boat trips valletta

Welcome to Grand Harbour Tours - Malta

Take a trip around the three cities and the valletta grand harbour.

Have you ever been on the traditional Maltese boat before? If not you have come to the right place.

The Barklor Cooperative offers Tours around Malta's Grand Harbour and the Three Cities, where you can enjoy the view of several attractions within the Maltese Boat.

Enjoy the view and the company of the friendly boat men on the traditional Maltese boat

There are many ways you can enjoy our Boats, you can either take the Grand Harbour Tour which will take you to the Three Cities and Valletta's Grand Harbour or you might use our services to cross from one cultural city to another. We also cater for special occasions.

Harbour Tours Malta

What do we offer?

Harbour tours.

We can take you on a trip around Malta's Grand Harbour area, where you can see St.Angelo's Fortress, Lower and Upper Barakka Gardens and many other attractions from on our traditional Maltese boat.

Water Taxis

If you happen to be in either Valletta, Senglea or Cospicua, you can book a traditional boat to take you to any of these beautiful cities.

Special Occasions

We also cater for special occasions such as engagements, weddings and holy communions. The grand harbour views seen when on the Maltese dghajsa, will make your occasion one to remember.

Want to know more?

Booking office phone (+356) 27805278.

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• Valletta Harbour Cruise

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valletta harbour cruise

Tour the best natural harbours on the island.

What an amazing experience to see two natural harbours of Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour surrounded by magnificent fortifications cruising in every creek with a detailed running commentary about Malta's history of Valletta and the Three Cities of L'Isla, Birgu and Bormal.

Most of the fortifications were built by the Knights of St. John to withstand the Ottoman Empire and the British forces to withstand the World War ll airial attacks.

An incredible perspective at sea level to see these massive limestone fortifications and their cities within and surrounding including the present harbour activities of our time.

Disclaimer: On our website, you will find affiliate links from which we receive a small commission.

What You Need To Know About The Tour

• Valletta Harbour Cruise Malta Tickets
• What You Will See On Tour
• Why Go On Tour
• What Can You Do During The Tour

Find tickets for the Valletta Harbour Cruise Malta

>Availability and Tickets

• You can find information about the tour, including pricing and availability, here .

Quick Info About The Tour

• The tour around the ports is 1 hour 30 minutes long.
• Departure and return from the same location at Sliema Ferries.

What Is Included

• The Valletta Harbour cruise

When Do Tours take place?

For better clarification check in the booking calendar while booking.

• Cruises happen daily all throughout the year.

Secure payments guaranteed

Enter 'maltainfoguide' in coupon box to get 5% discount. eTicket (mobile ticket) is available.

What You Will See On The Tour

Cruise around the natural ports where you see the towns of Gzira, Ta’ Xbiex, Msida with the marina along the beach. The Marina, around the Valletta bastions and Lower Barakka Gardens.

On the other side of the harbour the historical Three Cities of L'Isla (Citta Invicta) better known as Senglea, Birgu (Citta' Vittoriose) and Bormla (Citta' Cospicual). All names give by the Knights of St. John. Here lies Fort St. Angelo today a massive fort that was enlarged by the Knights of St John even more fortified after the great siege.

On the Marsamxett port side see the island in the middle with a large imposing fortification named for the Grand Master Manoel de Vilhema who financed its building.

The Valletta fortification completely surrounding the capital are imposingly visible from both ports.

Why Go On The Tour

• An unforgettable experience touring unique natural harbours that influenced the history of Malta and of Europe.
• A short tour which can be easily incorporated with your holiday schedule.
• Embarcation from a very central location of the Sliema Ferries which is reachable by public transport very easily.
• The opportunity to learn about the mighty and heroic history of the Maltese and the powers who where here from time to time.
• Malta in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea was always part of much bigger importance to their conquerors. Although small Malta was part of the Mediterranean history that shaded this region.  

A Little History On The Ports

These natural ports have been attractive to many mariners and conqueror due to their natural sheltered creaks.

The Great Siege of 1565

This brought with it the biggest siege of 1565 where the KNights of ST. John were attacked by the mighty Ottoman Empire with the intension of destroying the knights and taking over these islands that are very strategically located to then attack Europe. For three months the knights and Maltese endured the siege but finally won.

The Battles of World War II

At the time the Maltese islands were under British rule. German and Italian air forces heavily bombarded the harbour areas and the surrounding towns. They had the intension of destroying the British military power where they kept the battleships and the dockyard within the harbour creaks. Many damaged vessels used to come from different part of the Mediterranean to be repaired.

In the first stages of the war the British army heavily armed the port area with many antiaircraft concrete bunkers to withstand the assault.    

The Maltese endured all this and where they showed great courage where Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI.

More to know

Should I buy the tickets in advance? Yes why not. It is better to have them in hand since this particular cruise is very popular and tickets are sold very quickly especially in high season. It is better to have the tickets in hand than go to the boat and remain disappointed.

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Home » Valletta - Malta's capital city » Valletta tours and excursions

The Best Valletta Tours and Excursions

Heading to  Valletta  on your next trip and looking to take a tour or excursion to see some of the highlights there?

You’ve come to the right place.

In this article I’ve curated the best Valletta tours and excursions that will take you past some of  the best places of interest in Malta’s capital city .

Save big on sightseeing Valletta with iSeeMalta museum combo tickets and their Valletta harbour cruise ferry .

