Busan is a colorful, pulsing port city in South Korea known for its nice beaches, beautiful surrounding mountains, and ancient Buddhist temples.

Anyone backpacking around South Korea will in all likelihood make the rounds into Busan.

As Busan has grown popular with travelers, more and more hostels have sprung up.

The results are mixed.

That is exactly why I wrote this no-stress guide to the best hostels in Busan for 2021!

This hostel guide makes it easy for you to book the real gems of Busan instead of staying in a crappy alternative.

Busan is a super fun place for backpackers to explore. Spend your time planning your adventure (and dreaming about kimchi) to Busan instead of taking ages to stumble over different hostels of dubious quality.

This is the only guide you will ever need to rock your backpacking trip to Busan. Book your hostel with confidence knowing that this guide only offers up the very best accommodation options in this eclectic South Korean city.

Let us now dive right in…

Quick Answer: The Best Hostels in Busan

Best Hostels in Busan
Welcome to my ultimate guide to the best hostels in Busan for 2022!

The 10 Best Hostels in Busan

If you’re backpacking South Korea then you should swing by Busan. Let’s look at some awesome hostels to help get you sorted.

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    Best Cheap Hostel in Busan #3 – INSIDE Busan

    best hostels in Busan
    It’s unique location makes INSIDE BUSAN another one of the best cheap hostels in Busan.
    • $
    • Free Breakfast
    • Air Conditioning
    • Self Catering Facilities

    There are restaurants and bars on the doorstep of INSIDE Busan. You can really get INSIDE BUSAN FROM HERE- Oh, caps lock. Maybe that was their trouble. And with a location like this – near Chinatown – it actually does give you the opportunity to really get IN the bustling city, explore it, walk around, try food, drink soju with the locals, away from the beach scene (and therefore – at some times of the year at least – the tourist scene) and more properly INSIDE the city. Really IN it. But seriously we can’t fault this highly, highly recommended hostel IN Busan. Especially for its price.

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    Best Hostel for Digital Nomads in Busan – Mozzi Hostel

    Mozzi Hostel best hostels in Busan
    Fast wi-di, open work spaces, and a fine location. Mozzi Hostel is the best hostel for digital nomads in Busan
    • $$
    • Free Breakfast
    • Common Room
    • Self Catering Facilities

    Quite possibly the coolest hostel in Busan, Mozzi is the sort of place you could easily sink into for a week or two – or even longer. Comprehensive desk and table space in the common areas means working on your laptop is a breeze, with stylish modern surroundings that make for a refreshing change. We also think that this is the best hostel for digital nomads in Busan because of its location: 1km from the ferry terminal means trips to the rest of Korea – or even Japan – aren’t a trauma. Busan Station is really close too. Plus a games room feat. foosball table and other things help keep it nicely social. 10/10 – we love it. You’ll definitely want to stay here while exploring your Busan itinerary!

    Overall Best Hostel in Busan – Hostel The Local

    Hostel The Local best hostels in Busan
    Clean. Calm. Quiet. Fun. All of these attributes go in to making Hostel The Local the best hostel in Busan.
    • $$$
    • Cafe
    • Air Conditioning
    • 24-Hour Security

    One of the best hostels ever let alone the overall best hostel in Busan, The Local is a DREAM of a place to stay. We’re talking quiet. We’re talking cozy. We’re talking cafe on level 2 which is a cute cafe by day and place-to-drink-beer-you-got-in-the-nearby-convenience-store by night. There are places to chill, places to work, places to meet people and make friends – a lot of space in general. Not to mention that this Busan backpackers hostel is also in a pretty good location too. It’s pricey compared to the rest, but for the best hostel in Busan 2021, well, it’s worth it.

