← La Valette Marathon·Day trip

Mdina and Rabat: A Bus Day from Valletta

A bus ride inland to Mdina's gate and Rabat's Roman and early Christian sites, kept to one short circuit for tired legs.

DurationDay trip
TransitMalta Public Transport bus from Valletta to Rabat and Mdina
DepartsValletta

After the La Valette Marathon: Mdina and Rabat

The Route: Valletta → Rabat → Mdina → Valletta Logistics: Malta Public Transport bus from Valletta to Rabat and Mdina, then a short walk on foot. One out-and-back journey with no luggage. Marathon Month: March Duration: Day trip

Valletta ──(bus, check route and time)──> Rabat ──(short walk)──> Mdina Gate ──(on foot)──> Rabat ──(bus)──> Valletta

The La Valette Marathon finishes at Fort St Angelo in Birgu on a Sunday in March, which makes Monday the first free day. St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta does not take visitors on Sundays. A day inland suits the days after a race: one bus out, one bus back, and most of the effort spent sitting.

March in Malta is cool. The airport's long-term March figures give a mean maximum near 17°C and a mean minimum near 11°C, with about 40 mm of rain across the month. Light rain is plausible. The sea sits near 16°C, which is irrelevant here but explains why the coast holds no swimming plans for this trip. The summer bus timetables printed in tourist leaflets do not apply, so check the current schedule at publictransport.com.mt before leaving.

Getting there

Malta Public Transport lists routes 50, 51, 52, 53 and 56 for Rabat and Mdina. Not all of them leave from Valletta at the same frequency, so use the operator's journey planner on the day to find the next departure, and note the stop name for the return. The operator's destination page names Mdina Gate, Bastion Square and the cathedral for Mdina, and the Roman and early Christian sites for Rabat. Fares and journey times change, so treat any figure in an older guidebook as a guide only.

Plan a half day. Leaving Valletta mid-morning and returning mid-afternoon gives enough time for one circuit without a rush.

Keeping the legs in mind

Mdina and Rabat are walked on paved and stone streets with some gradient, and neither place has a flat promenade comparable to a seafront. Two or three hours of walking is plenty on the day after a marathon. Pick one compact circuit: through Mdina Gate to Bastion Square and the cathedral, then back out towards Rabat for one of the Roman or early Christian sites. Skip the underground museums if stairs are a problem, and sit down at the bastion when the legs ask.

Opening hours and ticket prices for individual sites change by season. Check each venue's own page before going rather than relying on a printed price.

Eating and getting back

Eat before leaving or after returning. Caffè Cordina at 244 Republic Street in Valletta is open from 07:30 to 23:00, Monday to Saturday.

Buses return to Valletta at similar intervals to the outward service. Check the last departure when you arrive at the stop, not when you are ready to leave.