Last Updated: 3/30/22 | March 30th, 2022
Few destinations in the world bring in the crowds like Barcelona. It’s one of the most incredible cities, not just in Spain but the entire world: home to buzzing nightlife, a delectable food scene, and tons of stunning architecture.
No matter what your budget or reason for visiting, you’ll be able to enjoy this sprawling, picturesque city and its laid-back pace of life.
I’ve been visiting Barcelona for a decade and have stayed in dozens upon dozens of hostels over the years. There are a lot of things to consider when selecting a hostel. The top four when in Barcelona are:
- Location – Barcelona is huge, and it can take some time to get around. Pick a place that is central to the sites and nightlife you want to experience. (All the hostels listed here are in central locations.)
- Price – In Barcelona, you really get what you pay for, so if you go with a really cheap one, you’re probably going to get a hostel that is small and cramped and doesn’t offer great service.
- Amenities – Every hostel in the city offers free Wi-Fi, and most have a free breakfast, but if you want more than that, be sure to do your research to find the hostel that best meets your needs!
- Staff – All the hostels listed here have amazing staff who are super friendly and knowledgeable. Even if you don’t end up staying at one of the places listed below, be sure to look up reviews to ensure that you end up somewhere where the staff is helpful and friendly, since they can make or break a hostel!
To help you plan your trip, here is my list of the hostels in Barcelona that I like the most. If you don’t want to read the longer list below, the following are the best in each category:
Best Hostel for Budget Travelers: Hostel One Ramblas
Best Hostel for Families: St. Christopher’s Inn
Best Hostel for Digital Nomads: Sleep Green
Best Hostel for Partying: Kabul Party Hostel
Best Hostel for Solo Female Travelers: Yeah Hostel
Best Overall Hostel: St. Christopher’s Inn
Want the specifics of each hostel? Here’s my comprehensive list of the best hostels in Barcelona:
Price Legend (per night)
- $ = Under 30 EUR
- $$ = 30-40 EUR
- $$$ = Over 40 EUR
1. St. Christopher’s Inn
This is one of my favorite hostels in Europe. Located right near La Rambla (a long, tree-lined pedestrian stretch, which is very popular), it’s a social and lively hostel with a huge bar and outdoor common area right next door. It also organizes daily events and a buffet breakfast (5 EUR) every morning.
The mattresses aren’t super thick, but the beds are cozy pods with curtains, so you can actually get a decent night’s sleep (they have lockers underneath them too, so you can keep your stuff secure). It’s clean, comfy, and one of the best hostels in the city.
St. Christopher’s at a glance:
- $
- Huge bar/outdoor common area makes it easy to meet people
- Privacy curtains so you can get a decent night’s sleep
- Female-only dorms for added privacy and security
Beds from 23 EUR, private rooms from 166 EUR.
2. Hostel One Paralelo
This is a party hostel that’s perfect for solo travelers, though they also offer private rooms as well. They organize nightly events and activities and host free dinners every week. The staff really work hard to make sure everyone is having fun. While it is an energetic hostel, there are also separate common rooms for chilling out and working, as well as a movie room with Netflix, in case you just want to relax. The beds are cozy pods (so you can still get a decent night’s sleep), and the dorms are capped at eight beds, so you’re never crammed in with a ton of people either — a big plus in my book!
Hostel One Paralelo at a glance:
- $$
- Free weekly dinners
- Relaxed social atmosphere
- Easy to meet other travelers
Beds from 40 EUR, rooms from 130 EUR. HostelPass members get 10% off plus late checkout.
3. Kabul Party Hostel
Located in the Gothic Quarter, Kabul is my favorite hostel in the city (and is tied for my favorite hostel in all of Europe). It’s a full-on party hostel, and they organize nightly events and pub crawls. Surprisingly, the dorms are clean and the beds are decent (the bunks do squeak a bit though). What makes Kabul so great is the common area: it takes up a whole floor of the building and comprises a café, bar, internet kiosk, and pool table. It’s super social and really easy to meet people here.
Kabul Party Hostel at a glance:
- $
- Organizes lots of activities
- Really easy to meet people
- Lively party atmosphere
Beds from 22 EUR, private rooms from 116 EUR (sleeps 4).
4. HelloBCN
This is another social hostel with staff that go above and beyond. The hostel organizes all kinds of events and even get you discounts for some of the city’s nightclubs in case you’re looking to enjoy Barcelona’s famous nightlife. They serve a buffet breakfast for 2 EUR, have lots of common areas (with ping-pong and board games), though there’s also a kitchen in case you want to cook your own meals.
Guests also get electronic wristbands, so the hostel is safe and secure (the dorms also have secure lockers). The mattresses are comfy, though the beds are pretty basic (cheap metal bunks with no curtains). There also are female-only dorms.
HelloBCN at a glance:
- $
- Cheap breakfast
- Organizes lots of events
- Awesome and helpful staff
Beds from 21 EUR, rooms from 84 EUR.
5. Hostel One Ramblas
Like the other Hostel One location on this list, Ramblas is social hostel where it’s easy to meet people. Free dinners are held daily, breakfast is super cheap (3 EUR), and the beds are really comfortable (they are pods with curtains, so you can get a decent night’s sleep). It’s also close to a metro stop, so you can easily get around town. There’s a fully equipped kitchen as well, in case you want to cook your own meals. The staff here are awesome too! They organize daily walking tours and nights out, so there is always something to do.