Valletta tours at a glance

These are the types of Valletta tours that I’ll cover today:

• Valletta walking tours
• Valletta boat tour  (around Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour)
• DIY Valletta tours (with itineraries)
• Private tours (also for cruise passengers)
• Segway tours  around the city
• Three Cities tour

Valletta is not a big city, in fact, it’s one of the smallest capital cities in Europe. But within its thick 16th century walls are so many interesting things to learn within short walking distance from each other. And the fun part about all this is that you can tour Valletta in a number of ways.

The below are a few Valletta tours and excursion options to consider. I’ve also included links to a few providers that I recommend booking with online for each.

Best Valletta walking tour

Stretch your legs and warm up your muscles! The best way to explore the city is the most traditional – on foot. Even better if you have a guide to pinpoint items of historical significance which you might otherwise never notice, who can also provide interesting background info.

During this half day Valletta tour, you’ll visit the most important highlights of the city:

• You’ll start at the  Upper Barrakka Gardens  which overlook the Grand Harbour. Admire the great views while enjoying a quick coffee to kickstart your day.
• From there, it’s straight to the spectacular  St. John’s Co-Cathedral . Prepare yourself to meet Caravaggio’s masterpiece  The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist  in the Oratory of the Cathedral, after entering one of the most beautifully decorated cathedrals in Europe.
• You’ll continue to the  Grand Masterʹs Palace and the Armoury . This holds a most-impressive collection of medieval war artefacts.
• Finally, you’ll finish off this tour by visiting the  Malta Experience , a multimedia show that takes you through thousands of years of Maltese history.

The cost of this tour is €40 per person for persons 13+ and €17 per person for children under 12 years.

More info and booking here

Going to a new destination can be daunting and the easiest way is to book a tour, but with Valletta being so small, it’s super easy to do your own sightseeing.

Although I don’t offer tours myself, I’m a huge Valletta fan and wrote a fully-fledged Valletta guidebook. There’s a ton of info in there, but the content is centred around a few itineraries with easy-to-follow walking routes in which I’ve prioritised the best places to visit in the city.

So if you’re only around for one day (on a cruise stop, for example), I’ve presented the best of Valletta on a silver platter.

Either way, if you’re keen to get to know Valletta better before you visit, it’s a very informative guidebook that’s well-reviewed by my readers.

More info here:  Valletta guidebook by Malta Uncovered .

Best Valletta boat tour

There’s the city from the inside, and then there’s the city from the outside. The Grand Harbour is closely tied to Valletta and its rich history. And what better way to explore the two natural harbours on either side of the city than by boat, one of the few Valletta tours at sea?

Hop on board a Wi-Fi-enabled harbour boat for a cruise around Marsamxett Harbour and the captain will take you very close to the fortifications. Meanwhile, a detailed audio commentary provides you with info on the rich history that shaped Valletta and the harbours around it.

You can get on or off at three points of the journey for added flexibility:

• Valletta Waterfront
• Sliema Ferries (great to hop on further tours to other places around Malta and Gozo)
• Esplora Interactive Science Centre (fun outing for kids)

Tickets are just €10 per person and €7.50 for children (ages 4-12).

Get tickets here and learn more here: Traditional Harbour Cruise Malta .

Private tours of Valletta (also for cruise passengers)

If you’re looking to explore Valletta with the rich insight that a private tour guide can offer you, there are a few highly knowledgeable and experienced tour guides that do a great job.

For cruise passengers who have a short amount of time available for sightseeing, taking a private tour is the best way to maximise time on shore. These are a few options to consider, starting and ending at the cruise port terminal:

• 3-Hour private walking tour  (max group of 4)
• 4-Hour private walking tour , including the Three Cities

If you’re not a cruise passenger, you can still join these private walking tours. The cruise port terminal is a 10-15 minute walk away from City Gate, located at the end of the Valletta Waterfront down at the harbour.

Valletta tours by segway

Probably the most fun way of exploring Valletta is taking a segway tour. Hop on these noiseless two-wheeled contraptions and follow the leader around the straight streets of the city.

With 3 choice tour durations of 1.5 hours, 2 hours or 3 hours, you can go on a segway tour during mornings, afternoons and evenings. Your guide will help you get familiar with the easy-to-steer segways, and then show you around the most interesting places in the city.

Segway tours can be enjoyed by persons from 14 years to adult and prices start from €45 per person.

Tip: My Valletta travel guide book shortlists some of the best places to see and visit, so you don’t have to depend on excursions or tours to explore the city!

Other Valletta tours

The three cities tour – half day (morning).

This half-day trip takes you around the three fortified cities of  Birgu , Cospicua and Senglea. Popularly, these are known as the Three Cities (also referred to as Cottonera ). On their arrival on the islands, the Knights of the Order of St. John  made these cities their domain. They built some of the most impressive fortifications in the world, famous for having repelled a massive Ottoman invasion (known as the Great Siege of 1565).

During the duration of the tour, you’ll experience Malta by car, on foot and also by small boat ferry. First, there’s an informative drive through Cospicua. This is followed by a walking tour of Birgu (Vittoriosa), visiting several historical buildings and churches.

Next up, is a harbour cruise on a traditional Maltese boat from where you can truly be amazed by the immensity of the fortifications built by the Knights. The tour ends in Senglea, with a visit to the watchtower overlooking the Grand Harbour.

The cost of this tour is €32 per person for persons 13+ and €15 per person for children under 12 years.

Are you looking for any other options to tour Valletta?

Leave a comment below and let me know!

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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