Malta to Gozo Ferry Guide: Routes, Tickets and Travel Times

There are two main ways to travel from Malta to Gozo: the Gozo Channel vehicle ferry from Ċirkewwa and the Gozo Highspeed passenger ferries from Valletta, Buġibba and Sliema. Every route arrives at Mġarr Harbour in Gozo, but the departure point, ticket system and vehicle rules are different.

The best choice is not automatically the ferry with the shortest crossing. Compare the complete journey from your accommodation to the Malta terminal, the waiting time, the crossing and your onward journey from Mġarr.

Gozo ferry options compared

Service	Malta departure	Vehicles	Published crossing time	Standard adult fare
Gozo Channel	Ċirkewwa	Cars, motorcycles and foot passengers	About 25 minutes	€4.65 round trip
Gozo Highspeed	Valletta	Foot passengers only	About 45 minutes	€7.50 one way
Gozo Highspeed	Buġibba	Foot passengers only	About 30 minutes	€6.50 one way
Gozo Highspeed	Sliema via Buġibba	Foot passengers only	About 1 hour 15 minutes	€8.50 one way

These are the standard adult fares published when this guide was checked. Gozo residents, children, students, senior citizens and passengers with qualifying documentation may have different fares. Always check the operator's live schedule and the price shown for your actual journey.

Which ferry should you choose?

Choose Gozo Channel from Ċirkewwa when:

• you need to take a car, motorcycle or rental vehicle to Gozo;
• you are already staying in northern Malta;
• the lowest standard foot-passenger fare matters most; or
• its timetable works better for an early or late crossing.

Compare Gozo Highspeed when:

• you are travelling without a vehicle;
• Valletta, Buġibba or Sliema is easier to reach than Ċirkewwa;
• you want to book a particular passenger sailing; or
• avoiding the long road journey to Malta's northern tip saves time overall.

A 25-minute Gozo Channel crossing can still produce a longer door-to-door trip if reaching Ċirkewwa takes much longer. Conversely, Gozo Channel may remain the simpler option from Mellieħa or another northern locality even when a fast-ferry terminal appears more central on a map.

Gozo Channel from Ċirkewwa

Gozo Channel operates between Ċirkewwa in Malta and Mġarr in Gozo. It is the option to use with a car or motorcycle. The operator currently publishes a daily schedule and an approximate crossing time of 25 minutes.

Gozo Channel does not reserve places on a particular sailing. Boarding is first come, first served, and an online ticket does not provide priority. Drivers join the vehicle queue, while foot passengers wait for boarding instructions in the terminal.

Allow extra time on summer weekends, public holidays, long weekends and around major Gozo events. Buying online can remove a payment step, but it cannot remove the queue or guarantee space on the next ferry.

How Gozo Channel tickets work

The standard ticket covers one round trip and is valid for six months from purchase. Current common fares include:

Ticket	Published fare
Standard foot passenger	€4.65 round trip
Child aged 3–12	€1.15
Infant aged 0–2	Free ticket required
Standard car and driver, up to 5.3 metres	€15.70 round trip
Standard bicycle	€1.15

The car-and-driver fare includes the driver, but every additional passenger in the vehicle needs an individual passenger ticket.

Ticketing is unusual for people starting in Malta: tickets are validated at Mġarr in Gozo on the start or return journey. Drivers can buy a standard car-and-driver ticket online or at the Mġarr vehicle booths; they board at Ċirkewwa without validating it first. Foot passengers starting at Ċirkewwa should follow terminal staff instructions.

Children's tickets and free infant tickets must be obtained at Mġarr and validated there. If several tickets were bought together online, each passenger must be able to present an individual ticket rather than one combined multi-ticket PDF.

Gozo Highspeed from Valletta, Buġibba or Sliema

Gozo Highspeed is a passenger-only service. Cars and motorcycles cannot be carried.

Its Malta terminals are:

• Valletta: Lascaris Wharf in the Grand Harbour, below the Upper Barrakka area
• Buġibba: the passenger terminal on the Buġibba waterfront
• Sliema: The Strand; the Gozo service calls at Buġibba before continuing

The Sliema route's published 1 hour 15 minute journey includes the Buġibba stop. If you are choosing between Sliema and Buġibba, compare the departure time as well as the fare: travelling overland to Buġibba purely to save time may not improve the whole trip.

