How to Spend a Day on Gozo without a Car, Malta

Are you planning on visiting Gozo Island from Malta as a day trip but you don’t want to rent a car? Then this blog post is for you. You might’ve read about Gozo being more rural than Malta and harder to get around unless you have your own vehicle. Well, it’s true. It’ll be a little harder and will require a bit more planning but it’s not impossible to see quite a lot of the island without a car.

In this blog post you can follow our exact day trip to Gozo which we planned using only public transport. You can follow it or customise it to suit your interests. Even if you’re not planning on visiting Gozo without a car, we hope that this post will give you some inspiration on the best places to see around the island.

Introducing Gozo Island

You may or may not know this, but Malta is actually an archipelago of five islands: Malta, Gozo, Comino, Comminotto and Filfla. Only Malta, Gozo and Comino are inhabited, although Comino’s population is around two people so it’s pretty much uninhabited! With an area of 67km², Gozo is the second largest island. However, it’s definitely more rural than Malta. Of the over half a million people who live in the country, less than 40,000 people live on Gozo and call themselves Gozitans.

Although tiny, the island has around 46 churches and many of them are massive and visible from miles away. Apparently, one of them is so huge that it can fit an entire village of 3,000 people in it.

The island was also used as a filming location for many well known movies and TV shows such as Troy, Game of Thrones, The Count of Monte Cristo and By the Sea.

Gozo is much more rural than Malta and is characterised by fishing, tourism, crafts and agriculture. In Gozo you can really experience that typical Mediterranean culture. Setting foot on the island, especially if you visit in the off season, will make you feel like you’ve travelled back in time. You’ll see locals having a chat in front of their homes without rushing around, working in their fields or herding livestock.

How to Get to Gozo Island without a Car

The only way you can reach Gozo is via ferry from Malta. You can either take a ferry from Cirkewwa Passenger Terminal or a Fast Ferry from Valletta.

The fast ferry will get you to Gozo in about 45 minutes which is definitely the most time efficient way to get to the island. A one way ticket costs 7.50EUR, so it’s more expensive than the passenger ferry. It’s worth noting that you won’t be able to take your hire car to Gozo on the fast ferry. For more information check out their website.

No matter where you’re staying in Malta, you can reach Cirkewwa Passenger Terminal easily although it’ll take you longer. To make planning easier, below you can find the most direct bus services you can take from some of the most popular areas to stay in Malta.

From Valletta you can take Buses 41 or 42 and from Sliema you can take Bus 222. If you’re staying in one of the resorts such as Bugibba, you can take bus 221. From places like Mgarr you can hop onto the 101 service. What’s great is that you can even travel there straight from the airport with the X1 service. The bus takes around an hour and a half to get to the ferry terminal from places like Valletta and Sliema. If you’re staying further north, then there will be more services to choose from. It would also take you less time to reach the ferry port. In case you’re staying further afield in Marsaxlokk and Marsaskala, you’ll need to take a bus to Valletta first, then hop onto either Bus 41 or 42.

Once you’re at the ferry terminal you can go into the building and wait for the next ferry. They depart around every half an hour. It’s good to know that you won’t be able to buy your ticket at Cirkewwa Terminal. You have to buy it when you’re leaving Gozo Island at Mgarr. Return tickets cost only 4.65EUR per person. Note that you can’t use your bus pass on the ferry.

Once you’re on Gozo there are a few bus services going to Victoria or there’s another one going to Marsalforn. Victoria is the main hub from where you can always reach other parts of Gozo.

One Day Gozo Island Itinerary without a Car

Feel free to adjust the below itinerary to suit you and your interests. It’s also worth noting that there’s a hop-on hop-off service in Gozo that allows you to see some of the island in one day. We enjoy planning things on our own, but wanted to suggest this service in case you don’t want to do all this planning on your holiday.

1. Hike Up to Tal-Mixta Cave for an Unforgettable View

Start your one day Gozo Island itinerary by taking the 322 local bus from the Ferry Terminal towards Ramla Beach. We found that most tourists take the local bus to Victoria first, so this way gave us the opportunity to have a quieter experience at Ramla Beach..

Get off at this bus stop then go on a 25-30 minute walk to Tal-Mixta Cave by following this route. It’s an easy and relaxing walk and a great way to get a glimpse into the everyday lives of the locals.

Tal-Mixta Cave is a huge cliffside cave located on the outskirts of Nadur Village. It offers some breath-taking views of Ramla Beach and the immediate surrounding area.

Note – The cave is located on private property! It is completely legal and free to access it as long as you’re respectful of the landowners. So stay on the dedicated path, don’t be loud, don’t leave your rubbish behind and don’t ruin the cave walls. Just enjoy this picture perfect view because it’s definitely one of the best views on Gozo Island.

