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Getting to Gozo is easy by using the Malta to Gozo ferry (also referred to as the Ċirkewwa ferry) or one of the Gozo fast ferry services.
The main one departs from Ċirkewwa (at the Northernmost part of Malta) and sails to and from Gozo (in around 20 minutes) up to 74 times every day of the week. The fast ferry services offer dozens of daily crossings taking roughly 45 minutes from Valletta.
In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to catch the Gozo ferry, what the options are, cost, timing, tips, and more!
The main Gozo ferry is run by the Gozo Channel Line, which operates four ships and operates a daily ferry service that carries both passengers and vehicles between the two main islands.
You’ll be able to find a ferry at almost every hour of the day, from early morning till late at night all year round. They run trips as frequently as every 30 minutes during peak times.
The ferry sails between Ċirkewwa (all the way up north in Malta) and Mġarr (a small harbour on the southeast coast of Gozo), and a crossing takes just around 20-25 minutes (one way). You can board the ferry as a passenger on foot, but you can also take a (rental) car on board. (And there are no extra car rental fees for driving in Gozo.)
Embarkation and disembarkation are simple and smooth, and in fair weather, the short trip to Gozo is a pretty pleasant one. You can find a seat indoors and relax or enjoy the fresh air on the sides of the main deck or the top deck. Ensure to keep your camera handy during the crossing – the scenery is breathtaking, including views of Comino.
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To be able to catch the Gozo ferry, first, you need to get to the Ferry Terminal in Ċirkewwa.
These are the most commonly used transport options:
The Malta Public transport is an efficient way to get to Ċirkewwa. It’s very economical but not very fast. The following bus routes can take you to the Ċirkewwa Ferry Terminal from various towns and villages across Malta: 41, 42, 101, 221, 222, X1 and X1A. If you take a bus from Valletta, it will take you around an hour to get there.
From Malta International Airport, you can also catch the X1 bus directly to Ċirkewwa. The trip takes approximately 1 hour and 15 min. A one-way bus ticket costs just €2.
More detailed info here: How to get from Malta Airport to Gozo.
You can find taxis just outside the Airport terminal or from Valletta. A trip to Ċirkewwa with a standard taxi costs around €45 / £39 / $49 and will take you around 45 mins.
Any.cab and Welcome Pickups are my recommended providers of taxi airport transfers, and both make it easy and comfortable to get to the Ferry Terminal.
Renting a car in Malta is a good option when you want to uncover all the secrets the island has to offer. You might, for example, want to visit hidden, more secluded beaches like the ones I mention in my article on the Best Beaches in Gozo.
The way the ticketing works confuses some people, but it’s very straightforward: When you board the ship in Ċirkewwa, you do not need to collect/pay for a ticket. The fare for the trip is paid on your return.
If you’re a foot passenger, you’ll need to purchase tickets at the passenger terminal in Mġarr Harbour, while vehicular traffic has to pass through ticket booths to pay the fare and join the ferry queue for embarkation.
Here’s an overview of ticket prices:
| Type of ticket | Description | Cost |
| Children’s Fare | Ages 3-12 | €1.15 |
| Standard Passenger Fare | €4.65 | |
| Car And Driver Standard Fare | For 1 car + driver. | €15.70 |
| Standard Motorcycle & Rider Fare | €8.15 | |
| Bicycle Standard Fare | €1.15 |
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The embarkation process is different depending on whether you are a foot passenger or coming with your vehicle.
Once you enter the Ċirkewwa ferry terminal, you arrive at a hall with an information desk, a waiting room, toilets and a cafeteria in the back. This cafe is an ideal place to sit and wait for the ferry while sipping a coffee and enjoying great views.
As mentioned before, you don’t need to buy a ticket there, nor show your documents. Just wait for the signal from the staff to start boarding, then climb the stairs or take the escalator and walk a corridor to the ferry gate.
If you are driving a car, you don’t have to enter the Ċirkewwa ferry terminal, nor buy any ticket. Tickets are to be bought on the way back to Malta (see previous section). As you make your way toward the terminal, you will find lines on the floor where vehicles waiting to board queue.
Try to arrive in advance to the Malta to Gozo ferry to secure a spot onboard, as the waiting lines get very busy on weekends and public holidays.
A steward will show you where you should stop and wait. Boarding is by lines.
Once you enter the ferry, turn off the engine and climb the stairs to the main deck (you can’t stay in your vehicle for safety reasons, plus it would be a shame not to enjoy the great views during the crossing).
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If you don’t need to take a car to Gozo, you can also take one of the Gozo fast ferry services from Valletta. That can save you some time if you’re staying in or East of Valletta, and even in St. Julian’s or Sliema, since you can cross over to Valletta with the Valletta ferry easily. You will have to cross over to the other side of Valletta, though (with a 15-minute walk).
Two operators run this service with the same fares and with similar vessels: Virtu Ferries Gozo and Gozo Fast Ferry. They have merged into one service called Gozo Highspeed. The schedule runs at nearly hourly intervals both ways. The earliest trip is at 5.45 am, the last from Gozo at 9.45 pm or 10.45 pm (Sat-Sun only). The schedule can change according to the season. Crossings take a little under 45 minutes.
The vessels in use by these operators are of a high standard, with comfortable seats and a small cafeteria on board.
The dock used by both operators is located on the East side of Valletta, across the road from Ta Liesse church and right next to the Three Cities ferry dock. Taxis are usually stationed nearby to offer arriving passengers a ride.
