Rabat, Mdina and San Anton Gardens
The most booked of our Mdina routes. Pairs the walled city with Rabat next door and the gardens at Attard, so you see the old capital and its surroundings together.
from €35 See availability
The old capital
Mdina and Rabat Tours
Mdina was Malta's capital long before Valletta existed and is still enclosed by its walls. Very few vehicles are allowed inside, which is where the name Silent City comes from. Just outside the gate, Rabat holds the catacombs and the Roman remains. Below are the tours that go there, then what to see and how to plan the visit.
Mdina tours you can book today
Three routes that include Mdina, from a half-day pairing with Rabat to a full day across central Malta. Prices are per adult and come from each tour's own page.
Mosta, Ta' Qali Crafts Village and Mdina
Adds the Mosta dome and the craft workshops at Ta' Qali before Mdina. The option with the widest choice of guiding languages.
from €35 See availability
Full Day: Mosta, Mdina, Valletta and Ta' Qali
A full day that reaches both capitals, old and new. Choose it if you have one day and want to cover the most ground.
from €60 See availability
What to see in Mdina and Rabat
The walled city is small and rewards a slow walk. Rabat is a short step beyond the gate and holds most of the indoor sites.
Fortifications and the plain below
The walls and the bastion views
Mdina sits on a hilltop near the centre of the island, and the bastion viewpoints look out over the fields and villages towards the sea. The walls you see today are largely the work of the Knights, built over much older defences. Walking the perimeter takes very little time and costs nothing.
The clearest views are from the bastion square; on a hazy day the coast may not be visible.
See the Mdina and Rabat tour
Narrow streets and palace facades
The Silent City on foot
Inside the gate the streets are deliberately narrow and shaded, lined with the palaces of the old Maltese nobility. Very few cars are permitted, so the noise drops away as soon as you pass through. It is a compact grid and hard to get lost in.
Some residents still live here: keep noise down in the evening and respect private doorways.
Explore the guided tour
The cathedral at the heart of the city
St Paul's Cathedral
The cathedral dominates the main square and gives Mdina the dome you see from the countryside. It is an active place of worship as well as a visitor site, with its own museum alongside. Admission is arranged separately from a walking tour.
Dress appropriately for a church visit and check whether services are running that day.
View the tour options
Roman and early Christian Malta
Rabat and the catacombs
Rabat grew up outside the walls and holds St Paul's Catacombs, an extensive early Christian burial complex, along with the Domvs Romana and its mosaics. These are the sites that explain what was here before the Knights arrived, and they are managed by Heritage Malta.
The catacombs involve steps and confined passages; check accessibility before you go.
See the Rabat itineraryPlanning your trip to Mdina
Mdina is inland, so the journey matters as much as the time you spend inside the walls.
Getting there
Mdina is roughly in the middle of the island and reached by bus from Valletta and the main resort areas. Our guided tours include road transport with pickup near the hotel areas; the exact meeting point is in your booking confirmation.
Vehicles stop at the gate
Traffic inside the walls is restricted, so every visit starts on foot at the main gate. Allow for the short walk from the coach drop-off, and for uneven stone paving once you are inside.
Combine it with something nearby
Rabat is adjacent, and Mosta, Ta' Qali and San Anton Gardens are all within a short drive. Most of our routes pair two or three of these rather than spending a whole day in Mdina alone.
Evenings are different
The walled city empties after the day visitors leave and the lighting changes its character completely. Our night route to Valletta, Mosta and Mdina is built around that, and runs in English.
Mdina questions
How long do you need in Mdina?
An hour and a half covers the streets, the main square and a bastion viewpoint. Add an hour if you want the cathedral or a museum. Most guided routes allow roughly that, then move on to Rabat or another nearby stop.
Why is Mdina called the Silent City?
Vehicle access inside the walls is heavily restricted and the population is small, so the streets are far quieter than anywhere else on the island. The contrast is most noticeable in the evening, once the day visitors have gone.
Can you visit Mdina and Rabat together?
Yes, and most people do. They adjoin each other and are separated only by the gate and the ditch. Our Rabat, Mdina and San Anton Gardens tour is built exactly around that pairing.
Is Mdina accessible with a wheelchair or pushchair?
Partly. The main streets inside the walls are flat but paved in stone, while the catacombs in Rabat involve steps and narrow passages. Tell us your requirements before booking so we can say honestly what a given route involves.
Is it worth visiting Mdina at night?
If you have already seen it by day, yes: the streets are lit and almost empty. If it is your only visit, daytime gives you the views, the cathedral and the museums, which close in the evening.
Keep exploring Malta
Other places that pair well with a day inland.