As far as gorgeous picturesque islands go, Santorini in Greece is high on the list. Famous for its iconic blue and white cubiform houses and equally well-known landscapes, Santorini attracts foreign visitors like pollen attracts bees: the island is abuzz with activity as a result.
Santorini is one of the most-visited places on the planet. It has been impossible for locals to ignore this fact and as a result, much of the accommodation option in Santorini are expensive and even inaccessible to budget travelers.
So how does one find a budget place to sleep?
To answer this question, I wrote this ultimate guide to the best hostels in Santorini, Greece for 2024!
Get exactly what you want out of your travels by gleaning all the low-cost accommodation information you’ll ever need about Santorini, Greece.
Let’s dive right in…
Quick Answer: The Best Hostels in Santorini
- Best Hostel for Solo Travellers in Santorini – Fira Backpackers Place
- Best Hostel with a Private Room in Santorini – Villa Manos
The 10 Best Hostels in Santorini
The nightly price of your accommodation often depends on where you’re staying in Santorini. Deciding on a certain neighborhood on the island can help with keeping a bit of money in your bank account. However, that doesn’t mean to stay as far away from the action as possible. There are great Santorini hostels all over the island – check them out!
Fira Backpackers Place – Best Hostel for Solo Travellers in Santorini
It’s not a party hostel, but it’s lively enough at Fira Backpackers Place for solo travellers to make friends easily. Yep, this Santorini backpackers hostel is a good bet if you’ll be travelling around this luxury island by yourself. There are inside and outside communal areas, a kitchen, and a pool – all good socialising venues. Mercifully there’s AC everywhere, not only in the private rooms but also the dorms. It’s not gonna win any design awards, but it’s basic and serves a purpose. This top hostel in Santorini also offers free coffee all day (and night). Plus it’s right near the caldera for decent hikes and grand views.
Villa Manos – Best Hostel with a Private Room in Santorini
Whilst not actually a hostel, this hotel-type place does offer private rooms that go up to 6-beds, so if you’re travelling in a group – or you’ve made some friends along the way who you’ve convinced to come on the road with you – this is a good option if you want a sort of sociable privacy. Villa Manos isn’t greatly expensive either since prices are per room so you can divvy that up between yourselves. So yeah, it’s not precisely a Santorini backpackers hostel, but it is very decent, e.g. the pool is huge, features a pool bar, and the terrace here has amazing sea views. So yeah.
Villa Kasteli – Overall Best Hostel in Santorini
Location: awesome. Staff: awesome. Cleanliness: super clean. Interior: cozy. Basically, everything about Villa Kasteli shapes up for it to be the best hostel in Santorini in 2021. It’s all about the beaches here, so you’ll be very happy to know that’s a short walk to the famously long stretch of black sand that is Perissa Beach. What else makes this the best hostel in Santorini? The team that runs this place is super nice, there are private ‘hotel’ rooms as well as dorms, it’s in a quiet street, there’s a tasty 24-hour bakery opposite, oh and it’s a right bargain, too. What’s not to love?
Youth Hostel Anna – Best Cheap Hostel in Santorini #1
Even for a hostel, this place is a great price. So for Santorini, this is, like, unprecedented. Youth Hostel Anna is the best budget hostel in Santorini, hands-down, no question. There’s AC in the dorms, the level of cleanliness is impressive, the staff are on hand to answer any Qs you may have about diving or other activities, and the pool area literally looks like it should belong in a resort rather than a youth hostel in Santorini. And with Perissa Beach a very short (two minutes) walk away, if you’re on a budget you should deffo be thinking about staying at this place, that’s for sure.
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View on Osprey View on REIStavros Villas – Best Cheap Hostel in Santorini #2
Far from a youth hostel in Santorini, Stavros Villas is a B&B just on the outskirts of Fira. This means a more chilled place to stay (and admittedly the atmosphere is nice ‘n’ relaxed), though some people might not like the long walk into town. Although it’s billed as a B&B, breakfast is not free, though of course, it’s served. There’s also a bar, and a pool – all the normal things you’d expect from a Greek island sorta place to stay. The beds are super comfortable, the staff are more than just accommodating, and the beach is a short walk away. It’s all good. And pretty cheap, too.
Utopia Guesthouse – Best Cheap Hostel in Santorini #3
It’s a ‘guesthouse’, but they have dorms here (Yesss!) so it’s more of a budget hostel in Santorini. Said dorms are only 4-bed, but the prices really are good. And being housed in one of the oldest buildings still standing at Perissa Beach (allegedly), which it is also super close to (they also have their own section of the beach cordoned off), with a vegetarian restaurant onsite, plus being close enough to bars and eateries near the beach, with superb facilities, bright and tasteful decor… no wonder they call this place Utopia Guesthouse, am I right? Definitely, definitely a top hostel in Santorini. Even though it doesn’t call itself one.
Bedspot Hostel – Best Hostel for Couples in Santorini
This amazing and newly built Greek hostel is a unique and fairly well-priced way of staying a few days in Santorini – though it certainly ain’t as cheap as others on this list. The inside is absolutely charming and perfect for couples that want to share a private room. It’s located in the heart of Fira Santorini, meaning that you’ll be close to all of the islands action. There’s a cute little rooftop to hang out and enjoy the view over the city.
