Malta and Sicily Tour: St. Julian's and Taormina

Overview

The trip is for six travelers. It runs ten days door to door, with eight hotel nights. The published price is $4,350 per person with air. Delta Air Lines flies the group in economy. The outbound flight is nonstop from JFK to Malta, about 9 hours 15 minutes, and is booked through Travelin' with Theresa. The return, also Delta economy, leaves Catania Airport for JFK at 9:55 am and is about 10 hours 30 minutes. The plan does not call the return nonstop, and it does not list flight numbers or seats.

• Depart JFK at 5:05 pm. Arrive Malta at 8:20 am the next morning
• Three nights at The Westin Dragonara Resort, Deluxe Sea View with two queen beds
• One open day at the Westin, then the private Malta driver day, about 4 hours
• Ferry morning: 6:00 am pickup to the Grand Harbour, 7:00 am ferry to Pozzallo, then Taormina
• Five nights at Hotel La Pensione Svizzera, superior room with a sea view and balcony
• The next day: private Taormina walk, then three open days in Taormina
• Last morning: checkout transfer to Catania Airport, then Delta at 9:55 am, arriving JFK about 2:20 pm

The guided days match activities already on this site. Read the private Malta driver day and the private Taormina walk for the operator details. The Malta day is on the worldwide activities list. The Taormina walk is on the Italy activities list.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this Malta and Sicily tour?

Ten days door to door, with eight hotel nights: three at The Westin Dragonara Resort in St. Julian's and five at Hotel La Pensione Svizzera in Taormina. The plan is for six travelers. The published price is $4,350 per person with air.

Which hotels does this tour use?

The Westin Dragonara Resort on Dragonara Road in St. Julian's, in a Deluxe Sea View room with two queen beds, for three nights, and Hotel La Pensione Svizzera at Via Luigi Pirandello 26 in Taormina, in a superior room with a sea view and balcony, for five nights. Each stay lists breakfast for two. The plan names each room type once and does not say how many rooms the group of six uses.

Which guided days are on this tour?

A private Malta driver day, about 4 hours, for up to 8 guests, and a private Taormina walk, about 2 to 3 hours. The Taormina walk is published for up to 5 travelers, and this plan is for six, so ask Theresa how the sixth traveler is covered.

Why do the Malta arrival times differ?

The Delta flight arrives in Malta at 8:20 am. The hotel event lists a 2:00 pm check-in, and the airport pickup lists 3:20 pm for six passengers to the Westin. Ask Theresa which clock time is booked.

What is the ferry day from Malta to Sicily?

Checkout from the Westin is a 6:00 am pickup to the Grand Harbour, a 7:00 am ferry from the Virtu terminal to Pozzallo, about 1 hour 45 minutes, for six passengers, then a 9:00 am pickup at Porto di Pozzallo. One line in that pickup table names a different day than the ferry morning. Ask Theresa which day is booked.

What happens on the open days?

The day after arrival has no event, so it is open at the Westin. After the Taormina walk, three days have no events. The last morning is checkout, a transfer to Catania Airport with no clock time on the plan, then Delta at 9:55 am.

Itinerary

Clock times below are the ones written on the flights and transfers. Calendar dates, seat numbers, and flight numbers are not listed.

JFK to Malta

Delta Air Lines economy, nonstop, from JFK to Malta. Departure is 5:05 pm. The flight is about 9 hours 15 minutes, for six travelers, booked through Travelin' with Theresa.

Arrival in Malta is 8:20 am the next morning. An airport pickup is listed at 3:20 pm for six passengers. Pickup is Malta International Airport. Drop-off is The Westin Dragonara Resort. The hotel event lists check-in at 2:00 pm. Ask Theresa which of those afternoon times is the one booked.

