The 7 Best Hostels in Copenhagen: 2026 Edition

Here it is – the crème de la crème of Copenhagen’s hostels, neatly split into travel niches just for you. Picking a place has never been easier, so you can get out exploring the city ASAP.

1. Steel House Copenhagen – Best Overall Hostel

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you. Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more.

• Price: $$
• Best for: Travellers who want a bit of everything.
• Highlights: Indoor pool, gym, stylish design and a fantastic city-centre location.
• Dorms from: $28
• Private rooms from: $112
• Location: Copenhagen city centre.

Steel House makes hostel life feel very easy. In fact, it’s not like your average hostel life at all. The dorms are modern, the communal spaces are actually somewhere you’d want to spend time, and there’s enough going on that you could easily lose a few hours without leaving the building. Not many hostels can say they have an indoor pool either.

That’s why it gets my vote for the best overall hostel in Copenhagen. It does a bit of everything. Whether you’re travelling solo, with friends or just looking for a comfortable base while you explore the city, it’s hard to find much to fault here.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• More Than Just a Bed: Between the pool, gym, games room and café, there’s plenty going on here beyond somewhere to sleep.
• Great Location: You’re within walking distance of Copenhagen Central Station, Tivoli Gardens and many of the city’s main attractions.
• A Social Atmosphere: Big enough to meet people easily, but without feeling like a non-stop party hostel.

The only thing I’d flag is that some of the extras come with an additional charge, including the pool, gym and guest kitchen. But unless you’re travelling on a seriously tight budget, I wouldn’t let that put you off. If you’re stuck choosing between a few hostels in Copenhagen, this is probably the safest bet on the list.

2. Copenhagen Downtown Hostel – Best Party Hostel

• Price: $$
• Best for: Travellers looking for a social, party-focused hostel.
• Highlights: Cheap bar, nightly events and an unbeatable city-centre location.
• Dorms from: $57
• Private rooms from: $179
• Location: Copenhagen Old Town.

If your plan for Copenhagen involves a lot of beers, very little sleep and making friends with people whose names you’ll forget by breakfast, Copenhagen Downtown Hostel is probably where you want to be.

This is one of the liveliest hostels in the city, with a busy bar, nightly events and plenty of opportunities to meet fellow travellers. Whether it’s beer pong, live music, theme nights or just a few drinks that accidentally turn into a full night out, there’s usually something going on.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Cheap Drinks: Always a welcome sight in Copenhagen, where a night out can get expensive very quickly.
• Easy to Meet People: Between the bar, daily meetups and regular events, making friends here takes very little effort.
• Right in the Middle of the Action: You’re within walking distance of Tivoli Gardens, City Hall Square, the central station and plenty of bars and clubs.

One thing I’ll give Copenhagen Downtown is that it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. This isn’t a wellness retreat disguised as a hostel. It’s a proper backpacker party hostel with cheap drinks, live music and a steady stream of travellers looking for a good time. The good news is you’ll still find comfortable dorms, a kitchen and enough common space to piece together the events of the night before.

3. Sleep in Heaven – Best for Solo Travellers

• Price: $$
• Best for: Solo travellers.
• Highlights: A sociable atmosphere, cosy common spaces and a proper backpacker feel.
• Dorms from: $47
• Location: Nørrebro.

Travelling solo can go one of two ways. You either leave with a bunch of new friends or spend three days eating pastries on your own. Sleep in Heaven definitely helps with the first one.

It’s been around since 1999 and still has that proper backpacker feel that’s becoming harder to find these days. The common areas are cosy, the atmosphere is social, and people actually seem to talk to each other here. If you’re backpacking solo in Copenhagen and hoping to meet people without staying in a full-blown party hostel, this is a great shout.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Made for Backpackers: Sleep in Heaven has always focused on bringing travellers together rather than loading the place with fancy extras.
• Nørrebro Location: One of Copenhagen’s coolest neighbourhoods, packed with cafés, bars and local hangouts.
• Easy to Meet People: The courtyard, café and common areas make it easy to strike up a conversation and find people to explore the city with.

Something worth knowing is that there’s no guest kitchen and the hostel has age limits in both the dorms and private rooms. But honestly, if you’re booking Sleep in Heaven, you’re probably here for the atmosphere rather than the facilities. Sometimes all you need is a good common room, a few fellow backpackers and somewhere to swap stories at the end of the day.

4. Generator Copenhagen – Best Located Hostel

• Price: $
• Best for: Travellers who want to explore Copenhagen on foot.
• Highlights: A fantastic city-centre location, stylish design and plenty of room options.
• Dorms from: $30
• Private rooms from: $164
• Location: Kongens Nytorv.

If you’re the sort of traveller who likes to explore a city on foot, Generator makes life very easy.

If you’re the sort of traveller who likes to explore a city on foot, Generator makes life very easy. You’re right by Kongens Nytorv, with Nyhavn, Strøget and plenty of Copenhagen’s biggest sights all within walking distance. It’s the kind of location where you can head out in the morning with no real plan and still stumble across half the city before lunch.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• The Location: It doesn’t get much more central than this.
• Something for Everyone: Dorms, private rooms and everything in between make it a good option for all types of travellers.
• A Social Atmosphere: The bar, lounge and outdoor terrace give you plenty of space to relax when you’re done exploring.

