The 12 Best Hop-On Hop-Off & Bus Tours in Malta

1.Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 2,041 reviews · 1 day · from $29Our pick

See Malta from an open-top double-decker bus on a one-day North or South route from Sliema Ferries. Stop at Mdina, San Anton Gardens, Marsaxlokk, the Blue Grotto, Hagar Qim, and more. Multilingual audio, headphones, and wheelchair access are included. Plan carefully: buses may be about an hour apart, so three major stops is a realistic target.

“The Hop-On Hop-Off Bus tour is a great way to explore Malta for a good price. There are audiobooks available in a lot of languages, that will tell you interesting facts about the environment. It is cool to have an open roof. Normally I get a headache if I am in the car for too long, but now I did not.”

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2.Gozo, Comino & The Blue Lagoon Boat & Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,931 reviews · 7.5 hours · from $51

Cruise from Sliema to Gozo, ride by minibus to Victoria and the Citadel, then sail to Comino for about 90 minutes at the Blue Lagoon. This is mainly transport with free time, not a guided walking tour. The boat has toilets, a cash bar, commentary, and a water slide.

“Beautiful views on the Blue Lagoon and really charming city of Victoria”

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3.City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,117 reviews · 1 day · from $26

Spend a day seeing Gozo from an open-top City Sightseeing bus. Start at Mgarr Harbor and choose between purple and blue routes serving Victoria, Dwejra, Ta’ Pinu, Xlendi, Ggantija, Ramla, and Nadur. Buses run about every 45 minutes, with multilingual audio, headphones, and a discount booklet included. Attraction tickets cost extra.

“Very Simple to book, the ferry worked perfectly with the bus timetable and the tour was very informative and all together a good day out.”

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4.City Sightseeing HOHO Bus Tour & Optional Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 1,021 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $33

Ride Malta’s open-top City Sightseeing buses along North and South routes, with 30-plus stops near Mdina, Valletta, Marsaxlokk, Mosta, the Three Cities, temples, and Blue Grotto. Choose a one or two-day pass, then add a harbor cruise. Audio commentary is available in 13 languages, though equipment and stop signs can vary.

“Overall the tour was good. The harbour cruise in particular was very good and well organised. The bus tour was good but then the driver skipped about seven stops at the end of the tour. If stops are advertised then the bus should go there. I have done lots of bus tours in different cities but I have never have this happen before”

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5.Vintage Bus to Valletta, Sliema, Rabat & Mdina

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 433 reviews · 1 day · from $9Best value

Use a restored classic Maltese bus as your day ticket between Valletta, Sliema, St. Julian’s, Mdina and Rabat on Wednesdays and Fridays. The driver provides transport rather than guided commentary, so you set your own sightseeing pace. Sunday service runs between Valletta and Marsaxlokk instead.

“Very friendly driver,the ride was an experience and very good value for money woukd book again.”

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6.City Sightseeing Gozo Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 315 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $26

Explore Gozo by open-top sightseeing bus with unlimited one-day access, two connected routes, and recorded commentary in 11 languages. Start at Mgarr Harbour and choose stops such as Victoria, Dwejra, Ta’ Pinu, Xlendi, Ġgantija, and Ramla Beach. You can stay aboard for the full circuit or hop off to visit selected sights.

“Dweyra boat ride and Ramla beach are my highllights. Traffic on Gozo is quite bad, it took much longer to reach some places than expected.”

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7.From Valetta: Catamaran Tour with Hop-On, Hop-Off Gozo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 132 reviews · 1 day · from $35

You’ll cross from Valletta Grand Harbour to Mgarr, Gozo, in about 45 minutes, then ride the green-route open-top bus past villages, coast, Victoria, and Dwejra Bay. The $35 package includes round-trip ferry travel and the bus tour, but the automatic 20:45 return can make timing tricky.

“Sjovt at se Gozo fra oven. Selve busturen var den største oplevelse, da kørslen var meget spændende og vi blev kastet lidt rundt. Et stop på nordsiden af Gozo aflyst - angiveligt grundet “road-construction”. Færgeturen hjem var en udfordring da de påstod vi kunne havde en enkeltbillet. Retur delen af færgeturen stod kun på dansk - så det var kun grundet virkelig intens insisteren at vi kom hjem uden ekstra pris. Den del var lidt utjekket.”

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8.Sunday Vintage Bus to Marsaxlokk

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 117 reviews · 1 day · from $9

Take a restored Maltese vintage bus from near Valletta’s Tourist Information Office to Marsaxlokk on Sunday. You get transport in both directions and a full-day ticket, but no guided tour. The old bus is the attraction, while Marsaxlokk offers a busy market, harbor views, restaurants, local produce, and time to explore at your own pace.

“Drive was very punctual and funny. The guide is also very helpful and gives very clear instruction. Highly recommend this hustle free vintage bus to Marsaxlokk instead of the local bus.”

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9.Vintage Bus Ride through the Three Cities

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 112 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $24

Join driver-guide David at Sliema Ferries for a 90-minute ride on a vintage 1928 wooden-bodied bus. You’ll pass through Valletta, Cospicua, Vittoriosa, Senglea, and nearby towns while hearing about the Great Sieges of 1565 and 1942. Expect photo opportunities, a short break, and a bumpy old-fashioned ride.

“Tour was awesome but the bus driver at the end of trip left us about 2-3 minutes away from our hotel.”

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10.1-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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11.2-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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12.Scenic Tour by Vintage Bus to Buskett Garden & Dingli Cliffs

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 47 reviews · from $51

Spend five hours touring Malta’s quieter western side in a 1928 vintage bus. Visit Palazzo Falson in Mdina, pause for coffee and Maltese Frolla, walk through Buskett Gardens, and look across to Filfla from Dingli Cliffs. Guides speak English, German, Italian, or French, with hotel or nearby pickup included.

“We had a very original trip to Malta's past. Beginning from the old type bus we used, which by itself returned the year decades earlier, we visited Villa Parisio (I write villa because it had never actually served to host a royalty). The explanations were very detailed and we took all our time to explore the villa. Afterwards we had a spectacular view to the open sea from Ste Magdalene's church (Malta's highest point). After our guide's recommendation I tried the aromatic maltese coffee, thus becomming fan of it eversince. At a nice multiple purpose hall in the forest we were offered pastici (both with cheese and peas) and after…”

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