Still, private does not mean unlimited time. The listed schedule gives about one hour at Mdina, the aquarium, Popeye Village, Blue Grotto, and Valletta Waterfront, plus 30 minutes at Ta’ Qali.

Guide communication deserves attention. One booking rated the experience only four out of five because the guide’s English was difficult to follow and the guide seemed unsure about what the tour included. That does not prove every departure will have the same issue, but I would confirm the route, lunch, wine, entrance fees, and pickup details before setting off.

The tour has a 4.7 rating from three reviews, so the sample is small. The positive account focused on the charm of Malta and the countryside meal, while the less positive account focused on communication and unclear inclusions. Both points are useful: the core concept is appealing, but execution matters.

Who should book this Malta tour?

I would consider this tour for a group of four to eight people who want a private introduction to Malta and do not want to plan transport. It is particularly suited to mixed groups, where one person wants history, another wants scenery, and someone else wants crafts, an aquarium, or a family attraction.

It also suits visitors with only one day for a broad look at the island. You will not become an expert on Mdina, the Blue Grotto, or Valletta Waterfront in six hours, but you will sample several very different sides of Malta.

I would hesitate if you are a couple watching your budget, since the fixed group price becomes expensive with only two people. I would also hesitate if your priority is a slow visit to one place. The schedule is busy, and the optional admission charges can push the total higher.

Pickup is offered, mobile tickets are available, and service animals are allowed. Most people can participate, and the tour is near public transportation. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. After that point, the amount paid is not refunded, and changes are not accepted.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want convenience, a private vehicle, a broad Malta sampler, and a social countryside meal with a generous wine offering. The food and wine appear to be the experience’s most praised element, and the private setup is useful for a group of up to eight.

Skip it if you want long visits, guaranteed detailed guiding, or the lowest possible price. Before paying, confirm the guide’s language ability, the exact lunch arrangements, and which entrance fees you want to add. With those points clear, this can be a pleasant and efficient first look at Malta, with the countryside platter providing the day’s most memorable pause.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at 9:00 a.m. in Valletta, Malta. Pickup is offered.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately six hours.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your private group participates, with a maximum group size of eight people.

What food is included?

The experience includes a full Maltese platter with meat, goat cheese, olives, and other snacks in the countryside.

Is wine included?

Yes. Unlimited red and white wine are included with the countryside food experience.

Are entrance fees included?

Admission is listed as free at Mdina, Ta’ Qali Crafts Village, Blue Grotto, and Valletta Waterfront. Admission to the Malta National Aquarium and Popeye Village is not included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience starts. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded.