Mosta Dome, Aviation Museum & WWII Shelters tour from Mellieha
Three stops that frame Malta's story: the dome that survived a bomb, the airfield museum, the shelter where families hid
A half-day tour of Mosta Dome, Aviation Museum and WWII Shelter near Mellieha, with transport by traditional Xarabank bus and an English-speaking guide. You'll climb to the bell tower and inner gallery of the Mosta Basilica, see the hand-dug shelter where families sheltered during air raids, tour the aircraft museum at the former RAF airfield in Ta'Qali, and finish with a Maltese platter of local savouries.
Step-by-step itinerary
Visit Aviation Museum and Mosta Dome
- Travel by Xarabank transport
- Guided tour of Aviation Museum
- Visit Mosta Basilica and dome
- Climb bell tower and inner gallery
- Explore World War II Shelter
- Enjoy Maltese Platter local savouries
What’s included
- Transport by traditional Xarabank bus.
- entrance to Mosta Basilica with access to the portico, bell tower and inner gallery.
- entry to the WWII Shelter.
- admission to the Malta Aviation Museum.
- Maltese platter with water or coffee.
- English-speaking guide throughout.
Times
- Saturday 09:00
Before you book
Operated by Supreme Travel Ltd
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
You're picked up by a traditional Xarabank (the iconic painted bus that's been part of Malta's landscape for decades), and driven to Mosta, where the Basilica dominates the skyline. The church's dome is the third largest unsupported dome in the world, modeled on the Pantheon in Rome. On April 9, 1942, a German bomb pierced it during Mass and fell into the church, but failed to explode. The Maltese interpreted this as a miracle. Your guide takes you up to the portico, into the bell tower, and through the inner gallery so you see the scale of it from inside.
Next to the church sits the WWII Shelter, dug by hand in 1940 by fifteen skilled workmen over the course of months. Families crowded into it during the continuous air raids that hammered Malta through the war. Walking through it now (narrow, cool, built into bedrock). You get a sense of what those raids meant to ordinary people. After the shelter, you eat a Maltese platter of local savouries with water or coffee, a break built into the tour's rhythm.
The final stop is the Malta Aviation Museum at Ta'Qali, housed in three hangars on the site of the former Royal Air Force airfield. The collection spans the history of aviation on the island, with particular focus on the Second World War and post-war aircraft. Some of the planes in the museum are still airworthy. Others are being restored. The museum's work is preservation as much as display: keeping these machines and the history they carry intact.
Is this one for you?The tour runs four hours with walking at three separate sites and climbing to the bell tower, so moderate fitness helps you move comfortably between stops. The Xarabank does the route work, so you're not navigating on your own.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.
What is the Mosta Dome and why is it famous?
The Mosta Basilica is Malta's largest church, with a dome modeled on the Pantheon in Rome and the third largest unsupported dome in the world. During World War II, a German bomb pierced the dome and fell into the church during Mass but failed to explode, an event the Maltese saw as miraculous. The tour takes you to the portico, bell tower and inner gallery so you experience the scale of the dome from multiple vantage points.
What will I see at the Malta Aviation Museum?
The Malta Aviation Museum is housed in three hangars at the former RAF airfield in Ta'Qali and covers the history of aviation on Malta, with emphasis on the Second World War and post-war periods. The collection includes restored and airworthy aircraft, and the museum is actively involved in preservation and restoration work.
What is the WWII Shelter and who used it?
The shelter next to Mosta Church was dug by hand in 1940 and used by families during World War II to protect themselves from air raids. It was recently opened to visitors, so you can walk through the hand-carved passages and see where people sheltered during the bombing campaigns.
How does the Xarabank transport work on this tour?
A traditional Xarabank, Malta's iconic painted bus, picks you up and carries you between the three stops. The Xarabank is part of Malta's cultural identity and gives the tour its local character.
What food is included in the Maltese platter?
The tour includes a Maltese platter of local savouries, traditional small dishes, served with water or coffee. It's eaten during the tour as a break between the Mosta stops and the Aviation Museum.
Mosta Dome, Aviation Museum & WWII Shelters tour from Mellieha
4h · EN · at your hotel
from € 50 per person
≈ US$ 57 in your currency
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