Malta's ferries leave from several harbours, and your cruise ship berths at yet another. This guide sits beside our Malta ferry hub, which lists the routes we have verified, and covers how to reach the right harbour, the two ways to cross to Gozo, the harbour boats and the Sicily crossing. If you arrive on a ship in Valletta, our Valletta port guide is the place to begin.
1. Getting from the ship to the right harbour
From the Grand Harbour, the Upper Barrakka lifts link the harbour with the Upper Barrakka Gardens and Valletta city centre. Visit Malta lists their hours as 07:00 to 21:00 from 1 November to 31 May and 07:00 to 24:00 from 1 June to 31 October. The page gives no price for visitors and does not describe the lifts' accessibility, so ask before you rely on them. Malta Public Transport also lists a free shuttle between Marsamxetto and Lascaris, timed to ferry arrivals and departures.
Gozo Channel's boats leave from Ċirkewwa. From Valletta bus terminal, Malta Public Transport's page lists route 42 to Ċirkewwa (key stops Ħamrun, Birkirkara, Mosta and Mellieħa) and route X300 (key stops Kulleġġ, Mater Dei, Universita' and Mellieħa). It gives no journey time, so ask the operator or use its journey planner before you commit to a short port call. From the airport, the TD1 Airport Direct bus links the airport with Rabat, Buġibba, Mellieħa and Ċirkewwa every hour; the page lists €3.50 without an Unlimited Travel Card. TD1 does not serve Valletta; the page points to TD4, every 30 minutes, for Valletta and the Gozo Fast Ferry.
2. Gozo: two ways to cross
| Boat | Crossing | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Gozo Channel | Ċirkewwa to Mġarr | About 25 minutes, daily, as the operator states. The schedule page on 29 October 2026 showed a timetable valid from 19 May 2025 to 8 November 2026, so a new one may start soon. Its fares page lists a standard passenger fare of €4.65, and does not say whether that is one way or return; check before you book. |
| Gozo Highspeed | Valletta (Lascaris Wharf) to Mġarr | About 45 minutes, with up to 16 daily crossings all year, as Ferryhopper lists. Ferryhopper also lists Sliema departures (about an hour and 15 minutes) and Buġibba departures (about 30 minutes) from May to October. |
On Gozo Channel, embarkation is first come, first served, and an online ticket does not give priority. Each passenger needs their own ticket, on a phone or printed, and foot-passenger tickets are validated at the Mġarr terminal on the start or return journey. Gozo Channel's customer feedback page says each new ferry has a lift with room for eight people, that its vessels are designed to permit wheelchair manoeuvrability in public areas, and that crew and terminal staff offer additional assistance. Holders of an EU Disability Card travel free as foot passengers, but must collect a free ticket at the booths and scan it before boarding. The pages we read give no check-in time, and for Gozo Highspeed they give no accessibility details.
3. Harbour boats: Sliema and the Three Cities
Valletta Ferry Services runs boats from The Strand in Sliema to Valletta, and from Valletta to Cospicua and the other Three Cities. Its page shows a summer timetable from 1 June to 31 October and a winter timetable from 1 November to 31 May, so the winter times start two days after our check. The timetable we read is for Sundays and public holidays, and its Valletta landing point is listed simply as Valletta, so confirm weekday times and where you land. For fares, the page showed an adult day fare of €3.00 single or €5.00 return, and €3.50 or €5.20 at night (from 19:30); check before you book. Malta Public Transport's page says the fare is free with a valid personalised tallinja Card, and that route 133 is a circular bus link to the ferry quays.
4. Sicily: the Virtu Ferries crossing
Virtu Ferries sails between Malta and Pozzallo in Sicily. Its booking schedule for 29 October 2026 listed one Malta departure at 18:00, arriving 19:45, with limited passenger availability, and Pozzallo departures at 19:30 and 21:30. Ferryhopper lists about an hour and 45 minutes, year-round service, and advises foot passengers to arrive at least an hour before departure. We did not check document or entry rules for this crossing, and Virtu's contact page would not open, so we give no office or check-in details for it.
5. Tickets, weather and a safe margin
Ferryhopper advises arriving at least 30 minutes early for internal ferries such as Valletta to Gozo, and about an hour on weekends, holidays and busy summer days. For a cruise day, add the transfer to the harbour, the queue and the walk to the boat, and then the return. A ferry ticket does not hold the ship: read why separate tickets need a buffer, use the all-aboard worksheet, and see When Your Ferry Is Cancelled. Gozo Channel's schedule page lists +356 2210 9000 for questions. We have not checked any ship's schedule, so nothing here says a boat fits a particular port call.
Checked on 29 October 2026: Gozo Channel (schedule, fares, ticket terms and customer feedback pages), Visit Malta (Upper Barrakka lifts), Malta Public Transport (Valletta bus terminal, Airport Direct, Valletta ferry and Gozo High Speed pages), Valletta Ferry Services, Virtu Ferries (booking schedule) and Ferryhopper's Malta page. Virtu's contact page and the Transport Malta pages could not be opened. Timetables, prices and rules change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.