Caveland – Best Hostel for Digital Nomads in Santorini
Caveland, you say? Hmm. But yeah, Caveland has everything to do with caves, since it’s housed in an 18th-century winery. It’s a unique way to stay on this luxury island and, whilst not exactly a budget hostel in Santorini, it will provide the digital nomad who thinks they’ve seen it all with something to freshen up the mind in terms of a hostel experience. It’s only private rooms here, but you’re probably hankering for your own space after ages on the road. Combine with decent WiFi, BBQ nights, (almost) free coffee, definitely free breakfast, and you got yourself easily the coolest hostel in Santorini.
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Hide Yo’ Money!More Best Hostels in Santorini (and Hotels)
There are so many awesome places to discover in Santorini, it’s hard to fit everything in. If you get bored of the same accommodation each night, don’t worry, there are even more epic hostels on the island.
Holiday Beach Resort
The name might not exactly inspire you in terms of bargain-icity the same way a youth hostel in Santorini might, but know this: Holiday Beach Resort offers up private rooms of up to 6-beds. These are somewhat like little holiday apartments – complete with table ‘n’ chairs, ensuites, a mini kitchenette area – and because the price is per room, they work out pretty dang cheap. Chuck a pool into the mix, an onsite restaurant, places to hang out and meet people, a friendly vibe, and this enigmatically named place works out as a recommended hostel in Santorini – even though, umm, it isn’t one. This a great place to save a bit of cash so you have more to spare tyring the awesome food in Santorini.
The Birds Villa 2 Apartments
It’s almost as if apartment is Greek for hostel – this is a budget way to stay on Santorini. And at The Birds Villa 2 Apartment, the name of the game is value for money. Practically a budget hostel in Santorini, not only does this place offer free breakfast – each apartment (some of which sleep up to 8) comes with a FREE CAR! Huh?! What?! We know. That’s an amazing deal. So if you fancy exploring the island and all the amazing Santorini things to do after a gratis continental breakfast you should probs stay here. Each apartment also has an outdoor BBQ space to use. No pool, but driving to the beach in that free car is definitely an option.
What to Pack for your Santorini Hostel
Pants, socks, underwear, soap?! Take it from me, packing for a hostel stay is not always quite as straightforward as it seems. Working out what to bring and what to leave at home is an art I have perfected over many years.
Ear Plugs
Snoring dorm-mates can ruin your nights rest and seriously damage the hostel experience. This is why I always travel with a pack of decent ear plugs.
Hanging Laundry Bag
Trust us, this is an absolute game changer. Super compact, a hanging mesh laundry bag stops your dirty clothes from stinking, you don’t know how much you need one of these… so just get it, thank us later.
Sea To Summit Micro Towel
Hostel towels are scummy and take forever to dry. Microfibre towels dry quickly, are compact, lightweight, and can be used as a blanket or yoga mat if need be.
Monopoly Deal
Forget about Poker! Monopoly Deal is the single best travel card game that we have ever played. Works with 2-5 players and guarantees happy days.
Grayl Geopress Water Bottle
Always travel with a water bottle! They save you money and reduce your plastic footprint on our planet. The Grayl Geopress acts as a purifier AND temperature regulator. Boom!
Check out our definitive Hostel Packing list for our top packing tips!
Why you should travel to Santorini
You have made it to the end of my ultimate guide to the best hostels in Santorini! Congrats!
As you now know, Santorini truly does have an accommodation option for every kind of backpacker.
The fact remains that Santorini is an expensive place to visit. That said, you are now armed with the right knowledge to enjoy this beautiful island without breaking the bank.
I hope I have made it easy for you to book your hostel so you can quickly get back to your backpacking Greece adventure and enjoying the beautiful island. Not to hard to enjoy is it?
I will say that if you are still feeling unsure about where to book, I recommend just booking my fail-proof top pick for best overall hostel in Santorini: Villa Kasteli. Best of luck on your Greek backpacking adventure! Enjoy those epic sunsets!
FAQ about Hostels in Santorini
Here are some quick answers to common questions about safety in Santorini.
How much does a hostel cost in Santorini?
On average, hostel prices are always changing ESPECIALLY in Europe, but you can generally expect to pay around $50 and $68+ per night.
What are the best hostels in Santorini for couples?
Bedspot Hostel is the top-rated hostel for couples in Santorini. It’s charming and perfect for couples who want to share a private room.
What is the best hostel in Santorini near the airport?
Stavros Villas, one of the best cheap hostels in Santorini, is 3.0 from Santorini Airport. It offers airport shuttle service for an additional fee.
Travel Safety Tips for Santorini
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SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!
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More Epic Hostels in Greece and Europe
Hopefully by now you’ve found the perfect hostel for your upcoming trip to Santorini.
Planning an epic trip all across Greece or even Europe itself?
Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered!
For more cool hostel guides around Europe, check out:
Over to you
By now I hope our epic guide to the best hostels in Santorini 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!
- Check out our extensive guide to backpacking in Greece for a wealth of info!
- Check out the best places to stay in Santorini before you arrive.
- Remember to grab yourself an international sim card for Greece to avoid any issues.
- Prepare for your trip with our backpacking packing list.
- Get ready for your next destination with our ultimate Europe backpacking guide.
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!
