Malta Harbour Tour: Two Cruises from Sliema

The harbours and creeks cruise is the Malta harbour tour with the most reviews on our list: 4.6 from 3,052, at $22 per person. It leaves Sliema Ferries and spends about 90 minutes on the water, circling the two natural harbours on either side of Valletta: Marsamxett Harbour and the Grand Harbour.

From the deck you pass historic forts and bastions, busy dockyards and marinas, and the three fortified cities of Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea. The boat also works its way through the creeks around Valletta for views of the city from the water. An audio commentary in English tells the history of Valletta and the places around it as you go.

For a first look at the capital, this Malta harbour tour is the simple choice: one route, one language, the higher rating. The operator can change the route with the weather and sea conditions, so treat the list of sights as the plan, not a promise.

The second listing, the Valletta and Three Cities scenic cruise, costs the same $22 per person and also lasts 90 minutes. It sails on a 20-metre catamaran that the listing describes as eco-friendly and fully air-conditioned.

The route covers the same two harbours, Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour, past the forts, battlements and creeks around Valletta and the Three Cities. The commentary runs in English and German, and the listing says it covers the Great Sieges of 1565 and 1942 along with other landmarks of Malta’s past.

It is rated 4.3 from 1,088 reviews, lower than the harbours and creeks cruise. The listing marks it as wheelchair accessible; confirm the details for your party before you pay. Pick this Malta harbour tour if you want German commentary or the bigger boat.

Both cruises show the Three Cities from the water: Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, their bastions and the marinas below them. Neither listing mentions a stop ashore. A Grand Harbour tour Malta visitors take from Sliema is the quick way in: 90 minutes, no walking, $22 per person.

If you want to walk their streets as well, the guided half-day tour of the Three Cities includes a ride in a traditional Maltese boat. It costs $45 per person and takes 4 hours. Our Three Cities guide covers the route, the boat ride and what the price includes. Many people do both: the Malta harbour tour for the big picture, the walk for the detail.

Book the harbours and creeks cruise. At $22 per person it gives you both harbours, the creeks and the Three Cities in 90 minutes, with English commentary and a 4.6 rating from 3,052 reviews.

Want German commentary or a larger catamaran? The Three Cities cruise is the same price and length. Want to walk the Three Cities too? Pair the cruise with the guided half-day tour.

Our top pick across the site leaves the same Sliema waterfront: the boat and bus day to Gozo, Comino and the Blue Lagoon, $50 per person for 7.5 hours, with a bus ride across Gozo and time to swim at the Blue Lagoon. Boat trips to Comino on our list start at $32 per person. All eleven are side by side in our full list of boat trips.