How to Do Gozo on a Budget (2026 Guide)
Gozo is Malta’s quieter, greener, more chilled out sister island and it’s absolutely worth the trip. I went for the first time expecting a pleasant day out and ended up staying until dark because I couldn’t bring myself to leave. It’s one of those places.
The good news is that Gozo is noticeably cheaper than Malta for almost everything, food, accommodation, drinks. The bad news is that getting there and getting around can eat into your budget if you don’t plan it. Here’s how to do Gozo without spending more than you need to.
Getting to Gozo cheaply
1. Take the Ċirkewwa ferry (and know the payment trick)
The main ferry from Ċirkewwa on the north of Malta to Mġarr Harbour in Gozo takes about 25 minutes and runs up to 74 times a day. It costs €4.65 return for foot passengers.
Here’s the weird bit: you don’t pay on the way there. You just walk on. No ticket, no booking, nothing. Payment happens on the return journey from Gozo. This confuses almost everyone the first time and I spent a solid five minutes looking for a ticket office before someone told me.
2. Consider the fast ferry from Valletta
If you’re staying in Valletta or nearby, the Gozo Highspeed fast ferry leaves from Lascaris Wharf in the Grand Harbour roughly once an hour. It takes 45 minutes and costs from around €6-7.50 for foot passengers. No cars allowed on this one.
The advantage is obvious if you’re in Valletta, you walk down to the harbour and get on a boat rather than spending over an hour on the bus to Ċirkewwa. The disadvantage is that it’s more likely to get cancelled in rough weather. Check the forecast before you commit.
3. New for 2026: fast ferries from Sliema and Buġibba
From May 2026 there are also fast ferry services running from Sliema and Buġibba to Gozo, taking around 30 minutes and costing between €6.50 and €8.50. If you’re staying in the central coastal strip this saves a lot of messing about.
4. If you’re taking a car, go early
The car ferry from Ċirkewwa costs more (around €15.70 for a car plus driver) and queues can get genuinely painful on summer weekends. I’ve heard of people waiting over an hour on a July Saturday. If you’re driving, get there before 9am or go midweek.
Getting around Gozo on a budget
5. The bus is cheap but slow
Gozo has buses and they cost next to nothing. A single trip is €1.50 in winter and €2 in summer, or you can get a day pass. The issue is that every route goes through Victoria in the middle of the island, which means getting from one coastal spot to another involves going into town, changing and waiting. On a day trip where time is limited this is genuinely annoying. If you’ve got a few days on the island and you’re happy to go slowly, buses are fine. For a single day, they’re frustrating.
6. Quad bike hire is the budget adventure option
This is the option I wish I’d known about sooner. Quad bike hire on Gozo costs around €90 for a full day and lets you reach the back roads and coastal tracks that buses don’t cover and hire cars find uncomfortable. A lot of the best spots on Gozo, the Wied il-Mielaħ arch, the cliff paths near Ta’ Ċenċ, the track down to Wied il-Għasri, are on rough ground that a standard rental car either can’t manage or that you’d be nervous taking it down.
You need to be 21 or over and have a valid driving licence. Fuel is included with most operators. It’s a fun way to spend a day and you cover *way* more ground than you would on the bus.
7. Skip the taxi
Taxis on Gozo are expensive relative to the distances. A short ride from Mġarr Harbour to Victoria costs around €15 and it’s only a few kilometres. If you’re on a budget, avoid them.
Free things to do in Gozo
8. The Citadella in Victoria
Entry to the Citadella itself is free. You can wander the fortifications, take in the views from the bastions (best panoramic views on the island), poke around the narrow streets and generally spend a very pleasant couple of hours without spending a cent. The cathedral and museums inside charge separately but you don’t *need* them to enjoy the place.
One thing worth knowing: the Cathedral of the Assumption has a painted ceiling that looks like a dome. It’s not a dome. The painter Antonio Manuele ran out of money before he could build one so he painted a trompe-l’oeil on a flat ceiling instead. It’s so convincing that most people don’t clock it until they read the sign. *Genius.*
9. The Xwejni salt pans
The salt pans on the north coast near Marsalforn are free to visit and one of those places that photographs well and somehow looks even better in person. The salt is still harvested by hand between May and September by a local family. There’s a tiny shop nearby (Leli tal-Melħ) where bags of sea salt start at around €2.50. I’ve bought them as gifts multiple times now and people actually like them, which is more than I can say for most holiday souvenirs.
10. Ramla Bay
Gozo’s best beach is free. The sand is an unusual reddish-gold colour and the bay is wide and backed by dunes rather than hotels. There are a couple of kiosks for drinks and snacks but no rows of sun loungers costing €15 a pop like you get on some of Malta’s beaches. Get there early in summer because it does fill up by late morning.
Top tip: walk up to Tal-Mixta Cave above the bay. It’s a short hike and the view of the red sand from inside the cave looking out to sea is one of the better vantage points on the island. Free and most people don’t bother going up.
11. Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs at sunset
The cliffs in the south of Gozo are free to visit and spectacular at sunset. Bring a blanket and some cheese and wine from one of the shops in Victoria and have a picnic while the sun goes down over the sea. You’ll likely have the place almost to yourself on a weekday evening. One of my favourite things I’ve done in Gozo, and it cost about €8 for the wine and snacks.
12. Dwejra Bay
The whole Dwejra area on the west coast is free to walk around. The Azure Window collapsed in 2017 but the bay is still dramatic. The Inland Sea is worth seeing from above even if you don’t pay for the boat trip (though honestly, €4 for a 20-minute trip through the tunnel is hard to argue with). The Blue Hole, the rock formations, the views out to Fungus Rock, all free.
Saving money on food and drink in Gozo
13. Eat ftira, not restaurant meals
The best thing to eat in Gozo also happens to be the cheapest. Ftira is a Gozitan flatbread, kind of like a pizza but different, loaded with local ġbejna cheese, capers, olives and tuna. There are two traditional ftira bakeries on the island: Mekren’s and Maxokk, both in Nadur village. A ftira costs a few euros and fills you up completely. The Maltese government got it added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which tells you everything about how seriously they take it.
14. Buy lunch supplies from the village shops
Victoria has several small grocers selling local bread, cheese, olives and tomatoes for next to nothing. Make yourself a picnic lunch and eat it at one of the viewpoints or beaches. This is Gozo at its best and it costs a fraction of eating at a restaurant.
15. Drink local wine
A bottle of decent Maltese wine from a shop in Victoria costs €5-8 and is genuinely good. The local grapes are Ġellewża (red) and Girgentina (white). Much cheaper than ordering wine at a restaurant and you can drink it at Ta’ Ċenċ watching the sunset. Just saying.
16. If you do eat out, go local
Skip the places with photos on the menu near the tourist spots. In Victoria, Roza Restaurant does good Gozitan cooking at fair prices. Maldonado Bistro is another solid option. In Marsalforn and Xlendi the waterfront restaurants are pricier, so walk one street back and you’ll usually find something cheaper and just as good.
Saving money on attractions
17. Get the Discover Gozo Combo Ticket
If you’re planning to visit Ġgantija Temples and any of the Citadella museums, the combo ticket at €13 for adults (€7 children) saves money over paying individually. It covers Ġgantija Archaeological Park, the Citadella museums and several other sites around the island.
18. Ġgantija Temples
Not free, but worth the entry. The south temple dates to around 3600 BC, which makes it older than the pyramids. I don’t care how many ancient sites you’ve seen, standing in front of 50-ton limestone blocks that were placed there 5,500 years ago by people with no metal tools is a properly humbling experience. Entry is €10 if you don’t have the combo ticket. Go in the morning before the tour groups arrive.
19. The boat trip at the Inland Sea
€4 per person, cash only, no booking needed. You just show up at the Inland Sea at Dwejra, wait for the boat to fill (usually takes a few minutes) and they take you through the natural tunnel in the cliff out into the open sea past the caves. It sounds touristy. It isn’t. Twenty minutes well spent.
Cheap accommodation in Gozo
20. Stay in a farmhouse
Gozo is known for converted farmhouses with pools, and while some are expensive, you can find good ones for €80-100 per night if you’re going outside of July and August. Split between a group and it’s great value. The farmhouses usually have kitchens so you can self-cater for breakfasts and lunches which saves a lot.
21. Stay in Victoria for the cheapest options
Victoria is in the centre of the island, close to everything, and has the widest range of budget accommodation including guesthouses and small hotels. It’s less scenic than staying on the coast but it’s cheaper and more practical if you’re relying on buses.
22. Go in shoulder season
May, June, September and October have the best weather-to-price ratio. Accommodation is noticeably cheaper than July and August, the water is still warm enough to swim and the island isn’t overwhelmed. If you can avoid summer holidays, do it.
A few more budget tips
23. The return ferry is free
Just to be really clear about this because it catches people out: you pay nothing to get from Malta to Gozo on the Ċirkewwa ferry. You pay the full return fare on the way back. The return crossing to Malta is included in that payment. It’s not an additional charge. Free boat ride home. *Lovely.*
24. Bring your own water bottle
Tap water in Gozo is safe to drink. It tastes a bit mineral-heavy but it’s fine. Buying bottles of water at tourist spots adds up faster than you’d think, especially in summer when you’re drinking constantly. Bring a refillable bottle and save yourself €2-3 a day.
25. Download the Tallinja app for buses
If you are using the buses, the Tallinja app shows live bus times and lets you buy tickets on your phone. It’s not perfect but it’s better than standing at a bus stop with no idea when the next one is coming.
Gozo is one of the cheapest and most rewarding day trips you can do from Malta, and if you can stay a night or two it gets even better. The island is genuinely different once the day-trippers have gone back on the evening ferry.