Europe
Malta
Island of Malta
Rabat
Things to Do in Rabat
St Paul's Catacombs
See all things to do

St Paul's Catacombs

See all things to do
See all things to do
St Paul's Catacombs
4
1,515
#4 of 40 things to do in Rabat
Historic Sites
Read more
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Write a review
About
St.Paul's Catacombs are a typical complex of interconnected, underground Roman cemeteries that were in use up to the 4th century AD. They are located on the outskirts of the old Roman capital Melite (today's Mdina), since Roman law prohibited burials within the city. St Paul's Catacombs represent the earliest and largest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta. The site was cleared and investigated in 1894 by Dr A.A. Caruana, the pioneer of Christian era archaeology in Malta.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
162 within 3 miles
Townhouse No3
177
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • European • Contemporary
Roman's Den Restaurant
437
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • European • Grill
Grotto Tavern
531
482 ft$$$$ • International • Mediterranean • European
Da Luigi
441
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Mediterranean • European
Il-Baxa Cafe Bar
342
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Cafe • Mediterranean • European
Chalk Cafe & Wine
154
0.1 mi$ • Cafe • Mediterranean • European
L'agape
243
316 ft$$ - $$$ • Italian • Mediterranean • European
Crystal Palace
739
0.3 mi$ • Cafe • Fast Food • Vegetarian Friendly
Step 15
88
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Santa Lucia Specjalita Artigjanali
170
0.1 mi$ • Dessert • Cafe • European
See all
Attractions
292 within 6 miles
St. Agatha's Crypt, Catacombs & Museum
418
383 ftCaverns & Caves • Religious Sites
St. Paul's Grotto
249
469 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Wignacourt Museum
227
375 ftSpeciality Museums
St. Paul's Church
169
449 ftReligious Sites
St. Cataldus Catacombs
47
256 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Casa Bernard
200
0.1 miCastles
Santa Marija ta' Gesu (ta' Giezu)
15
523 ftChurches & Cathedrals
San Katald
15
282 ftReligious Sites
St Publius Church
3
438 ftChurches & Cathedrals
Parish Square
4
468 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
1,515 reviews
Excellent
611
Very good
609
Average
228
Poor
44
Terrible
23
Mark2879
Grays Thurrock, UK17 contributions
Enjoyable half day experience
Solo
I visited on my own as my wife preferred sitting in Valletta drinking coffee. I got the bus from Valletta bus station (no 52) and it took about 45/50mins to get to Rabat. Bus was €2 each way (€4 in total)

I used my Google maps to get to the Catacombs which took about 8 minutes walking. The entry fee was €6 which I thought was fair.

The museum display is very interesting and it was nice to immerse myself for an hour or so.

The Catacombs are amazing & incredible to think about the religious beliefs and culture of our ancestors. Some of the Catacombs are better than others and these are labelled by a display on the outside.

People have mentioned in reviews about lack of labelling, I just took a picture before going down into the Catacomb.

Took me about 2 to 2.5 hours to wander round and once I was done I returned back to Vallarta by bus again about 45/50mins.

In total I think I was gone for about 4 hours so keep that in mind as I can’t see how you’d be able to make a day of it.

Would recommend.
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
CheekyLondon
Southend-on-Sea, UK1,772 contributions
The biggest and best catacombs are on the left, as you leave Rabat centre
A fascinating place where you descend to see the ancient burial places. There are steps and a handrail in all places, so you feel safe. There are two parts to the catacombs. As you walk away from Rabat centre towards the catacombs, there are two sets - one on the left and one on the right. Both are interesting but, if you want an overview and to see the most extensive ones, go to the ones on the left as these are bigger and more interesting. We bought a combined ticket for Euros 20 and this included the catacombs, the sightseeing tourist train ride, the Roman Museum and the National Museum. Good value for money!
Written June 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Gary H
Linthwaite, UK109 contributions
Best €5 I spent in Malta!
I visited St Paul's Catacombs as part of a day trip to Mdina in January. Upon arrival I was greeted by a very helpful sales assistant who sold me a ticket for €5 that included the four main parts to the attraction. These were the grotto, the WW2 shelters, the Catacombs and the museum. Whilst the first and last of these sections were ok, it was exploring the vast catacombs and shelters that proved to be the coolest part of the experience. The reason it was so amazing though was due to the fact that I visited in the off season at 10am and for the whole time (around 40 minutes) I was the only one down there. Some of the passage ways are very narrow or low and being 6ft, you did need to mind you head, but this just added to the fun of it all. Would I want to go down there in the height of summer and jostle around with loads of tourists? Probably not, but visiting during such a quiet time truly made this feel like a VIP experience.
Written January 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Katy P
24 contributions
Underwhelming
Couples
We decided to visit on a rainy day, and it was nice and quiet giving us time to explore. However after visiting several catacombs in Europe this one left us feeling underwhelmed. There was some interesting information in the museum, but all of the catacombs you can explore are empty and very similar, hence why we decided not to visit all 20+ as once you have seen one you have pretty much seen them all!

