MALTA, SARDINIA & CORSICA

Day 1 | Wednesday 1 September
Arrive Valletta, Malta
Malta has occupied a strategic position at the centre of the Mediterranean for millennia, attracting successive civilisations whose legacy is woven throughout the islands. Our tour begins in Valletta, the magnificent fortified capital dramatically positioned between two of Europe’s finest natural harbours. After gathering in the hotel, we set out on a short afternoon orientation walk through Valletta’s historic streets. The remainder of the evening is at leisure, allowing time to settle in before the discoveries ahead. Overnight Valletta

Day 2 | Thursday 2 September
Valletta
Built by the Knights of the Order of St John following their victory in the Great Siege of 1565, Valletta stands as one of Europe’s greatest planned Renaissance cities. Behind its imposing bastions lies a city of grand churches, palaces and public spaces, which we explore on a guided walking tour this morning. Highlights include the Upper Barrakka Gardens and the richly decorated St John’s Co-Cathedral, home to two masterpieces by Caravaggio – St Jerome and the monumental Beheading of St John. We then turn our attention to a far earlier chapter of Malta’s history with a visit to the extraordinary underground Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni, a UNESCO World-Heritage site dating from around 4,000 BCE, together with the nearby Tarxien Temples, whose remarkable stone carvings reveal the sophistication of Malta’s prehistoric civilisation. In the evening we gather for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Valletta (B, D)

Day 3 | Friday 3 September
Gozo
Separated from Malta by a narrow channel, Gozo has preserved some of the Mediterranean’s most remarkable prehistoric remains alongside a distinctive rural landscape. This morning we cross by ferry to the island for a guided exploration of the UNESCO World-Heritage site of Ġgantija, whose megalithic temples predate both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. We then continue to the fortified Citadella at Victoria before visiting Xlendi Bay and travelling to the dramatic coastal landscape of Dwejra. Lunch is enjoyed at a local restaurant overlooking the Marsalforn seafront before we return to Valletta by ferry for an evening at leisure. Overnight Valletta (B, L)

Day 4 | Saturday 4 September
Għar Dalam
Before human habitation, Malta was home to a remarkable array of now-extinct animals whose fossil remains preserve an important record of the island’s ancient environment. Following a talk in the hotel this morning, we travel south to explore the cave and museum at Għar Dalam, where fossil remains reveal a chapter of Malta’s history stretching back to the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. We then continue to the colourful fishing village of Marsaxlokk, where lunch is enjoyed, before visiting the historic Three Cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, including St Lawrence Church and the Inquisitor’s Palace. We conclude the day with a cruise around the Grand Harbour, offering a striking perspective of Malta’s fortified waterfront. Overnight Valletta (B, L)

Day 5 | Sunday 5 September
Mdina & Mosta
For centuries, the fortified city of Mdina served as Malta’s political and administrative centre, while the surrounding countryside preserves landscapes shaped by successive civilisations. We begin with a stop at the Dingli Cliffs, where sweeping views extend across the Mediterranean to the uninhabited islet of Filfla, before continuing to Mdina. A guided walk explores the city’s narrow medieval streets and imposing bastions, revealing the layers of history that have earned it the title of the ‘Silent City’. Lunch is enjoyed at a local restaurant before we continue to Mosta to visit its remarkable domed church. Inspired by Rome’s Pantheon, the Rotunda of Mosta is crowned by one of the world’s largest unsupported domes. On return to our hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Valletta (B, L)

Day 6 | Monday 6 September
Sardinia & Cagliari
The Grand Master’s Palace stood at the centre of the Knights of the Order of St John’s rule over Malta for more than 250 years, serving as both the official residence of the Grand Master and the administrative heart of the Order. This morning, we visit the recently restored palace before returning to the hotel to collect our luggage and transfer to the airport for our flights to Cagliari. On arrival in Sardinia’s colourful capital, we transfer to our hotel, where a welcome drink is followed by a light dinner. Overnight Cagliari (B, D)

Day 7 | Tuesday 7 September
The Castello District
Rising above the harbour, Cagliari’s Castello district has been the island’s political and defensive heart since the Pisan period, its commanding position reflecting centuries of contest for control of Sardinia. Following a talk in the hotel, we explore the hilltop quarter with a local guide, including the Bastione di Saint Remy, before continuing along Via Lamarmora to the 13th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria. After a break for lunch, we then visit the National Archaeological Museum, whose outstanding collections trace the island’s history from the prehistoric Nuragic civilisation through the Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman periods, providing an essential introduction to the archaeological sites explored over the coming days. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Cagliari (B)

