Mdina

The Silent City of Malta

Malta’s Mdina stands as a quiet stronghold on the island’s north coast. Once home to nobility and officials, its stone walls enclose narrow lanes lined with centuries-old buildings. The town overlooks rolling hills and the sea, providing wide views without crowds. Inside, small cafes serve local coffee while churches preserve history through architecture and art. Mdina feels less like a tourist spot than a place where daily life continues quietly. Its calm atmosphere makes it easy to imagine stories from past centuries still lingering in each corner.

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Town in Malta

$$$

$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

See price details

Safety: 8.5

General Safety:	9
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	6
Tap water:	9

Read details

5/5

English is widely spoken in Malta, including in Mdina. Most locals, especially in tourism, are fluent, making it easy for visitors to communicate and navigate.

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Last update: 12 Oct 2026

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Mdina Summary

These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.

‘Best for’ scores:
The specific interest scores show where this place really shines – whether it's ideal for hiking, food & drink experiences, museums or other activities. These highlights help you understand what makes the destination special at a glance.

‘Your personal’ scores:
This reflects how well a place matches your personal preferences. You can adjust the importances of travel topics or other personal requirements categories in your account settings.

‘Suited for’ badges:
These give you a quick overview of how well a destination suits specific types of travellers, to help you find the places that match your lifestyle, preferences or travel situation.

Read how our scores work

Famous for quiet medieval streets. Walk historic walls, explore palaces and churches, enjoy scenic viewpoints and experience peaceful old town charm.

Place score

7.8

Best at:

Guided tours

Cosy towns

Islands

Walkable

Traditional culture

Personal score

Suited for

👶 8

Families

🧓 7

Seniors

🛡️ 9

Travel Beginners

❤️ 9

Couples

Malta – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	230 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type G Type G: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Euro (EUR) £1 ≈ €1.19
Cashless info:	Rating 4/5 Cashless payments are widely accepted, especially in tourist areas. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not obligatory but appreciated. 5-10% in restaurants and rounding up in taxis is common.
Public drinking:	There is no general ban on drinking in public, but local restrictions may apply and drunken behaviour in public can be fined. Drinking outdoors is common during festivals.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in public indoor spaces but allowed in designated areas.

Feast of St. Paul (February)	Religious celebrations and closures.
Independence Day (September)	Events and parades.
Christmas (December)	Markets and religious observances.

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 112
Taxi apps:	Bolt, eCabs, Uber
Other:	Malta is known for its rich history, stunning beaches, and friendly locals. Summers are hot.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Mdina, Malta

🌤️

Jan

☀️

Feb

☀️

Mar

☀️

Apr

☀️

May

☀️

Jun

🔥

Jul

🔥

Aug

☀️

Sep

☀️

Oct

☀️

Nov

🌦️

Dec

High season:	April - June, Sep. - Oct.
Shoulder season:	March, July - Aug., Nov.
Crowdedness:	4 (Moderate tourist numbers)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

July and August: best to explore before 11:00 or after 17:00 when the heat eases

Heavy showers from October to March can leave the narrow streets slippery

Don't miss

🏰 Walk through the ancient Mdina Gate and fortified walls
⛪ Explore the baroque St. Paul’s Cathedral and museum
🏛️ Visit Palazzo Falson for medieval art and antiques
🌳 Wander the serene Mdina Ditch Gardens and ramparts
👻 Experience the eerie Mdina Dungeons with life-like figures

You've been here?

Why travel to Mdina?

