Can You Take Children on a Private Boat Charter in Malta?

The answer is yes — and in our experience, children are often the ones who enjoy it most.

We have had babies on board. Toddlers. Nervous five-year-olds who turned into fearless little swimmers by the end of the day. Teenagers who spent the whole tour cliff jumping and asking the skipper every question about the sea caves. And we have had parents standing at the back of the boat quietly crying — not because anything went wrong, but because their child just swam in the Blue Lagoon for the first time and looked back at them with the biggest smile they had ever seen.

A private boat charter in Malta is genuinely one of the finest family experiences available anywhere in the Mediterranean. This guide explains exactly how it works for families, what changes when children are on board, what parents worry about before they book, and why this consistently becomes the highlight of the entire family holiday.

Written by the team at Outdoor Explorers Malta and I Malta Boat Trips — a family-run company that has been running private family boat tours from Ċirkewwa and Mġarr Harbour since 2016.

The Short Answer — Yes, Absolutely

Private boat charters in Malta are not just possible with children. They are in many ways better with children.

The reason is simple. A private boat is not a group tour. There is no fixed schedule, no other passengers to consider, no rushing because thirty other people are waiting to move on. When you are on a private boat with your family, the entire experience is built around you — your children’s pace, your children’s comfort, your family’s preferences.

When a child wants to stay longer at a swimming spot — you stay longer. When a younger child needs a rest under the shade canopy — you rest. When an older child wants to try cliff jumping at the lowest height — the skipper finds the right spot. When a toddler falls asleep on the cushioned seats mid-afternoon — the boat moves gently and quietly to the next location.

This is the fundamental difference between a private family boat tour and a group tour. On a group tour, you adapt to the group. On a private boat, the tour adapts to you.

What Age Can Children Join a Private Boat Charter in Malta?

We have taken children of all ages — including babies. The youngest passengers we have welcomed on board have been just a few months old, travelling with parents who wanted to experience the Blue Lagoon as a family from the very beginning.

The key is communication. When you book, tell us the ages of your children and give us any relevant details — a baby who needs a calm environment, a toddler who might need frequent breaks, a child with specific needs. This information shapes everything about how we prepare for your day and how the skipper manages the tour from the moment you board.

We have life jackets for children of every size — from infant life jackets upward. Please tell us your children’s ages at the time of booking so we can ensure the correct sizes are ready and fitted before you leave the dock.

What Changes When Children Are On Board

When we know a family with young children is coming, the approach changes in several specific ways — not because the experience becomes less exciting, but because the skipper is focused on making it extraordinary for every member of the family, including the youngest.

The route is discussed in advance. Before the tour, we talk to parents about what they want. Are the children confident swimmers? Do they want to try snorkelling for the first time? Is there a nervous child who might need calm water initially? Is cliff diving something the older ones are keen on? The answers shape the whole day.

We favour calmer, more sheltered locations. For families with young children, we tend to avoid the most crowded spots and focus on secluded coves and sheltered bays where the water is calm, clear, and genuinely safe. This produces a better experience anyway — the finest swimming Malta offers is not at the busy beaches but in the hidden spots that only a private boat reaches.

The skipper drives at a gentler pace. Particularly on the open sea sections between stops, the pace adapts to what the youngest passenger is comfortable with. A fast crossing might be thrilling for teenagers but unsettling for a toddler. Your skipper reads the group and adjusts.

Swimming stops are chosen for safety and fun simultaneously. Shallow, crystal-clear water where children can stand and see the sandy bottom beneath them. Rocky edges that are accessible and safe for snorkelling. Spots where the whole family can be in the water together without any concern about depth or current.

What Families Tell Us — The Moments That Matter

After years of running family private boat tours, we have noticed that the most memorable moments are rarely the ones you plan.

They are the children clapping with pure joy as the boat rounds a headland and the Blue Lagoon appears ahead of them for the first time. They are the kids who start singing on the way between stops — completely spontaneously, because they are happy and the sea air and the movement of the boat creates something in children that land experiences rarely do.

They are the toddlers who hold their mum tightly as the boat moves, not from fear but from excitement. They are the older children who swim back to the boat after their first proper snorkel, pull their mask off, and say — completely unsolicited — that was the best thing I have ever done.

And they are the parents — at the end of the day, as the boat heads back to Ċirkewwa — who come and say thank you to the skipper. Not just the children. The parents too. Who tell us it was the highlight of their holiday. Not a highlight. The highlight.

This is what a private family boat tour in Malta actually delivers. Not a tour. A family memory that lasts forever.

What Parents Worry About — And the Honest Answers

What about rough weather?

We will never take a family out in conditions that are not appropriate. If we know the sea is rough on your departure day, we contact you before you even leave your accommodation. We discuss the options — postpone to a better day, adjust the route to more sheltered water, or if necessary cancel with a full refund.