I reckon Generator is a particularly good shout for a first trip to Copenhagen. You don’t need to overthink where to stay because you’re already in the middle of everything. Add in a decent bar, outdoor terrace and a mix of dorms and private rooms, and you’ve got a hostel that’s pretty hard to get wrong.

5. Urban Camper Copenhagen – Most Unique Place to Stay

• Price: $
• Best for: Travellers looking for something completely different.
• Highlights: Indoor camping, a fantastic social atmosphere and one of the coolest hostel concepts in Copenhagen.
• Dorms from: $28
• Private rooms from: $122
• Location: Nørrebro, close to the Metro.

After a while, hostel dorms can start to feel pretty similar. Then somewhere like Urban Camper comes along and reminds you they don’t have to be. Instead of rows of bunks, you’ll be sleeping in a giant indoor tent village that somehow manages to feel both quirky and genuinely cool at the same time.

Picture a huge warehouse filled with canvas tents, fairy lights, social spaces, games and travellers from all over the world. It feels less like a hostel and more like someone built a festival campsite indoors and forgot to switch it off.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• A Stay You’ll Actually Remember: There are plenty of hostels in Copenhagen. There aren’t many where you sleep inside a giant indoor tent.
• Brilliant Social Atmosphere: Between the bar, games, terrace and communal spaces, it’s incredibly easy to meet people.
• Nørrebro on Your Doorstep: One of the coolest parts of Copenhagen, packed with independent cafés, bars and local hangouts.

Just so you know, there isn’t a guest kitchen, so if you’re planning on surviving entirely on supermarket pasta and hostel cooking sessions, you’ll need a backup plan. And yes, some people say the sleeping setup feels a bit like an army barracks. They’re not entirely wrong. But it’s probably the coolest army barracks you’ll ever stay in. If you’re tired of generic hostel dorms and want somewhere with a bit of personality, Urban Camper is an easy recommendation.

6. Danhostel Copenhagen City – Best Views in Copenhagen

• Price: $$
• Best for: Travellers who love a good view.
• Highlights: Waterfront location, city skyline views and excellent value for Copenhagen.
• Dorms from: $37
• Private rooms from: $182
• Location: Copenhagen city centre.

Let’s be honest, Denmark isn’t exactly known for being cheap. That’s why Danhostel feels like such a good find. You’re right in the city centre, a short walk from the main sights, and some rooms come with views that would cost an awful lot more if there was a hotel logo above the door.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• The Views: The city skyline, waterfront and Opera House aren’t bad things to wake up to.
• Great Location: Tivoli, City Hall Square and the city centre are all within walking distance.
• Useful Extras: A guest kitchen, laundry facilities and one of the city’s cheaper hostel bars help keep costs down.

Danhostel is a huge place, so don’t expect the cosy backpacker atmosphere you’ll find at somewhere like Sleep in Heaven. But that’s not really why people stay here. This is the sort of hostel you book when you want a central location, great views and somewhere comfortable to come back to after a day exploring Copenhagen.

7. Urban House Copenhagen by MININGER – Best Hostel for Private Rooms

• Price: $$
• Best for: Travellers wanting a private room without the hotel price tag.
• Highlights: Affordable private rooms, a great Vesterbro location and hotel-style comfort.
• Dorms from: $30
• Private rooms from: $95
• Location: Vesterbro, close to Copenhagen Central Station.

I’m going to be real, there comes a point on some trips where you’d happily pay a little extra not to hear somebody unpacking a plastic bag at 2 am. If that day has arrived, MEININGER is well worth a look.

Sitting somewhere between a hostel and a hotel, it offers a bit more privacy and comfort without completely blowing the budget. You’re also based in Vesterbro, one of Copenhagen’s most popular neighbourhoods, with the central station, Tivoli Gardens and plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants within easy reach.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Private Rooms That Won’t Break the Bank: A great option for couples, friends travelling together or anyone who needs a break from dorm life.
• Vesterbro Location: One of the city’s coolest neighbourhoods, with plenty happening right on your doorstep.
• A Little More Comfort: The hotel-hostel hybrid setup gives you extra privacy while still keeping things affordable.

MEININGER probably isn’t the hostel you’ll spend years talking about. Nobody comes home saying, “Remember that incredibly practical accommodation decision I made in Copenhagen?” But when you’ve got your own room, a comfortable bed and a city as expensive as Copenhagen outside the window, practical suddenly looks pretty appealing.

Please get travel insurance. Copenhagen’s bike lanes move faster than some countries’ motorways!

Unfortunately, things can go wrong when you least expect it. This is why good travel insurance is essential before you head on your trip to Copenhagen.

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

And that’s a wrap.

Copenhagen might not be the friendliest city for your budget, but it more than makes up for it with colourful streets, great food, endless bike lanes and some genuinely excellent hostels.

Whether you’re staying in an indoor tent, partying until sunrise or treating yourself to a private room for a few nights, there’s a hostel here for every type of traveller.

If you’re still stuck, I’d start with Steel House. It does a bit of everything well and is one of those places that makes hostel life feel ridiculously easy.

Now all that’s left to do is book the trip, pack a decent jacket and prepare yourself for the moment a local cyclist flies past you at approximately 100mph.

Enjoy the city!