The 10 Best Hostels in New Zealand

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Need help deciding where to stay in New Zealand for your upcoming trip? These are, without a doubt, the BEST hostels in New Zealand. Whether you’re heading north, south or anywhere in between… I’ve got ya covered with the creme de la creme of hostels in New Zealand.

Let’s dive into the ULTIMATE hostels to transform your New Zealand backpacking trip from decent to f*cking legendary.

1. The Marion Hostel – Best Overall Hostel

• Price: $
• Best for: Solo travellers, budget travellers.
• Highlights: Communal kitchen, great location, movie room
• Dorms from: $24 USD
• Private rooms from: $70 USD
• Location: Wellington

Ok, peeps, this is what we are all here for….what hostel takes the top place for the BEST hostel in New Zealand? Drum roll, please… The Marion Hostel! Nestled into the gorgeous city of Wellington, just a stone’s throw from the iconic Cuba Street, you’ll find this ELITE hostel.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• FREE breakfast twice a week and FREE dinner once a week, including pancakes on Sundays!
• Movie room to relax in after a day of exploring
• Fully-equipped kitchen to whip up your own meals
• Great location to explore from.

The Marion offers free city tours, good storage, and the kitchen is stocked with free tea, coffee, oil and spices! How bloody good, right? This place just keeps on getting better. Oh, and did I mention there is a rooftop terrace that looks over Cuba Street? You don’t just have to trust me either; this hostel wins awards year after year. So they are obviously doing something right!

2. Adventure Queenstown Hostel – Best Hostel for Solo Travellers

• Price: $$
• Best for: Social travellers, 20–30 year old adventurers, digital nomads, ski season workers.
• Highlights: Daily social events, outdoor terrace, great location.
• Dorms from: $37 USD
• Location: Queenstown

This gorgeous hostel is smack bang in the middle of town and is the best hostel in New Zealand for solo travellers. Adventure Queenstown Hostel runs daily social events to make it super easy for you to meet new friends from all over the world. They are a smaller hostel (max capacity of 50), but I like it like that. It’s more personal and gives the place a family-esque-type vibe. The energy is chill, but there is a lot of fun to be had here.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Air conditioning/ heat pump in dorm rooms
• Daily social events including pub crawls, quiz nights, killa pool and Mario Kart tournaments!
• Fully-equipped kitchen, if you want to save a few bucks and eat in

Although you’ll be in a GREAT location, right in the middle of town, you won’t have to worry about noise as there are no bars directly next to the hostel (big sigh of relief). However, they are close enough if you want to join in the nightlife action. The dorm rooms are comfy with soft bunk beds, two (!!) pillows, USB charging points and a reading light. You’ll also have your own storage lock under the bed and privacy curtains. Yep, these guys cover all bases.

3. Tasman Bay – Best Cheap Hostel

• Price: $$
• Best for: Solo travellers, budget travellers, and backpackers who want a more relaxing stay.
• Highlights: Free pudding, common room, social vibe.
• Dorms from: $22 USD
• Private rooms from: $57 USD
• Location: Nelson

Warm, welcoming, family-run – this purpose-built Nelson backpackers hostel has a big selection of private rooms, which makes it good if you’re looking for a more hotel-y stay. There are dorm rooms, too, of course. This place is an absolute vibe.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• FREE CHOCOLATE PUDDING (need I say more?)
• Great bang for your buck
• Hammocks in the garden to relax in and cool common spaces

It can get a little cold in the wintertime, but don’t worry, the cuties in the hostel have you covered with extra blankets and hot water bottles <3 It truly is a home away from home kinda place. Nestled into the Tasman Bay in Nelson, you avoid some of the extortionate prices in places like Queenstown, particularly if you travel in low/ shoulder seasons. Hence why this is my fav cheap hostel in New Zealand!

