Gozo and Comino from November to March
For most visitors, the best winter day trip is the Gozo and Comino full-day cruise from Buġibba. It passes the Blue Lagoon, the Crystal Lagoon and the Santa Maria caves, then gives you three to four hours on Gozo, with an optional bus up to Victoria and the Citadel. It starts at $34 a person, and it was bookable on every date from November to February when we checked in September 2026.
If you would rather stay on the water, a couple or a small group can take a private boat around Comino and the caves for two to four hours instead. Any boat can be moved for wind and swell, so book free cancellation and put the trip early in your stay.
- Best for swimming
- June to October, with September and early October particularly strong
- Low crowds
- November to March
- Best winter format
- Gozo and Comino, or a short private Comino boat
- Best warm-season format
- Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon and the caves
- What to check before you sail
- Wind, swell and sea state, more than a rain icon
- Full-day Gozo and Comino cruise, per person From $34
- Time ashore on Gozo 3 to 4 hours
- Sunset, 15 December 16:50
Check winter dates for the Gozo and Comino cruise Free cancellation up to 24 hours before · the calendar shows each day's departure
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 lagoons. In winter the better tours are shorter, more flexible, or combined with Gozo, so the day still works without a swim.
| Month | Sea | Air high | Sunset | A Gozo and Comino day that month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 21.6°C | 20.8°C | 16:55 | The mildest month for a long day on deck; both full-day cruises we list sail |
| December | 18.5°C | 17.1°C | 16:50 | Hornblower's last month before it closes for January and February |
| January | 16.4°C | 15.7°C | 17:12 | The full-day cruise from Buġibba is the shared Gozo and Comino trip that keeps sailing |
| February | 15.6°C | 15.7°C | 17:44 | Much like January, with about half an hour more daylight |
| March | 15.4°C | 17.4°C | 18:10 | Hornblower returns, and more shared cruises restart towards the end of the month |
On a Gozo day the light matters more than the sea. The full-day cruise lasts six to seven hours, so a morning departure brings you back close to sunset in December and January, and the hours on Gozo are the ones to plan. For any other month, our best time to visit Malta guide has the full year and a date checker for your own dates.
What kind of tour makes sense?
There are three ways to reach Comino by boat in winter, and each suits a different group.
Standard shared cruise
Choose a shared Comino cruise when swimming is central to the day and the mainstream schedules are running, which from November to March they mostly are not. A 3–4 hour Comino cruise is usually more versatile than a long single-stop excursion, and in winter the Comino boat tour from Ċirkewwa still sails on almost every date, from $40.
Gozo + Comino
This is the best format for late autumn and winter, because Gozo adds a real block of sightseeing. If nobody wants to swim, the day still includes Victoria, the island's scenery and a proper excursion, not a long, cold stop at anchor. Our Gozo + Comino vs Comino only guide compares the two in any season.
Private boat
A private boat is for couples, families and small groups who value a flexible route, the caves, a shorter transfer and a say over the swim stops. In summer, going private is how you avoid the crowds. In winter you are paying for flexibility and a compact trip, and if you are staying on Gozo, the private speedboat leaves from Mġarr harbour.
Gozo and Comino tours for winter
The Gozo and Comino cruises we list follow a similar route, so these are three different ways to do the day: the most-reviewed shared cruise, the higher-rated one with a winter break, and a private boat.
Our winter picks
Malta: Gozo & Comino Islands, Blue Lagoon & Sea Caves Tour
The Blue Lagoon, a photo stop at the Crystal Lagoon, the Santa Maria caves and three to four hours on Gozo, with an optional bus to Victoria. It is the one shared Gozo and Comino cruise we found bookable through January and February. In winter the lagoon is a view from the deck, and the boat may be a large sailing catamaran.
Check winter datesMalta Boat: Comino, Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Gozo & Caves
The same islands at the same starting price, run by Hornblower, with the better rating of the two. Hornblower sails from March to December and closes in January and February, so this is the one to compare first for a November, December or March trip.
See Hornblower datesPrivate boat: Blue Lagoon, Comino, Gozo & sea caves
Your own boat and skipper for the lagoons and the caves, with Gozo named on the route. With seven aboard it works out at about $28 each, and about $48 each for four. It stays on the water, so there is no time ashore on Gozo; book a full-day cruise if Victoria is the point.
See private boat datesTwo more full-day cruises cover both islands. The Sliema departure suits anyone staying in Sliema or St Julian's and is rated 4.4/5 from more than 6,000 reviews. The small-group Gozo and Comino day trip is the one for a smaller boat, rated 4.8/5 from more than 2,600 reviews. Both start at $34, and we have not checked their winter calendars, so open them for your dates.
Staying on Gozo already? The private speedboat from Mġarr covers the lagoons and the caves in two or three hours, from $181 for up to six with fuel on top. Our private Comino boats in winter guide compares it with the other private boats month by month.
