The 12 Best Harbour Cruises in Malta

1.Marsamxett Harbour and Grand Harbour Cruise by Night

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 282 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $24Our pick

Board a Maltese boat at Sliema Ferries for a 90-minute evening cruise through Marsamxett Harbour, Grand Harbour, and ten creeks. You’ll pass yacht marinas, Valletta’s fortifications, the Three Cities, dockyards, and shipbuilding areas. English commentary, a bar, and toilets are available on board.

“A good informative cruise around the harbours and creeks of Valletta. The narrator pointed out a number of features on the trip and explained them in the context of the history of the Island.”

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2.Valletta & Three Cities Harbour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 239 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $23Best value

Cruise Marsamxett and Grand Harbour for about 90 minutes aboard an air-conditioned catamaran with Wi-Fi and live commentary. You’ll pass Fort Manoel, Valletta, Fort St. Elmo, Fort St. Angelo, and the Three Cities. Depending on weather and docking conditions, you may stop at Esplora Interactive Science Centre or return by the next cruise or hop-on hop-off bus.

“Recommend boarding as soon as allowed. We boarded 30 mins ahead of departure, all seats around the edge of the boat were taken, some by others “bagging” empty seats for friends still to show up.”

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3.The Traditional Harbour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 159 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $24

Spend about 90 minutes cruising Valletta’s two harbours and the Three Cities from Sliema. Onboard commentary covers the 1565 siege, forts, battlements, creeks, dockyards, and marinas. Boats have a bar and toilets, with several departures daily. Hotel pickup is advertised, but meeting instructions can be unclear, so confirm your transport carefully.

“The bus journey from the hotel to the harbour hit travel problems so we had missed our harbour cruise by 5 minutes. We had to wait a couple of hours to take the next one. It was interesting and a commentary for much of the route. On arrival back at the harbour at 1.30 no sign of transport back to the hotel but enquiring at a Supreme Travel kiosk selling tours he said he would get us transport at 2pm. True to his word taken back by an open top hop on hop off bus, just us, and dropped off close to our hotel. Overall a pleasant little cruise in…”

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4.Valletta Harbour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 129 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $24

Start at Sliema Ferry and circle Valletta’s two harbours aboard a comfortable boat carrying up to 70 people. An English commentary explains the Great Sieges, forts, waterfront, and Three Cities. You will pass Fort St Elmo, Fort St Angelo, Fort Ricasoli, and the Valletta cruise terminal before returning to Sliema.

“A spectacular boat trip, impressive city!! Good value for money. Loads of space, left on time. The commentary was informative, so much history.”

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5.1-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus + Harbour Cruise Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 108 reviews · 1 day (approx.) · from $42

I can use one ticket to cover Malta’s North and South sightseeing routes plus a 90-minute Grand Harbour cruise. Expect English service, onboard Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and a catamaran ride past Valletta and the Three Cities. The cruise runs from Sliema at 10:30, 12:30, and 2:45.

“I really enjoyed seeing areas around Malta, but getting to the bus was very confusing. I asked three different people and got three different answers. I think the bus routes should be shorter and more focused on areas that people want to see.”

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6.2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus + Harbour Cruise Pass

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 89 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $60

Use Malta’s North and South hop-on hop-off routes for 48 hours, with live commentary and a harbour cruise valid within three days of activation. Begin at Captain Morgan in Sliema at 10:00 am. You can also stop at Esplora Science Museum, though admission costs extra.

“Easy to get on and off. Staff very friendly. Only downside was the bus stops were not as regular as other sightseeing buses in other cities & countries. They also stopped rather early in the afternoon. The boat cruise of Valetta was exceptional.”

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7.Private Boat Tour of the Grand Harbour on the Island of Malta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 35 minutes (approx.) · from $40Top rated

Spend about 35 minutes on a private boat with Keith, touring Malta’s Grand Harbour from Valletta. You’ll see Fort St Elmo, Fort Ricasoli, Fort St Angelo, Senglea, the Three Cities, and Valletta’s massive walls from the water, with live commentary on sieges, ships, and wartime Malta. The trip returns to 59 Liesse.

“A fabulous way to understand part of Malta. Keith was generous with his time and knowledge. He turned up on time, answered all our questions and filled us in on the history and architecture of the Grand Harbour”

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8.Special Night Harbour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 41 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $24

Meet at Sliema Ferries 4 for a 6:00 PM cruise around Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour. You’ll pass Gzira, Msida, Valletta, the Three Cities, Kalkara, and other waterfront areas while an English guide provides commentary. Bring your own food and drinks for a simple evening on the water.

“The boat ride was lovely because there were only 10 of us on board as opposed to the usual 50+. The tour however was read to us however by the vost drivers phone (AI/Computer). When It was run by Supreme tours, the boat driver was the guide and much more informative. For £17 however, its a great 1.5 hours to sit, have a few drinks, take pictures and juat relax. I would recommend it, yes.”

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9.Grand Harbour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 20 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $24

Cruise Marsamxett and Grand Harbours aboard Captain Morgan’s 20-metre iSee Malta catamaran. You’ll see Valletta, Fort Saint Elmo, Fort Saint Angelo, and the Three Cities from the water, with live English and German commentary. Choose indoor or outdoor seating, use the onboard Wi-Fi, and possibly hop off at Esplora in Kalkara.

“What a great way to see Valletta, Sliema and the Three Cities from the water. Views you can’t get any other way.,”

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10.2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Harbour Cruise (CMO)

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 12 reviews · from $57

Use Malta’s North and South hop-on hop-off routes on two non-consecutive days, then take the included harbour cruise within five days of activation. An English live guide accompanies the service, though onboard audio does not work on every bus. Check the operator signs carefully before boarding.

“It's easy to explore the most important sights. But you have to be careful, as there are two providers on the island, so you can't take just any bus. You also have to pay attention to the signs, as the north route buses are not necessarily blue. Unfortunately, the audio guide provided does not work on every bus. They are not the newest. We took full advantage of the offer with a two-day bus tour and a harbor tour on the third day. (Tip: sit on the right side so that the explanations match what you are seeing.)”

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11.1-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus + Harbour Cruise (CMO)

★★★★★★★★★★3.1 · 7 reviews · from $40

Use one pass for Malta’s North and South bus routes, with stops near Mosta, Rabat, the Blue Grotto, Għar Dalam, and the Three Cities. The 90-minute Grand Harbour cruise includes commentary and can be taken within three days of activating your pass. Service is offered in four languages.

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12.Private Harbor Cruise – Marsamxett & Grand Harbor Valletta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.)

Set out from Sliema on a private 26-foot day cruiser for a 2 to 3-hour tour of Marsamxett and Grand Harbors. See Manoel Island, Fort St. Elmo, Fort St. Angelo, Barrakka Gardens, and more. Choose the 3-hour option for a one-hour swim at Rinella Bay or Balluta Bay. Captain Ricardo may add local stories along the way.

“The boat is a 26ft day cruiserin very good condition with a bimini top. Our captain Ricardo was a great guy to be around, very nice guy with some great stories. Due to the extreme heat we actually went straight to swin at the south of the island in a really nice bay that appeared popular with locals and far from the usual tourist areas, all in all we had a wonderful day on the sea! (you can get this tour at a way better price if you book directly, just look up the tour companies on google maps, I realized that I paid 50% more)”

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