Malta | 🏛 Malta Boat Tour

Valletta Harbour Cruise: Grand & Marsamxett Harbours with Fort History

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration1h 15m

GroupUp to 70

Audio guideEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two Harbours, Two Sieges, One Boat from Sliema

You board at Sliema ferry and spend the afternoon on the water, passing Fort St Elmo, the 3 Cities, and Fort St Angelo while a guide explains the 1565 and 1942 sieges and other harbour landmarks. The boat does the navigation; you get the views and the history without arranging transport or timing yourself.

1h 15m

Step-by-step itinerary

Start cruise at Sliema ferry
Pass by Ta Xbiex
Pass by St Paul’s Anglican Pro Cathedral
Pass by Fort St Elmo
Pass by Valletta Waterfront and cruise terminal
Pass by Senglea city
Pass by Vittoriosa city
Pass by Fort St Angelo
Pass by Fort Ricasoli
Return to Sliema ferry

The Experience

"So we're actually going to see Fort St Elmo from the water?" That's the question most people ask before boarding at Sliema ferry, and the answer is yes — but it's only the start. The Valletta harbour cruise loops through Marsamxett and Grand Harbours, the two largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean, and the boat does the work of getting you close to things you can't see properly from land. You pass Ta Xbiex, St Paul's Anglican Pro Cathedral, and then the real draw: Fort St Elmo sitting at the tip of Valletta, where the 1565 Great Siege happened. The guide talks through the history as you move, so you're not just looking at stone — you're hearing why it matters.

The route takes you past Senglea and Vittoriosa, two of the three old cities, and then Fort St Angelo in Birgu, where the Knights of Malta held their ground. Fort Ricasoli comes into view after that. It's the kind of tour where the commentary does the heavy lifting, because these forts and creeks tell a story that only makes sense when you know what happened in 1565 and again in 1942. The boat stays in the water the whole time, so you're seeing the harbours the way they were meant to be understood — from the sea, not from a street corner. The Valletta Waterfront slides past too, with the cruise liner terminal, and you get a sense of how the city sits between these two working harbours.

The whole thing starts and finishes at Sliema ferry, so there's no scrambling to find a different dock or wondering where to go next. You're back where you started, and the harbour is still there if you want to walk along it afterward. Public transport is nearby if you need it, and the boat works for all fitness levels — you're sitting the whole time.

What’s included

Your cruise includes the full boat trip around Marsamxett and Grand Harbours, detailed English-language commentary covering the history of the 1565 and 1942 sieges and other landmarks, and transport to and from Sliema ferry.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Luzzu Cruises

Is this one for you?Right for anyone wanting to understand Valletta's forts and harbour history without walking or arranging separate transport — the boat gets you close to things land tours can't reach, and the guide handles the storytelling. Expect to be on the water the whole time, which is exactly what makes the views and the history click into place.