By Rowan Ellis · Updated · Affiliate links, explained in my disclosure
Hornblower Cruises
Malta Boat: Comino Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Gozo & Caves
4.7 (7,667) · from $34
Boat tours in Malta come in four shapes: a full day to Comino and the Blue Lagoon, a short cruise around Valletta’s harbours, a private boat with a skipper, and a sailing charter for a small group. I compared 12 Malta boat tours on GetYourGuide, from $16 to $784. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.
My short answer: if I had one day, I’d book the Hornblower Blue Lagoon and Gozo cruise ($34, 7 hours, 4.7 from 7,667 reviews). If I had only an hour and a half, I’d take the Sliema harbour cruise ($22). One rule matters for every Comino trip: the Blue Lagoon now has a timed landing system, covered in the Blue Lagoon section below.
Malta boat trips, and most Malta boat tours to Comino, head north-west from Bugibba and St Paul’s Bay, past St Paul’s Island and the Santa Maria caves, to the small island of Comino between Malta and Gozo. The biggest seller is the Hornblower full day: 7 hours, free time in Gozo, a 10-metre waterslide and swim stops at the Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon. It leaves Bugibba jetty at 10:00 sharp, and the listing says boarding closes at 9:45. The Blue Lagoon itself is a protected spot with its own access rules, which the official site explains at blcomino.com.
My second pick is the Island Quest full-day sailing charter. It costs $784 for 7 hours, rated 5.0 from 25 reviews, and includes a skipper, fuel, snorkeling gear, a paddle board, prosecco and a barbecue where you bring your own food. It is a very different day from the big boat, so I treat it as a private option for a group. My sailing in Malta page compares it with the half-day version.
Hornblower Cruises
My pick: My default for a first Malta boat trip: $34, 7 hours, Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon and 3 hours of free time in Gozo.
Island Quest Boat Charters
My pick: Seven hours on a three-cabin sailboat with a skipper, prosecco and snorkeling gear, for groups who want quiet bays.
Boat tours in Malta that go to Comino differ mainly in how long you spend in the water. The Hornblower snorkeling and slide cruise is the same $34 and 7 hours as the Gozo version, but it gives you 4.5 hours to swim, snorkel and explore at the Blue Lagoon instead of a Gozo stop. It also lists a 5-metre jumping platform, onboard toilets and a speedboat ride into the Comino caves for €15 paid on site. It scores 4.7 from 3,473 reviews.
I’d choose this one over the Gozo day if swimming is the point of your trip. If you want some sightseeing on land as well, pick the Gozo version above. The snorkeling side of this cruise has its own page, snorkeling in Malta.
Hornblower Cruises
My pick: Choose this for swimming: $34, 4.5 hours at the Blue Lagoon, a waterslide and a jumping platform.
A Malta harbor cruise is the shortest of the boat tours in Malta and the cheapest at $22. The Robert Arrigo cruise from Sliema Ferries lasts 1.5 hours, with English audio commentary and hotel pick-up and drop-off included. It sails round Marsamxett Harbour, then into the Grand Harbour past Valletta’s bastions, Fort St Elmo, the Three Cities and Fort Ricasoli, and back. It is rated 4.6 from 3,074 reviews.
The boat leaves from the promenade side of Sliema Ferries, near the Ferries 4 bus stop. Food and drinks are not included, so I’d bring water. If you have never seen Valletta from the water, this is where I’d start, before a Comino day.
Robert Arrigo & Sons Limited (MTS Globe Malta)
My pick: The easy first outing: $22, 1.5 hours, Valletta and the Three Cities from the water, hotel pick-up included.
A private boat tour in Malta means your group has the boat and a skipper, so you choose how long you stay at each swim stop. In my list two listings are priced as private Comino trips with swim stops. The Serenity Boat Charters tour runs 2, 3 or 4 hours from Cirkewwa or Mgarr, costs from $174 and is rated 5.0 from 145 reviews. The listing includes a skipper and guide, snorkeling gear, life jackets, insurance and an ice box with water. Fuel is not included: the listing says to pay the skipper in cash, €69 for 2 hours, €79 for 3 and €89 for 4.
