Three Cities guided tour including harbour boat tour
Valletta, Malta
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Go beyond Valletta's Grand Harbour area to discover the Three Cities of Vittoriosa, Cospicua, and Senglea where Malta's famous Knights of St. John settled in the 1500s. With a guide, you'll explore the area by foot, coach, and traditional 'dghajsa' boat, getting the lowdown on the knights and their historic rule along the way.
- Learn about the legacy of the Knights of St. John in Malta
- Enjoy close up views of the harbor creeks on a 'dghajsa' cruise
- Find vantage points for photos that could be tricky to find alone
- Visit the Senglea Garden for sweeping views of the Grand Harbour
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
If you are staying in one of the listed hotels/ports we will confirm the scheduled pick up time for your pick up point. If you are NOT staying in one of the listed hotels please confirm your exact accommodation name and exact address and we will confirm the nearest pick up location and time on the island of Malta.
Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
Select your preferred tour option to see hours.
Itinerary
Your day begins with pickup from your accommodation (select hotels only). Your first stops are at Birgu, also known as Città Vittoriosa, and Cospicua where your guide leads you through the narrow streets and tells you stories about the rich histories of the old fortified cities.
At the Vittoriosa waterfront, jump aboard a traditional *dghajsa* boat for a tour of the colorful harbor creeks. Upon arrival in Senglea, explore the Gardjola Gardens, which are set on the bastion at the tip of the peninsula and offer panoramic views over Marsa, Valletta, Grand Harbour, and Fort St. Angelo, from where Grand Master La Valette led the defense of the island during the Great Siege of 1565.
After plenty of time for photos and insights into the Knights of St. John’s Maltese legacy, your tour ends back at your pickup point.
At the Vittoriosa waterfront, jump aboard a traditional *dghajsa* boat for a tour of the colorful harbor creeks. Upon arrival in Senglea, explore the Gardjola Gardens, which are set on the bastion at the tip of the peninsula and offer panoramic views over Marsa, Valletta, Grand Harbour, and Fort St. Angelo, from where Grand Master La Valette led the defense of the island during the Great Siege of 1565.
After plenty of time for photos and insights into the Knights of St. John’s Maltese legacy, your tour ends back at your pickup point.
1
Vittoriosa Waterfront - Birgu Waterfront
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Gardjola Gardens
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.2
based on 93 reviews
Louise_L, Feb 2026
Very interesting and informative tour. Guide was very knowledgeable. A vast area covered by foot and boat.
SAM_K, Nov 2025
Well organised with a great guide- Mirabelle and most interesting . Malta i a must. The people make you feel most welcome.
David_N, Oct 2025
Confusion over meeting point (given multiple changes) so had to contact provider. Large group (40) limited motorbility of some slowed the group. Motorised boat trip was an 'add on' with an uncommunicative boatman. Information no provided regarding end of tour arrangements. Met up with other groups where chaotic allocation was made for minibuses to various hotels. Had we been told this whilst down in cin the harbour we wouldn't have climbed up to the buses, we came back down to walk back to Birgu rather than wait for a disorganised lift.
Dale_P, Sep 2025
We were disappointed with the tour guide.
In spite of her having a microphone and speaker, most people could NOT hear what she was saying. If you were more than 2 m away you did not hear what she said. We were told to 'move closer' to hear. Hard to do with a group of 40+ people.
When she stopped to talk, she did not wait for the group to gather round before starting to talk. In fact, she was talking while people were still getting off the bus. People left the tour early because they couldn't hear what was being said by the guide - group members were disgruntled and we shared our thoughts with each other . Stories about Maltese family/student life were not relevant to this tour.
The small boat tour in the Grand Harbour was the highlight of the entire tour.
Courtney_J, Sep 2025
A boat tour of the Three Cities is one of those quintessential Malta experiences and definitely worth doing. Our tour began with a guided walk down to the Grand Harbour, followed by a short break before boarding the boats. From the water, you get a great perspective of the cities. I had worried the ride might be turbulent, but the water was calm and the ride smooth.
One downside is that once you’re on the boats, the group is split into smaller groups of six, separate from our guide. The quality of the experience then depends on the boat operator. I noticed one operator engaging their group, but ours was silent throughout—so it felt more like a boat ride than a tour.
That said, our main guide, Josephine, was informative, energetic, and really made the overall experience worthwhile.
Jane_P, Sep 2025
Fabulous tour with a very informative guide. Elizabeth was very knowledgeable, and kept everyone engaged
Denise_M, Sep 2025
On time, well organised, great commentary and variety. Walking, bus and boat. fabulous tour. We learnt a lot in a short time. A must do, in Valletta.
Carly_s, Jun 2025
This is one of the most standout tours we’ve done while travelling thanks to our guide Donna.
Donna’s passion for all things Maltese was evident from the get-go. She was informative without being long-winded, was funny without being cheesy, and did a good job of keeping our group under control without sounding like a primary school teacher.
The tour itself was fantastic value for money and the three cities absolutely beautiful.
