What runs in winter, in short
Blue Lagoon boat trips do run in winter, with fewer operators and a trip that depends more on the weather. When we checked the booking calendars, the full-day Gozo and Comino cruise, a Comino-only catamaran, a smaller Comino boat from Ċirkewwa and a private speedboat were all bookable on almost every date from December to February. Hornblower closes in January and February, and Supreme Travel sails only on certain days.
A Gozo and Comino day is the strongest winter choice, because the hours on Gozo carry the day without a swim. A short private boat suits couples and small groups. Whatever you book, the operator decides on the morning whether it sails, from the wind and the waves, so choose free cancellation and keep a spare day.
- Best for swimming
- June to October, with September and early October particularly strong
- Quieter months at the lagoon
- November to March
- Best warm-season format
- Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon and the caves
- Best winter format
- Gozo and Comino, or a short private Comino boat
- Shorter shared option
- A 3–4 hour Comino cruise from Ċirkewwa
- Walking day on Comino
- The public ferry, which runs all year
- Not running in winter
- Sunset cruises, the Crystal Lagoon swim, beach transfers
- Most important check on the day
- Wind, waves and sea conditions
- Winter dates bookable, full-day cruise Every date, December to February
- Sea temperature, January 16.4°C
- Average peak gust at Luqa, December to February 80–81 km/h
Check winter dates for Gozo & Comino Free cancellation up to 24 hours before · the calendar shows which departures are still open
What runs from December to February
The short version is fewer boats, fewer extras and more dependence on the weather. Here is what the booking calendars and the operators' own published seasons showed in September 2026. A date that shows as bookable is not a promise that the boat sails: every operator decides that on the morning, from the wind and the sea.
| Trip | From | December to February | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gozo & Comino full-day cruise | Buġibba | Bookable every date, from $34 | Crystal Lagoon is a photo stop; a large sailing catamaran may be used from September to May |
| Comino-only catamaran | Buġibba | Bookable every date, from $34 | Crystal Lagoon swim June to October only, then a photo stop |
| Comino boat tour, 3–4 hours | Ċirkewwa | Bookable on almost every date, from $40 | At most 24 people; the shortest crossing to Comino |
| Private speedboat, 2–3 hours | Mġarr or Ċirkewwa | Bookable every date, from $181 per group of up to six | Fuel extra; not for anyone prone to seasickness |
| Mellieħa Comino cruise | Ċirkewwa | Not running | Last dates at the end of October 2026 |
| Blue Lagoon sunset cruise | Buġibba | Not running | Sold from about June to September |
| Hornblower day cruises | Buġibba | December only | Publishes March to December; closed January and February |
| Supreme Travel cruises | Sliema, Buġibba | Certain days | Daily from March to November |
| Comino ferry | Ċirkewwa, Marfa | Daily timetable | No published season; suspends in bad weather |
In winter, then, something is almost always bookable. The useful question is which trip still makes a good day without a swim. The Mellieħa cruise, the sunset cruise and the summer beach transfer to Ramla Bay on Gozo, which runs from June to September, are the main casualties. Travelling before December? Our guide to Malta boat trips in November covers the month before.
What changes through the season?
The Blue Lagoon is not the same trip all year. In the warm season, swimming and snorkelling can justify long stops at the lagoon. In winter the better trips are shorter, more flexible, or combined with Gozo, so the day still works without a swim.
On the water, that shows up in a few concrete ways. The Crystal Lagoon swim becomes a scenic photo stop; stops at bays such as St Nicholas are published for May to October only; one full-day operator switches some departures to a large sailing catamaran without the underwater windows; and the day is short, with sunset at about 16:50 in mid-December. The sea is about 18 to 19°C in December and 16°C in January and February, and the Malta Tourism Authority does not recommend swimming from November to February.
On land, winter is the quiet season. December, January and February drew about 1.1 to 1.4 million tourist nights a month to Malta in 2025, against 3.5 million in August. That counts the whole country, not the lagoon, but the winter lagoon is a much calmer place than the summer one.
What kind of tour makes sense in winter?
