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After our Valletta walking tour, we decided to book another – this time covering Mdina and Rabat. While Mdina is known as the “Silent City” with its maze of quiet, narrow streets, Rabat has a more lived-in old-town feel.
For around £20 per person, the tour is a great option if you’re unfamiliar with Malta’s history or want guiding around key places.
Walking Tour Quick Facts
Some quick facts about the tour we opted for:
Duration: ~3 hours
Availability: Year-round
Price: ~£20 per person (prices may vary)
Best For: History lovers, first-time visitors, and anyone who enjoys exploring on foot
How To Book: We booked through Tripadvisor
Our Tour
We booked this tour after checking out its reviews on Tripadvisor. Keep reading to find out what we got up to.
More Options
If our tour isn’t available on your preferred day or you’d like to browse other options, check out the selection below:
The Tour
Mdina Gates & City Walls
We kicked things off at the main Mdina Gate, which Game of Thrones fans might recognise as the gate to King’s Landing from Season One. It’s such a dramatic entrance, so if you want to make the most of a photo op, get there early in the day, as the bridge will get crowded.
We got to explore the city walls during our tour, which included making a stop at the “ex-railway tunnel entrance” – at least that’s what it is called on some maps. The railway stopped just shy of Mdina’s walls, and you can see the old railway station from the archway.
Later, we exited the city via the Greek Gate which we learned was once the only entrance that slaves were permitted to enter Mdina through.
Palazz Vilhena
Our guide pointed out the exterior of Palazz Vilhena, a grand building near the entrance of Mdina that now houses the National Museum of Natural History. We didn’t go inside, but the baroque architecture was pretty striking from the outside, worth popping your head in when you walk by.
Churches of Mdina
We passed a few churches on our tour, we stopped briefly at the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady where we popped in to look at the interior, and we later passed St. Paul’s Cathedral — a beautiful building, but one we didn’t enter on the tour. While the churches were mentioned in passing, there wasn’t much focus on them, so if churches are your thing, you might prefer to explore those independently.
Bastion Square Viewpoint
For me, the highlight of the tour was the stop at Bastion Square, where we stood on the Observation Deck and enjoyed views towards Mosta.
Rabat Streets & St. Paul’s Catacombs
From Mdina, we walked over to Rabat, passing a local pastizzi shop (which I tried later on) and a band club restaurant (where we went for some lunch after the tour).
The final stop on our tour was St. Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat. We began at St. Paul’s Grotto, said to be where the apostle Paul took refuge after being shipwrecked on the island. From there, we explored the catacombs themselves – a maze of underground burial chambers dating back to Roman times.
It was interesting to hear how these ancient tunnels had a second life during World War II, when they were repurposed as air-raid shelters.
You can go here outside of a tour; it costs €6 per adult, and you can explore to your heart’s content, but having the guide give a brief explanation added context. If you’ve never visited catacombs before, it’s an interesting glimpse into Malta’s ancient Christian heritage.
Final Thoughts
This tour might not be the most in-depth or jaw-dropping experience — especially if you’ve already done a history-heavy walking tour elsewhere in Malta — but it’s a simple, structured way to explore Mdina and Rabat without planning it all yourself.
If you’re the kind of traveller who prefers a little narration as you go, or you’re short on time and want to see both cities in one go, it’s a solid choice. Just keep your expectations in check and maybe plan to explore a little more solo before or after.
If you’re considering this tour, my main tips would be to wear comfy shoes, bring water, and be mindful that most tours run in the morning or mid-afternoon, so there isn’t a huge variety of start times.
Would you try a walking tour in Mdina, or do you prefer exploring solo? Let me know below!