The second is Sea Liberty: 3 hours around Comino, $184, with a complimentary bottle of wine, water and snorkeling masks. It has no rating yet, and the listing says a €70 cash payment goes to the skipper. I’d choose Serenity for proven reviews and Sea Liberty for a couples’ evening. Whichever you pick, add the cash costs to the price you see. Private boats are priced differently from shared tickets, so check on the booking page how the price is counted.
Serenity Boat Charters Malta
My pick: The best-reviewed private trip: 5.0 from 145 reviews, from $174, with fuel paid in cash to the skipper.
Sea Libery Boat Charters
My pick: Three hours around Comino with a bottle of wine and snorkeling masks: $184, no reviews yet, so I'd ask questions before booking.
There is no boat tour in Malta that starts at a Valletta quay in my data. Harbour cruises leave from Sliema Ferries, across Marsamxett Harbour, and the Comino cruises leave from the north. The closest match is the Three Fortified Cities tour, which picks you up from your hotel, drives you to Vittoriosa and Senglea for a guided walk and adds a boat ride on a traditional Maltese frejgatina. It lasts 4 hours, costs $45 and is rated 4.5 from 3,073 reviews.
The Valletta Waterfront is only 1.1 km in a straight line from Birgu, one of the three cities, across the Grand Harbour. That is why a harbour cruise and this tour overlap. The tour is offered in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, and I think it is the better pick if you also want a guide, not only a view.
Robert Arrigo & Sons Limited (MTS Globe Malta)
My pick: A guided half day through Birgu and Senglea with a boat ride included: $45, 4 hours, hotel pick-up.
Travellers ask the same things before booking a boat tour in Malta: whether the Blue Lagoon is too crowded, whether a small boat is better than a big one, and whether a slide and music suit them. I can answer these only from the listings. Amazing Boat Trips is the shared option that answers the small-boat question best. The listing describes a family crew with Captain Alex, a white boat with a slide on the side at Bugibba Jetty, 5.5 hours, one hour at the Blue Lagoon and one hour at the Crystal Lagoon.
It costs $39 and is rated 5.0 from 1,286 reviews, the highest rating among the shared trips with more than 1,000 reviews. The listing also says it is not for people prone to seasickness. That is the honest trade-off: a shorter day than Hornblower, with a swim stop in each lagoon.
Amazing Boat Trips
My pick: Rated 5.0 from 1,286 reviews: a family-run 5.5 hour trip with one hour in each lagoon, $39.
None of the 12 Malta boat tours in my list is sold as a sunset cruise, so I have no card for this one. What I can say comes from the official Blue Lagoon site, which lists three landing slots: morning (08:00 to 13:00), afternoon (13:30 to 17:30) and sunset (18:00 to 22:00). A sunset slot exists, then, but no operator in my list sells it as a boat trip. If an evening on the water is your goal, I’d ask a private operator such as Serenity or Sea Liberty whether they run late departures, because the listings do not say.
A half-day boat tour in Malta is harder to find than you’d expect, and Malta boat tours of that length are mostly charters. The Island Quest half-day sailing charter and the Three Cities tour are both 4 hours, and both have their own sections on this page. The Water Taxi panoramic cruise is the short alternative: 75 minutes from Sliema Ferries, $22, rated 4.6 from 321 reviews. It is shorter than a half day, but it fits into a morning.
The listing includes English commentary, toilets onboard and cruises into the creeks of both harbours and past the Three Cities. Look for the Luzzu Cruises boat at the departure point, and the listing says to arrive at least 15 minutes before. It has fewer reviews than the Arrigo cruise, which sails a similar route, so I’d pick it only for the departure time you want.
Water Taxi Limited
My pick: A 75 minute harbour loop for $22 when a morning is all you have; toilets on board.
I found no boat trip from Malta to Sicily in my data. Every listing stays around Malta, Comino and Gozo, and the crossing to Sicily is a scheduled ferry, not a day tour. If you want to plan it, check the operator’s timetable, for example at Virtu Ferries. The closest thing I can offer is a private Comino boat for a short sea-and-swim outing.
