Malta Explorer

Practical · Getting there & around

The Gozo Channel car ferry approaching Mgarr harbour at golden hour, the green Gozitan hills rising behind

Ferry to Gozo: Cirkewwa, Valletta fast ferry, and how the fare works

Mechanics of the Cirkewwa-Mgarr car ferry, the Valletta-Mgarr fast passenger ferry, summer queues and how to skip them.

Gozo is reached by boat from Malta. Two services run year-round: the car-and-passenger ferry from Cirkewwa at the top of north Malta to Mgarr on Gozo, and the passenger-only fast ferry from Valletta direct to Mgarr. Each has different uses; both have small-print travellers often miss.

The Cirkewwa-Mgarr car ferry

The main service. Operated by Gozo Channel, the state-owned ferry company.

  • Route: Cirkewwa terminal (north Malta) to Mgarr harbour (Gozo).
  • Crossing time: 25 minutes quayside to quayside.
  • Frequency: every 30 minutes from 06:00 to 18:00, every 45 minutes 18:00-23:00, reduced overnight service.
  • Fare: €4.65 per passenger return (foot or vehicle), €15.70 for car + driver + passengers return.
  • Vehicle types: cars, vans up to 8 metres, motorbikes, bicycles. Larger vehicles use separate scheduled runs.

The mechanic that confuses first-time visitors: you do not pay on arrival. You drive on or walk on at Cirkewwa without paying, and you pay at the Mgarr terminal toll booth on the way back. The Cirkewwa terminal has no ticket counter for outgoing crossings; the booth is on the Gozo side, after you have driven off the boat coming back.

For walk-on passengers: same rule. Pay at the Mgarr terminal kiosk when you return to Cirkewwa, not when you depart Malta.

The Valletta-Mgarr fast ferry

The passenger-only alternative. Operated by Gozo Fast Ferry (private operator with a state concession).

  • Route: Valletta (Sa Maison ferry terminal in Marsamxett Harbour, below the western bastions) to Mgarr (Gozo).
  • Crossing time: 45 minutes.
  • Frequency: hourly in summer (06:30 to 22:30), half-hourly at peak times. Reduced in winter (3-4 crossings per day, weather-permitting).
  • Fare: €7.50 one way, €12 return.
  • Booking: available online at gozofastferry.com. Walk-on possible when seats remain.
  • Capacity: 250 passengers, no vehicles.

Use this ferry if you are based in Valletta or Sliema without a car. It saves the 90-minute bus ride to Cirkewwa. The 45-minute fast crossing covers the same distance as the Cirkewwa ferry plus the Cirkewwa-Valletta drive in one fast hop.

Summer queues at Cirkewwa

The bottleneck. Between 09:00 and 11:00 on summer weekends, the car queue at Cirkewwa for the next available crossing can be 30 to 90 minutes long. Cars are loaded on a first-come-first-served basis until the ferry is full; remaining cars wait for the next departure.

Patterns:

  • Worst times: Friday afternoon (Maltese weekend travel), Saturday morning (tourist day-trips), Sunday morning.
  • Easiest times: Tuesday-Thursday outside summer holiday periods.
  • Pre-dawn: the first ferries (06:00, 06:30) almost never have a queue.
  • Late morning: between 11:30 and 13:00 the queue thins out before peaking again at 14:00 for the afternoon visitors.

Strategy: cross before 09:00 or after 13:00. Travelling back from Gozo in the same day is the bigger queue (peak 16:30-18:30 in summer); plan for the return as much as for the outgoing.

There is no advance booking for the regular Gozo ferry. The fast ferry is bookable and bypasses the Cirkewwa queue entirely.

The Comino ferry from Cirkewwa

Several small private operators run boats from Cirkewwa to Comino (the Blue Lagoon). This is a separate service from the Gozo Channel ferry; the small-operator boats use a different berth at the Cirkewwa marina.

  • Fare: €15-25 return.
  • Departures: from 08:00 to roughly 17:00, every 30-60 minutes in summer.
  • Booking: not required outside peak season; walk up to the marina and find an operator with a posted timetable.

A separate small ferry runs from Mgarr (Gozo) to Comino: €10 return, 10 minutes each way, operated by Gozo Channel.

Onward from Mgarr (Gozo)

Once on Gozo, the practical transport options:

  • Bus #301 or #303 to Victoria (the central town), 20 minutes, €2.50.
  • Bus #322 to Ramla Bay, 25 minutes.
  • Bus #311 to Dwejra, 20 minutes.
  • Car rental from Mayjo or other Gozo-side agencies at Mgarr or Victoria, €25-40 a day.
  • Taxi rank at the Mgarr terminal exit; fixed prices by zone (€10-15 to Victoria, €20-25 to Xlendi or Marsalforn).

For a serious Gozo visit (2+ nights), pick up a car at Mgarr or have a Gozo agency drop one at your accommodation.

Onward to Comino from Gozo

The small Mgarr-Comino ferry from the same Mgarr terminal: €10 return, 10 minutes each way. This is the better way to visit Comino than the larger Malta-side operators. Departures every 60-90 minutes in summer.

Travelling with a vehicle: practical tips

  • Roof boxes: standard sized roof boxes are allowed but increase the loading time. Note that high vehicles may pay a small surcharge.
  • Bicycles: travel free on the ferry. Walk on with the bike or roll on with the vehicle.
  • Pets: allowed on deck on leashes, not in the passenger lounges.
  • Caravans, larger motorhomes: check with Gozo Channel in advance for height/length restrictions.
  • Disability access: the ferry vessels have lifts between car deck and passenger lounge. The Mgarr terminal is fully accessible.

In winter (December to March)

The fast ferry runs a reduced winter schedule (3-4 crossings per day) and may be cancelled in strong westerlies. The car ferry runs year-round with rare cancellations only in the worst storms (typically 2-3 days per year, in January-February).

Build in a 30-minute buffer on either side of any winter crossing booking. Check the Gozo Channel website (gozochannel.com) on the morning of travel for status updates.