Hostel One Ramblas at a glance:
- $$
- Free nightly dinners
- Great place to meet other travelers
- Organizes daily events and activities
Beds from 30 EUR. HostelPass members get 10% off plus late checkout.
6. 360 Hostel Barcelona Arts & Culture
Another social hostel, 360 offers daily walking tours and nightly events like cooking classes and free tapas. There’s a chill patio with lots of space to hang out, lounge, and meet people as well. The beds and bunks aren’t the best (metal bunks and no curtains), but there are lockers in every dorm. It’s a bustling, communal hostel that makes you feel like you’re at home with friends. It’s super clean too!
360 Hostel Barcelona at a glance:
- $
- Organizes lots of activities
- Easy to meet people
- Free dinner
Beds from 25 EUR a night.
7. Fabrizzio’s Petit
This hostel has a real family vibe to it. Free breakfast, coffee, and tea is available all day in the kitchen, and they often organize social events, along with a few walking tours of different parts of the city as well. There’s a spacious outdoor terrace and a chill common area with video games. The dorm beds are basic (thin mattresses), though the beds in the private rooms are super comfy. To top it all off, the showers have great water pressure — something I appreciate!
Fabrizzio’s Petit at a glance:
- $
- Free breakfast
- Communal dinners and other daily events
- Awesome showers
Beds from 28 EUR a night, private rooms from 114 EUR per night.
8. Yeah Hostel Barcelona
This is an energetic hostel with a cool interior design (lots of art and murals on the walls). They organize daily walking tours and pub crawls and have a bar on-site, so you can chill out with other travelers (you also get a free drink with your stay). They have some quieter areas too, for when you want to relax. Everything is clean and modern, which makes it feel almost like a hotel — but with the socializing of a hostel. They have tons of common space, female-only dorms, offer daily communal dinners (10 EUR), and have super comfy beds (the mattresses are really thick and cozy).
Yeah Hostel at a glance:
- $$
- Free drinks
- Daily tours and pub crawls
- Nightly communal dinners (10 EUR)
Beds from 35 EUR a night, rooms from 146 EUR per night.
9. Sant Jordi Hostels Sagrada Familia
This is a really cool hostel. They have instruments and a stage for playing music and an indoor skate ramp, and the hostel is covered in cool murals and art. They organize nightly parties and pub crawls, have a spacious kitchen for cooking your own food, and a chill outdoor lounge for relaxing and hanging out (also a big projector for watching TV and movies). The dorms are small and the beds aren’t amazing, but it’s located right near the city center (just a few minutes from La Sagrada Familia). It’s definitely one of the coolest hostels in town.
Sant Jordi Hostels Sagrada Familia at a glance:
- $
- Awesome interior
- Nightly pub crawls
- Fully equipped kitchen
Beds from 24 EUR a night, rooms from 39 EUR per night.
10. Bed & Bike Barcelona
What separates this hostel from the rest is that it offers a free bike tour of the city every morning (you can also rent a bike for 7 EUR per day). They also have free dinners and sangria nights too, which keeps the atmosphere lively and energetic. It’s just five minutes from La Sagrada Familia and La Rambla. The beds are little cubbies with curtains so you have some added privacy (which I appreciate). The common area is spacious and super chill, with a TV and Netflix, a pool table, books, and video games. Free coffee and tea are available all day.
Bed & Bike Barcelona at a glance:
- $
- Free daily bike tours
- Great location
- Hosts lots of activities
Beds from 25 EUR a night, rooms from 110 EUR per night.
11. Mediterranean Youth Hostel
This laid-back youth hostel is a good choice for younger travelers (dorms are only available to travelers under 48). They host nightly Mediterranean-themed dinners and pub crawls, and offer daily free walking tours as well. They have an outdoor courtyard, movie room, and chill common area with video games as well. The dorms are a little cramped and there are no privacy curtains, but the beds themselves are comfy. It’s one of the more budget-friendly hostels in the city.
Mediterranean Youth Hostel at a glance:
- $
- Organizes lots of events
- Good location
- Lots of common areas
Beds from 28 EUR a night.
12. Sleep Green Eco Youth Hostel
This is the most sustainable and eco-friendly hostel in Barcelona. It’s a quiet, laid-back hostel with a fully equipped kitchen and lots of common areas for hanging out and meeting other travelers. It’s not the most social place, making it a good choice for digital nomads looking to get some work done or travelers looking to do their own thing. The beds are basic (metal bunks without curtains) but are comfy enough. Dorms are capped at only six beds though, so you’re never crammed in with lots of people.
Sleep Green Eco Hostel at a glance:
- $$
- Eco-friendly
- Quiet
- Fully equipped kitchen
Beds from 35 EUR.
Barcelona is an energetic, world-class city that draws millions and millions of visitors each and every year — and for good reason! Yet it can also be an expensive destination if you don’t plan ahead. Fortunately, if you do your research and stay in one of the hostels on this list, you’ll be able to save money, have fun, and make the most of your time in this incredible city!
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Book Your Trip to Barcelona: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned!
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- Safety Wing (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
- Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)
Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.
Need a Guide?
Barcelona has some really great guided Gaudí tours. My favorite company is Take Walks: its “Complete Gaudí Tour” will give you the best in-depth and behind-the-scenes such tour out there.
Want More Information on Barcelona?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Barcelona for even more planning tips!