Match the tour to the season. A product that is ideal in August can be a poor choice in January, and a winter itinerary should not be judged by how many swimming stops it advertises.
Standard shared cruise
Best when swimming is the main point of the day and the full schedules are operating. A 3–4 hour Comino cruise is usually more versatile than a long single-stop excursion, and in winter the short version makes more sense than the long one: the Comino boat tour from Ċirkewwa takes the shortest crossing to Comino.
Gozo and Comino
This is at its best in late autumn and winter, because Gozo adds a substantial sightseeing part to the day. If nobody wants to swim, the day still includes Victoria, the island scenery and a proper excursion, not a long cold stop at anchor. The Gozo and Comino full-day cruise is the winter trip we would book first.
Private boat
Best for couples, families and small groups who want a flexible route, the caves, a shorter crossing and control over the stops. In summer a private boat helps you avoid the crowds; in winter it helps with flexibility and a compact day, and the skipper can adjust the route to the conditions. Our guide to private Blue Lagoon boats in winter compares three of them month by month. The Comino and Blue Lagoon private speedboat tour runs for two or three hours from Mġarr or Ċirkewwa.
Three tours that run in winter
One of each kind of winter trip: the full day, the short shared cruise and the private boat.
Our winter picks
Malta: Gozo & Comino Islands, Blue Lagoon & Sea Caves Tour
Bookable on every winter date, with the most reviews of any Blue Lagoon trip on this site: the lagoon, the Crystal Lagoon photo stop, the Santa Maria caves and three to four hours on Gozo. The operator emails your Blue Lagoon time slot on the morning of the trip and may move the departure point if the sea requires it.
Check winter datesComino: Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon & Sea Caves Boat Tour
A small boat for at most 24 people on the shortest crossing to Comino, with the lagoons, Santa Maria Bay, the caves and Elephant Rock. It is the better choice in winter if you want Comino without a full day at sea, and there is a toilet and a shaded seating area on board.
See Comino cruise datesMalta: Comino & Blue Lagoon Private Speed Boat Tour
Your own skipper around the lagoons and the caves, including Santa Marija Cave and the Crystal Lagoon tunnel, from Mġarr on Gozo or Ċirkewwa. The price covers a group of up to six: at the starting price, four people pay about $45 each, with fuel paid on top.
See speedboat datesFor a walking day, skip the tour and take the ferry: our Comino ferry guide covers the crossing from Ċirkewwa and Marfa. Our guide to the Blue Lagoon in winter covers whether the trip is worth it and what a winter day there is like.
Booking a winter trip
- Book early in your stay. Put the boat on the first or second day of the trip, not the last, so a cancelled sailing can move.
- Choose free cancellation. The trips above can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before, and if the operator cancels for the weather the full-day cruise offers another date or a full refund.
- Check the calendar for your exact date. A winter schedule can change at short notice, and the calendar is the only place that shows which departures are open.
- Read your messages on the morning. The full-day operator sends the day's details by email, with WhatsApp as a second channel, and may change the route or the departure point for the sea conditions.
- Leave the evening free. A full-day cruise comes back around or after sunset in winter, so keep the early evening free.
Weather, wind and cancellations
Every Blue Lagoon trip is a trip at sea. Operators may change the route, skip the Crystal Lagoon, avoid the caves, shorten the swimming stops, switch boats, postpone or cancel when conditions require it. Book the trip early in your Malta stay so you still have another day available.
In autumn and winter, flexible cancellation is particularly valuable. The average peak gust at Luqa is about 80 km/h in each of December, January and February, the highest of the year, and the Met Office says winds over the open sea run stronger than at the airfield. Nobody publishes how many winter sailings are cancelled, and this page does not claim a rate. Do not rely only on the weather in Valletta or at your hotel: conditions around Comino can be different, and wind, waves and the state of the sea matter more than a simple rain icon. The Met Office's mariners' forecast gives the wind and sea for the coming days.