We do not take children out when conditions are not right. This is non-negotiable. Your skipper checks conditions at dawn on every tour day. If the sea is not right for a family, we tell you before you drive to Ċirkewwa.

What about sea sickness?

This is one of the most common concerns parents raise before booking — and genuinely one of the least common problems we experience on the water.

Our boats are open vessels with constant airflow. The breeze on an open boat significantly reduces the likelihood of sea sickness compared to an enclosed cabin vessel. Furthermore, the waters around Comino and the south Gozo coast are typically calm in summer, particularly in the morning.

If a child does feel unwell at any point, we are always just a few minutes from shore. We stop, we anchor in calm water, we take the time that is needed. Nobody is rushing anywhere.

What if a child gets scared?

In our experience, children are almost never scared on a private boat tour. They are excited. They are curious. They are completely engaged. However, if a child is nervous — particularly at the start before they have found their sea legs — the skipper reads this immediately and adjusts.

We are never far from shore. Calm, sheltered bays are always within a few minutes’ reach. The private nature of the tour means there is no pressure, no schedule, no sense that the group is waiting. A nervous child who needs fifteen minutes of calm anchoring before the day begins gets exactly that — with no consequence to anyone.

Are there life jackets for small children?

Yes — life jackets for children of all sizes are provided on every tour. Please tell us your children’s ages when booking so we can ensure the right sizes are ready and correctly fitted before departure.

The Best Stops for Families — What Children Love Most

Every family tour is customised based on a conversation with parents before the day. However, here is what consistently produces the best family moments on the water.

Secluded Coves With Shallow Clear Water ⭐

The absolute highlight for young children. Finding a sheltered cove where the water is completely clear, the sandy bottom visible in two metres of depth, and the whole family can swim together away from any crowds. Children who have never swum in water this clear are genuinely awestruck. This is the experience that no beach holiday provides — because the finest water in the Maltese islands is not at the beaches. It is in the places that only a private boat reaches.

Snorkelling — First Time Experiences

For children who have never snorkelled, a private boat tour is the finest possible introduction. The skipper anchors in calm, clear, shallow water where the marine life is immediately visible. A child who puts a snorkel mask on for the first time and looks down to see sea bream swimming beneath them in crystal-clear water — this is a moment that parents describe to us long after the tour has ended.

Snorkelling gear is provided on every tour — masks, fins, and floats for every guest. For very young children who are not yet ready to snorkel independently, the float allows them to look through the mask while an adult supports them.

The Blue Lagoon — Away From the Crowds

By private boat, you anchor in open water at the Blue Lagoon away from the busy shore — in the deeper, more vivid section of the lagoon where the colour is most intense. Children can swim from the boat into the famous turquoise water without going ashore at all.

For families with young children, this is specifically better than the ferry experience — no crowded beach, no queuing, no struggling through hundreds of people with a pushchair. Just the family, the boat, and the most beautiful water in the Mediterranean. For the complete Blue Lagoon guide, read here.

Cliff Diving — For the Braver Older Children

For older children and teenagers who want an adrenaline element, cliff diving is available at multiple stops on tours of 3 hours and above. Heights start at just 1.5 metres — a completely manageable, non-intimidating entry level that almost every child who tries it immediately wants to do again. The higher options go up to 20 metres for those who want the full experience.

Cliff diving is always optional. No child is ever pressured. The skipper shows the available options and lets the family decide. For the complete cliff diving guide, read here.

What We Tend to Avoid for Young Families

We tend to avoid the most crowded locations — the busy Blue Lagoon shore at peak times, the crowded group boat anchoring spots — in favour of the secluded coves and sheltered bays that give families genuine privacy and space. This produces a better family experience regardless of the ages of the children involved.

Why Private Is Better Than Group for Families — The Honest Comparison

This deserves its own section because it is the most important decision a family makes when planning a Malta sea day.

A group boat tour puts your family among strangers on a fixed schedule. You move when the tour moves. You swim where the tour swims. Your five-year-old who wants to stay at that amazing snorkelling spot for another twenty minutes cannot — because the group is boarding. Your toddler who is tired and needs a calm rest stop cannot have one — because the boat is heading to the next scheduled location.

A private family boat charter is the opposite of every one of those constraints.

Your family is the group. The skipper’s entire focus is your family’s experience. The schedule is built around your children. The stops are chosen based on what your family told us before you boarded. The pace is entirely yours.

Furthermore, the knowledge your children gain on a private tour is completely different from the group tour experience. A private skipper talks to your children throughout the day — about the sea caves, the marine life, the history of the Comino Tower above Lovers Cave, the stories of the island. Children who board the boat knowing nothing about Malta get off it knowing things that most adults who visit never learn. This local knowledge and genuine personal connection is something a group tour of fifty people simply cannot replicate.

