ATV Riding in Gozo: Buggy Tour with Boat Ride

Drive remote cliffs and secluded inlets, then boat through caves carved by the sea.

A full-day buggy tour in Gozo puts you behind the wheel of a fully automatic vehicle to navigate cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, golden beaches, ancient villages and salt pans dating back to Phoenician times, with a boat ride through sea caves and a guide leading the route. You drive as the primary activity; passengers can join a driver on the same buggy. Pickup runs from Valletta at 8 a.m., and the tour includes transport to and from your accommodation, a safety briefing, and food tasting at a stop along the way. Drivers must be 21 or older and hold a valid license and government-issued photo ID.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day Gozo buggy and boat tour

• Pick up from Valletta at 8:00am
• Visit Dwejra Bay and Inland Sea boat trip
• See the saltpans and take photos
• Stop at Ramla Bay sandy beach
• Explore Wied il-Ghasri inlet and cliffs
• Visit Xlendi village
• Tour Rotunda of Xewkija church
• Pass by Fontana village
• Drive through Victoria, Gozo's capital
• Pass Qbajjar Bay
• Sail past Comino Caves
• Sail past Comino's Crystal and Blue Lagoon

The Experience

The day starts with a pickup from your accommodation or a nearby collection point, then heads toward Gozo via the Marfa or Cirkewwa ferry. Once on the island, you take the wheel of a fully automatic buggy equipped with seatbelts and insurance, and the guide leads you through a route that covers eight hours and spans the island's most remote locations. The buggy handles terrain most rental cars cannot reach — high cliffs, narrow valley floors, and coastal tracks that open onto views of the Mediterranean.

Dwejra Bay comes early in the route, a natural sea pool where a long tunnel cuts through caves and opens directly into the sea. From there, the buggies move to the salt pans, where salt has been harvested using only seawater, wind and sun since Phoenician times; the geometric checkerboard of the ponds makes for dramatic photographs. Ramla Bay follows, a large golden beach on Gozo's northern coast known for its red sands. Wied il-Ghasri is a deep gorge-like inlet with high cliffs and a tiny pebbly beach — the kind of secluded spot that only an off-road vehicle can reach. The route also passes Xlendi, Fontana, Victoria (Gozo's capital), and Qbajjar Bay, each a stop where the guide shares the history and the landscape shifts.

The boat ride is the day's second major component. You sail through sea caves, pass the ruins of the Azure Window (the famous limestone arch that collapsed in 2017), and on the return journey, weather permitting, you sail past Comino's Crystal Lagoon and Blue Lagoon for photographs. The Rotunda of Xewkija, Gozo's baroque church with the third-largest dome in Europe, stands as a landmark visible across much of the island; entry to the dome and its museum costs extra. Food tasting is built into one of the stops, and the full day wraps before evening.

What’s included

• Use of a fully automatic buggy with seatbelts and insurance.
• pickup and transport from your accommodation or nearby collection point.
• a guide leading the full route in English.
• a boat ride through sea caves and past Comino's lagoons (weather permitting).
• food tasting at a stop along the way.
• minivan transport to and from the ferry.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by Gozo Pride Tours Ltd

Is this one for you?Book this as a driver if you hold a valid license and want to control the pace through remote cliffs and hidden inlets that regular roads don't reach. Passengers can join a driver on the same buggy, making it a shared experience for friends or family traveling together.

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Top questions

Can I ride as a passenger if I don't have a driver's license?

Yes, passengers can join a buggy driven by someone who has booked a driver ticket. Children aged 5 and older can ride as passengers. Passenger tickets are only available when booked alongside a driver ticket on the same buggy, and the price is based on sharing the vehicle.

What is Dwejra Bay and what happens there?

Dwejra Bay is one of Gozo's most photographed locations — a natural sea pool where a long tunnel runs through caves and opens into the Mediterranean. The boat ride passes through this tunnel and sails over the ruins of the Azure Window, though entry to that landmark site is not included in the tour fee.

Does the tour include the boat ride, or is it an add-on?

The boat ride through the sea caves and past Comino's lagoons is included in the full-day tour. Weather can affect the sailing portions, particularly the pass by Comino's Crystal Lagoon and Blue Lagoon on the return journey.

How early does the day start and where do I get picked up?

Pickups begin at 8 a.m. from Valletta, with transport arranged to the Marfa or Cirkewwa ferry. The operator coordinates a pickup point near your accommodation that works for both you and the driver, rather than always at your door, and sends pickup instructions after you book.

What is the Rotunda of Xewkija and is it included?

The Rotunda of Xewkija is Gozo's baroque church with the third-largest dome in Europe, standing 75 metres high and taking more than 20 years to build. The tour passes it as a landmark, but entry to the dome, the museum inside, and the lift to the roof for a circumference walk cost extra.

What are the salt pans and why are they on the route?

The salt pans are ancient shallow pools where salt is harvested using only seawater, wind and sun — a practice that began during Phoenician times when salt was more valuable than gold. Their geometric checkerboard pattern across the landscape offers dramatic photo opportunities and represents a living piece of Gozo's history.