Gozo Market: Victoria's It-Tokk and Savina Square Markets
Gozo's markets centre on Victoria, with Saturday stalls at It-Tokk and a morning market at Savina Square. Here is what to expect and how to time a visit.
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Gozo has no single covered market hall. The market you are looking for is in Victoria (Ir-Rabat), the island's capital, and it comes in two parts: Saturday morning stalls on Independence Square, known as It-Tokk, and a morning market a short walk uphill at Savina Square. Expect a modest cluster of stalls rather than a sprawling bazaar, and plan the visit around a wider morning in Victoria.
This guide covers both Victoria locations, the village markets elsewhere on the island, and the shops along Republic Street that fill the rest of a market-day morning. It also covers how to arrive on foot from the bus terminus and what to see within a few minutes of the stalls.
Where the Gozo market actually is
Victoria, also written Ir-Rabat, is the capital of Gozo, and its centre is Pjazza Indipendenza, which everyone calls It-Tokk. The square is dominated by the Banca Giuratale, the building that once housed Gozo's municipal government and now serves the local council, and it is lined with open-air cafés. That is the square to aim for first.
The market is not confined to It-Tokk. A second, morning market runs at Savina Square, just a short walk up from It-Tokk, and the old grid of lanes around St George's Basilica sits immediately behind the main square. Treat the three as one compact circuit.
The Saturday market at It-Tokk
The It-Tokk market takes place on Saturday morning, when vendors set up on the main square to sell fresh produce, cheeses, olives and similar local food. Saturday is therefore the day to plan a Victoria visit around if the market is your reason for going.
Go early rather than late. A morning arrival gives you the stalls at their fullest and leaves the rest of the day for the Citadel, the basilica and other things to do in Gozo, and the cafés around It-Tokk are open for a coffee once you have finished browsing.
The morning market at Savina Square
Savina Square holds its market in the mornings, a short uphill walk from It-Tokk. It is the second stop on a market morning rather than a separate outing, and it pairs naturally with the shops and cafés on the streets between the two squares.
Savina Square also has one of Victoria's smaller parking areas, which makes it a sensible place to leave a car if you are driving in and starting the circuit from the top. St George's Square, St Francis Square and St Augustine Square have further small car parks.
Village markets in In-Nadur and Ix-Xagħra
Victoria is not the whole picture. Gozo also has open-air markets on specific weekdays in the squares of In-Nadur and Ix-Xagħra, which makes either village worth checking before you fix your itinerary.
Because the weekdays vary, confirm the day with the local council or the village's own notice before travelling across the island. Pair Ix-Xagħra with the Ġgantija Temples, both easily found on a Gozo map, and In-Nadur with the south-east coast.
Shops along Republic Street
Triq ir-Repubblika, Republic Street, is Victoria's main shopping street, running through the centre with all kinds of shops, a couple of shopping arcades, pharmacies and banks. The broader selection of shops is concentrated in the narrow streets of Victoria, with the main shopping centres on Republic Street.
Shops are commonly open Monday to Saturday, and some open on Sundays as well; the market stalls are the more reliable Sunday-morning bet. Villa Rundle Public Gardens sit at the lower end of Republic Street, a calm stop once you have finished with the shops.
Getting to Victoria and the market
Victoria's main bus terminus and main car park are just off Republic Street to the south of the centre, which puts you a few minutes' walk from it-Tokk. From the terminus, head north up Republic Street and follow the crowd into the square.
If your visit is part of a day trip to Gozo from Malta, build in time for the ferry crossing and the drive or bus up to Victoria rather than treating the market as a quick stop. On market morning, aim to be in the square by mid-morning, before the stalls thin out.
What to see after the stalls
The Citadel, Ċittadella, rises at the centre of the island above the town, and its fortifications give views across Gozo. Inside are the Interpretation Centre, the Cathedral Museum, the Museum of Archaeology, the Folklore Museum, the Gozo Nature Museum and the Old Prison, so it can absorb the rest of a morning.
Back at street level, St George's Basilica stands in a small square just behind It-Tokk, and the lanes around it are worth a wander. Il-Haġar Museum, a cultural centre covering Gozo's religious heritage and the Joseph Vella Music Archive, sits in the same quarter.
How much time to allow
The Victoria market is small, with only a few stalls, so do not clear a whole day for it. An hour covers It-Tokk and Savina Square comfortably, and the rest of the morning belongs to the Citadel, the basilica or Villa Rundle.
If your priorities are the island's bigger sights, give the market a passing look and put the time into the historic sites instead. Market-day Victoria works best as one layer of a Gozo day rather than the headline.
Is the Victoria market worth planning around?
Yes if you are already spending the morning in Victoria, and no if it would be the only reason for the trip. Saturday morning at It-Tokk, the Savina Square market and a walk down Republic Street make a good half-day, with the Citadel or St George's Basilica filling the rest.
If your dates allow, check the weekday of the In-Nadur and Ix-Xagħra markets before you set your plan, and travel to Victoria early on market morning to avoid the busiest part of the day.
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