Sailing in Malta

Sailing in Malta is a private day around Gozo and Comino with a skipper, and I found two charters that fit, both by Island Quest Boat Charters. A half-day trip costs $533 for 4 hours and a full day costs $784 for 7 hours. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page. If a shared cruise suits you better, my page on boat tours in Malta compares all 12 trips.

My pick for sailing in Malta is the half-day charter for most groups: it is $533, rated 5.0 from 29 reviews and long enough for several swim stops. I’d book the 7-hour charter only if you want a full day with lunch on the boat, as it costs $784 and has 25 reviews, also 5.0.

Island Quest Boat Charters

Malta Gozo Comino: Half Day Sailing Charter

• ★ 5.0 (29 reviews)
• 4 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My pick for most groups: four hours on a three-cabin sailboat, $533, 5.0 from 29 reviews.

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$533

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Island Quest Boat Charters

Malta, Gozo & Comino: 7-Hour Secluded-Bay Sailing Charter

• ★ 5.0 (25 reviews)
• 7 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The full day: seven hours on the same kind of boat with more coves, $784, 5.0 from 25 reviews.

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$784

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Malta Boat Trips

Malta boat trips divide into big shared cruises and private boats, and a sailing charter is the second kind. The Hornblower cruise to Comino and Gozo costs $34 per ticket and carries many guests. The Island Quest charters carry only your group, which is why the price is so different. Reviews for the half-day trip describe groups of 9 and 8 people, and one guest wrote that it was great to have a private boat when they saw many touristic boats full of people.

Sailing is slower than a motor cruise, but both listings say fuel is included, and one reviewer of the full-day charter says the skipper even put a sail up. For a quick and cheaper outing, the Malta boat tours page has harbour cruises from $22.

Malta Boat Trips to Sicily

I have no boat trip from Malta to Sicily in my list, and neither sailing listing covers it. Both stay around Gozo, Comino and the coast between them. A trip to Sicily takes you out of the islands and is usually done by scheduled ferry, so I’d look at the timetable of an operator such as Virtu Ferries rather than at a day charter.

Malta Sailing Experiences

The Malta sailing experiences on offer here are the same sailboat on two schedules. Both listings describe a three-cabin sailboat, multiple swim stops, secluded bays that you can only reach by boat, caves and marine life. Both list a paddle board, snorkeling equipment, a skipper, fuel and port fees, plus water, soft drinks, snacks and prosecco. The description adds a kayak and a hammock.

The barbecue works on a bring-your-own-food basis: the listings say to bring food to grill. Reviewers confirm it: one wrote that the skipper helped with the barbecue and another that he cooked the food they had brought. Reviewers also mention music, karaoke and fishing with children. The half-day charter has one review of a sunset evening with a barbecue for a group of nine, so ask the operator about late departures. The listing itself gives no start times.

Both trips are in English only, and neither listing names a maximum group size, so ask the operator how many guests the boat takes before you invite friends.

Choosing between the two is simple. The half-day charter has the longer review history, 29 reviews against 25, and it fits an afternoon or evening. The 7-hour charter gives you three more hours for the same stops and coves, and one guest wrote that the skipper never rushed them and let them enjoy the most beautiful coves. Both skippers get praise by name in the reviews, which tells me the person at the helm matters as much as the boat for sailing in Malta. Neither listing gives a start time or says how many guests the boat takes, so those two questions go in your first message to the operator.

Malta Boat Trip to Blue Lagoon

A Malta boat trip to the Blue Lagoon by sailboat is a different experience from the big cruises. Neither listing names the Blue Lagoon in its stop list, only Gozo’s and Comino’s bays, lagoons and caves, so I can’t promise a lagoon landing. The official Blue Lagoon site says nobody can step on land there without a free QR code for a timed slot: morning (08:00 to 13:00), afternoon (13:30 to 17:30) or sunset (18:00 to 22:00). The Blue Lagoon FAQ explains how to book.

If a landing at the lagoon matters to you, ask the skipper before you book whether it is part of your route and who arranges the pass. Rules at the lagoon can change, so check the official page for your date. A shared cruise such as the Hornblower snorkeling trip includes the pass in its listing, which makes it the simpler route.

One more practical point for a private day on the water: the listings include water, soft drinks, snacks and prosecco, but food for the barbecue is your job. Plan the shopping before you leave for the jetty, and keep in mind that the descriptions mention swim stops and caves, which means swimwear and towels belong in your bag. For a family with children, a reviewer of the half-day charter said the skipper was fantastic with the kids and that they fished and caught a small tuna, which is the kind of detail a sailing day in Malta can offer and a large cruise cannot.

Malta Boat Trips from Sliema

Malta boat trips from Sliema are harbour cruises, not sailing trips. The Arrigo and Water Taxi cruises leave from Sliema Ferries and sail round Marsamxett Harbour and the Grand Harbour in 75 to 90 minutes, both at $22. The Island Quest sailing charters leave from Marfa Jetty or Mgarr Harbour instead, in the north and on Gozo, so you will need your own way to the jetty.

If you are staying in Sliema and want to go sailing in Malta, plan the transfer before booking. The listing says the operator chooses between Marfa and Mgarr according to where you are staying, so tell them your hotel when you message them.

Sailing Malta to Sicily

Sailing from Malta to Sicily is a different kind of trip from a day charter, and I have no listing for it. The Island Quest charters last 4 or 7 hours and stay around Gozo and Comino. If you are a licensed sailor who wants to cross, that is a conversation for a charter company, not a ticket on a booking site. For the islands themselves, the national tourism board, Visit Malta, is the place to start, and my home page lists other cities.

Compared

Trip	Operator	Price	Duration	Boat	Rating	Cancellation
Half-day sailing charter	Island Quest	$533	4 hours	Three-cabin sailboat	5.0 (29)	Free up to 24 h
Seven-hour sailing charter	Island Quest	$784	7 hours	Three-cabin sailboat	5.0 (25)	Free up to 24 h

My Choice for Sailing in Malta

For sailing in Malta I’d choose the half-day charter if you are a group of friends or a family who want a private afternoon, and the 7-hour trip for a full day with more coves. If you would rather share the boat, every Malta boat trip I compared is on my page of boat tours in Malta, and the swimming-focused cruises are on snorkeling in Malta.