If you want to know how to meet people in Malta when travelling alone, the short answer is: stay somewhere social in Sliema or St Julian’s, book one group activity on your first day (a free walking tour in Valletta or a boat day to Comino), and go to one weekly meetup in the evening. Malta is small, English is an official language and a huge share of the people around you are also new, so a single good plan usually leads to the next one.
This guide ranks the methods that work by how much effort they take, tells you roughly what each costs and what to actually say, and finishes with a three-day plan you can copy. It is written for solo travellers on a short trip. If you are staying for months, the approach is similar but you will lean more on weekly habits.
Why Malta is an easy place to meet people alone
Three things work in your favour. First, English is one of Malta’s two official languages, so you can chat to almost anyone, from the bus driver to the person next to you at the bar. Second, the island is tiny: Valletta, Sliema and St Julian’s sit within a few kilometres of each other, so the people you meet on a morning tour are often in the same area in the evening. Third, the crowd is unusually international. Language students, remote workers, people on short contracts and other travellers all make up a big part of the social scene, and almost nobody arrived with a ready-made group of friends.
The flip side is that locals often socialise with family and old school friends, and the nightlife strip in Paceville can feel like a sea of groups that already know each other. The trick is to choose situations with a built-in reason to talk, instead of hoping a conversation starts at a crowded bar.
How to meet people in Malta when travelling alone: 7 methods ranked
Ranked from least to most effort. Most solo travellers only need two or three of these to have company every evening.
| Method | Where | Typical cost | Effort | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel common areas and hostel events | Sliema, St Julian’s, Valletta | Free if you are staying | Very low | First night |
| Free walking tour | Valletta | Tip-based | Low | First morning |
| Weekly social meetups | Sliema, St Julian’s | Free to a few euro | Low | Evenings |
| Organised pub crawl | Paceville, St Julian’s | Paid ticket | Low | A big night out |
| Group day trips and boat days | Comino, Gozo, the coast | Paid, varies by operator | Medium | Daytime company |
| Classes and try-dives | Around the island | Paid | Medium | Meeting people with a shared interest |
| Hosting your own small plan | Anywhere public | You decide | Medium | Choosing exactly what you do |
1. Use the hostel, even for one night
Even if you plan to rent a flat later, a night or two in a hostel in Sliema or St Julian’s is the fastest shortcut. Common rooms, rooftop terraces and hostel-run evenings are designed for people who arrived alone. Ask at reception what is on that week; many hostels post a list of social evenings and join organised pub crawls or day trips. Saying yes to the first thing on that list usually gives you people to go to dinner with.
2. Join a free walking tour in Valletta
A walking tour gives you two hours next to the same small group with something to talk about. At the end, a simple “Anyone going for lunch?” works more often than you would think. Our guide to the free walking tours in Valletta explains how the tip-based model works and where the tours usually start.
3. Go to a weekly social meetup
Malta has several long-running social groups on Meetup.com that are built for exactly this situation. When we last checked, English Café Malta was running a weekly Thursday evening social mixer in the Sliema and St Julian’s area for a small entry fee, and other groups such as Malta Mates run regular socials too; venues move, so check the event page for the current one. Numbers change from week to week, so look at the “going” count on the event page before you head out, and arrive on time: the first half hour is when it is easiest to join a conversation. If you would rather start with a quiet drink, our list of solo friendly bars in Malta picks the easiest bars to walk into alone.
4. Book an organised pub crawl
Pub crawls in Paceville and St Julian’s are noisy and not for everyone, but they solve the hardest part of a solo night out: walking into a bar alone. You meet the group at the first stop, and by the third bar you know names. Read our honest guide to pub crawls in Malta before you buy a ticket, as what is included varies a lot between operators.
5. Take a group day trip or boat day
Boat trips to Comino and the Blue Lagoon, Gozo jeep tours and coastal hikes are often sold by the seat, so many people on board are couples or friends, but there is usually at least one other solo traveller. Sit next to them on the way out, not on the way back. Group hikes run by social clubs and meetup groups are even better, because everyone is there partly to meet people.
6. Learn something: a class, a try-dive or a language exchange
Malta is one of Europe’s best-known places to learn to dive, and a try-dive or beginner course puts you in a small group for a whole day. Cooking classes, salsa nights and language exchange evenings work the same way. If you speak another language, a language exchange evening in Malta is one of the easiest ways to meet both locals and long-stay foreigners, because the format forces you to talk.
