How to Get to Gozo from Malta Airport

Your Options at a Glance

There are four practical ways to get from the airport to Gozo. The right one depends on your arrival time, budget, whether you have a vehicle, and how much you want to manage yourself.

• Route one: Taxi or bus to Valletta, then Gozo Highspeed Ferry
• Route two: Taxi or bus to Ċirkewwa, then Gozo Channel Ferry
• Route three: Taxi or bus to Sliema or Buġġiba, then Sliema and Buġġiba Ferry
• Route four: Private transfer, door to door

Not sure which ferry suits your trip? Our Which Gozo Ferry quiz takes about two minutes and does the thinking for you.

Route 1: Valletta-Gozo Highspeed Ferry (Recommended)

This is the fastest overall route for most travellers arriving without a vehicle.

By taxi: From the airport, a taxi to Lascaris Wharf in Valletta’s Grand Harbour takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. Expect to pay approximately €15 to €25. From the terminal, the Gozo Highspeed Ferry crosses directly to Mġarr Harbour in around 45 minutes.

By bus: The TD4 Airport Direct service runs from Malta International Airport directly to the Gozo Highspeed Ferry terminal at Valletta and costs €3. The journey takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Check the Tallinja website for current timetables before you travel.

Total journey time: approximately one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes.

Sailings run roughly hourly from 06:45, with the last departure at 20:45 (22:15 in summer, with additional late sailings on Fridays and Saturdays). The service is foot passengers only, so this route works if you are travelling without a car.

Booking in advance online is strongly recommended during summer when sailings fill quickly.

Top Tip: Check the Gozo Highspeed Facebook page before heading to the terminal. The service can be affected by weather and occasional Grand Harbour events such as the International Firework Festival, which can cause last-minute schedule changes.

Full details on fares, timetables and booking are in our complete Valletta to Gozo Ferry guide.

Route Two: Gozo Channel Ferry from Ċirkewwa

The Gozo Channel Ferry from Ċirkewwa is the classic crossing and the only option if you are travelling with a car or motorbike, and the most reliable choice for late arrivals.

By taxi: The airport to Ċirkewwa takes 45 to 60 minutes and costs approximately €35 to €50 depending on time of day and traffic. The crossing to Mġarr takes around 25 minutes. No pre-booking is needed for foot passengers, and the ferry departs every 15 to 45 minutes.

By bus: The TD1 Airport Direct service runs from Malta International Airport to Buġġiba and Ċirkewwa Terminal. The journey to Ċirkewwa takes approximately 80 to 90 minutes minutes. Check current timetables on the Tallinja website before you travel.

Total journey time: approximately two hours to two hours and thirty minutes.

If you are travelling with a car, this is the only ferry option available to you. Vehicle crossings cannot be pre-booked but are rarely a problem outside of peak times.

Top Tip: If you arrive on a Friday evening or the day before a public holiday, allow extra time. The car ferry queue can stretch back considerably, and arriving unhurried is a far better start to your Gozo trip than rushing for a sailing.

Full timetables, fares and crossing details are in our Gozo Channel Ferry guide.

Route Three: The Sliema and Buġġiba Ferry

If you are staying in Sliema, St Julian’s, Buġġiba or St Paul’s Bay before or after your time on Gozo, this route is worth knowing about. Malta’s newest ferry service connects Sliema and Buġġiba directly to Mġarr Harbour.

By taxi: The airport to Sliema takes around 20 to 30 minutes (approximately €15 to €20). The airport to Buġġiba takes 30 to 40 minutes (approximately €20 to €35).

By bus: The TD3 Airport Direct service runs from the airport to Sliema via St Julian’s. The TD1 Airport Direct service runs from the airport to Buġġiba. Check the Tallinja website for current timetables.

The crossing itself works in two stages. From Sliema, the ferry travels to Buġġiba, a journey of around 30 minutes. It then continues from Buġġiba to Mġarr Harbour, another 30 minutes. The full journey from Sliema to Mġarr takes approximately 75 minutes in total. If you are joining at Buġġiba, your crossing to Mġarr is around 30 minutes, though bear in mind the ferry will already have passengers aboard from Sliema.

Total journey time from airport via Sliema: approximately one hour forty-five minutes to two hours

Total journey time from airport via Buġġiba: approximately one hour fifteen minutes to one hour thirty minutes.

This route makes most sense if you are already based in the Sliema or Buġġiba area. As a direct airport-to-Gozo route, the Valletta option is generally quicker.

Full timetables, fares and service details are in our Sliema and Buġġiba to Gozo Ferry guide.

Route Four: Private Transfer, Door to Door

If you would rather hand the entire journey over to someone else, a private transfer from Malta Airport to your Gozo accommodation is a genuinely good option. Most services take care of the ferry crossing as part of the journey: your driver meets you at arrivals, takes you to Ċirkewwa, and once you reach Gozo drives you directly to where you are staying. Your luggage stays in the vehicle throughout.

It costs more than public transport, but the convenience is real, particularly after a long flight with heavy bags or if you are travelling with children.

I recommend checking out Get My Transfer. You enter your journey details, local drivers send bids, and you pick the one that suits. I tried their service on a recent trip and it worked exactly as described.

If you’re travelling in the off-season and staying at a hotel. It’s also worth asking if they offer a free transfer as part of the price.

Top Tip: It is worth asking your Gozo accommodation if they offer an airport transfer. Some properties, particularly in the off-peak season, arrange this for guests, occasionally at no extra cost.

Useful Links

• Malta International Airport bus routes
• Malta Public Transport (Tallinja)
• Gozo Highspeed Ferry
• Gozo Channel Ferry

Once you arrive at Mġarr Harbour, Gozo opens up in front of you. From there, our guide to getting around Gozo covers everything you need to navigate the island at your own pace; from buses, taxis and rental options.