For the complete comparison of private vs group boat tours, read here.

A Direct Message to Parents Who Are Still Deciding

If you are reading this and you are not quite sure whether a private boat charter in Malta is right for your family — here is what we would say to you directly.

This is not just a boat tour. It is quality time with your family in one of the most beautiful places in the Mediterranean — completely private, completely at your pace, with no distractions and no strangers.

Children who come on private boat tours in Malta do not just enjoy the day. They talk about it for weeks afterwards. They show the photographs to their friends. They ask when they are coming back. Because swimming in the Blue Lagoon together as a family, snorkelling in crystal-clear water for the first time, exploring a sea cave from a boat — these are not tourist experiences. They are family memories. The kind that genuinely last forever.

The experience is fundamentally different from a group tour not because of the boat or the locations — although both are extraordinary — but because of what happens when a family spends a full day at sea completely together. No other passengers. No screens. No distractions. Just the family, the water, the skipper’s stories, and some of the finest sea the Mediterranean has to offer.

That is what a private Malta family boat charter actually is.

Practical Information — Family Booking

Life jackets: Provided for all ages including infants. Please tell us children’s ages at booking so correct sizes are ready.

Snorkelling gear: Mask, fins, and float included for every guest. Available in children’s sizes.

Freshwater shower on board: For rinsing children after swimming.

Shade canopy: Essential for protecting children from the midday Maltese sun. Always fitted.

Cool box with ice: Bring your own food and drinks — including food for children. The skipper knows the best lunch stops on longer tours.

What to bring: Swimwear, towels, sun cream SPF 50+ for children, snacks, water, a change of clothes for younger children, waterproof camera.

Departure: Ċirkewwa port in northern Malta — next to the Ċirkewwa Cafe. Also available from Mġarr Harbour in Gozo for guests staying on the island.

If travelling by Bolt or Uber: Type “Cirkewwa Cave” into the app.

Arrive: 10 minutes before scheduled departure.

The Family Tour Options — Every Duration

All prices are per boat — not per person. Divided across a family of six, the 3-hour tour is €48 per person for a completely private experience.

👉 Book your family private boat tour here. | Contact us here with any questions about travelling with children.

Frequently Asked Questions — Children on Private Boat Charters Malta

What is the minimum age for a private boat charter in Malta?

There is no minimum age. We have welcomed babies on board. The key is telling us the ages of your children at the time of booking so we can prepare the correct life jacket sizes and adapt the tour accordingly.

Are life jackets provided for babies and young children?

Yes — life jackets for children of all sizes including infants are provided on every tour. Please inform us of your children’s ages when booking so the correct sizes are ready before departure.

What happens if the sea is rough on the day of our family tour?

We contact you before you leave your accommodation. We discuss the options — postponing to a better day, adjusting the route to more sheltered water, or cancelling with a full refund. We never take families out in inappropriate conditions.

Will children get sea sick on a private boat charter in Malta?

Sea sickness is rare on our tours. Our boats are open vessels with constant airflow — a significant advantage over enclosed cabin boats. Furthermore, the waters around Comino in summer are typically calm, particularly in the morning. If a child does feel unwell, we are always within a few minutes of shore.

What is the best duration for a family private boat tour in Malta?

The 3-hour tour is the most popular for families — covering the Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Cominotto, and the sea caves. For families with older children who want more swimming stops and more exploration, the 4-hour or 6-hour tour is the better choice. Read our how many hours guide here.

Is the Blue Lagoon suitable for children?

Yes — and it is genuinely better from a private boat than from the ferry for families. By private boat, you anchor in open water away from the crowded shore. Children swim from the boat in the famous turquoise water without the chaos of the busy beach. For the complete Blue Lagoon guide, read here.

Can children do cliff diving on a family boat tour?

Yes — cliff diving starts at just 1.5 metres, which is completely manageable for older children and teenagers. The skipper shows the available options and the family decides. It is always optional — no child is ever pressured to jump. For the complete cliff diving guide, read here.

Is a private boat charter better than a group tour for families?

Yes — fundamentally. A private boat adapts entirely to your family’s pace, your children’s comfort, and your group’s preferences. There are no strangers, no fixed schedule, no rushing. The skipper focuses entirely on making the day extraordinary for every member of your family. Read the full comparison here.

Further Reading

• Private Boat Tour Malta — Complete Guide
• Blue Lagoon Malta — Complete Guide
• Comino Private Boat Tour — Complete Guide
• Blue Lagoon Private Boat Malta
• Cliff Diving Malta
• Snorkelling Comino and Blue Lagoon
• Private Boat vs Group Tour
• How Many Hours Guide
• What’s Included on a Private Boat Tour
• Mellieħa Bay Malta — Complete Guide
• 5 Days in Malta Itinerary — Including Gozo