7. Host your own small plan
Once you have met a couple of people, inviting them to something specific is what turns a chat into an evening. “I’m going to watch the sunset at the Upper Barrakka and get pastizzi after, want to come?” is a much easier yes than “we should hang out”. Keep it public, keep it short, and say up front whether everyone pays their own.
Where to stay if you want company
For meeting people, location matters more than the room. Sliema and St Julian’s have the most hostels, meetups and bars within walking distance, and the ferry to Valletta leaves from the Sliema waterfront. Valletta itself is beautiful and calmer at night, which is great for sleep but means more walking or buses to get to the social scene. Bugibba and Qawra in the north are cheaper and busy in summer, but the evening crowd is more holiday-resort than international mix. Gozo is gorgeous and quiet; brilliant for a day or two, not where you go to meet a crowd.
For a wider look at budgets, areas and getting around, see our full solo travel in Malta guide.
What to say: openers that work in Malta
You do not need clever lines. In Malta, these work almost everywhere:
- “How long have you been here?” Nearly everyone has an arrival story, whether they came for a week or for a job.
- “Have you been to Gozo yet?” Everyone has an opinion and it naturally leads to “we should go”.
- “Is this your first time at this meetup?” At a social event, it instantly makes you two first-timers together.
- “Do you know a good place for dinner around here?” Asking for advice is easier than offering an opinion, and it often becomes an invitation.
- “A few of us are going to … tomorrow, want to come?” The magic sentence. Use it the moment you have a plan, even if “a few of us” is just you and one other person.
Before you leave any group, suggest a group chat or swap numbers. On a short trip, the second meeting is the one that matters.
A three-day solo plan
Day 1: Sliema and St Julian’s
Check in, then walk the seafront from Sliema towards Spinola Bay in the late afternoon. In the evening, go to whatever social event your hostel lists or a weekly meetup. Goal for the day: two names and one plan for tomorrow.
Day 2: Valletta and the Three Cities
Take the ferry from Sliema to Valletta in the morning and join a walking tour. Invite whoever you click with to lunch, then cross the harbour to the Three Cities by ferry or traditional boat. Evening: a quiet drink on Strait Street, or a quiz or comedy night where teams of strangers are normal.
Day 3: A boat day or Gozo
Book a group boat trip or head to Gozo with the people from day 2. If you would rather keep the day calm, our list of things to do alone in Malta has good solo options, and many of them are the kind of place where a conversation starts naturally.
Season matters: summer versus winter
From June to September Malta is busy, hostels are full, boat trips run every day and village festas fill weekend evenings, so meeting people is easy but prices are higher and the heat is real. From November to March many tours run less often, some summer groups go quiet and the island feels more local. Weekly meetups, language exchanges and quiz nights keep going year-round, so lean on those in winter. Staying for a few months? Our guide to social clubs in Malta for young adults covers the groups worth joining. Spring and autumn are the sweet spot: warm enough for the sea, quiet enough to talk.
Safety basics for solo travellers
- Meet new people in public places, especially the first time.
- Tell someone where you are going and keep your phone charged.
- Know your way home. Night buses run from St Julian’s and Sliema, and ride-hailing apps work across the island.
- Watch your drink in Paceville and stay with your group at closing time, when the streets are at their busiest.
- Never pay money in advance to a stranger for a “private tour” or a party you found online.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free web app for meeting people in person, starting in Malta: a host posts a plan at a public place, sets the time and seats, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins from the people who ask. Open MeetNow and see the plans posted in Malta.
Featured photo: Spinola Bay, St Julian’s. Photo: Frank Vincentz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is Malta good for meeting people when travelling alone?
Yes. English is widely spoken, the main areas are close together and many people you meet are also newcomers or travellers, so it is one of the easier places in Europe to find company on a solo trip.
Where do solo travellers meet people in Malta?
Mostly in Sliema and St Julian’s: hostel common areas and events, weekly social meetups, pub crawls and language exchanges. In the daytime, walking tours in Valletta and boat trips to Comino or Gozo are the easiest places to start a conversation.
Is it weird to go out alone in Malta?
No. With so many students, remote workers and travellers around, people on their own are common in bars, cafés and at social events. Choosing an event with a built-in reason to talk makes it much easier.
What is the best area to stay in Malta to meet people?
Sliema or St Julian’s. They have the most hostels, meetups and bars within walking distance, plus the ferry to Valletta. Valletta is calmer at night, and Gozo is better for quiet days than for meeting a crowd.
Is Malta safe for solo travellers?
Malta is generally considered safe, but use normal city sense: meet new people in public, keep an eye on your drink in busy nightlife areas and plan your way home before you go out.
