Sliema Boat Trips: Harbour Cruises, Comino Crossings and What to Book

Which boat trips leave from Sliema

Four kinds of trip set off from Sliema's waterfront. Harbour cruises loop around the creeks and past Valletta's fortifications; coastal runs head south towards sea caves and the Blue Grotto area; Comino sailings combine the Blue Lagoon with the Crystal Lagoon and sea caves; and longer days add a Gozo stop to the same route. Booking platforms list all four side by side, which makes comparing them easier than reading posters at the quay.

Travellers book these trips as organised departures rather than foot passengers on a scheduled line. One booking site lists Sliema boat experiences lasting from one to eight hours, which is a useful reminder to read the duration line before the description. The Sliema promenade is where you will spend most of your waiting time, so our Sliema promenade guide helps you plan the hour before departure.

How long each type of trip takes

Short harbour cruises are the most efficient use of a spare afternoon. A panoramic cruise around Malta's harbours and creeks is listed at 75 minutes, while guided harbour cruises run about 90 minutes, enough to see the Grand Harbour fortifications and the creeks from the water without giving up the rest of the day. These suit anyone who wants a sea view of Valletta rather than a day at sea.

Island days are a different commitment. Comino and Blue Lagoon trips typically run five to seven and a half hours, and Gozo and Comino combinations stretch to seven and a half or eight hours once transfers are included. A half-day Comino trip of about five hours is the shortest way to reach the Blue Lagoon from Sliema, but it leaves little slack if the sea is slow.

Fares: what a Sliema ferry to Comino costs

Tickets for Sliema ferry and boat trips range from roughly €30 to €90 per person, and the spread reflects duration, whether food and drink are included, and whether the boat stops on land or only cruises past. A seven-hour Sliema to Comino and Blue Lagoon cruise is advertised from €30, a five-hour Comino, Gozo and caves trip from €40, and a seven-hour Best of Gozo, Comino and Blue Lagoon cruise from €45. A 7.5-hour all-inclusive gullet cruise to Gozo and the Blue Lagoon is advertised from €75.

Treat the headline fares as starting points. Booking platforms price by date, group size and extras, and some listings on aggregator sites quote in other currencies and change with the season. Compare the total for your party on the operator's own checkout before you commit, and check what the ticket covers for lunch, drinks and landing fees.

Comino and Blue Lagoon trips: the visitor pass

Going ashore at the Blue Lagoon is not automatic. From 1 May 2025, passengers who want to disembark at the Blue Lagoon must register for a visitor pass, a measure to limit numbers at the Natura 2000 site. Not every boat trip stops on land, so check the highlights and what-to-bring notes for your specific departure to see whether a pass applies.

Read the itinerary wording closely before booking. A trip described as a cruise past the lagoon, the Crystal Lagoon and the sea caves may never put you on the shore, while a sailing that lists Santa Marija Bay, Cominotto or the Santa Marija Chapel involves time on Comino itself. If stepping onto the island matters to you, that single line decides the booking.

Gozo day trips by boat from Sliema

Gozo days from Sliema usually pair the crossing with time on the island, so the boat is transport as much as sightseeing. Multi-destination excursions sold from Sliema include a ten-hour Gozo day trip and a Gozo and Comino combination, which means most of the daylight goes to the trip itself rather than to Sliema.

Expect a long day with limited time ashore. Operators build in stops at viewpoints and villages, but the schedule, not your own curiosity, sets the pace. If you want to walk Victoria's Citadel or wander Xagħra at your own rhythm, a day trip by boat will feel rushed.

Harbour cruises: what you see from the water

The short harbour loops do the most for the least time. From the water you get the fortifications, churches and waterfront of Valletta in one sweep, and the boat covers ground that would take a long walk on land. A guided harbour cruise of about 90 minutes is the gentlest way to see the capital from the sea without giving up the rest of the day.

Boats also run along the coast towards the sea caves and the Blue Grotto, with a four-hour Blue Grotto excursion and sea caves tour listed among Sliema departures. That route suits anyone who would rather see the cliffs from below than walk them. Combine it with a slow morning on the Sliema Promenade and you have a full, unhurried day; our guide to things to do in Sliema fills in the rest.

Shared seats versus private charters

A shared seat is the simple choice for most visitors. You book online, turn up at the designated time and location, and the operator handles the route, the landing and the return. Modern boats on these runs carry seating, space for luggage, and on some vessels restrooms, a snack bar and vending machines.

Private charters make sense when your group would fill a boat anyway, or when you want a route built around one stop: a longer swim at the Crystal Lagoon, a slow pass by Cominotto, or a pick-up that suits a family group. Charter platforms advertise private boats in Sliema, but the price scales with the boat and the hours, so compare the per-head cost against a scheduled cruise before deciding.

Boarding and booking in Sliema

Book online before the day. Operators ask passengers to pre-book and then board at the designated time and location, and popular departures on the Comino route sell out in high season. Keep the confirmation on your phone so you know your departure time and meeting point.

Departure points cluster along the Sliema waterfront, within walking distance of the ferries, the shopping streets and most hotels. Arrive early enough to find the right berth, and carry water, sun protection and a layer for the wind on deck. If you are combining a boat trip with a day in town, our Sliema map for visitors shows how the quays sit against the main streets.

On board, expect shaded seating, toilets on most larger boats and a snack bar rather than a full meal unless the ticket says otherwise. Bring cash or a card for extras. Boats return to Sliema in the late afternoon on full-day trips, which leaves the evening free for dinner along the waterfront.

When to go: crowds, heat and the shoulder months

April to May and October to November are the sweet spot for boat trips. The operator's guidance names these months as the better time to visit Comino, with fewer tourists than the June to September high season. Winter crossings run, but swimming is cold and wind and rain pick up, so the appeal is the ride rather than the water.

Summer brings the heat and the crowds together. Temperatures on Comino are typically between 20°C and 40°C in the warm months, and July and August are the busiest. If you travel then, take the earliest departure you can and treat the shaded deck as your base rather than the open shore.

Late spring and early summer also work well for coastal runs. Operators describe May to September as the prime window for a Sliema boat tour, with May, June and September quieter than the peak months of July and August. Match the month to the trip: harbour loops tolerate wind better than long crossings, and island days reward calm seas.

Which Sliema boat trip should you book?

Book the short harbour cruise if you have half a day and want Valletta's fortifications from the water. Choose a Comino and Blue Lagoon day if you can give up five to eight hours and have registered for the visitor pass where you plan to go ashore. Take the Gozo day trip only if you accept that the schedule, not your own pace, will shape the island.

Whichever you pick, book online, confirm the departure point and check whether the boat stops on land. Prices, pass rules and departure arrangements change, so verify the final total on the operator's own page before you pay.