4 Hour Highlights of Malé Walking Tour: Discover History, Religion and Culture with Secret Paradise

Discover the history, religion, and culture of Malé, the capital of the Maldives, on this 4-hour walking tour. Explore the fish market, visit historical landmarks, and enjoy a refreshing break at a local café.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

The tour begins with an introduction to Male and its harbor area, a crucial element for any island nation.
As you pass by the city’s oldest school, discover insights into the education system and understand why the Maldives boasts a 98% literacy rate. Visit Hukuru Miskiiy - the Old Friday Mosque and the tomb of Abu-al-Barakaath to learn about the…

What's Included
  • Secret Paradise Local guide
  • Safety Briefings
  • Tea and coffee
  • Snacks
  • All Local Tax
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Pick Up from airport, hotels in Hulhumale and Malé at a charge of $25 two pax.
Additional Information

Explore the streets of Male, the Maldives’ capital city, with the acclaimed Hulhumale tour service offered by TripAdvisor. Learn about the city’s historical background, religious significance, and cultural heritage as it emerges from the Indian Ocean. Join your Secret Paradise local guide for an immersive adventure at the local and fish markets….

Location
Jetty Number 5
Boduthakurufaanu Magu
Jetty 5 us located opposite the Bank of Ceylon. Note this tour is not suitable if you are staying on a private island resort.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(171 Ratings)
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Cboggie44
Jul 10, 2025
Great tour of Malé! - We hoped to learn about the history of the Maldives during our layover before going to our resort. This tour provided just that! Great tour of cultural and historic sites and the markets around the city. Definitely bring a hat, sunblock and bug screen! Ub was a great guide and we highly encourage anyone to book this tour to learn and see the Maldives outside of your resort!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_g
Jun 24, 2025
A fascinating little capital well worth seeing. - Finding “pier 5”, (the meeting spot) wasn’t at all obvious & Malé is very warm and humid. Expect to get sweaty! However this 4 hour tour tries to stay in the shade as much as possible and the length is necessary to cover all of the sights of the city. The walking is leisurely and on the flat. It was interesting and informative as the guide was a local & very knowledgeable with good English. To go in to the mosques long trousers are or a lungi is necessary to cover the legs. The coffee stop is a welcomed break from the humidity as it’s in an air conditioned cafe which has toilet facilities too. Overall, the tour of this small capital city is fascinating & is well worth doing.
Review provided by Viator
Fiona
Jun 6, 2025
Cultural and historical insights - An excellent insight into Maldivian history, culture, traditions and current affairs. We learned so much from Shark, our guide, who is knowledgeable, informed and personable. Absolutely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mattblaze
Apr 20, 2025
Highly recommend Secret Paradise! - While booking our trip to the Maldives, my mom and I knew we wanted to spend at least a bit of time in the capital city instead of booking a boat transfer straight from the airport to our resort as many other travelers seemed to be doing. Rather than wandering the city and wondering to ourselves what exactly it was that we were seeing, we hoped to enlist the help of a local tour guide who could answer our questions. It didn’t take long before I stumbled across Secret Paradise, which impressed me with their environmental advocacy, commitment to sustainable tourism, and active social media presence. Without hesitation, I booked a four-hour walking tour on the day of our arrival and quickly connected with our tour guide Kamey via WhatsApp. My mom and I met Kamey on the afternoon of our arrival for what wound up being a private tour for just the two of us. We appreciated his enthusiasm, patience, and professionalism while introducing us to Male’s architecture, culture, education system, history, languages, politics, religion, and wildlife during our tour. Indeed, we left no stones unturned as we traipsed across one of the world’s most densely populated capital cities, carefully guided by Kamey. I would highly recommend Secret Paradise to travelers of all ages, especially those interested in sustainable tourism for a country disproportionately affected by climate change. Ruth, Kamey, and the rest of the Secret Paradise team are clearly making meaningful contributions to the local community, and it was a pleasure to learn more about our holiday destination before embarking on the rest of our journey. Thank you, Ruth and Kamey!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Worldtrvler76
Apr 17, 2025
Amazing Walking Tour with Archie - A Must-Do Experience! - I had the pleasure of taking a walking tour with Secret Paradise in Malé, and it was an unforgettable experience! I was lucky enough to have Archie as my guide, and even luckier that it was just the two of us on the tour. After spending a relaxing few days at my resort, I was thrilled to explore the capital with someone who truly knows the city. Archie was incredibly knowledgeable and gave me a unique insight into Maldivian life that only a local could provide. The tour was a perfect mix of history, architecture, and fun facts, which helped me truly appreciate the culture and the island’s rich heritage. We also visited a local market, which was a fantastic way to immerse myself in the daily life of Malé. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to get a deeper understanding of the Maldives beyond the resort experience. It’s a perfect way to discover the capital, and I couldn’t have asked for a better guide than Archie!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Golflaquinta
Mar 10, 2025
Malé, an Amazing Place - Our guide, Ahmed, was very charming and informative. We enjoyed learning about the history, the culture and the modern day Malé from Ahmed, who shared many personal anecdotes of his life in Malé. We had visited Malé several years ago when we just walked around the town. It is so much better to have a guide that explains his country, filling in the color and texture of the place with things you would never know without his service.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_w
Mar 3, 2025
4 hour walking tour Malè - Wonderful tour lead by Ube. Meeting point was fairly easy to find. Was a hot day and we were grateful we could find shade to stop and chat about the stops along the way about the history and current life of Malè. It was an easy pace and time flew. We loved the fish & food market with a shared passion of the ocean. The stingray spot was amazing on the waterfront.
Review provided by Viator
Ingridjon
Apr 5, 2025
Interesting excursion/tour - Very ambitious, knowledgeable and nice guide! It would be easier to understand, for example, the history of the Maldives if the details were removed and the story was given a clear structure. Thanks for an interesting excursion/tour!
Review provided by Viator
Alan_b
Mar 29, 2025
Hot walk - It was too hot and humid for this kind of tour, our mistake, but the guide stopped in the shade and always had a space for us to sit down while we listened to his stories and great information, we had a stop In an air conditioned resto for a drink, thank goodness, that stop revived us! Very good all in all
Review provided by Viator
Tom_d
May 2, 2025
No show - We booked this tour two days in advance because there is not a lot to do on Male. We got to the pick up place at 1:45. The tour was suppose to start at 2. No one showed up. No texts in advance let us know anything so we could have plan something else. No sorry we're running late. We stayed there until 2:25. So we were very upset to say the least. So be warned.
Review provided by Viator
From $60
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).