6 of the Best Backpacker Hostels in Sydney

6 of the Best Backpacker Hostels in Sydney

Sydney doesn’t need much introduction – it is home to one of the most iconic views in the world. There’s so much more to Sydney than just the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. (Check out my backpackers guide to Sydney here) There’s a good reason why many people backpacking Australia start their trip here – Sydney is one of the most beautiful and fun cities I’ve ever been to. Yes, Australia is expensive but luckily there are heaps of awesome backpacker hostels in Sydney.

Event though Australia can be a really, really, expensive country to visit, it’s still one of the best countries in the world to backpack and there’s lots of ways you can save money and backpack Australia on a budget.

One of the best ways is by staying in backpacker hostels instead of hotels and cooking your own food instead of eating out. There are awesome backpacker hostels all over Australia where you can enjoy a fun, sociable, comfortable stay without breaking the bank.

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Many backpacker hostels in Australia are more like resorts and even have swimming pools, bars and communal kitchens, plus they are great places to meet other travellers. Some backpacker hostels in Sydney even have awesome freebies like free breakfast, BBQs or pizza nights that help you to save even further.

Of course, some hostels are better than others and its important to carefully choose where to stay as it can really make or break your trip , especially if you are a solo traveller looking to make friends. To help you plan your trip here’s my list of the 5 very best backpacker hostels in Sydney.

The Best Backpacker Hostels in Sydney

Sydney Harbour YHA

YHA run some of my favourite hostels in Australia and the award-winning Sydney Harbour YHA  is one of the best backpacker hostels in Sydney. It’s situated right in the historic The Rocks district in a heritage building and offers easy access to all of the city’s sites. What makes this hostel really special is the stunning and iconic views of the Sydney Harbour, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House from the rooftop common area.

The hostel also has a bar, café, cinema, pool and foosball tables, TV room, laundry facilities, jobs board and also offers lots of fun, free activities. There’s clean, spacious, air conditioned dorms and private rooms which all have private bathrooms. There’s also a large communal kitchen and even a grocery store onsite.  Also, don’t miss their fantastic pub crawls and $1 meal deals. Click here to book!

Bondi Beach House YHA

You can’t visit Sydney without visiting famous Bondi Beach so why not stay at the beach!? Bondi Beach House is a YHA hostel that is situated only 4 minutes walk from the famous beach and even has surfboards for hire! The hostel also has snorkelling equipment, body boards and equipment for beach cricket, volleyball and football so you can have a fun day on the beach, some of this they will even lend you for free!

There is also an amazing rooftop terrace with fantastic views over the sea, a movie room and table tennis table. There are dorms and private rooms and also a communal kitchen so you can cook your own food. Bondi Beach House YHA is probably the best backpacker hostel in Sydney if you like the great outdoors and want to stay near the beach.  Click here to book!

Sydney Central YHA

Sydney Central YHA is another award winning hostel that really deserves a place on the list of best backpacker hostels in Sydney, not just because it even has an onsite swimming pool and sauna! The swimming pool is perfect for hanging out meeting other travellers and cooling off after a busy day sightseeing around Sydney! This hostel was voted the best backpacker hostel in Australia and won 2^nd place for Oceania.

The hostel is conveniently located in a heritage listed building near to Sydney’s Central Station and also has a café and bar, lounge, movie room and games room.  Theres also 2 large shared kitchens, a buzzing atmosphere,  plenty of fun activities and events like walking tours, pizza nights, BBQs and movie nights with free popcorn. There’s even places to work from, super handy if you’re a digital nomad. Click here to book!

Kings Cross Backpackers

If you like to party then check out Kings Cross Backpackers, my choice for the best party hostel in Sydney. The hostel is located in Kings Cross, which is arguably the best area for bars, clubs and nightlife in Sydney, and is also close to the train station for easy access to the rest of the city. Even though it’s close to all the pubs and clubs it’s a street back from the noise so you can still get a good nights sleep.

Kings Cross Backpackers also run great events including pub crawls, tours and sometimes even free dinners! The staff are young and fun and are happy to help travellers have a good time. Free unlimited ultra fast WiFi, free tea and coffee and a free hot breakfast is included. There’s also a communal kitchen, common room, roof terrace, pool table and BBQs to enjoy. The hostel was renovated in 2017 and got new mattresses and bathrooms and the dorms and private rooms are all spacious and comfy. Definitely one of the best backpacker hostels in Sydney! Click here to book!

Wake Up!

Wake Up! is one of the most popular backpacker hostels in Sydney for for solo travellers and digital nomads. There are desks and handy places to work from in the lounge and also a co working room with free wifi, PCs you can use or workstations to use your own devices

The location, just opposite the Central Railway Station, is convenient for accessing the city centre and the airport. It’s only a 5-minute walk to Chinatown and 15 minutes to Darling Harbour. You can choose from mixed dorms, female only dorms and private rooms, all of which have big windows to let in natural light.

The hostel has a café, lounge that shows nightly movies as well as an onsite bar with pool table that is great for meeting like-minded backpackers. They also run events and activities and have a communal kitchen. Click here to book!

Bounce

Bounce hostel is another hostel in for the running for the title of best backpacker hostel in Sydney. It’s located in a convenient location in the trendy suburb of Surry Hills close to Central Station. Bounce has great facilities including a large communal kitchen, a restaurant and bar, 3 common rooms and a TV room as well as a cool rooftop terrace with nice views of the city and BBQs you can use.

The hostel puts on awesome events most nights including pub crawls, movie nights, pizza nights and BBQ e events. The staff are really helpful and friendly and security is top notch as you need a key card to access the hostel. There’s dorms and private rooms available, all with air conditioning and linen included. There’s also free wifi and power sockets inside the lockers so you don’t have to worry about the safety of your gadgets while you charge them. Click here to book!

Read More: My Ultimate itinerary for backpacking East Coast Australia 

By the way – this post contains affiliate links. This means that if you find my recommendations for the best backpacker hostels in Sydney useful and choose to book through the links I provide I can earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you which helps me to keep traveling and to keep this site going. Thanks so much for your support! 😊

Have you stayed in any amazing backpacker hostels in Sydney? Leave your recommendations in the comments below the post and help out other backpackers!