Robert Arrigo Three Cities Tour: 4 Hours With a 30-Minute Boat Ride

Robert Arrigo & Sons Limited (MTS Globe Malta)

The Three Fortified Cities Tour including a Boat Trip

★ 4.5 (3,073) · from $45

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Prices and timetables checked 17 October 2026. This page contains affiliate links: I earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.

The Robert Arrigo three cities tour is a guided half-day through Birgu (Vittoriosa), Senglea and Cospicua, the fortified towns across the Grand Harbour from Valletta. It costs from $45 per person, is run by Robert Arrigo & Sons Limited (MTS Globe Malta) and ends with a boat ride on a traditional Maltese craft.

The detail that most changes the decision is how little of the four hours is on the water.

The listing does not state the length of the boat part, but a reviewer timed it at about 30 minutes, roughly one-eighth of the tour. If you want mostly boat, the 90-minute Sliema harbour cruise costs $22. More options are on the Malta boat tours hub, and other cities on the harbouradvisor.com home page.

What is the Robert Arrigo three cities tour and what do you see?

This tour is a half-day with a licensed guide that explains why Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua exist: the Knights of St John built or fortified them in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The coach drives past Cospicua, the largest of the three, and stops in Birgu for a walk through narrow streets and the waterfront. There you board a small carvel-built boat for the harbour creeks, before the tour finishes in Senglea.

• Birgu (Vittoriosa): walking tour and waterfront; see Birgu Waterfront on Google Maps.
• Cospicua: drive-by only, no stop; see Cospicua on Google Maps.
• Senglea: last stop, with the Gardjola Gardens viewpoint; see Gardjola Gardens, Senglea, on Google Maps.
• Fort St Angelo: named in the listing as a view from the Gardjola Gardens, not entered; see Fort St Angelo, Birgu, on Google Maps.

How long is the boat part, and what else fills the four hours?

The boat part is about 30 minutes, according to one reviewer, and the listing gives no figure, so the other 3.5 hours are coach, guiding and walking.

The listing adds a rule that matters: if bad weather cancels the boat, the group spends longer in the three cities instead. There is no refund line for the shorter version in the listing, so ask the operator what happens.

Where is the pick-up, and how do you know when?

You are collected from your hotel or the nearest meeting point between 8:15 and 9:15, and the time on your voucher is only an approximate start, not the pick-up time.

The listing tells you to contact the operator a few days before to confirm the exact place and time. One reviewer was picked up 15 minutes late because of heavy traffic. The end point is Senglea, with drop-off, per the listing.

1. Book and note your hotel name.
2. Contact the operator a few days ahead for the pick-up time.
3. Be ready from 8:15; the window is an hour wide.
4. Bring comfortable shoes and sunscreen.

What is included, and what is not?

The $45 fare covers transport, the guide, the walking tour and the boat ride; meals, drinks and tips are not in it.

Pets, oversize luggage, large bags and non-folding strollers are not allowed. The listing gives no accessibility details, and the streets of Birgu are narrow, so ask the operator about mobility needs.

What history does the guide cover in each of the three cities?

Each city has a different founder and story, and the guide links them to the 1565 Great Siege, when the Ottoman fleet attacked the Knights' base on the Grand Harbour.

Fort St Angelo, at the tip of Birgu, was the Order's headquarters after 1530 and a Royal Navy shore base until March 1979, and Heritage Malta says it took 69 direct hits in the Second World War (Heritage Malta).

The tour views it but, per the listing, does not enter; entry is €10 for adults and a visit of about two hours is suggested.

How does the Robert Arrigo three cities tour compare with a harbour cruise?

This tour trades water time for walking and history: it costs twice the Sliema harbour cruise but covers Birgu on foot.

The harbour cruise already passes the same three towns from the water, so you rarely need both.

Is the Robert Arrigo three cities tour worth it against a harbour cruise?

Yes, if you want a guide explaining the Great Siege on foot, and no if you mainly want to be on the water, because the boat is a short finale.

My pick for history-minded visitors is this tour, since a guide on the ground adds context a recorded commentary cannot. For sea views, I'd book the cruise. Reviewers named the boat ride as a highlight even at 30 minutes.

4,022,310 inbound tourists visited Malta in 2025, spending a recorded €3,904.4 million in total.

With that many visitors, a tour that works the quieter side of the Grand Harbour, across the water from Valletta, is a sensible way to spread your day.

When is the best time to book?

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for a walking tour, because summer highs reach 31-32 °C and much of the tour is outdoors on foot.

June to August average 31-32 °C, against 18-19 °C in April and December. Rain days peak at 10.9 in November. The listing gives no off-season timetable, so check availability for your dates, and expect the boat to be cancelled more often in rough winter weather, as the listing's rule suggests.

Public holidays on 8, 13 and 25 December (Nager.Date) may affect opening hours of sites; the listing does not say.

What do passengers say?

Passengers praise the guides' knowledge and the boat ride, and the complaint is audibility in groups. In my sample of 10 reviews, all 5 stars (a positive-only sample), these patterns appear.

• Guide knowledge: mentioned in 5 of 10, mostly by name.
• Boat ride as the highlight: 3 of 10.
• A lot of walking, with breaks: 1 of 10.
• Hearing the guide in crowds: raised in the marketplace's summary, with a wish for headsets.

Who should skip this tour?

Skip it if you want swimming, a long boat ride or a slow morning. The Hornblower Gozo and Comino cruise suits swimmers, and the hub lists all boats.

• Visitors with limited mobility: the tour involves a lot of walking and uneven streets.
• Lie-in lovers: pick-up can be as early as 8:15.
• Travellers needing entry to forts: tickets are not included.

How do you book the Three Cities tour with a boat ride?

Three Cities tour with a boat ride FAQ

Sources: GetYourGuide listing 425402 (checked 17 October 2026); NSO Malta, Inbound Tourism December 2025; Heritage Malta, Fort St Angelo; Open-Meteo and Frankfurter APIs; Nager.Date.