THE 8 finest HOSTELS IN new ZEALAND
Last Updated: 4/7/22 | April 7th, 2022
Traveling around new Zealand, you’ll discover a wide variety of hostels in this little country: decrepit, run-down chains; contemporary conglomerates; quirky, bit family-owned places; hip, contemporary flashpacker hostels, as well as whatever in between. during my time there, I tried to stay at as many as I could, commonly altering hostels every night to achieve this goal.
The hostel scene in the country has vastly improved since I was there in 2010, with much more range as well as high quality now. It’s a much much better time to be traveler there as well as many of the hostels have stepped up their game in this competitive environment.
As I’ve been visiting new Zealand for a decade, I’ve stayed in lots upon lots of places. There are a great deal of things to think about when choosing a hostel. The top four when choosing the very best hostel in new Zealand are:
Location – Cities right here may not be significant however it can still take a long time to get around. pick a location that is central to the sites as well as nightlife you want to see. All the hostels listed right here are in central locations.
Price – In new Zealand, you truly get what you pay for, so if you go with a truly affordable one, you’re most likely going to get a hostel that is small, cramped, as well as doesn’t offer excellent service.
Amenities – Every hostel in the country offers free Wi-Fi, as well as most have a free breakfast, however if you want more than that, be sure to do your research study to discover the hostel that finest satisfies your needs!
Staff – All the hostels listed right here have remarkable staff! They are super friendly as well as knowledgeable. even if you don’t end up staying at one of the locations listed below, be sure to look up evaluations to ensure you end up somewhere where the personnel is practical as well as friendly! They can make or break a hostel!
To assist you plan your trip, right here is my listing of the hostels in new Zealand that I like the most. If you don’t want to checked out the longer listing below, the complying with hostels are the very best in each category:
Best Hostels in new Zealand
Best Hostel for budget plan Travelers: Urbanz or Rainbow Lodge
Best Hostel for Solo female Travelers: Nomads
Best Hostel for Families: Rainbow Lodge
Best Hostel for digital Nomads: Urbanz
Best Hostel for Partying: Urbanz
Best general Hostel: Nomads
Want the specifics of each hostel? Here’s my comprehensive listing of the very best hostels in new Zealand:
Price legend (per night)
$ = Under 30 NZD
$$ = 30-40 NZD
$$$ = Over 40 NZD
1. Nomads, Queenstown
This is one of the most remarkable hostels I’ve stayed at — ever! (And I’ve stayed at a lot!) Nomads was one of the very best when it opened in 2010 — as well as it’s still one of the very best today. most spaces have balconies, the showers have prodigious water pressure, as well as the pillows are thick (the manager told me they modification them every few months to keep them fluffy — how’s that for service?).
But what truly sets this establishment apart is the significant kitchen area as well as typical area. There are activities every night (including a affordable pub crawl around Queenstown) as well as a free dinner as well as quiz night on Sunday. Not one traveler I spoke to wished to leave.
Nomads at a glance:
$
Organizes tons of activities
Easy to satisfy other travelers
Huge kitchen area as well as typical area
Beds from 27 NZD, privates from 80 NZD.
Book Nomads here!
2. Rainbow Lodge, Taupo
This is my second-favorite hostel in new Zealand. It’s a quirky independent hostel with a significant kitchen, huge typical room, pool table, outside grill as well as patio, friendly staff, bike rentals, as well as a free sauna. In short, whatever a backpacker or budget plan traveler would want from a hostel. I had a stupendous time there as well as satisfied a great deal of solo travelers who weren’t on one of the huge bus tours. You get more of the “independent” traveler right here than the other hostels in Taupo.
Rainbow Lodge at a glance:
$
Great location to satisfy solo travelers
Lots of free advantages (free bikes, free sauna)
Organizes great deals of activities
Beds from 26 NZD, privates from 80 NZD.
Book Rainbow Lodge here!
3. Kiwi Paka, Waitomo
This is a clean as well as well-kept hostel in Waitomo where you can get a great night’s sleep. It has a significant outside porch overlooking the area, is quiet, as well as the restaurant cooks up tasty as well as economical fare. But, what I truly loved, was the water pressure in the showers (I believe it took a few layers of skin off!) as well as the truth that the dorms have single beds — no bunk beds here! as well as the beds themselves are quite comfortable.
Kiwi Paka at a glance:
$$$
Quiet environment so you can get a decent sleep
Restaurant on-site with affordable foodHuge outside porch makes it simple to satisfy other travelers
Beds from 55 NZD, privates from 105 NZD.
Book Kiwi Paka here!
4. River Valley Lodge, River Valley
More like a lodge than a hostel, this is a stop on the Kiwi Experience tour (you most likely wouldn’t stay right here otherwise, unless you were on a charming getaway or had money to burn). What makes River Valley remarkable is its location: sitting outside on the patio, listening to the river rush past as you look out at the surrounding valley. since there’s no light contamination here, looking up at the stars twinkling in the night is breathtaking.
Moreover, there’s a sauna as well as hot tub where you can kick back as well as relax. There are likewise some truly scenic hikes in the area. This is where you stay if you’re not on a budget.
River Valley Lodge at a glance:
$$$
Stunning natural surroundings
Free sauna as well as hot tub
Camping offered for budget plan travelers
Rooms from 130 NZD.
Book River Valley Lodge here!
5. Urbanz, Christchurch
This is an remarkable contemporary hostel found right in downtown Christchurch. The personnel is friendly as well as knowledgeable, the kitchen area is significant (and well cleaned), as well as there’s a pool table, quick Wi-Fi, laundry, a auto parking lot, a neighborhood bulletin board, movies, as well as comfy couches.