4. Wanderlust – Best Hostel for Digital Nomads

• Price: $$
• Best for: Solo travellers, digital nomads, social backpackers.
• Highlights: Harbour views, communal kitchen, chill vibes.
• Dorms from: $34 USD
• Private rooms from: $95 USD
• Location: Tauranga

Unfortunately, New Zealand hasn’t quite caught up with us nomads in terms of hostels. We are yet to see a fully nomad-friendly hostel on the scene. However, there are definitely some hostels that fit the bill better for us remote workers.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Decent WiFi to get work done.
• Harbour views are beautiful on a sunny day
• Close to coworking spaces and a library
• Fully-equipped kitchen to cook your own meals

There are delicious coffee shops and restaurants nearby, so you can make sure you’re kept fed and happy for your workday. There is also a kitchen at the hostel if you’d prefer to whip up your own meals. Just over the harbour bridge, you’ll find some of the best beaches in New Zealand: Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa. So, come the weekend – I can make a bet on where you’ll be :))

And if you want to go crazy, throw in the digital towel and get a job in the Bay – the hostel also offers help with finding local and seasonal jobs. Think bar work and picking kiwi fruit!

5. LyLo Auckland – Best for Auckland Airport

• Price: $$
• Best for: Solo travellers, newbies to New Zealand
• Highlights: Close to SkyBus, communal kitchen, on-site bar with social events.
• Dorms from: $32 USD
• Private rooms from: $64 USD
• Location: Auckland

Friendly, relaxing, and centrally located, The LyLo is a solid hostel option in Auckland. There’s a large rooftop terrace for prime chill-out time, a sociable dining area, a tour desk, and a kitchen. If you’ve just arrived in New Zealand, it’s a great place to start – it’s easy to get to from the airport via the SkyBus.

Why you’ll love this place:

• Decent location in the CBD, close to the sky bus to take you to the airport
• Communal kitchen, that’s super well-equipped, to whip up meals
• Social vibes with a variety of activities and events at their bar, Miss Lucy’s.

There’s a bar downstairs which is ideal if you’ve just landed in New Zealand and are looking to make a few friends! Laundry and luggage storage are available too, and there are female-only dorms as well as mixed dormitories.

6. Absoloot Value Accommodation – Best for Couples

• Price: $$
• Best for: Solo travellers, couples, families and chill backpackers
• Highlights: Prime lakefront views, private rooms, 24‑hour games room with Nintendo Wii and PS5
• Dorms from: $28 USD
• Private rooms from: $115 USD
• Location: Queenstown

As much as the spelling of Absoloot makes us shudder, this New Zealand backpackers’ hostel is something of a flashpacker hangout. It’s got a PlayStation, X-Box, and Wii, which is cool, but most cool is that it has a crazy kitchen with literally stunning views of the lake and mountains.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Gorgeous lakefront views, enjoy a coffee or your lunch looking over the stunning mountains
• HUGE kitchen to whip up your own meals
• On-site laundromat with brand spanking new machines

The staff are very good indeed, and definitely know what they’re talking about when it comes to tours and just generally getting out to see the local area. I mean, it’s big, it’s clean, but that view alone makes it the best overall hostel in Queenstown; it’s the kinda place you dream about going back to.

7. LyLo Christchurch – Best Near the Airport

• Price: $$
• Best for: Transit-oriented travellers, families, and those who need to be close to the airport.
• Highlights: 10‑minute walk to Christchurch Airport, pod-style dorms, big hangout space.
• Dorms from: $30 USD
• Private rooms from: $100 USD
• Location: Christchurch

This place is located very close to the airport, for all those fans of hassle-free travel out there – like, you can literally walk there in 10 mins. The town is also a 25 min walk away, there’s a supermarket plus a few restaurants across the road. But LyLo Christchurch isn’t just convenient: it’s the best overall hostel in Christchurch.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Large social hangout space with hammocks, bean bags, games, pool, volleyball, and a big shared kitchen.
• Pod-style rooms plus queen, twin, and family ensuite rooms suited for a range of travellers.
• 10 mins to walk to Christchurch Airport, SUPER convenient for early flights.

