The 6 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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