Booking and boarding the fast ferry

Select the route, date and sailing in the official booking system. Check the terminal carefully because a ticket from one departure point should not be assumed valid from another.

Gozo Highspeed recommends:

• reconfirming the sailing about three hours before departure;
• arriving for check-in 15–20 minutes early; and
• being ready before check-in closes, which the operator states is two minutes before departure.

If you cancel, arrive late or fail to board, the operator says the ticket is not refundable, although it may be rebooked. Different rules apply when the operator cancels the sailing.

Is either ferry free with a Tallinja Card?

Do not assume a personalised Tallinja Card makes the Malta–Gozo ferry free.

Gozo Highspeed currently publishes a €6.50 Tallinja Card fare for the Sliema–Gozo route, compared with the €8.50 standard fare. It lists free Tallinja Card travel only for the separate Sliema–Buġibba journey, not for continuing to Gozo. The Valletta and Buġibba Gozo fare tables do not list a general free Tallinja Card fare.

Gozo Channel has its own passenger and concession system. A Tallinja Card is not a substitute for the required Gozo Channel ticket.

Taking a car or rental vehicle to Gozo

Only Gozo Channel carries vehicles. The standard €15.70 car-and-driver category applies to a vehicle up to 5.3 metres; longer vehicles and trailers have separate fares.

Before taking a rental vehicle, check that the rental agreement permits travel to Gozo and whether roadside assistance applies there. Join the marked vehicle queue and follow staff instructions rather than relying only on navigation directions near the port.

If you do not need the car throughout the visit, compare the vehicle fare, fuel and parking with travelling as a foot passenger and using buses or taxis in Gozo. Our renting a car in Malta guide covers the agreement checks, while driving in Malta explains the main road rules.

Bicycles, luggage, pets and accessibility

Gozo Channel publishes a standard bicycle fare of €1.15. Gozo Highspeed carries ordinary bicycles free of charge, but limits each sailing to nine bicycles and recommends booking ahead to reserve rack space. Its current rules place e-bikes, e-scooters and push scooters with lithium-ion batteries on the outside deck at the owner's responsibility.

On Gozo Highspeed, each passenger may take one piece of personal baggage up to 50 × 40 × 80 cm, plus one piece of hand luggage up to 37 × 45 × 25 cm and 5 kg. Bags must be stored where the crew directs.

Fast-ferry passengers may take up to two pets, but pets must be declared during booking and large dogs may be required to wear a muzzle. The operator can refuse a pet on a particular voyage.

If you need boarding assistance, tell the chosen operator before travelling and identify yourself to staff at the terminal. Gozo Highspeed asks passengers with special needs to advise the company when reserving.

Weather disruption and fixed connections

Both ferry services can be delayed, altered or cancelled because of sea conditions, technical problems or operational restrictions. Check notices before leaving for the terminal, even if you already hold a ticket.

Gozo Highspeed states that it does not cover the cost of alternative transport caused by a cancellation or delay. Gozo Channel tickets are not reservations for a named sailing, so a long queue can also move you to a later departure.

Do not build a flight, hospital appointment or other fixed commitment around the scheduled crossing time alone. Add time for reaching the terminal, check-in or queuing, the voyage, disembarkation and onward travel. If the connection is critical, identify a later ferry and an alternative route in advance. For airport journeys, use our dedicated Malta Airport to Gozo guide.

Continuing from Mġarr Harbour

Both services arrive at Mġarr in Gozo. Public buses connect the harbour with Victoria and other localities, but not every destination has a direct bus from every sailing. Check the next departure and final stop in our public transport in Gozo guide.

Taxis and app-based rides are also available at or around the harbour. They can be useful when several people are travelling together, luggage is heavy or the next bus requires a long wait. Compare the options in our taxis in Gozo guide.

For other boat connections around the islands, see our overview of ferries in Malta. You can also browse all Transport guides.