Julie_C, May 2025
Our tour guide Donna had excellent English and gave us interesting information…we have done about 4 tours while in Malta and Donna was the easiest to understand…
There are a few steps but the tour covers a lot… We also loved the cruise around the grand harbor…
Charles_H, May 2025
Educational and informative. Loved the harbor cruise. Just missed the Gun Battery firing by minutes.
Elleke_P, May 2025
Lots of people booked and picked up in different buses but then divided in to language groups with specific guides
Morgan_V, Mar 2025
Loved every bit of it! It was the perfect mix of guided tours and free time. Plus, the cities themselves are just stunning—Spain never disappoints!
Kenneth_A, Mar 2025
We really enjoyed our walking tour of the Three Cities. John our guide was both very informative and entertaining. There was so much history to learn about and the traditional boat trip around the Grand Harbour was quite exciting! We would do this tour again.
Deborah_D, Feb 2025
Really well organised trip. I missed the name of our guide, but she was excellent. Very interesting tour around the cities and then a brilliant ride around the harbour in the little traditional fishing boats. Can highly recommend.
Amanda_Y, Jan 2025
A lovely way to explore the Three Cities and gain an understanding of the history of the area. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and interesting and the boat trip offers another perspective. A very enjoyable experience.
Sami_D, Nov 2024
Nice walking tour , intetesting things to see , Rita was a good guide , and everything was well organised
Alexandra_H, Nov 2024
It was great! Specially with Julia the guide in Spanish! It was interesting, dynamic and well organized.
Tyling_B, Oct 2024
Had to cut the tour short, as we asked the tour guide of we would be back to our ship on time and she deeply doubted it...so we took the harbor boat back to the area to get the shop. Disappointed
Debs_R, Oct 2024
Our guide, was knowledgeable and personable, we had a lovely day learning about the history of Birgu
Sara_W, Oct 2024
Say YES to going to Malta’s Three Cities and say YES to the lovely harbour tour. This location is such an interesting, historical and gorgeous part of this country.
Say NO to traveling with this tour company. What a frustrating, inefficient, unorganized, wasted day! Take a private or small group tour to this area.
Pickup at 8:30AM at area hotels. Taken to a central bus lot where confusion reigned…who spoke what language?, who was going with which tour guide?, who came from which hotel?, where were the guides?, and repeat these questions over and over every time another van/bus came. Almost 1.5 hours later at 9:53AM, the five English speakers who had been asked to sit and stay together were combined with a very large French speaking group which meant ½ of the tour time was wasted with the dual language repeats.
The large group was unwieldy and the guide lost part of the folks several times with really unclear directions. The guide was obviously overwhelmed as during the tour and at various points of key logistics, she asked the same questions repeatedly. She had a list but her notes must have been useless as she frustratingly confirmed the same info multiple times (language choice, hotel location, number in party which were all on the list!). The noise level at times was unbearable as a subset of the French speakers talked at full volume during the English portion.
Fortunately the sights were lovely but this tour as structured is a disaster.
robjennings, Oct 2024
Excellent tour Great insight
Would recommend beware it does involve a lot of walking 👍
The bonus of getting picked up from my hotel in St Paul’s too.
Rosemarie_S, Oct 2024
Once the tour started it was most enjoyable, but there was a lot of waiting around and confusion regarding pick ups. The best part was the harbour boat tour. The Guide was good, and the history was fascinating and she explained that really well. Thank you
Daniel_P, Sep 2024
The tour was wonderful. Our guide was one of the most pleasant guides we have had. She was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and proud of her heritage.
I cannot recommend this tour enough. Not to be missed!
Antonio_A, Jun 2024
The harbour cruise was definitely the highlight of this tour it was great to admire the coast of the harbour from the boat which is magnificent.
Unfortunately after the cruise we were waiting for the last of the group to return from their boat ride when we suddenly realised the group was gone and we had to make our own way back.
The tour guide didn’t bother to count to make sure he had everyone with him.
jane_d, May 2024
Of the 4 hours 2 were spent collecting and returning people. In my group the guide had to say each thing in English and then repeat it in Italian so there was not much information disseminated.
Margaret_J, May 2024
Our guide was excellent - sorry, I didn't catch the lady's name. This tour was well worth going on as it covered the three cities and also took us out on a small boat which was great fun. We just happened to be there in time for the 4pm cannon shot from Valletta and were able to see all the people lined up to watch. The architecture here is amazing and the only downside to this trip is the amount of stairs to climb - so watch out if you have mobility issues.
Josegin_M, Apr 2024
It was well organized tour…we toured the Three Cities by boat.. so much history. We really enjoyed the day.
Kristin_M, Feb 2024
I enjoyed the boat ride. Price is maybe a bit high for what you get, compared to other tours, but transportation from the hotel is appreciated.
Ellen_M, Jan 2024
We liked the boat tour of the harbor and the rotunda church. Our guide elena was articulate, eager to answer questions, and attentive to needs of individuals. Excellent tour.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you for your feedback which is appreciated.
Halima_S, Jan 2024
This tour got too many people and we kept waiting for the late ones ! The bus didn’t arrive at the right time . The guide was average and couldn’t find her words in English sometimes ! It’s too expensive for what it is.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you for your feedback which is appreciated.
From $47.90
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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