2. Hike Down to Ramla Beach and Go for a Quick Dip

After enjoying the stunning views from the cave, it’s time to get a closer look at Ramla Beach itself. You can hike down from the cave’s opening which is the quickest way to reach the beach. Make sure to be extra cautious because the start of the path is very steep and can be slippery. If you’re unsure you can always head back the way you came then turn right onto Triq ir-Ramla l-Antika road and follow the trail to the beach.

Once at the beach you can go for a dip if you’re visiting in the warmer seasons or explore a few of the paths on the western side of the beach. Luckily, there are toilets and a bar there too in case you’d like to grab something.

Locals call it Ramla il-Ħamra, or the Red Sandy Beach, due to the beautiful reddish colour of the sand. It’s also Gozo’s largest sandy beach and it has the Blue Flag status. In order to qualify, a series of environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained. Although we’re not beach lovers, we can’t deny the beauty of this place.

3. Catch the Bus to Xaghra to Visit Something Very Old

Once you’re ready to leave Ramla Beach, walk up to this bus stop and catch the 322 to Xaghra.

The main reason to visit this small village is the over 5,500 year old Ggantija Temples. They are actually considered the oldest freestanding structures in the world! Yes, older than Stonehenge or the Pyramids of Egypt. So, of course you can’t skip a visit.

The name Ggantija means ‘giants’ because it was once believed that giants built this temple. To date it’s unsure how the structure was erected. However, based on excavations it is beleived that the temples were used for fertility rituals. It’s been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1980. Entry fee is 10EUR per person.

If you have a little more time to spare, there’s another interesting feature just across the road from the temples called Ta’ Kola Windmill. It was built in 1725 and is one of the last original windmills on the Maltese archipelago. It now operates as a museum where you can learn about how the mill worked and see a number of original tools.

4. Have Lunch in Victoria then Explore the City

It’s time to explore the main city in Gozo: Victoria.

Just outside of the Ggantija Temples you can catch bus 307 to Victoria. The bus will drop you off at the main bus station from where you can walk into the centre. The good thing about visiting Gozo without a car is that you don’t have to worry about finding parking spots all the time.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, Victoria is the capital of Gozo. The name Victoria was only given in 1887 in honour of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Before that the city was called Rabat. Many Gozitans still call Victoria Rabat. Unlike Valletta, Victoria doesn’t have an awful lot of attractions, but it definitely has its own charm. The main feature of Victoria is the Citadel which sits high on a hilltop offering stunning views of Gozo. You can enter the Citadel for free but you’ll have to pay to go into the museum, prison, and the Gran Costello Historic House.

Victoria is a great place to either grab something quick from one of the Pastizzis or sit down for a proper lunch.

5. Visit the Salt Pans

For the last main activity of your Gozo day trip, you can hop onto bus 310 from Victoria to visit the beautiful Salt Pans.

Located to the north, just up from Marsalforn, these Salt Pans are an iconic landmark of Gozo. Salt production in Gozo is a tradition that’s been passed down from generation to generation. For example, these chequerboard formations in the Xwejni Bay are over 350 years old, and stretch about 3 km along the coast. If you’re visiting during the summer months you can even see locals collecting salt there.

You can get off at this bus stop and see a smaller version of the Salt Pans called Salins de Marsalforn. After that you can follow this route to walk out to the main Salt Pans.

Note – There are signs saying not to trespass on the salt pans. Please respect them and don’t walk out on the pans.

6. Enjoy the Sunset from the Ferry back to Malta

Depending on your timings and the time of year you’re visiting, we recommend getting the ferry back to Malta around sunset. You can take buses 301, 303 and 323 from the main bus station in Victoria all the way to Gozo Ferry Terminal. Don’t forget that here you have to buy your ticket first before boarding.

Watching the sun going down, then painting the sky in all shades of pinks and oranges, is a fantastic way to end your day trip to Gozo Island.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Gozo Island without a Car

We definitely loved visiting Gozo Island. It was so much quieter and rural compared to Malta itself. The combination of our day trips to Gozo and Comino Islands made us fall in love with Malta.

We believe that we managed to pack quite a lot into a day, especially seeing Gozo without the comfort of a car. We got relatively lucky with the bus schedules but we can totally see why many would choose to hire a car and not even visit more than a handful of places without one. If you miss one bus, the next might not arrive for another hour. On the the flip side, that’s the main charm of Gozo. Nobody is rushing around.

We hope that our guide and tips will be useful to you when planning an amazing day trip to Gozo island, especially if you choose not to rent a car.

Have you been to Gozo Island or Malta before? If so, did you visit the island by car or with public transport? How much of Gozo did you manage to see? If not, would you visit the island by public transport or would you rather rent a car? Let me know in the comments below.