The I Love Comino listing runs 1 to 2 hours from Cirkewwa to the Crystal Lagoon, Cominotto and the Blue Lagoon. It costs $53, is rated 4.9 from 139 reviews, and names a skipper (€39) and fuel (€39) in its inclusions. It has a sundeck with a canopy, Wi-Fi and snorkeling equipment. That is a taste of the sea around Malta, not a trip to Sicily.
I ♡ Comino Boat Charters
My pick: Not a Sicily trip: a 1 to 2 hour private Comino outing from Cirkewwa, $53, rated 4.9 from 139 reviews.
Boat cruises in Malta can also be very short and very cheap, and a boat tour in Malta does not have to fill a day. The second I Love Comino listing is a one-hour private trip from the Gozo Channel ferry terminal at Cirkewwa, through Lantern Point and the Roofless Cave to the Crystal Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon. It starts at $16, is rated 4.7 from 45 reviews, and lists a snorkeling kit, a sundeck with a canopy, a Bluetooth speaker and fishing equipment.
The price looks too low for a private boat, so I read the listing carefully: it names a professional skipper at €44 and fuel at €44. Check on the booking page how the final price is calculated for your group before you decide. For a trip this short, I’d treat it as a swim stop with scenery, not a day out.
I ♡ Comino Boat Charters
My pick: The cheapest listing in my list, from $16 for one hour; confirm what the skipper and fuel add for your group.
For a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon, the Island Quest half-day sailing charter is the most exclusive version. It costs $533 for 4 hours, is rated 5.0 from 29 reviews, and departs from Marfa Jetty or Mgarr Harbour in Gozo, depending on where you stay. It includes a skipper, fuel, water, soft drinks, snacks, prosecco, snorkeling gear and a paddle board, and the crew welcomes you to bring your own food for the barbecue.
Now the rule for every Blue Lagoon trip. The official Blue Lagoon site says the Access Management System issues a free QR code for timed access, and nobody can step on land at the lagoon without one. It lists three slots (morning, afternoon, sunset), allows booking up to two months ahead and exempts children under 5 who are with a parent or guardian. The Blue Lagoon FAQ has the details, and the Hornblower listing tells guests to redeem the code before boarding. Rules at popular lagoons change, so check the current page before you travel.
Island Quest Boat Charters
My pick: The quiet option: four hours under sail from $533, and your own barbecue lunch.
On a Malta boat tour to Comino you see cliffs, sea caves and rock formations like Elephant Head, plus St Mary’s Tower on Comino. On the harbour cruises, you see something completely different: bastions, forts, shipyards and the Three Cities. The infographic follows the stops named in the Arrigo harbour cruise, from Sliema through Marsamxett Harbour, Valletta and the Grand Harbour, and back to Sliema.
Stops on the route
For ideas on what else to do on land, Visit Malta is the national tourism site.
Boat tours in Malta that go to Comino leave from the north coast: Hornblower and Amazing Boat Trips from Bugibba Jetty in St Paul’s Bay, and the private and sailing charters from Cirkewwa, Marfa or Mgarr. Straight-line, Hornblower’s base is about 10 km from the Blue Lagoon and 9.6 km from the Santa Maria caves. The harbour cruises leave from Sliema Ferries, and from the Valletta Waterfront you can see where they sail: it is 0.7 km from Upper Barrakka and 1.1 km from Birgu.
