In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Malta
Mdina
L-Imdina
Go for a half day, arriving after 15:00 when the day coaches leave: 2–3 hours on foot covers the walls, cathedral and alleys.
Mdina is Malta's walled former capital on the ridge above Rabat, home to about 300 people and closed to outside cars. It is small enough to walk end to end in under 10 minutes, so the visit is about the cathedral, the bastion views and the lanes rather than ticking off sights. Most travellers come for an afternoon from Valletta, Sliema or St Julian's; sleeping inside the walls is a splurge with one hotel.
- Country
- Malta
- Local name
- L-Imdina
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug midday heat; cruise-ship mornings
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards work in most restaurants and shops; carry cash for kiosks, village bars and some boat trips.
- Daily spend
- Budget €35–60 excl. bed · Mid €60–110 excl. bed · High €110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- GO, Epic and Melita sell prepaid SIMs at the airport and in shops; ID required.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance and fire 112 · Mater Dei Hospital +356 2545 0000
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · UK three-pin sockets; bring a UK adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 5–10% if service is not included.; Café: Leave small change.; Taxi or ride-hail: Round up.; Boat crew or dive guide: €5–10 for good service.
- Water
- Tap water is safe but tastes of desalination; bottled or filtered water is normal in homes and restaurants.
- Toilets
- Public toilets at bus termini and main squares, some paid (€0.50); cafés and museums otherwise.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea on a terrace | €2–4 |
| Cake or dessert at a bastion café | €4–7 |
| Pizza or pasta main | €10–18 |
| Beer, draught / small shop | €3–5 / €1.50–2.50 |
| Taxi Mdina → Valletta | €20–30 |
| Bus ride on Malta's network | €2–3 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MLA · Malta International Airport
- About 25–35 min by car or taxi to Mdina; buses via Valletta or Rabat take longer
Typical fares
- Bus Mdina → Valletta
- about 30 min, €2–3
- Taxi Mdina → Valletta
- €20–30
- Cathedral and museum ticket
- adult €10, senior or student €8, under 12 free
Get around
On foot only: cars are limited to residents and most lanes are too narrow for them. The whole walled town is under 10 minutes end to end. Buses stop outside the walls at Rabat and at Mdina's own terminus; from there it is a short uphill walk to the main gate.
See and do
Known for
- St Paul's Cathedral and its museum
- Bastion views over half the island
- Car-free medieval lanes
- The 'Silent City' name
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rabat | Walk out of the main gate and downhill, 5–10 min | Under 15 min |
| Valletta | Bus from Mdina or Rabat, about 30 min depending on traffic | About 45 min |
| Golden Bay and the west coast | Bus from Rabat or Mdina toward the coast, about 30–40 min | About 1 h |
| Gozo | Bus to Ċirkewwa, then the ferry, then onward buses | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Inside the walls
- One hotel (Xara Palace) plus a few guesthouses; quiet at night, expensive, no cars past the gate.
- Rabat
- Just outside the walls, 5–10 min on foot to Mdina gate; cheaper beds, restaurants and buses.
- Valletta or Sliema
- Day-trip base; bus to Mdina takes 30–45 min depending on traffic.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | BonġuBON-ju |
| Thank you | GrazziGRAT-si |
| Please | Jekk jogħġbokyek YOH-jbok |
| How much is it? | Kemm jiswa?kem YIS-wa |
| Can I pay by card? | Nista' nħallas bil-kard?NIS-ta nHAL-las bil-kard |
| Where is the toilet? | Fejn hu t-tojlit?feyn u t-TOY-lit |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A handshake; 'bonġu' or good morning; avoid: Assuming Malta is 'like Italy' or 'like Britain' — it is its own country
- Churches: Dress modestly and keep quiet; avoid: Flash photos during services
- Festas: Join the crowds and street food; avoid: Standing in front of the band or statue procession
- Politics: Listen; avoid: Taking sides between Labour and Nationalist supporters in public
- Driving: Expect sudden stops and narrow lanes; avoid: Road rage — it escalates fast
Scams and watch-outs
- Midday in summer is hot and shadeless on the bastions; carry water.
- Coaches unload around late morning: the lanes and cathedral are busiest then.
- Church and museum opening hours change out of season and on public holidays: check before you travel.
- Souvenir shops and cafés close early in winter; the town can feel empty after dark.
Mdina is very safe: the real issues are uneven stone steps, summer heat and pickpockets in the busiest lanes when coaches unload.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mdina yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- St Paul's Cathedral and its museum
- Bastion views over half the island
- Car-free medieval lanes
- The 'Silent City' name
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Malta — Mdina: www.visitmalta.com/en/mdina/
- Heritage Malta — National Museum of Natural History: heritagemalta.org/museums-sites/national-museum-of-natural-history/
- Metropolitan Chapter — Mdina Cathedral and Museum: www.metropolitanchapter.com/mdina-cathedral-museum/
- Malta Public Transport: www.publictransport.com.mt/
- Wikivoyage: Mdina, revision 5287671 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5287671
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MdinaL-Imdina
Sa dan l-indirizz, jekk jogħġbok
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance and fire112
- Mater Dei Hospital+356 2545 0000
No embassies in Mdina; most are in Ta' Xbiex or Valletta. The US embassy is in Ta' Xbiex, the UK High Commission in Valletta (check addresses).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mdina). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.