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Second World War Tour: Valletta and Vittoriosa
4.0
37 Ratings
Valletta
On this expedition featuring the Second World War and British history from 1798 to 1979, you’ll be exploring Vittoriosa and Valletta. Access to the War Museum and the Air Shelters is also incorporated.
On this expedition featuring the Second World War and British history from 1798 to 1979, you’ll be exploring Vittoriosa and Valletta. Access to the War Museum and the Air Shelters is also incorporated.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Fort St Elmo - National War Museum - In Valletta, there will be free time for lunch and a walking tour, followed by a visit to the Malta War Museum located at Fort St. Elmo. This fort, originally constructed by the Knights, was later adapted for British military use. The museum features numerous exhibits, including the fuselage of a legendary…
- Fort St Elmo - National War Museum - In Valletta, there will be free time for lunch and a walking tour, followed by a visit to the Malta War Museum located at Fort St. Elmo. This fort, originally constructed by the Knights, was later adapted for British military use. The museum features numerous exhibits, including the fuselage of a legendary Gloster Gladiator and an E-boat (human torpedo).
- Vittoriosa Waterfront - Birgu Waterfront - The tour starts in Vittoriosa, where visitors can explore fortifications dating back to the Knights’ era, later utilized by the British for defense. The tour includes a visit to the maze-like underground Air Raid shelters, offering a glimpse into the conditions during what is known as the Second Great Siege of Malta. These bomb shelters were carved into solid rock and expanded as the war continued.

What's Included
- Pick up and drop off from Hotel or nearest point
- Local taxes
- Licensed Local Guide
- Entrance Ticket for Air Shelters & For St. Elmo
- Pick up and drop off from Hotel or nearest point
- Local taxes
- Licensed Local Guide
- Entrance Ticket for Air Shelters & For St. Elmo
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Location
Fort St Elmo - National War Museum
Mediterranean Street
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.0
(37 Ratings)
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1 star
Diane
Dec 15, 2025
Excellent informative history tour. - Excellent guide. I think his name was Michael. Apologies for not being certain. He absolutely made our day. He recollected memories from his childhood in Malta, especially of the uncertainty around independence. He was very entertaining with a dry wit.
The tour went first to the war museum in Vittoriosa. It was so interesting. You have to wear hard hats to descend into the tunnels built to shelter from the bombing. Truly a horrifying prospect. Some of the tunnels are low and narrow…not really suitable for anyone with back issues or walking difficulties. There are steps and places you have to stoop for a distance. Excellent tour in the tunnels from possibly Trevor, names not my strong point! There is a lot to see if you aren’t able to manage the tunnels.
We then were taken to the lift which for a small fee takes you up to the Barraka Gardens. This was a slight deviation to facilitate a client who was struggling a little with walking. We arrived in good time for the midday gun. We then would our way through the streets with various stops to hear about significant buildings or events. We then had a little free time to grab a light lunch.
After regrouping we walked down through the city to the huge sight that is Fort St Elmo, the National War Museum where the original George cross is displayed. We walked around this site without Michaela’s you could then choose what interested you. The return transport collected the group at 3.30pm. A very, very interesting excursion if you like history. Thank you Michael for your humour and thoughtfulness.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dale_p
Sep 27, 2025
Seige of 1562 and World War 2 - Shaky start to tour with the pick up. Supposedly related to heavy traffic - but the issue was resolved when the tour company sent a Taxi to pick us up and meet the bus.
Guide, Miriam, was excellent! Knowledgeable about Malta history and ww2. She spoke clearly and loudly so everyone could hear.
Review provided by Viator
Christine
Apr 20, 2025
Busy - Great tour. But would have liked to linger longer. Whistle stop tour. 15/20 minutes at each stop. Did the evening your as it was cooler
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hrund2016
Sep 5, 2025
Good tour, Valletta and WW2 information - Nice, friendly guide, the tour is more concentrated on the history and buildings in Valletta, the only WW2 items ( guns, medals, uniforms and more ) are in the fort. There are no warships to see as the photo shows.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Simon_w
Jun 14, 2025
Would have liked a bit... - Would have liked a bit more WW2 content rather than just general Maltese history. Watch out for the heat in the afternoon at the fort.
Review provided by Viator
Roving41033361135
Oct 13, 2025
Great Museums Poor Tour - Pro’s - the two museums visited were excellent with lots of information. The air raid tunnel tour by the museum curator Umberto was especially moving, providing an insight into the conditions endured by the civilian population.
Cons- We were told it was a small group tour, there were 45 which is too large for the guide to give out much information. The guide didn’t give much information relating to WW2, although the local information given on the bus was interesting. Only 1 hour spent at the air raid tunnel museum (St Elmo) and 1.5 hrs at Malta at War which is not long enough. As we were on a feeder van we were dropped at an interim location and then waited 30mins for the main bus to arrive.
Conclusion- don’t book the tour and visit the museums alone. Use taxi, ferry or local bus for a quicker journey.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Abigail362
May 23, 2025
Good museums Poor guide - The two museums we visited were worth seeing , especially Malta at War and the tour of the shelter with Umberto.
The guide we had for the whole trip had problems with the speaker on the bus. He didn’t really seem to know his history and I think if we had been on our own we would have found out more information from the boards up around Valletta and the museum at St Elmo.
Very disappointed with the guide but not the museums , so catch local buses would be my recommendation
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scott_s
May 19, 2025
A WW2 museum tour, not a WW2 in Malta tour. - Wasn’t really a WW2 Tour. It was mainly a pickup and transportation service and tickets to museums with WW2 info. I did liked that guide gave some personal insight into his family’s WW2 experiences, but it was more about Malta than WW2.
Review provided by Viator
Storyteller622410
Oct 17, 2025
Beware of dropdown options when booking - Very disappointed to miss out on this tour through no fault of our own. We selected our hotel from the dropdown menu at the time of booking and received numerous emails all confirming this. On the morning of the trip we waited 45 minutes before contacting the tour company. They informed us that they did not pick up from our hotel and the tour had already begun. She offered us a refund which we accepted but our planned day was then ruined.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janine_a
May 3, 2025
WWII Malta tour - The actual WWII parts of this tour where the air raid shelters and the museum at Fort Elmo. The majority of the tour was Malta history from it was discovered.The guide spoke about architecture and bits about Napoleon etc. We had to stand and read cards at St Elmo which was expected but no history about the actual bombing raids VERY DISAPPOINTED
Review provided by Viator
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