Blue Lagoon landing pass
If you plan to step ashore in the managed Blue Lagoon area, check the current access rules and get the free landing pass when it applies, from the official site at blcomino.com. The pass has been required to set foot on land at the lagoon since 1 May 2025 and was brought back for summer 2026, but no official source says whether it applies in winter, so check the site for your date.
The landing pass and your boat or ferry booking are separate, and your tour does not book it for you. Our Blue Lagoon visitor guide covers the landing and the rules in more detail.
What to bring
In the warm season you would bring swimwear, a towel, high-SPF sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and plenty of water. In winter, dress for a cool, windy day on the water: a fleece or jumper, long trousers and a windproof layer, and shoes with grip if you plan to walk on Comino. If you intend to swim, bring swimwear, a towel and a complete dry change of clothes. Sunglasses and sunscreen still earn their place, because the low winter sun is bright off the water, and water and snacks help on Comino, which has no shops.
Final verdict
Winter schedules are thinner, but Gozo and Comino cruises, shorter Comino trips and private boats continue when conditions allow. For most people the best winter booking is a Gozo and Comino day; a short Comino cruise or a private boat works if you want less time at sea, and the ferry is best for walkers. Book with free cancellation, early in your stay, and let the forecast have the final word. Our shared cruise or private charter guide helps with the choice between the two.
How we know
Winter availability and from-prices are from the GetYourGuide booking calendars for each trip named on this page, read on 28 September 2026 in US dollars; a bookable date is availability, not a promise that the boat sails. Ratings and review counts are GetYourGuide's, read the same day. Operator seasons for Hornblower, Supreme Travel and the Comino Ferries Co-op are from their own published schedules, read in September 2026. Sea temperature is the Malta Met Office's monthly series published by the National Statistics Office, averaged over 1996–2025; the peak gust is the Met Office's 1991–2020 climate profile for Luqa airfield; tourist nights are the NSO's Inbound Tourism releases for 2025. The swim guidance is the Malta Tourism Authority's, and the landing-pass rules are from blcomino.com and the MTA.
Blue Lagoon boat tours in winter: common questions
Do Blue Lagoon boat tours run in winter?
Yes, on a thinner schedule. When we checked in September 2026, the full-day Gozo and Comino cruise, a Comino-only catamaran from Buġibba, a smaller Comino boat from Ċirkewwa and a private speedboat were all bookable on almost every date from December to February. Some operators pause: Hornblower closes in January and February and Supreme Travel sails only on certain days. Every winter trip depends on the wind and sea on the day.
Which Blue Lagoon tours run in January and February?
Gozo and Comino days, Comino-only cruises and private boats, weather permitting. The Crystal Lagoon swim becomes a photo stop outside June to October, the summer sunset cruises have finished, and one full-day operator may use a large sailing catamaran from September to May. The Comino ferries also publish a daily timetable with no season.
Can you take the ferry to Comino in winter?
Yes. The Comino ferries from Ċirkewwa and Marfa on Malta publish one daily timetable with no winter season, and it is the simplest way over for a walking day on Comino. Like the tour boats, the ferry suspends crossings in bad weather.
Are winter Blue Lagoon trips often cancelled?
Winter is the windiest part of the year around Malta, and every operator can shorten, reroute or cancel a trip for weather, but nobody publishes a cancellation rate. Book early in your stay so there is a spare day, choose free cancellation, and check the marine forecast for Comino. If the operator cancels, the featured cruise offers another date or a full refund.
Are Blue Lagoon tours cheaper in winter?
Not necessarily. When we checked, the full-day Gozo and Comino cruise started at $34 from November to February, the same as in summer, and the Comino boat from Ċirkewwa started at $40 in winter against $29 in October. Prices change with the date, so the booking calendar is the place to compare them. Winter does bring a much quieter Malta, with about a third of August’s tourist nights in January.
Do private boats go to the Blue Lagoon in winter?
Yes, when the sea allows. The Comino and Blue Lagoon private speedboat tour was bookable on every winter date when we checked, and private boats are a good winter choice because the trip is short and the skipper can adjust the route to the conditions. Expect the skipper to change or cancel the plan on a rough day.