I wish RS did a Malta tour.

We spent most of April in Malta. Loved the country. So much history, even megalithic sites. Valletta, Mdina, and Victoria in Gozo all worth visiting. Just go.

My wife snd I spent 3 days in Malta and really enjoy the island. They had a grest public transportation system thst made visiting the sites around the island easy. They have thete own langauge, but everyone spoke English.

We spent 2 weeks in Malta a few years back and loved it. As already mentioned, the bus system is superb, making it very easy to get around. Fascinating history, amazing harbors, superb prehistoric sites. English is widely spoken. We were there off season, in January, not beach weather, but that isn’t our thing. We did enjoy the Valleta Baroque festival.

I'll echo everyone else. We came back from a week there a couple of weeks ago, and wished we had booked more. If you've only got a couple of days in Valletta, by all means include St. John's Co-Cathedral and spend a few hours at The National War Museum. Malta took a beating during World War II (it was bombed more heavily than London during the blitz), and the museum combines the military aspect with the impact of life on the local people quite well. The Lascaris War Rooms, where plans for the invasion of Sicily were made, are also a quite good place to spend an hour or two. There are bomb shelters throughout the city; a visit to one brings home what the people of Valletta endured during wartime. It's easiest to combine it with a visit to the War Rooms. If you're doing a lot of sites, check out the combined ticket options. One option covers one set of sites; the other, others.

Try to get tickets for the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum -- 3 flights down carved into the limestone over 6000 years ago. (Alas, pricey and not included in the combination ticket options. Don't let that deter you, though.) Visits with guided tours only. If it appeals, get on it as soon as you confirm your trip. We were there in early May and it was booked through July at the time. The Tarxien Temples, a short walk away, is a complex of four megalithic structures dating to 3500 BC. Combining the treasures from both is the National Museum of Archaeology, located right on Valletta's main drag. I'm not a big archeology devotee, but I found it very worthwhile.

If you're a classical music fan, you might be interested in the Manoel Theatre, one of Europe's most beautiful and acoustically amazing. Same day tickets are available, but go early. They do sell out. Be prepared to walk the hills; Valletta is on par with Lisbon and Porto. While the bus system is very extensive, they can be crowded. if you have any mobility problems and/or save time, download the Cool app (it's their Uber). It's cheap and quick, even for out-of-town destinations.

With such a short time there, we went the Tours by Locals route for getting out of the city. In a very full day, we hit the highlights outside of Valletta, ditto for Gozo. We visited Mdina during the day, but liked it so much we made a trip back at sunset for an evening stroll. The sun on the buildings was lovely and after dark it is quiet and pretty much deserted. Don't let that scare you--it's safe after dark.

I don't think you need a tour to enjoy Malta. Most people are Malti/English bilingual, it's easy to get around, and there are plenty of lodging options. We enjoyed a week in an Airbnb, but ended up eating out a lot--fantastic restaurants. I think hotels are on the high side, but obviously that's an individual call. Being old school, we found two books helpful -- the Bradt guide by Juliet Rix's Malta and Gozo and for more practical stuff, the Lonely Planet Malta & Gozo guide. Using these with the internet, we found it pretty easy to cobble together a wonderful week. Go!

It's a fascinating place, and super easy to do on your own. Really no need for a tour - people speak both Maltese and English and there are no real barriers as far as tourists are concerned. Bus system that fans out from Valetta works great and goes just about everywhere - I got a bus card good for multiple trips. My only regret was not having enough time to spend a few days in Gozo, which is a separate island accessible by ferry. It's much greener and more rural than Malta.

I don't think an RS tour could be economically viable since it would get too few takers - probably only those folks who have already been everywhere else would bother to sign up, and definitely not newbies or relatively inexperienced travelers. Most tourists in Malta are Brits, besides the folks on cruises that stop in Valletta.

I used the Bradt guide, Lonely Planet, and Malta and Gozo websites for planning - all were more than sufficient resources.

Just did six days there last month. Absolutely loved it. I rented a car for the last three days to drive around both Malta and Gozo. Wasn’t hard at all to get used to driving on the left side. The coast is absolutely gorgeous almost anywhere you go and I loved staying in Valletta. So much to do and see!

It certainly would be possible for RS to add Malta to the Sicily tour and change it from 11 days to 16 days with 5 days in Malta. I think that would be a viable option and might get a good deal of interest. There is a ferry so it may be possible to take the tour bus on it. Something to think about.

I have a trip to Malta planned in September. Keeping my fingers crossed and looking forward to it.