Boat trips in Malta and Gozo: harbours, caves and crossings

Comino's sea caves ring the island's coastline, and most are reached by boat rather than on foot. This guide names each cave, explains what sits inside it, and explains how cave-focused trips differ from a ferry crossing.

Private charters, a 15-minute Comino ferry and coach-and-cruise days all leave or meet around Mġarr Harbour. Here is how the Gozo boat trip options compare on price, duration and flexibility.

Three-hour guided paddles run from Hondoq Bay, Xlendi Bay and Marsalforn, with a ferry-terminal pickup for the Comino crossing. Here are the operators, the launch points and where tour prices are published.

Gozo tours split into two families: sea trips along the cliffs and coves, and land tours that reach the villages and heritage sites inland. Pick the boat if you want the coastline and Comino's lagoons, pick a land tour if you want Ġgantija and the Citadel, and treat operator prices as something to confirm directly before booking.

A dgħajsa is Malta's painted wooden water taxi, and the classic ride is the short hop across Grand Harbour from below Valletta's bastions to Birgu. Here is where the boats wait, what the crossing costs, how long to allow and how to slot it into a Three Cities morning.

St Paul's Islands are a pair of uninhabited islets in St Paul's Bay, joined by a narrow strip of land and marked by a statue of Saint Paul. There is no jetty and no scheduled crossing, so you see them from the promenade or from a boat trip passing close by.

Sliema is the easiest place in Malta to step off the pavement and onto a boat. Short harbour loops suit a spare afternoon, while Comino and Gozo sailings swallow a whole day. This guide compares routes, journey times, fares and the Blue Lagoon visitor pass so you book the trip that fits your schedule.

A Valletta boat trip is a circuit of the Grand Harbour, with Marsamxett Harbour on some routes. You see Valletta's bastions, the Three Cities and Fort St Angelo from the water, and the choice comes down to a shared harbour cruise with commentary or a private charter with a skipper.

The Grand Harbour is best understood as three shores facing each other: Valletta's bastions, the Three Cities opposite and the forts at the entrance. Plan a loop between them rather than ticking off one sight, and decide early whether you will pay for a boat or take the view from Birgu's belvedere.

Guided walks, history tours, food walks and self-guided routes in Valletta compared by what they cover, how far you walk and where they start.

Malta's open-top sightseeing buses split into a North Route and a South Route, with buses every 30 to 60 minutes and loops of roughly three to three and a half hours. This guide maps the stops that matter, explains where to board in Sliema and at Valletta Waterfront, and sets the pass against the island's ordinary buses.

Malta boat trips split into private charters and shared cruises. Here is what each route covers, how long trips run, where boats leave from on Malta and Gozo, what a charter includes and what the operators charge.

Malta kayaking splits into two very different days: sheltered harbour paddling around the Grand Harbour and Three Cities, and long open-water crossings to Kemmuna. Book the first if you are new, the second only with paddling behind you. Marsaskala hire rates are listed by the operator.

Malta tours work best when you pick by the shape of the day rather than by the brochure: a half-day walking tour in Valletta, a full day on Gozo, an afternoon on the water off Wied iż Żurrieq. Here is what each type covers, which named sights a good itinerary should include, and what can reshape a booked day.