Day 8 | Wednesday 8 September
Nora
The ancient city of Nora provides one of Sardinia’s clearest insights into the island’s Phoenician and Roman past. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BCE, it later flourished under Roman rule as an important commercial and administrative centre. Today we travel to the archaeological site for a guided exploration of its temples, baths, streets and mosaics, which reveal the city’s long and prosperous history. Lunch is enjoyed overlooking the coast at a local restaurant before we continue to the nearby town of Pula, with time to explore its attractive historic centre. We return to Cagliari later in the afternoon. Overnight Cagliari (B, L)

Day 9 | Thursday 9 September
Su Nuraxi
The Nuragic civilisation remains one of the Mediterranean’s most distinctive prehistoric cultures, leaving behind thousands of enigmatic stone towers, sacred sites and monumental tombs found nowhere else in the world. Departing Cagliari, we first visit the Romanesque Sanctuary Church of Santa Maria di Uta before spending time in the village of San Sperate, renowned for its colourful murals. Continuing north to Barumini, lunch is enjoyed at a local café before we visit Casa Zapata, where the remains of a Nuragic settlement lie beneath a 16th-century Spanish noble residence. Our exploration culminates at the UNESCO World-Heritage site of Su Nuraxi, the island’s finest surviving Nuragic complex, whose imposing towers and interconnected dwellings reveal the sophistication of this remarkable Bronze Age civilisation. We then continue to the Church of San Pietro Apostolo to view the Retablo del Maestro di Castelsardo before arriving in Oristano for a welcome drink and dinner. Overnight Oristano (B, L, D)

Day 10 | Friday 10 September
Tharros & Cabras
The Sinis Peninsula preserves some of Sardinia’s most important archaeological sites, where successive Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman settlements developed alongside the enduring Nuragic presence. This morning, we travel to the Sinis Peninsula, beginning with a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Cabras, whose collections include the extraordinary Giants of Mont’e Prama – monumental stone sculptures that have transformed scholarly understanding of Nuragic civilisation. We then board a small tourist train to the ancient city of Tharros for a guided exploration of its temples, streets and harbour, revealing its long history as one of the island’s principal Mediterranean ports. Lunch is enjoyed overlooking the coast at San Giovanni di Sinis before we return to Oristano later in the afternoon. Overnight Oristano (B)

Day 11 | Saturday 11 September
Santa Cristina & Bosa
The remarkable sanctuary of Santa Cristina provides further insight into the sophistication of Sardinia’s Nuragic civilisation, with its beautifully preserved sacred well regarded as one of the finest achievements of Bronze Age engineering on the island. Leaving Oristano behind, we travel north for a guided visit before continuing to the picturesque riverside town of Bosa. After a break for lunch, there is time to wander its colourful historic centre, after which we follow Sardinia’s spectacular western coastal road to Alghero. After checking into our hotel, we gather for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Alghero (B, D)

Day 12 | Sunday 12 September
Alghero
Unlike much of Sardinia, Alghero retains a strong Catalan identity, reflecting centuries of Aragonese rule that have shaped its architecture, traditions and even its language. Our walking tour this morning explores the winding cobbled streets of the fortified old town, with its lively piazzas and historic churches enclosed within imposing sea walls. The afternoon is then at leisure to further explore the city, with the opportunity to join an optional excursion to the spectacular Grotte di Nettuno, before we reconvene this evening for a lecture in the hotel. Overnight Alghero (B)

Day 13 | Monday 13 September
The Costa Smeralda & Corsica
Northern Sardinia reveals the remarkable continuity of the island’s history, where Romanesque churches and Bronze Age monuments stand within the same landscape. Leaving Alghero behind today, we first visit the striking Basilica of Santissima Trinità di Saccargia, a masterpiece of Pisan Romanesque architecture whose striking black-and-white stonework makes it one of Sardinia’s most celebrated medieval churches. We then continue to the seaside village of Baia Sardinia on the island’s north-east coast, where we pause for lunch before exploring the monumental Giants’ Tomb at Coddu Vecchiu and the remarkably preserved remains of a Nuragic village at La Prisgiona. We then transfer to Santa Teresa di Gallura to board the ferry to Corsica. Arriving in the dramatic harbour of Bonifacio, we transfer to our hotel before dinner together this evening. Overnight Bonifacio (B, D)