    Hostel The Local is one of our favourites in Busan but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

    Best Hostel for Solo Travellers in Busan – The Wendy House

    The Wendy House best hostels in Busan
    The folks at The Wendy House really do make sure you’re having a good time. For this reason Wendy House is my top pick for best hostel for solo travelers in Busan.
    • $$$
    • BBQ
    • Free Breakfast
    • 24-Hour Reception

    It makes a huuuge difference when the staff is on hand to make sure everyone’s having a good time. Well actually not even that, just that the team running a hostel are friendly, and knowledgeable about the area around the hostel, the city, and actually helpful enough to share that knowledge – well, that’s The Wendy House. Cute name, right? But the host, Wendy, is literally a star. This fact and the hearty breakfast is a combo to be reckoned with. But the friendliness, and willingness to help guests, simply have to make this the best hostel for solo travellers in Busan. We know what it’s like to be by yourself in a new city – trust!

    The Wendy House is one of our favourites in Busan but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

    Best Cheap Hostel in Busan #1 – Melon Guesthouse

    Melon Guesthouse best in hostels in Busan
    Melon Guesthouse has got everything we look for in a solid budget hostel. This place is certainly the best cheap hostel in Busan…
    • $
    • Air Conditioning
    • Free Breakfast
    • Common Room

    Great great great budget hostel in Busan, this one. It’s great value for money based on location alone – very near the famous Haeundae Beach, which (especially in summer) is a beautiful spot to chill. Sure, the dorms feel a little bit as though you’re sleeping in a children’s room, but it’s kinda cute – if a little basic. The common areas are great though, spacious, nice big TV lounge area, plus an outdoors bit for, well, outdoors socialising. More of the same, but outside. Also very very clean. We like very very clean. And for these reasons and more it’s the best cheap hostel in Busan. Melon, though – what?

    Melon Guesthouse is one of our favourites in Busan but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

    Best Cheap Hostel in Busan #2 – The New Day

    The New Day best hostels in Busan
    The New Day really has that home away from home feel. Definitely one of the best cheap hostels in Busan.
    • $
    • Free Breakfast
    • Towels Included
    • Self Catering Facilities

    Ominously named The New Day is fresh and friendly, warm and homely, all of that stuff – a classically superlative top hostel in Busan, to be honest. Rooms and facilities are modern and clean, there’s a spaaacious common room (complete with guitar and piano for a knees-up and a sing-song and all that… maybe?) and there’s a serve-yourself free continental breakfast. Staff are great. Location is great. The eclectic decor is really fun, mismatched rugs and different table/chair sets – yet another little detail of greatness in this top-notch youth hostel in Busan.

    The New Day is one of our favourites in Busan but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

    Best Hostel for Couples in Busan – Indy Guesthouse

    Indy Guesthouse best in hostels in Busan
    Great breakfast and comfortable private rooms? Welcome to the best hostel for couples in Busan: Indy Guesthouse.
    • $$$
    • Free Breakfast
    • Towels Included
    • Free Jimjilbang

    Very new and very clean, the quiet cosy atmosphere of Indy Guesthouse easily put it up there as the best hostel for couples in Busan. In fact, we’re gonna go all out and call this place extremely clean. There, we said it. But seriously: everything’s so neat and tidy here you’ll be second-guessing every other hostel you’ve stayed in before this point. And since the price is based on a couple sharing a private room it’s P expensive, but the dorms aren’t bad at all. Oh, and those private rooms? Like boutique hotel rooms. Super, super nice. Not like a youth hostel in Busan at all. Except it is. And OMG they offer FREE access to jimjilbang (Korean-style sauna)… ugh we’re in heaven.

    Indy Guesthouse is one of our favourites in Busan but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

    Best Party Hostel in Busan – Backpackers’ House

    Backpackers' House best hostels in Busan
    Backpackers House is the best party hostel in Busan for those looking for a place with a great location in addition to rowdy tendencies…
    • $$
    • Free Breakfast
    • Common Room
    • 24-Hour Reception

    What if a very convenient hostel also turns out to be the best party hostel in Busan? No awards for the name ‘Backpackers House’ (though the grammar is exactly correct), it’s nevertheless an amazing place if you want to have some FUN. The hosts like, never stop trying to entertain you in some form – whether it’s a bit of Korean BBQ at the hostel itself, or going out drinking in one of the area’s (many) local bars, or various other events, they’re always going for it. And we always say it, but the staff really make a place. They’ve definitely made this place a highly recommended hostel in Busan. Also that 3 min walk from the beach, whaaat!