A winter day on Gozo
On the full-day cruise the boat ties up at Mġarr, Gozo's harbour, for three to four hours, and the optional bus takes you up to Victoria, where the walls of the Citadel look out over most of the island. That is time enough for the Citadel and lunch, and perhaps one more stop. The Ġgantija Temples, the Dwejra cliffs and Ramla Bay are spread across the island, so plan a longer stay if you want all of them. Our Gozo, Comino and Blue Lagoon in one day guide follows the day stop by stop.
You can also go on your own. The Gozo Channel ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr runs all year, and foot passengers pay on the way back from Gozo, not on the outward crossing; the timetable is on gozochannel.com. The Comino ferries from Ċirkewwa and Marfa publish a daily timetable with no season, but they stop in bad weather, and they do not take you into the caves. Our Malta to Gozo: ferry vs boat tour guide sets the two side by side, and Comino in winter covers a walking day on the island itself.
Weather, wind and cancellations
Every Blue Lagoon trip is a trip at sea. Operators may change the route, skip the Crystal Lagoon, stay out of the caves, shorten the swim stops, switch boats, postpone or cancel when conditions require it. Book the trip early in your Malta stay so you still have another day if it is called off.
From November to March, flexible cancellation is particularly valuable. Do not rely only on the weather in Valletta or at your hotel, because conditions around Comino can be different, and the wind and swell in the channel matter more than the chance of rain. The Malta Met Office's mariners' forecast is the one to read the evening before.
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 applied since 1 May 2025 and was brought back for summer 2026, and no official source says whether it runs in winter, so check for your date.
The landing pass and your boat or ferry booking are separate, and the cruise does not arrange the pass for you. On a winter Gozo and Comino day you usually stay aboard at the lagoon, and then you do not need one.
What to bring
The warm-season list is swimwear, a towel, high-SPF sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and plenty of water. From late autumn into winter, add a fleece or jumper, long trousers and a windproof layer for the crossing, plus comfortable shoes for the hill up to the Citadel. If you intend to swim, bring a complete dry change of clothes.
Final verdict
Combining Gozo and Comino is one of the best winter formats, because the day remains worthwhile even if nobody swims. For most visitors that means the Gozo and Comino full-day cruise from Buġibba, the one we found bookable all winter. From March to December, compare it with Hornblower's cruise, which has the higher rating. A small group that would rather have the boat to itself should book the private boat, and anyone happy to plan their own day can take the Gozo Channel ferry. Whichever you choose, book free cancellation, early in your stay. Our Blue Lagoon boat tours in winter guide lists every shared trip that sails in the same months.
How we know
Tour routes, prices, group sizes, time on Gozo and ratings are from the GetYourGuide listings; the full-day cruise's November to February availability is from its booking calendar, read in September 2026, and ratings were re-read in October 2026. Hornblower's season is from its own published schedule. The Gozo Channel ticketing rule is from gozochannel.com, and the Comino ferry timetable from the Comino Ferries Co-op. Sea temperature is the Malta Met Office's monthly series published by the National Statistics Office, averaged over 1996–2025; air temperature is the Met Office's 1991–2020 climate profile for Luqa airfield. The swim guidance is the Malta Tourism Authority's, and the landing-pass rules are from blcomino.com.
Gozo and Comino in winter: common questions
Do Gozo and Comino tours run in winter?
Yes, on days when the sea allows. The full-day Gozo and Comino cruise from Buġibba was bookable on every date from November to February when we checked in September 2026. Hornblower's Gozo and Comino cruise sails from March to December and closes in January and February. Any boat can be moved or cancelled for wind and swell, so book with free cancellation.
How much does a Gozo and Comino day trip cost in winter?
The full-day shared cruises start at $34 a person. A private boat for up to seven starts at $193 for the group, about $28 each with seven aboard, and the private speedboat from Mġarr or Ċirkewwa starts at $181 for up to six, with fuel paid on top. Prices change with the date, so read the calendar for yours.
How long do you get on Gozo on a day cruise?
Three to four hours on the full-day cruise from Buġibba, with an optional bus from Mġarr harbour up to Victoria and the Citadel. That is enough for the Citadel and lunch, and perhaps one more stop. The Ġgantija Temples, Dwejra and Ramla Bay are spread across the island, so seeing all of them needs a longer stay.
Can you swim at the Blue Lagoon in winter?
Few people do. The Malta Tourism Authority does not recommend swimming from November to February, when the sea averages about 16 to 22°C, and the winter cruises treat the lagoons as a view from the boat. If you do want a dip, bring a towel and a complete dry change of clothes.
Is a private boat better than a Gozo and Comino cruise in winter?
It suits a different day. A private boat gives a small group the lagoons and caves in two to four hours on a route the skipper picks for the conditions, but no time ashore on Gozo. The full-day cruise costs less per person and adds three to four hours on Gozo, which matters when nobody wants to swim.
What happens if a winter boat trip is cancelled?
The operator offers another date or a refund, on terms set by each listing, so read them before you book. Book with free cancellation up to 24 hours before, put the trip on one of the first days of your stay so a cancelled day can move, and check the marine forecast the evening before.