This full day Valletta shore excursion is a popular choice for guests who have already visited Valletta itself. It covers several of Malta's smaller historic towns, plus a working crafts village, ancient catacombs, and a Roman villa.
After meeting your private licensed guide at the pier, you drive to the center of the island and the town of Mosta. Here you tour the Rotunda, the basilica dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Modeled on the Pantheon in Rome, its dome is among the largest unsupported domes in Europe, and it famously survived a direct hit from a German bomb during World War II that pierced the roof and skidded across the floor without exploding.
Nearby, the village of Ta' Qali was once a British wartime airfield. Today it's home to a working crafts village, where you can watch local artisans blow glass, assemble silver filigree jewelry, and carve local limestone, a hands on introduction to Maltese craft traditions and a good spot to pick up a souvenir made on the island.
Continuing to Rabat, you visit St. Paul's Catacombs, underground burial chambers dating to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, used by early Christian and Jewish communities. Some chambers include round stone tables carved from the rock, where families once gathered for a farewell meal. You'll also visit the Domus Romana, a Roman era merchant's villa that holds artifacts recovered across the Maltese islands alongside well preserved floor mosaics.
Finally, you cross the moat into Mdina, the walled medieval city that served as Malta's capital before Valletta was built. Strolling past the Baroque cathedral and through narrow, winding streets, you'll pass carved wooden balconies and honey colored limestone facades, with small horse drawn carriages still working the lanes. Climbing to the bastions rewards you with panoramic views over the Maltese countryside.