Mdina is one of the best-preserved medieval walled cities in Europe, offering a unique mix of history, architecture and quiet charm. Walking through its car-free streets feels like wandering through a movie set, which is no surprise since it has been used as a filming location for productions like Game of Thrones. By day, it's a major tourist attraction, but in the evening, when the crowds leave, it becomes a truly magical place. However, due to its compact size, a visit is best combined with nearby Rabat or other parts of Malta.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 St. Paul's Cathedral
2 National Museum of Natural History
3 Carmelite Priory
4 Bastion Square
5 The Mdina Dungeons Museum
6 Mdina Gate

🎡Places for activities

1 Roman Villa
2 Fontanella Tea Garden
3 The Mdina experience
4 Casa Bernard

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Il-Majjistral Nature & History Park
2 Golden Beach
3 Dingli Cliffs
4 Għajn Tuffieħa Bay
5 Chadwick Lakes
6 Wignacourt Museum & Saint Paul's Grotto
7 Buskett Gardens
8 Howard Gardens

🛍️Shopping

1 Mdina Glass

🎈Events

Medieval Mdina Festival
Mdina Grand Prix (Classic Car Race)
Notte Bianca (Valletta, nearby)
Malta International Arts Festival
Christmas in Mdina
Malta Jazz Festival
Holy Week Processions
Feast of St. Paul’s Shipwreck
Malta Fireworks Festival
Mdina Easter Celebrations

Explore on map

Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds and heat.
Wear comfortable shoes; streets are cobbled and gently slope along walls.
Mdina Gate and St. Paul’s Cathedral are must-see landmarks with panoramic views.
Pair with Rabat nearby for catacombs and a quiet café scene; night visits are magical.

How to travel to Mdina

Mdina is about 20 minutes from Valletta by bus or car. Malta International Airport is the nearest airport, with taxis and public buses available. Renting a car is an option, but parking is outside the city walls.

Access summary

From Malta Airport (MLA): Taxi or shuttle, about 15–25 minutes.
From Valletta: Direct bus or taxi inland to Mdina, roughly 30–40 minutes.
From Sliema/St. Julian’s: Bus connections via central routes, usually 40–60 minutes.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Mdina

Mdina has very few accommodations, mostly boutique hotels within historic buildings. More options, including guesthouses and larger hotels, can be found in nearby Rabat or central Malta.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

The Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux

Julina Boutique Living

9.7

Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa

8.1

The Heritage Boutique Accommodation

9.9

Point de vue Guesthouse

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Mdina

Mdina is pedestrian-only, so the best way to explore is on foot. A small electric taxi service is available for those with mobility issues. Buses and taxis connect Mdina to other parts of Malta, with Rabat serving as the main transport hub.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-10 %

Daily expenses in the region are around 10% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-3 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to EUR) is 3% better than in recent years. That means travelling now costs around the same compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£57	£133	£339
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£23	£56	£128
🍝 Food per day	£25	£68	£181
🚕 Transportation per day	£9	£9	£31

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£36
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£13
🍟 Fast food combo	£9.50
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£8.50
☕ Cappuccino	£1.90
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£2.20

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£2.20
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£18
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£1.20

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£15
🤧 Cold medication	£6
💇 Basic haircut	£9

Safety information overview

General safety

Mdina is extremely safe, even at night. The biggest concern is uneven cobblestone streets, so wearing good footwear is important.

Health & Medical

Healthcare in Malta is high quality. There are no major health risks in Mdina, but carry water in summer to avoid dehydration.

Accessibility

Many parts of Mdina have cobbled streets and steps, which can be challenging for wheelchairs or strollers. Some museums and restaurants offer limited accessibility.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink, but it has a strong taste due to desalination. Bottled water is widely available.

Packing recommendations for Mdina

📷

Camera

👟

Comfortable walking shoes

🚰

Reusable water bottle

Universal travel adaptor

💳

Credit card with no foreign transaction fees

Nearby recommended places

Valletta

Rabat

Gozo

Sicily

Rabat

Marsaxlokk

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Temperature:	9 – 15 °C
Water temp.:	16 °C
Rain:	79 mm (Moderate rainy days)
Crowdedness:	Not touristy

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Temperature:	15 – 23 °C
Water temp.:	18 °C
Rain:	7 mm (A few isolated showers)
Crowdedness:	Many tourists