Gozo has more tour options than you would expect for an island this size. Tuk-tuks, quad bikes, jeeps, boats, kayaks. They all cover different ground, suit different people and cost different amounts. Picking the wrong one means spending a day doing something that doesn’t match what you actually wanted, and on a short trip to Malta that’s a day you don’t get back.
There are enough Gozo tours out there to make the choice confusing, so here’s what each type actually involves and who it suits.
Tuk-tuk tours
The tuk-tuks are the brightly coloured three-wheeled vehicles that seat up to six passengers plus a driver-guide. You sit, the driver does the work. Commentary at every stop in multiple languages (English, French, German, Italian and others depending on the operator). The route covers most of the island’s highlights: the Citadella in Victoria, the Sanap Cliffs, Xlendi Bay, Dwejra Bay with the Inland Sea and Fungus Rock, the Xwejni salt pans, Marsalforn Bay and Tal-Mixta Cave above Ramla Bay.
A full-day tuk-tuk tour costs around €80-110 per person and typically includes transport from your accommodation in Malta, a private boat crossing to Gozo, lunch and a return cruise past the Blue Lagoon and Comino’s sea caves with a swim stop in summer.
Who it suits: couples, families with children, anyone who doesn’t drive or doesn’t want to, anyone who wants a relaxed day with someone else handling everything. The tuk-tuks are small enough to reach back roads and tracks that a bus or hire car can’t manage, but you’re not doing any of the driving yourself.
Who it doesn’t suit: anyone who wants to control the pace and choose where to stop. The itinerary is set. If you want forty minutes at Dwejra and five at Fontana, that’s not really how it works.
Quad bike tours
Self-driven 570cc ATVs in convoy behind an experienced guide. You drive your own quad, following the guide through back roads and coastal tracks. The route is similar to the tuk-tuk tours but the experience is completely different because you’re the one on the handlebars rather than sitting in the back.
A full-day quad bike tour costs around €110 per person, or around €185 for two sharing one quad. Same inclusions as the tuk-tuk tours: transport from Malta, private boat crossing, guide, lunch, Comino cruise on the way back. Each quad seats two people and both the driver and passenger can take turns driving, provided both are 21 or over with a valid licence.
Who it suits: anyone who wants more adventure from the day. The quads handle rough terrain, the coastal tracks are fun to ride, and you cover ground that even the tuk-tuks sometimes can’t reach. Several people I know who did this described it as one of the best days of their Malta trip.
Who it doesn’t suit: anyone under 21 (you can ride as a passenger but not drive), anyone uncomfortable driving a powered vehicle on uneven ground, anyone who’d rather just sit and look at things.
Jeep safari tours
A driver takes a small group around the island in a 4×4 jeep, stopping at the main sites along the way. The jeep handles off-road terrain well and the route tends to cover similar ground to the tuk-tuk and quad tours. Full-day jeep tours cost roughly €90-120 per person with transport from Malta, lunch and the Comino cruise included.
Who it suits: people who want off-road access without driving themselves and prefer the comfort of a larger vehicle. Good option for older visitors or anyone who finds the idea of a quad bike or tuk-tuk less appealing but still wants to see the rougher parts of the island.
Who it doesn’t suit: anyone who wants a more active or hands-on experience. You are a passenger the whole day.
Boat tours (Comino and the Blue Lagoon)
These are a different kind of day. Most Gozo land tours include a Comino cruise on the return journey, but dedicated boat tours make Comino and the Blue Lagoon the main event. You sail from Malta or Gozo, cruise past the Comino sea caves, stop at the Blue Lagoon for swimming and spend a few hours on the water before heading back.
Prices vary widely depending on the operator, boat size and inclusions but expect around €25-50 per person for a full-day boat trip. Some include lunch, some don’t. Some stop at multiple swimming spots around Comino, others just do the Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon is genuinely that colour. Shallow, crystal clear and turquoise in a way that looks edited even when you’re standing in it. In July and August it gets very crowded, boats stacked several deep at the shore. Going early makes a significant difference. The water is the same colour at 8am as it is at noon but the crowds are not.
Who it suits: anyone whose priority is swimming and time on the water rather than exploring Gozo’s interior. Good for hot summer days when spending seven hours on land in 35-degree heat doesn’t appeal.
Who it doesn’t suit: anyone who wants to actually see Gozo. These tours cover Comino, not Gozo. If you want both, book a land tour that includes the Comino cruise on the return.
Kayak tours
Guided sea kayaking along Gozo’s coastline, typically half-day trips covering the caves, inlets and rock formations that are inaccessible from land. The Dwejra area and the south coast are the most popular routes. Some operators also run kayak trips from Gozo to Comino, which means you can see the Blue Lagoon without the tourist ferry crowds.
Prices run around €45-65 per person for a half-day guided trip. Water clarity from a kayak is exceptional in calm conditions. Most trips require a reasonable level of fitness and swimming ability.
Who it suits: active visitors, anyone who wants to see the coastline from a different angle, anyone who finds sitting on a tour vehicle for a full day less appealing than being in the water.
Who it doesn’t suit: anyone with limited mobility or fitness, anyone who wants to cover the whole island in one day, families with young children.
A few things worth knowing regardless of which tour you pick
The Ċirkewwa ferry from Malta runs up to 74 times daily, takes 25 minutes and costs €4.65 for foot passengers. You pay on the return from Gozo, not on the way there. This confuses almost everyone the first time. Most guided Gozo tours use a private boat rather than the public ferry, which avoids the queues entirely.
Summer tours sell out. If you’re visiting between April and October, booking at least a couple of weeks ahead is sensible. Turning up and hoping to book on the day in July usually doesn’t work.
The minimum driver age for quad tours is 21, not 18, and you need your original driving licence on the day. Not a photo, not a copy. This catches people out regularly.
May, June, September and October are the most comfortable months for full-day land tours. July and August regularly hit 33-35°C and you’re outdoors for seven hours. Sunscreen, a hat and water are not suggestions.
So which one
If you want a relaxed day with someone else handling everything: tuk-tuk.
If you want adventure and don’t mind driving: quad bike.
If you want off-road access without driving: jeep.
If you want to swim all day: boat tour to Comino.
If you’re fit and want the coastline from water level: kayak.
Most of the land tours cover similar stops. The difference is how you get between them and how involved you want to be in the getting there. That’s the choice worth thinking about before you book.