The Westin Dragonara Resort

Three nights, from the afternoon you arrive until the ferry morning. The room on the plan is a Deluxe Sea View with two queen beds, and the plan lists breakfast for two with that room. The hotel is on a private peninsula in St. Julian's, at Dragonara Road, St. Julian's, Malta STJ 3143. The hotel page says breakfast at The Terrace and at ORVM Lounge is charged separately. Ask Theresa which breakfast this stay uses. The plan names the room type once and does not say how many rooms the group of six uses. The hotel page is The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta.

Open day in St. Julian's

The day after arrival has no event on the plan. The group is still at the Westin. That night is part of the three-night stay.

Private driver day in Malta

The private Malta driver day is about 4 hours and is limited to 8 guests. This group of six fits that cap. Pickup is included from a hotel, the cruise port, or another address in Malta, so a pickup at the Westin is part of that day. You can change the stops. Travel is in a private air-conditioned vehicle with Wi-Fi, bottled water, and a traditional Maltese snack.

Suggested stops, with free admission at each one: Mdina about 1 hour, Dingli Cliffs about 20 minutes, the Blue Grotto (Il-Hnejja) about 10 minutes, Ta' Qali Crafts Village about 20 minutes, and Valletta about 50 minutes. A boat into the Blue Grotto caves is not part of the published day. Lunch and a licensed guide are extra. The day is not wheelchair accessible. Cancel at least 24 hours before the start for a full refund.

Malta to Sicily

Check out of the Westin. A pickup at 6:00 am takes six passengers from the Westin to the Grand Harbour in Valletta. The plan does not publish a separate drive time for that ride. The carrier line says Airport Transfers.

The ferry leaves at 7:00 am from the Virtu terminal in the Grand Harbour for Pozzallo, Sicily. The crossing is about 1 hour 45 minutes, for six passengers.

A second pickup is listed at 9:00 am at Porto di Pozzallo, about 1 hour 45 minutes, for six passengers, with drop-off at Hotel La Pensione Svizzera. That pickup is on the ferry morning. One line in its table names a different day. Ask Theresa which day is booked. The hotel event lists check-in at 2:00 pm.

Hotel La Pensione Svizzera

Five nights, from the afternoon you reach Taormina until the morning you fly home. The room on the plan is a superior double with a sea view and balcony, and the plan lists breakfast for two. The hotel page describes that room as about 16 sqm for 2 guests, with a balcony over the sea. Breakfast on the hotel page is a buffet on the terrace. The hotel is at Via Luigi Pirandello 26, 98039 Taormina (ME), Italy. Corso Umberto is about a 5-minute walk, and the cable car down to the sea is nearby. The plan names the room type once and does not say how many rooms the group of six uses. The hotel page is Hotel La Pensione Svizzera.

Taormina on foot

The day after you arrive in Taormina is the private Taormina walk, about 2 to 3 hours, with up to 5 travelers. This plan is for six, so ask Theresa how the sixth traveler is covered. You pick the start time. The listing shows daily departures between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. You meet in the center. The operator's sample booking meets at Porta Messina. Hotel pickup is not included. The Pensione is a place to stay, not the meeting point.

The walk goes along Corso Umberto and the town squares, including Piazza IX Aprile, the Church of Saint Catherine, Palazzo Corvaja, Piazza Duomo, the Odeon, and Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano. The main monument is the Greek-Roman theatre, with the bay of Naxos and Mount Etna. The inclusion list names the guide, gratuities, and tickets for the theatre. A question on the same activity page says gratuities and those tickets are not included. Ask Theresa which one applies. Cancel at least 24 hours before the start for a full refund.

Open days in Taormina

The three days after the walk have no scheduled events. The group is still at Hotel La Pensione Svizzera.

Catania to JFK

Check out of the Pensione on the last morning. The plan lists a transfer pickup to Catania Airport and does not give a clock time or a passenger count on that ride. Then Delta Air Lines economy to JFK, departing 9:55 am, about 10 hours 30 minutes, arriving about 2:20 pm. The ticket is booked through Travelin' with Theresa. The plan does not name the return as nonstop.