Mdina
The old walled capital on its hill in central Malta, known as the Silent City, with a palazzo hotel inside the walls and a starred table on the square.
- Arrival
- Malta International · MLA
- To the city
- About 7 km from the airport as the crow flies
- Private jets
- ExecuJet FBO at Malta International
- Best time
- April to October
The city
A city on a hill, inside its walls.
Mdina stands on a ridge in the centre of the island, its walls looking out over fields and villages to the sea on the far side. Inside, the streets are narrow, turning and mostly closed to cars, lined with palazzi and convents; outside the gate the town of Rabat runs on to the south. One of those palazzi, built in the seventeenth century, has been a hotel since 1999.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking the streets and the ramparts. April is already warm at about 19 °C, July and August reach 30 °C and are almost dry, and October keeps its warmth before the winter rains set in.
- St Paul's Cathedral The baroque cathedral of the walled city, its dome visible from much of the island.
- The bastions The ramparts on the north side of the city, with a view across the island to the coast.
- St Paul's Catacombs Underground burial chambers of late antiquity, cut into the rock beneath Rabat.
Arriving
Inland from Luqa.
Malta International at Luqa is the island's one airport, about seven kilometres east of Mdina as the crow flies.
- Nice 1 h 45
- Milan 1 h 55
- Frankfurt 2 h 30
- Cape Town 10 h 20 long-range jet
- Miami 11 h 35 long-range jet
When to go
April to October.
A Mediterranean island climate: dry and hot in high summer, mild and wetter in winter. Come between April and October, when highs run from 19 °C in April to 30 °C in July and August. Most of the rain falls from October to January.
- 15° J 80
- 15° F 55
- 16° M 37
- 19° A 20
- 23° M 7
- 27° J 3
- 30° J 0
- 30° A 6
- 28° S 36
- 24° O 86
- 20° N 70
- 17° D 99
Where to stay
Inside the walls, and in the gardens below.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Tables in Mdina and close by.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- De Mondion One Michelin star Modern Mediterranean €€€€ Council Square, Mdina
- Bahia MICHELIN Guide Creative €€€ Corinthia Palace, Balzan
- Grotto Tavern MICHELIN Guide Modern €€€ Rabat
Flying to Mdina?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.