There are various rooms to suit your budget, plenty of showers/toilets to choose from (YES, no queues), chill in the huge common room, and cook yourself some food – it’s great. The interior looks a bit like Tellytubby land, like a lotta astroturf inside a big warehouse and a load of bright colours. But it’s also clean.

8. Adventure Q2 Hostel – Best for Adventure Travellers

• Price: $$
• Best for: Solo travellers, social backpackers, skiiers, adventurers.
• Highlights: Central location, nightly events, winter ski-rental service, social vibes.
• Dorms from: $27 USD
• Location: Queenstown

There are too many banger hostels in Queenstown; it’s hard to narrow down the BEST. But Adventure Q2 Hostel is top-tier and up there with the best of them. The hostel is particularly great for solo travellers as it runs daily activities so that you can get to know your fellow travellers.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Super central location, 20m from the Intercity Bus Station
• Really social vibes with daily activities and events run by the live-in team
• Small, social hostel with only 55 beds, creating a cosy, family-style atmosphere.

Located right in the centre of town, you’ll be close to everything in Queenstown! This is a sister hostel to the multi-award-winning adventure Queenstown Hostel, so you know it’s going to be UNREAL. They offer loads of free stuff, such as sporting gear, bikes (in the summer), GoPros, tablet computers and more

9. Crash Palace – Best Budget Hostel

• Price: $
• Best for: Social travellers, solo backpackers, budget travellers
• Highlights: Great location, laid-back but social atmosphere, great common spaces, free tea & coffee.
• Dorms from: $18 USD
• Private rooms from: $46 USD
• Location: Rotorua

Crash Palace. Yep, you read it right. And as you might expect, it’s a budget hostel in Rotorua. If you wanna crash out after a night of drinking, this is the place. That and the bar – and the hot tub (great with a beer in hand) – make it the best party hostel in Rotorua.

Why you’ll love this place:

• It’s cheap assssss! Ideal for us budget backpackers
• Social, relaxed vibe – it’s easy to meet people without being a party hostel
• Ideal location for exploring Rotorua on foot.

Decor-wise… well, it’s the kinda place that has KoOkY aRtWoRk all over the walls, like or loathe it. But this probably has something to do with their support of local creative youth products, which is nice, actually. So close to the pubs and bars in town, making it easy to go out for a few more drinks.

10. Urbanz Christchurch – Best for Chill Vibes

• Price: $
• Best for: Budget backpackers, solo travellers, social travellers, digital nomads
• Highlights: Communal kitchen, weekly social events, central location, social vibes.
• Dorms from: $24 USD
• Private rooms from: $58 USD
• Location: Christchurch

It’s a big ol’ renovated loft which is SO close to all of the main sights of the city, which is a great shout for a Christchurch backpackers hostel. What also makes this a solid option is that it sells the cheapest beer in town at its bar.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Weekly social events, including movie nights.
• Pool table and games area make it easy to meet people.
• Big communal kitchen
• Space for working, if you need to get some admin done

Naturally, that’s the sorta thing that’s gonna make this my top pick for the best party hostel in Christchurch. And, duh, it is. So, yeah, have a few o’ those cheap beers, get a few pool games in, and hit the town. It’s a big hostel, too, but it’s still easy to meet other people, making it great for solo travellers in NZ as well.

Getting Insured BEFORE Visiting New Zealand

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

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.

By now, I hope my epic guide to the best hostels in New Zealand has helped you choose the perfect hostel for your adventure! Be sure you know exactly where you want to stay in New Zealand before you book your hostel. You don’t want to end up far away from the hotspots you want to explore!

Whether you want to dive headfirst into the adventure capital of New Zealand by staying at Adventure Queenstown Hostel or keep it classy in the capital by staying at The Marion Hostel. There are loads of backpacker-friendly places to stay across the country.

Wherever you end up staying, I hope you have the best time exploring this magical land! 🙂 If you think I’ve missed anything or have any further thoughts, hit me up in the comments!