Are you considering taking the Gozo fast ferry but are still not sure if it’s the best option for you? Here are the pros and cons of the service to help you decide.
Once you arrive in Gozo (at Mġarr Harbour) you will need some form of transport to make the most of your stay. Gozo is a tiny island, just 67 km² (26 sq miles), and probably the best way to discover its most secret places is if you drive yourself.
Nevertheless, have a look at the options listed below to find the one(s) best suited to your needs.
Malta Public Transport operates 16 bus routes on the second Maltese island. Once you make the crossing, you can take a bus from Mġarr Harbour to other villages in Gozo.
However, all routes depart and terminate at Victoria (Gozo). So if, for example, you want to reach Marsalforn from Mġarr Harbour, you’ll have to take one bus to Victoria and hop on another to get to Marsalforn. As you can see, it’s not the most efficient service, but it gets you from A to B, and it’s cheap.
When using the bus service on the island of Gozo, you can travel using the same bus cards and tickets used in Malta. The 301 between Victoria (Rabat) and the ferry terminal operates every 30 minutes on average.
Hiring a car in Gozo gives you by far the most flexibility to get around on the island. Driving in Gozo is very easy, with hardly any traffic (apart from the main road leading to Victoria from the South at times). Parking is also much less of a headache than it can be in Malta.
Taxis are an option, but they are much more expensive than driving yourself around. You can easily grab a taxi at the ferry terminal on arrival. Bolt also operates on-demand taxi rides via a mobile app as well.
Get a taste of Gozo by visiting some of the best sightseeing highlights, from landmarks to natural beauty, churches, and other historic buildings, with a fun mode of transport that can take you to places regular tour buses can’t: a Malta-styled Tuk Tuk or a Quad Bike.
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Hop-on-hop-off buses are also very convenient if travelling to Gozo island without a car and if you want to explore Gozo and see the main attractions in a short time. The buses stop at all the major attractions. Headphones are provided to listen to descriptions of the sights in 8 different languages. The harbour stop is right outside the passenger terminal.
You can buy the Gozo pass from iSeeMalta in advance online, which offers a combo with the hop-on-hop-off ferry. That service can take you to Comino and its Blue Lagoon, Buġibba and Sliema, making sightseeing convenient.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can rent a bicycle to tour the island. Just beware that its hilly terrain makes for a real challenge (especially during the hot summer months)! Try Mġarr Tourist Services (4, Mġarr Harbour, Mġarr Terminal, Mġarr GSM 9031. Phone: 9982 9141). The cost is €15 per bike for the day (or €30-40 for an electric bicycle).
Another option is On 2 Wheels (15 Triq Il-Wied, Iż-Żebbuġ. Phone: 7926 6879), but you would first need to get to the village of Żebbuġ (in the North of Gozo). You can get a bike at the same price as the first option: €15 per day (or €30 for an electric bike).
Leave a comment with your question at the bottom of this page!
Edward is the Founder and Editor of Malta Uncovered and author of two guidebooks on Malta and Valletta.
As a tourist-turned-expat with Maltese roots, he knows the islands inside out and helps thousands of visitors enjoy a memorable trip every year.
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Hello
We are planning a short trip to Gozo (28-Sep-2023 to 01-Oct-2023) departing from Valetta, however I cannot find any information for return ferries on a Sunday. Can you advise please?
Liam
Hi Liam, you can find the full schedule here: https://gozohighspeed.com/pages/fares-and-schedule. As it stands (the schedule changes regularly), the same times apply any day of the week but on Sundays there’s an extra trip both ways late in the evening.
Hi.
Is it free to travel with the ferry for people +60?
Hi Ewa, it’s free for people 60+ years of age but not for tourists. You need what’s called the “Karta Anzjan” (elderly benefits card) to be able to benefit. For that you’d need to be a local resident with a Maltese ID card I believe.
Hi thanks for great info – question: while I don’t need to pay for tickets for trip to Gozo do I need to make a reservation for my vehicle in advance? We will be traveling to Gozo in mid November
Hi Rachel, you’re welcome – No, there’s no need to make a reservation in advance, you just pay for your ticket at the booths and queue up to board. What you do need to keep in mind is timing. Just because you aim to take a ferry at a particular time doesn’t mean you’ll actually be able to get on it if it’s busier than usual. Certain times you can expect to be busier, for example, a late afternoon or evening on Sundays in summer when people who live in Malta head back home from a weekend in Gozo. If you go to the website of Gozo Channel, you can see the number of queued vehicles in real-time, as well as webcams. The two most commonly used vessels (M.V. Malita and M.V. Ta Pinu) can carry up to 138 cars. Just keep in mind sometimes larger vehicles board as well and they’ll obviously take up more space. If timing is important I’m happy to help suggest a time – just let me know the date and by what time you’d want to get to Malta.
hi, how do I book a ferry from Malta to Goza if I have a car?
Hi Hetal, there’s no need to book. 🙂 Just queue up in the lanes of cars when you get to Ċirkewwa and roll onto the ferry. You pay the fee on your return from Gozo, where you’ll drive down to Mġarr Harbour and pass through ticket booths before you can queue up to board the ferry back to Malta.
Very helpful website! Thanks so much.
Can you book the Gozo ferry please?
Hi Donald, for the main ferry (that departs from Ċirkewwa) you can’t, no, but unless you’re looking to cross to Gozo with a car there isn’t a need since they’re large vessels (and it’s a short trip). With the fast ferry services from Valletta you _can_ buy tickets online in advance.