Mdina Travel Guide

Give Mdina and Rabat a day together

Enter Mdina through the main gate, walk its stone lanes and make time for the view from the bastions. The small walled city is easy to explore without a tour, but uneven paving and steps mean that a short distance can still take time. Early or late in the day, you can make the walk the main event rather than moving between paid attractions.

Rabat is just outside the walls. Use it for lunch and a separate catacombs visit, then return to Mdina if you want another walk. Staying at your Valletta base is perfectly practical for this outing; you do not need to change hotels to see both places.

Take a bus from Valletta

Malta Public Transport lists routes 50, 51, 52, 53 and 56 for Rabat. Route 51 is one useful example, serving Rabat and the Mdina stop before continuing towards Mtarfa. The Valletta–Mdina guide gives the fare and approximate riding time. Allow extra time for the wait and the walk into the gate.

On an ordinary day route, the fare is €2 in winter or €2.50 in summer, with two-hour ticket validity. A day of sightseeing will usually put the return journey outside that window, so budget for another ticket unless a pass covers it.

Visit St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat

St Paul’s Catacombs cost €6 for a standard adult ticket. Heritage Malta suggests one to two hours for the visit. Give the underground site its own block of time and wear shoes suited to steps and uneven surfaces. It is in Rabat, not inside Mdina’s walls.

Have lunch or a bakery stop in Rabat before the next walk. Pastizzi or a filled ftira can work for a light meal; choose from the current counter and menu rather than relying on an old price quoted online.

Stay nearby if you want a quieter evening

A guesthouse in Rabat gives you a base near the gate and everyday places to eat. A stay inside Mdina puts the lanes outside your door, though room choices are fewer. With heavy bags, ask where a vehicle can stop and whether the final approach has steps.

From the airport, TD1 and TD5 serve Rabat. Their fares differ: €3.50 for TD1 and €3 for TD5 without an included pass. Match the stop and departure with your arrival rather than taking the first bus with a familiar town name.

Keep a day trip budget simple

If you sleep in Valletta, keep that room in your Valletta budget and add only the outing’s transport, food and chosen admission. The city allowances below are for a stay based here. Replace the sightseeing allowance with the admission tickets or paid activities you choose, counting each cost once. Add airport and intercity travel separately, and count a shared private room once before dividing its cost.