The bedrooms are cleaned daily, as well as the beds, while not the best, are great sufficient for a night’s sleep. My only complaint was that there weren’t a great deal of showers on the floor I was on, as well as the unisex nature of them was bit shocking when I walked in only using boxers — however whatever, it’s a hostel!
Urbanz at a glance:
$$
Organizes great deals of activities
Great location to satisfy people
Awesome personnel goes above as well as beyond
Beds from 30 NZD, privates from 70 NZD.
Book Urbanz here!
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6. Haka Lodge, Queenstown
The personnel right here is super nice as well as helpful, the kitchen area is significant as well as clean, there’s great deals of outside area to hang out on a warm night, the beds are super comfy (I slept like a baby), as well as you get a great deal of personal space. I appreciated the lockers too, which is still a surprising rarity in this country. The dorms are type of small, so expect cramped quarters, as well as you have to cross the lobby to get to the showers, however beyond that, I’d stay there once again in a heartbeat.
Book in advance, though, as Haka Lodge is truly prominent as well as fills up weeks in advance, particularly during high season. (An outgrowth of a Haka Tours, this is one place out of many. I only stayed at this one, but, from what I heard from everybody around, the others are just as high-quality.)
Haka Lodge at a glance:
$$
Great location to satisfy people
Lots of outside area for relaxing as well as hanging out
Knowledgeable personnel can assist you plan your trip
Beds from 35 NZD, personal spaces from 100 NZD.
Book Haka Lodge here!
7. mountain view Backpackers, Wanaka
This location made the listing for three reasons: the guests, the staff, as well as the backyard. The personnel is truly friendly as well as try difficult to get people to interact socially as well as interact with each other. The hostel (a house, really) has a significant outside area with a grill, area to lie in the sun, as well as a huge table to congregate around (there were many enjoyable nights drinking wine outdoors).
And, since it’s one of the few hostels in Wanaka not linked to the huge bus tours, you satisfy a great deal of independent, solo travelers. The facilities, however, are just OK. The kitchen area was the very best stocked of any type of I came across in the country, however it was little as well as gets truly hectic as well as cramped at mealtimes. The beds were okay too, however the metal frames creaked a lot. Plus, there are no lockers as well as the bathrooms requirement a total redo (they were truly gross). Still, I’d stay right here once again since it’s the type of location that fosters community, which, in a country where hostels seem to have a extremely passive approach to guest relations, I discovered extremely nice.
Mountain view Backpackers at a glance:
$$
Social environment makes it simple to satisfy peopleOrganiserer gode tilbud på aktiviteter
Great location for solo travelers
Beds from 34 NZD.
Book mountain view Backpackers here!
8. The Dwellington
Located in Wellington’s historic Thorndon community as well as just a short walk from the primary ferry terminal, this hostel virtually feels like a hotel, it’s so luxurious. There’s a significant chef-quality kitchen, contemporary as well as stylish (yet cozy) furnishings, as well as a amazing free breakfast every morning.
More than half the Dwellington is typical space, with a games room, cinema space (with cushy seats!), living rooms, outside patios, as well as even tennis as well as squash courts. though it’s open as well as spacious, The Dwellington is still a more intimate area than most backpacker hostels, making it simple to link with others. The personnel likewise truly goes out of their method to make sure you feel welcome!
The Dwellington at a glance:
$$$
Free breakfast
Many indoor as well as outside typical areas
Quiet environment so you can get a decent sleep
Beds from 42 NZD, personal spaces from 110 NZD.
Book The Dwellington here!
***
New Zealand has some incredible hostels to stay in, however to me, these are the very best the country has to offer. If you have others to add, leave them in the comments. If you’ve stayed in any type of of these, let me understand what you believe too!
A note on the chains: Base, a chain I liked back in 2010, has gone down hill. Its Auckland place was worse than a roadside motel as well as a shell of its former self. I didn’t stay in any type of other Base hostels along the way, however there was not one traveler I satisfied that didn’t try to leave Base after their very first night.
Nomads, which is had by the exact same company, likewise has a big presence, however besides its Queenstown hostel, I didn’t go to any type of other locations.
YHA, a chain with places around new Zealand, closed operations in December 2021 because of the pandemic.
Book Your trip to new Zealand: Logistical tips as well as Tricks
Bestill flyet ditt
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to discover a affordable flight. They are my two preferred browse engines since they browse websites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned. begin with Skyscanner very first though since they have the biggest reach!
Bestill innkvarteringen din
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest stock as well as finest deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses as well as affordable hotels.
Ikke klarer ikke å huske reiseforsikring
Travel insurance coverage will protect you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s comprehensive security in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to utilize it many times in the past. Min foretrukne virksomhet som tilbyr den aller beste servicen og verdien er:
Sikkerhetsving (for alle under 70)
Forsikre turen min (for de over 70)
MedJet (for ekstra hjemsendelsesdekning)
Looking for the very best business to save money With?
Sjekk ut ressurssiden min for den aller beste virksomheten å bruke når du reiser. I listing all the ones I utilize to save money when I’m on the road. De vil spare deg for penger når du også reiser.
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Photo credits:2 – Nomads, 3 – Rainbow Lodge, 4 – Kiwi Paka, 5 – River Valley Lodge, 6 – Urbanz, 7 – Haka Lodge, 8 – mountain view Backpackers, 9 – The Dwellington