If you are going for the macabre experience of seeing the skeletons etc this isn’t for you.

By the way it seems people forget to cross the road the other 15+ catacombs
Written October 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
eastlight54
solihull188 contributions
Spooky
This was a great experience, so interesting to wander through these catacombs. Rather a tight squeeze in parts so give it a miss if you are claustrophobic. Great value as the ticket includes the WW2 shelters, the museum and St. Paul’s catacombs. Definitely a must see.
Written September 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
111AnJ111
London, UK204 contributions
Pleasant and empty during C19!
Solo
Really pleasant experience. Especially during COVID19 pandemic rules, the limited number of visitors allowed me to walk around the catacombs uninterrupted and without worrying about tight spaces (and there are a lot of them down there!).

Well-lit, with a secure flooring in all of them, useful signs allowed me to know the basic features at each entrance.

Wish the leaflet explained more about the different items in the signs at the entrances and how they differ.

The passage between the two sides of the entrances (via an exit-entrnace through the street) was not exactly easy to grasp without looking at the leaflet map. A couple of the doors were locked for maintenance, but I am okay with this.

Great thing: you can take pictures! Just no flash.
Written September 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mustafa Grump
East Garston, UK137 contributions
Not suitable for young children or the very tall
Quite small but well laid out with a smart little museum by the ticket office and one large catacomb to walk around, followed by a number of smaller catacomb entrances scattered around the site on both sides of the road. Very quiet when we visited so we could jump ahead of the single tour group that was also there to avoid queuing for the smaller sites.

One thing to note for those travelling with young children is that the tombs are clean as a whistle with no piles of skulls, partially embalmed remnants or scattered skeletons so your kids probably won't enjoy it very much.
Written October 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Francesco Aramini
Cork, Ireland30 contributions
Suggestive even if small
Couples
The catacombs are located in the city center and there is no parking space. There is a ticket to buy: €6 adults and €4,50 senior (over 65). No idea about kids. A little bit expensive for the visit but once we descended in the first catacomb (the biggest) I realized how god have been organized. All the path are illuminated by led lights and there are some “panic buttons” in case of claustrophobia attack. Some parts of the catacombs are narrow and short. I haven’t found any slippery parts even though there was a warning about it. In the visitor center at the beginning of the tour, there is a toilet. All explanations/descriptions are in English or Maltese, no other languages available.
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
jonahag_jones
Sedgefield, UK179 contributions
Remarkable but not labelled
The catacombs themselves are fascinating however they are let down by lack of labelling. Outside each catacomb is a map which labels the position of items of interest but not where the entrance is. You need to take a photo of the map and then try to follow this inside where there are no labels, direction arrows or anything to help you find the points of interest shown on the external map. They have spent a lot of money on exhibition rooms but failed to spend anything on a few labels!
Written July 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Natalia
22 contributions
You can feel the atmosphere
Couples
Even if you are not from Malta you can get student discount, so it will cost You €4,5 instead of €6.
Firstly You can get some basic information about the place from the film, which is there played every 30 minutes (yes, it is quiet long, because it takes 30 minutes, but you don't have to watch it whole). The is also small exhibition you can see firstly. Then is all about going in to catacombs. There are a lot of them, so I understand why someone can tell that it is boring, but you don't have to go in to each one. For me one of the first ones is the best. It is the biggest and you actually can feel a bit lost in corridors (of course you won't get lost, because you eventually go back to the entrance). You can also fell there the authentic atmosphere of the place. I think it is worth it.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 895
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing

St Paul's Catacombs, Rabat

Frequently Asked Questions about St Paul's Catacombs
St Paul's Catacombs is open:
  • Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking St Paul's Catacombs tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 8 St Paul's Catacombs tours on Tripadvisor
Restaurants near St Paul's Catacombs: View all restaurants near St Paul's Catacombs on Tripadvisor