Day 14 | Tuesday 14 September
Bonifacio
Named after Boniface II of Tuscany, who established the settlement in 828 CE, Bonifacio occupies one of the Mediterranean’s most dramatic natural settings, perched high above a strategic harbour on Corsica’s southern coast. Its commanding position made it a prized possession for successive Pisan, Genoese and French rulers, whose fortifications transformed the town into one of the island’s strongest defensive centres. Our guided walking tour this morning explores the fortified citadel, where narrow medieval streets and imposing ramparts reveal this layered history. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to further explore the town before we reconvene for a talk in the hotel. Overnight Bonifacio (B)

Day 15 | Wednesday 15 September
Sartène & Filitosa
Perched high above the Rizzanese Valley, Sartène has changed little over the centuries, its granite houses and winding streets preserving the character of one of Corsica’s most historic towns. Departing Bonifacio today, we travel to Sartène for a guided walk through its medieval centre before visiting the Prehistory Museum, whose collection of carved statues-menhirs provides important insight into the island’s Bronze Age cultures. After a break for lunch, we then continue to Filitosa, one of the Mediterranean’s most significant prehistoric sites, where remarkable megalithic monuments and carved standing stones have survived for thousands of years. Our final journey north brings us to our hotel in Ajaccio, with dinner tonight enjoyed at a local restaurant. Overnight Ajaccio (B, D)

Day 16 | Thursday 16 September
Napoleon & Ajaccio
Ajaccio is inseparable from the life and legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was born here in 1769 and whose rise to power reshaped the political landscape of France and Europe. Today, our guided walking tour explores the city’s elegant historic centre, including the cathedral where Napoleon was baptised, the Salon Napoléon in the Town Hall, and Maison Bonaparte, his birthplace and family home, now preserved as a museum illustrating his early life and the rise of the Bonaparte family. After free time for lunch, we then continue to the Fesch Museum, founded by Napoleon’s uncle, Cardinal Joseph Fesch, and home to one of France’s most important collections of Italian Renaissance painting, before visiting the nearby Chapelle Impériale, the final resting place of several members of the Bonaparte family. The remainder of the afternoon is then at leisure to further explore Ajaccio at your own pace. Overnight Ajaccio (B)

Day 17 | Friday 17 September
Scandola Nature Reserve
The west coast of Corsica is home to some of the Mediterranean’s most spectacular coastal scenery, where dramatic volcanic landscapes and striking sculptural forms have been shaped over millions of years by wind, sea and tectonic activity. This morning, we travel north along the island’s western shoreline, stopping at the remarkable Calanche de Piana, where towering red granite formations plunge into the Gulf of Porto. Lunch is then enjoyed overlooking the marina at Porto before we board a boat to explore the UNESCO World-Heritage listed Scandola Nature Reserve, accessible only by sea. During the cruise, we discover its towering sea cliffs, caves and exceptional marine environment before stopping at the isolated village of Girolata, famous for its complete lack of road access. Returning to Porto later in the afternoon, we make our way back to Ajaccio, where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Ajaccio (B, L)

Day 18 | Saturday 18 September
Corte & The Central Mountains
Nestled within Corsica’s rugged central mountains, Corte served as the island’s capital during its brief period of independence under Pasquale Paoli in the 18th century and remains an enduring symbol of Corsican identity. Our final leg of our journey takes us through the spectacular Vizzavona Forest to Corte, where a small tourist train carries us to the Musée de la Corse for a guided visit exploring the island’s history, traditions and distinctive culture. Lunch is then enjoyed at a local restaurant before we continue north towards our final destination, Bastia, pausing enroute at Ponte Novu to view the historic Genoese bridge, site of the decisive 1769 battle that marked the end of Corsican independence. We arrive in Bastia in the early evening. Overnight Bastia (B, L)

Day 19 | Sunday 19 September
Bastia
Founded by the Genoese in the 14th century, Bastia grew around its imposing fortress to become Corsica’s principal commercial port and remains one of the island’s most elegant historic cities. This morning we take a guided walking tour of the historic centre, visiting the Church of St Jean-Baptiste and the Palais des Gouverneurs, today home to the city museum. We then travel to the nearby Roman site of Mariana to visit the Cathedral of La Canonica, one of Corsica’s most important medieval churches, before continuing to the picturesque harbour town of Saint-Florent. Our route then leads through the renowned vineyards of Patrimonio before ascending to the Col de Teghime, an important World War II memorial and one of the island’s finest viewpoints. On return to Bastia, there is time to freshen up before we gather for our farewell dinner at one of the city’s fine restaurants. Overnight Bastia (B, D)

Day 20 | Monday 20 September
Depart Bastia
Our tour concludes this morning after breakfast in our hotel. There will be a group transfer to Bastia Airport to meet onward flights. (B)