Boat tour agency
4.6 · 2,488 Google reviews
Bugibba Jetty, Hornblower Cruises, Dawret Il-Gzejjer, San Pawl il-Baħar SPB 3315, Malta
Open in Google Maps
Boat tour agency
4.4 · 22,297 Google reviews
Triq Kemmuneti, Għajnsielem KMN 1040, Malta
Tourist attraction
4.8 · 923 Google reviews
Malta
Tourist attraction
4.6 · 12,784 Google reviews
Upper Floor, Pinto Wharf Vault 1, Floriana FRN 1913, Malta
Park
4.7 · 41,578 Google reviews
VGV6+WMH, 292 Triq Sant' Orsla, Il-Belt Valletta, Malta
Open in Google MapsMarina
4.8 · 827 Google reviews
VGQ9+QWM, Birgu, Malta
Open in Google Maps
Yacht club
4.6 · 2,350 Google reviews
Palace Vittoriosa Wharf, The Capitanerie Captain of the Galleys, Birgu BRG 1721, Malta
Tourist attraction
4.5 · 6,081 Google reviews
RGRW+G43, Marsaxlokk, Malta
Two trip types have their own page: snorkeling tours and sailing. The other rows are the other kinds of boat tours in Malta in my list, with the starting price of each.
| Type | Price from | Typical duration | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snorkeling tour | $34 | 3 to 7 hours | Swimmers and families who want time in the lagoon |
| Sailing trip | $533 | 4 to 7 hours | Small groups who want a skipper and quiet bays |
| Harbour cruise | $22 | 75 minutes to 1.5 hours | First-timers who want Valletta from the water |
| Comino day cruise | $34 | 5.5 to 7 hours | The classic Blue Lagoon and Gozo day |
| Private boat tour | $16 | 1 to 4 hours | Couples and friends who set the pace |
| Three Cities tour | $45 | 4 hours | Visitors who want a guide, a coach and a boat ride |
Malta boat tours look similar in photos, so I use five questions to separate them.
Whatever Malta boat tour you choose, book a free-cancellation option and check the Blue Lagoon landing rule before the day. For a deeper look at the water, read my pages on snorkeling in Malta and sailing in Malta, or go back to my home page for other cities.
The 8 most-reviewed boat companies on Google Maps in Malta, with what I found about each. Ratings and reviews are Google's.
Boat tour agency
4.4 · 22,297 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
4.4 · 6,913 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
4.5 · 2,755 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
4.6 · 2,488 Google reviews
2 of the tours I compared · from $34
Yacht club
4.6 · 2,350 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
5.0 · 1,892 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
4.9 · 1,715 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
Boat tour agency
4.8 · 1,481 Google reviews
Not in my GetYourGuide comparison: book direct
In my list a shared boat day to Comino costs $34 to $39, a 75 to 90 minute harbour cruise costs $22 and the Three Cities tour with a boat ride costs $45. Private boats start at $16 for one hour and reach $184 for three hours with wine. The two sailing charters cost $533 and $784.
For most visitors I'd book a Comino and Blue Lagoon day. The Hornblower cruise is $34 for 7 hours, rated 4.7 from 7,667 reviews, with a Gozo stop. If you only want an easy introduction, the Sliema harbour cruise is $22, 1.5 hours and rated 4.6 from 3,074 reviews, with Valletta and the Three Cities in view.
Yes. The official Blue Lagoon site says nobody can step on land without a free QR code for a timed slot: morning, afternoon or sunset. The Hornblower listing tells you to redeem it before boarding and pick the morning slot. Check your own listing, because rules for the lagoon can change.
Three starting areas cover my list. Bugibba and St Paul's Bay in the north for the Hornblower and Amazing Boat Trips Comino cruises, Sliema Ferries for the harbour cruises, and Cirkewwa, Marfa or Mgarr for the private and sailing charters. The Three Cities tour offers hotel pick-up by coach.
All 12 listings I compared offer a full refund when you cancel at least 24 hours before the start, according to the booking-platform text. Private and sailing charters depend on weather and skipper availability, so I'd read the policy on the page of the trip you choose before paying.
A private boat is the most couple-friendly option I found. Sea Liberty offers three hours around Comino with a bottle of wine and snorkeling masks for $184, and the Serenity skipper trips run 2 to 4 hours from $174. For something quieter on land and sea, the Three Cities tour adds a boat ride for $45.
The harbour cruises are the easiest: 75 to 90 minutes, a sightseeing boat from Sliema, toilets on the Water Taxi boat and hotel pick-up on the Arrigo cruise. The Three Cities tour also uses an air-conditioned coach. The Hornblower Blue Lagoon listing lists people with mobility impairments as not suitable.