Compare Affordable Malta by Great Value Vacations vs Iceland In-Depth featuring the Northern Lights by Tours of Distinction
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Trip |
4 | Great
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5 | Excellent
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Duration | 6 days | 8 days |
Price From | $ 1,635 | $ 3,699 |
Price Per Day | $ 273 | $ 462 |
Highlights |
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Trip Style | Self-guided tour | Small group tour |
Lodging Level | Standard | Luxury |
Physical Level |
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Travel Themes |
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Countries Visited | ||
Cities and Attractions |
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Flights & Transport | Airfare included | Ground transport included |
Activities |
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Meals Included | N/A |
6 Breakfasts | 3 Lunches | 5 Dinners |
Description |
Spend 5 nights in beautiful Malta! You'll be based in Qawra, a charming seaside town. There are plenty of shopping, dining, and sightseeing opportunities here! Spend your days laying on the beach and soaking up the sun! Stroll through the streets and watch the palm trees sway in the breeze. You may also wish to take day trips to nearby Valletta and Comino to experience more of Malta! |
Iceland is one of the world’s ultimate islands of contrasts… fire and ice; long nights with colorful northern lights and daylight for 20 hours; glaciers and steaming hot geysers, waterfalls galore, pretty puffins, and magical elves. It is a fierce landscape of volcanoes, plains of mossy, craggy cliffs, and black sand beaches. It is an island still being formed by water, ice, and fire and closer than you believe. |
Day 1 Welcome to Malta!
Upon arrival, you'll be transferred to your hotel in Qawra. Drop your bags and start exploring!
Day 2 Qawra
Qawra is a charming resort town found on the Mediterranean island of Malta, where marvelous rocky beaches and water sports await you. Visit the impressive Fort Tigné or the 17th-century watchtower, Julian’s Tower, to learn more about the culture of the island.
Day 3 Qawra
Today, consider a day trip to nearby Valletta! A short distance from Qawra, Valletta is a vibrant city with rich history and ample sightseeing opportunities. Stroll along the Grand Harbor in the evening before making your way back to your hotel in Qawra!
Day 4 Qawra
Take another day trip today to Comino Island and the amazing Blue Lagoon! The lagoon is easily accessible via public transportation and ferry from Qawra. Soak up the sun and the spectacular scenery!
Day 5 Qawra
Today, explore more of Qawra! Explore the charming seaside area on a day full of sun and adrenaline. Try out some beach activities such as snorkeling, diving, or simply enjoy a walk along the crisp coastline. Tonight, find a waterfront restaurant and celebrate the end of a fantastic trip!
Day 6 Depart Malta
Today, you'll be transferred to the Malta Airport in time for your flight home.
Day 1 - Depart for Reykjavik, Iceland
Transfer to the airport and check-in for your overnight flight to Reykjavik.
Day 2 - Reykjavik
Arrive in Reyjakvik and head toward the famous Blue Lagoon. The lagoon is a geothermal wonder of nature, with pleasantly warm mineral rich geothermal seawater in the middle of a lava field. The high natural levels of silica, minerals and algae give the Lagoon its rich blue colour – hence the name Blue Lagoon. Later, a city tour will show us the highlights of the capital.
Welcome dinner and overnight at your Reykjavík hotel.
Day 3 - Iceland Countryside
After breakfast, we drive north out of Reykjavik and through the tunnel under Hvalfjordur, one of the country’s longest fjords. We make a visit at the Settlement Center museum in Borgarnes. We continue through the pretty lake-dotted valleys of the Borgarfjördur district where the ice-age glacier covered the area about 10,000 years ago. We will then make a brief stop at Deidartunguhver, Europe’s largest hot spring, where around 200 liters of 97C hot water flows from the earth every second. Enjoy our short stop at the beautiful waterfalls of Hraunfossar and Barnafossar in the river Hvítá before returning to Borgarnes.
Lunch and dinner and overnight in Borgarnes.
Day 4 - Iceland Countryside
The first highlight of the day is Thingvellir, the great lava arena in a rift valley, where the divide between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates is clearly visible. Founded by the Norse settlers in 930 AD in Thingvellir, you will see the world’s oldest still-existing national parliament. Get ready to visit Gullfoss, which is often described as Iceland´s most beautiful waterfall, and the famous Geyser area, Strokkur, the world´s most active, is likely to spout several times. We make our final stop at Friðheimar, known for using geothermal heating for cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers – come and enjoy their famous tomato soup.
Light lunch in Frioheimar. Dinner and overnight in Selfoss.
Day 5 - Iceland Countryside
Today we will drive along the south coast and visit the magnificent waterfall of Seljalandsfoss. It is a narrow and high waterfall which plunges over the mountains of West Eyjafjöll. From there we head to Vík, a village east of Mt. Reynisfjall in Myrdal. In Vík and the neighboring coastline, there is a wealth of contrasts and landscapes renowned for their natural beauty. Mt. Reynisfjall and its cliffs have few rivals in Iceland for richness of vegetation and bird life and the black sand beach Reynisfjara is a large breeding colony for the Arctic tern. According to local folklore, three rock stacks rise up to 66m from the sea: Skessudrangar, Landdrangar and Langhamrar and are said to be trolls turned to stone at sunrise. Then we continue towards Kirkjubæjarklaustur, which in the old days was known as „Kirkjubær“ (Church Farm) and was an important farming village.
Day 6 - Iceland Countryside
From Klaustur, we travel along the south coast to Skaftafell. Skaftafell National Park was designated as one of Iceland´s three National Parks in 1967. Towering mountains, imposing glaciers, gulches with clear brooks and beautiful waterfalls, birch woods, a wealth of wild flowers and lush vegetation give credence to its status. The most majestic of its several waterfalls is Svartifoss (“Black Falls”) that cascade over a wall of symmetrical columnar basalt that resembles an organ. En-route to our stop for the evening, we visit glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón and the museum Þórbergssetur in Höfn. The museum is dedicated to one of Iceland‘s most significant twentieth century author, Þórbergur Þórðarson.
Day 7 - Iceland Countryside - Reykjavik
Today, we start by making a stop at the breathtaking waterfall Skógarfoss, which is 60m high and one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. After, we experience the Folk Museum at Skógar before continuing to the power plant Hellisheiðarvirkjun for a Geothermal Exhibition about geothermal energy in Iceland.
Overnight at your Reykjavik hotel.
Day 8 - Depart Reykjavik
Say goodbye to Iceland this morning as we head to the airport for our flight. Upon arrival in the USA, transfer home.