    Backpackers’ House is one of our favourites in Busan but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

    Best Hostel with a Private Room in Busan – Good Day Mate

    Good Day Mate best hostels in Busan
    For those looking to splurge on a truly magical hostel/room then Good Day Mate is the best hostel with a private room in Busan.
    • $$$($)
    • Free Breakfast
    • Rooftop Terrace
    • Air Conditioning

    Good Day Mate. Well, it is a good day, mate, if you get to stay in this Busan backpackers hostel. It’s seriously stylish AF. The rooms have, like, polished plaster walls, wood flooring, wooden beams exposed in the ceiling, all clean and minimalist. It’s the best hostel with a private room in Busan, not only because it exclusively offers private rooms, but because these rooms are NICE. Truly, truly. Chuck in a free breakfast, a lounge to chill and meet other travellers, a rooftop terrace for a beer or two in the evening, super super nice staff and this place is hard to beat. Contender for best hostel in Busan, really – just that price though. Ouch.

    Good Day Mate is one of our favourites in Busan but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

    More Best Hostels in Busan

    Stay in the middle of the action (or in an off the beaten path location) using our comprehensive neighborhood guide for Busan!

    Busan L’ete

    Busan L'ete best hostels in Busan
    Last but not list, Busan L’ete rounds off our list of the best hostels in Busan!
    • $$
    • Cafe
    • 24-Hour Security
    • No Curfew

    Another fine, fine example of a budget hostel in Busan, this one is right next to a metro station that takes you to the Gwangalli Beach area in 2 mins. Now that’s a nice location: think restaurants, shops, nice neighbourhood, things to do, – and a beach, obviously. Busan L’ete is quite a kooky hostel with a friendly owner and modern (but a little bit basic) decor. But it’s fine, effortlessly minimalist and stylish in its own way, and, well what else do you want? The beds are comfy, it’s neat and tidy, the location is great, it’s a bargain, etc. etc. ETC. Yep, it’s another top hostel in Busan – the city of top hostels, it seems!

    Busan L’ete is one of our favourites in Busan but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

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      What to Pack for your Busan Hostel

      Pants, socks, underwear, soap?! Take it from us, packing for a hostel stay is not always quite as straight forward as it seems. Working out what to bring and what to leave at home is an art we have perfected over many years.

      Check out our definitive Hostel Packing list for our top packing tips!

      Why you should travel to Busan

      Alas, we have reached the end of my guide to the best hostels in Busan for 2021.

      All the information you need to book a quality, low-priced hostel for yourself in Busan is at your fingertips.

      Backpacking in Busan is bound to be one of the highlights of your South Korean adventure. To take full advantage of what this city has to offer, I recommend booking up your hostel as soon as you shore up your travel plans to ensure you score the hostel YOU have your eye on.

      Still not sure which hostel to go with? Feeling conflicted over which hostel is best for you? Picking a hostel is like picking the right kimchi: only you can decide which one is the best.

      I’ll simplify things for you. When folks are in doubt I usually recommend that you just book my top pick for best overall hostel in Busan: Hostel The Local. Everyone one who stays here seems pretty damn stoked!

      I wish you the best of luck as you explore Busan and South Korea.

      See you down the line my friends…

      Hostel The Local best hostels in Busan
      Clean. Calm. Quiet. Fun. All of these attributes go in to making Hostel The Local the best hostel in Busan.

      FAQ about Hostels in Busan

      Here are some questions backpackers ask about hostels in Busan.

      Travel Safety Tips for Busan

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      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.

      More Epic Hostels in South Korea and Asia

      Hopefully by now you’ve found the perfect hostel for your upcoming trip to Busan.

      Planning an epic trip all across South Korea or even Asia itself?

      Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered!

      For more cool hostel guides around Asia, check out:

      Over to you

      By now I hope our epic guide to the best hostels in Busan has helped you choose the perfect hostel for your adventure!

      If you think we’ve missed anything or have any further thoughts, hit us up in the comments!


      And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!