Wake up bright and early at around 8. Head to the kitchen and make yourself a good breakfast that will keep you going for a while. Prepare some sunblock and a hat, since our Maltese sun is quite hot and the UV index is usually high - we don't want you getting sunburnt. You can have a look at our Maltese weather forecast here.

Catch any bus to Valletta Central Station, from the bus stop just 20 metres down the road. These are a list of places which one can visit in Malta's capital city:

Casa Rocca Piccola
Here, one can see a collection of paintings and other valuables, while getting to know how Maltese nobility has lived over the last 400 years. The opening hours for Casa Rocca Piccola are 10am to 4pm daily, excluding Sundays and Public Holidays. For more information please visit their site.

St. John's Co-Cathedral
This grand building was designed by Gerolamo Cassar (1520 - c. 1586) , a Maltese architect. Here one can find the famous paintings of Mattia Preti and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The beheading of St John is the most famous painting in the church's oratory. For more information please visit their site.

The Church of Saint Paul's Shipwreck
This church is similar to St. John's Co-Cathedral, but on a smaller scale. One can find baroque carvings which cover almost the entire area of the church. There is no admission fee.

Manoel Theatre
This theatre, being the second oldest theatre in Europe, first opened to the public in 1732 and is still in use today. The Manoel Theatre has guided tours of the auditorium, back stage and the theatre museum. The museum boasts various items of memorabilia from three centuries of theatrical history on the Maltese Islands.

Grand Master's Palace
The Grand Master's Palace is the office for the President of Malta, whilst also having the House of Parliament. One of the main attractions is the Council Chamber where one can find priceless tapestries woven in France, which were given to the Order by the Grand Master. The other rooms and passages are all furnished with old coat of arms and armour, and other art objects.

Merchant Street Market
Want to grab a bargain? Visit the market on Merchant Street sometime in the morning and you'll be surprised at how many hawkers you can find.

Mosta, Ta' Qali Crafts Centre, Mdina
Go down to the Sliema Front and catch the direct bus, number 65 taking you to Mosta and Mdina via Ta' Qali.

Your first stop will be Mosta. In this town, make sure to visit the Rotunda (the church of St. Mary). Although you might not be the religious kind, it is still worth the visit. This church has a huge dome which is the fourth largest in the world. Entrance is free.

Next, catch the bus from where you got off, and go to Ta' Qali Crafts Centre. This former World War II military aerodrome has been converted into a local hand-crafts centre. This is the ideal place to buy souvenirs, since one can find traditional Maltese items such as traditional lace, glass blowers, ceramics, pottery, jewellery and knitwear. One can also find the Aviation Museum in the crafts centre.

Your next stop, after catching the same number 65 bus again, is Mdina.

Mdina, also known as the Silent City. Mdina got this name because no cars are allowed inside the fortified city except for the people living there. Mdina is one of Europe's finest examples of an ancient walled city. Walking through this medieval city is a magnificent experience: narrow streets open on to peek into alleyways, footsteps echo on the stone paving and squares open up without warning. With breathtaking views and charm, the Silent City is not one to be missed.

Palazzo Falson Historic House Musuem
At Palazzo Falson you can see an uncommon collection of arts and antiques, which include paintings, furniture, silver, armour, jewellery, coins etc. This collection was brought together by the Palazzo's most recent owner and resident, Captain Olof Frederick Gollcher, an artist, philanthropist and devoted collector.

(The Palazzo opens from Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 5pm)

While in Mdina why not try out some traditional Maltese dishes. Amongst many appetising dishes, one can find Stuffat tal-Fenek [Rabbit Stew], Stuffat tal-Qarnit [Octupus Stew], Bragioli [Beef Olives], Bigilla [a dip made with beans and garlic]. These go well with our own Maltese beer (Cisk) and our non-alcoholic soft drink (Kinnie).

A DAY IN GOZO

Today you have to wake up as early as possible to make sure that you get the most out of the day! You can go down to the Sliema front and book a guided tour with one of the many tours offered.

On the other hand if you are adventurous, why not visit Gozo on your own? From the Sliema front, catch the 645 bus, and get off at the last stage - Cirkewwa. Here, you can board the Ferry and in around 30 minutes, arrive in Gozo. You can then have breakfast at one of Gozo's restaurants at Mgarr.

From Mgarr, you can catch a bus which takes you to the bus terminus. Here you can take a bus to Citadella. Citadella is one of the ancient cities in the Maltese Islands. It had the task of monitoring the battles in the Great Siege. Since it is a fortification, one can encounter many historical monuments whilst enjoying the breath-taking views. In Citadella, one can find the baroque Cathedral which is dedicated to Santa Marija, or precisely the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Other interesting places to visit in Citadella are; the Law Courts, the Bishop's Palace, the Museum of Archaeology, the Folklore Museum and of course the Old Prisons.

Our Lady of Ta' Pinu Basilica
The National Shrine and Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu is a Roman Catholica Basilica situated in the village of Gharb. The shrine was visited by Pope John Paul II during his visit on 26th May 1990, where His Holiness celebrated Mass. On 18th April 2010, Pope Benedict XVI donated and places a Golden Rose in front of the devotional image of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu.

VISITING HAGAR QIM

Hagar Qim, is the 5,000-year old, best preserved temples in Malta. Hagar Qim is located around 2km from the village of Qrendi and is just a short walk from the Mnajdra Temples.

One must catch bus number 38 from the Valletta terminus which will stop at Qrendi. There is about 20 minutes walk until you come across the temples. The opening hours are daily from 9am till 5pm.

WIED IZ -ZURRIEQ & BLUE GROTTO

After visiting the temples, one can go down to Wied iz-Zurrieq where there are many restaurants which all have beautiful, breath-taking views. A must for all tourists is a 20 minute ride on a boat to Blue Grotto. This is a number of sea caves just under Wied iz-Zurrieq. The location of the caves combined with the sunlight lead to the water mirroring showing numerous shades of blue. Some caves show phosphorescent colours of the underwater flora while other caves show a deep shade of blue. The Blue Grotto was also used for a scene in the 2004 movie, 'Troy' which starred Brad Pitt. One can also swim here or just enjoy an ice cream and the beautiful scene of Filfla, the small uninhabited island just 5 kilometres away from Malta.