Planning a Malta boat trip? We compare the stunning Blue Lagoon, Comino caves and Gozo bays with tips for timing and crowds. Whether you're looking for a sunset cruise or exploring Gozo and Comino, we've got everything you need. When considering your options, check our pricing to find the perfect fit for your budget, and book your charter today.
Which Malta boat trip is actually best for you?
"Best" depends entirely on what you're trying to do, who's in your group, and how much time you have on the water. Malta has four genuinely distinct boat-trip products — Blue Lagoon, Comino caves, Gozo bays, and sunset cruise — plus several format choices (private catamaran, shared catamaran, ferry, RIB tour, jet boat) layered on top. The right pick is the intersection of those two axes. The sections below walk through each option honestly and tell you who it's for.
Blue Lagoon — the iconic option
The Blue Lagoon, between Comino and Cominotto, is the photo on every Malta postcard and the single most-Googled swim spot in the country. The water genuinely is that turquoise; the bottom genuinely is white sand; the colour holds up in person. As a destination it earns its reputation.
The catch is the crowds. In July and August the shallow end of the lagoon can hold 1,500+ people from 11:00 to 15:00. A private catamaran charter solves this by timing the lagoon visit to before 10:30 or after 15:30, when the day-tripper boats from Sliema and Buġibba are either still on their way or already heading home.
Best for: first-time visitors to Malta, families with kids who want shallow swimming, anyone whose itinerary has "Blue Lagoon" written on it as a non-negotiable. Less ideal for: repeat visitors who've already done the lagoon, or anyone who'd rather see somewhere quieter.
Our standard Blue Lagoon catamaran charter runs 10:00–18:00 from Sliema Ferries and pairs the lagoon with Crystal Lagoon and the Comino caves on the same day.
Gozo & Comino adventure — the broader-itinerary option
If you want more than one swim spot and a chance to see Malta's coastline rather than parking at a single bay, the Gozo and Comino full-day charter is the better fit. Same 10:00–18:00 window, same Sliema Ferries departure — but the route covers Crystal Lagoon, Santa Marija Bay, the Comino caves, and the southern Gozo bays (Wied il-Għasri, Mġarr ix-Xini, Ħondoq ir-Rummien) depending on wind.
You still get to the Blue Lagoon on this itinerary if you want it; the difference is that the day isn't built around it. The swim stops are quieter, the scenery is more varied, and the crew has more flexibility to adapt the route to the day's conditions.
Best for: repeat visitors, groups who want variety, anyone with a strong photographer in the party, mixed groups where some guests want active snorkelling and others want quiet anchorages. Less ideal for: a first-time-in-Malta itinerary where the Blue Lagoon is the priority headline.
Sunset cruise — the short, special-occasion option
Our private sunset cruise is a 5-hour evening charter, departing Sliema around 19:00 and returning before midnight in summer. The route is shorter — typically a swim stop in a quiet bay, then anchor in a sheltered cove for sunset, then a slow sail back along the Sliema and Valletta coastlines lit up at night. Onboard catering and bar add-ons are popular for proposals, anniversaries and small celebrations.
It's flat-priced at €864 for the boat year-round, which makes it the most affordable of our private charters and the easiest to fit into a busy holiday week.
Best for: couples (proposals especially), small celebrations of 6–14, corporate sundowners, anyone whose schedule won't accommodate a full day. Less ideal for: groups whose primary goal is swimming and snorkelling — the sunset cruise has one swim stop, not three.
Format choice — private catamaran vs shared boat vs ferry
Once you've picked your destination, the format you choose changes the experience more than most visitors expect:
- Private catamaran charter (€862–€1,100 for the boat). The whole boat is yours, the route is flexible, the crew works for your group. Best per-head economics from about 8 guests in shoulder season and 10 in peak.
- Shared catamaran day cruise (€60–€90 per person). A smaller boat (typically 30–60 guests) running a fixed itinerary. Better than the big commercial ferries; less flexible than a private charter. Decent fit for couples and pairs who don't want a whole boat.
- Commercial ferry / day-trip boat (€25–€45 per person). Large boats (100–200+ passengers), fixed schedule, fixed swim stop. Cheap, efficient, and crowded. Fine if "I just want to see the Blue Lagoon" is the entire goal.
- RIB / speedboat tour (€55–€110 per person). Fast, splashy, fewer guests, more cave access. Popular for younger groups. Less comfortable for full-day schedules — there's no shade and limited seating.
Most of our customers choose us because they've already tried a shared trip on a previous Malta holiday and want the contrast — a quieter day, control over timing, and the boat to themselves. If this is your first Malta trip and you're solo or as a couple, a shared trip is honestly fine; you can come back for a private charter on the next visit.
Catamaran vs monohull — does it matter?
For Malta's day charters, yes. Catamarans have two parallel hulls instead of one, which gives them noticeably more stability at anchor (no rolling when waves come in), much more deck area for the same overall length, and shallower draft for closer access to the bays. They're the format of choice for almost every operator in the Maltese day-charter market for those reasons.
If you've sailed before on a monohull yacht and prefer the heel and pace of a "proper" sailing yacht, that's a different product — and Malta has a small number of operators who provide it. For groups whose priority is swimming, lunch on deck and stable anchorages, a catamaran is the better tool.
How to choose between Blue Lagoon, Gozo, and sunset
A simple decision tree:
- If "Blue Lagoon" is a non-negotiable on your Malta list → start with the Blue Lagoon Day Charter.
- If you want a varied day and you're flexible on the lagoon itself → choose the Gozo & Comino full-day.
- If you have a tight schedule, are celebrating something specific, or want the cheapest private option → book a sunset cruise.
- If you have time for two charters in one trip → most of our return guests pair a sunset cruise on day one with a Blue Lagoon or Gozo day later in the week.
Pricing and booking
All three private charters share the same boats and the same crew. Day charters start at €862 in shoulder season and €1,100 in peak; sunset cruises are a flat €864 year-round. Both prices are for the whole boat, not per person. See the full pricing table for the side-by-side breakdown, then launch the booking assistant to lock in a date.