Barcelona isn’t just any city for me; it’s the birthplace of Hostelgeeks. Having lived here for over six years, I’ve visited every single hostel in this city. Looking for the BEST Hostels in Barcelona, Spain? You’re in good hands.
I wrote a special guide to Barcelona with my 8 best secret tips – download it for free! For this guide, I’ve handpicked the top three hostels in Barcelona based on how social it is, activities, location, and prices. I have stayed in every single hostel on this list!
Our favorite hostels in Barcelona are:
- The Central House Barcelona Gracia - best for Couples
- Casa Gracia - best for Solo Travellers
- Yeah Hostel Barcelona - best for Backpackers
Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type
| 🦸 Solo Traveler: | Casa Gracia |
| 🙎♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler: | Hostelle – Female Only Hostel Barcelona |
| 🥳 Party Hostel: | Kabul Hostel |
| 👩❤️👨 Couple Hostel: | The Central House Hostel |
| 👨👩👦 Family Hostel: | Barcelona Central Garden Hostel |
| 👩💻 For Digital Nomads: | Colmpact Coliving |
| 🧘 Cozy Hostel: | Barcelona Central Garden Hostel |
| 👫 For Socializing: | Casa Gracia |
I put all my favorite hostels on the map plus my insider tips on epic and unusual things to do in Barcelona and my favorite 23 fun things to.
I visited all hostels and know them personally! I spent some fun nights in these hostels. I have no doubts you will do the same. For the party travelers, check out my guide to the absolute coolest party hostels in Barcelona.
And since there is so many things to do for free, here is my list of the 59 best free things to do as well as the .
1. The Central House Barcelona Gracia
Prices for The Central House Barcelona Gracia start from $40 for a dorm and $130 for a private room.
For: couples, female solo-traveler. Travelers from all over the world stay here: Japan, Germany, USA, UK, Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Korea, Argentina, you name it. No nationality really dominates the scene.
Why Choose: Perfect blend of stylish design and romantic vibes, situated in the vibrant Gracia neighborhood. Offers unique experiences like tapas tours and free walking tours to explore Barcelona’s art and culture.
The rooms are top-notch, and of course super clean. You can choose between double-rooms and several dorm types of 4, 6, 8, or 10 beds. There is also female-only dorm available.
The luxury hostel has no free breakfast included, it costs 5.50€. There is however free tea and coffee all day long. As for breakfast, I recommend the nearby Jamaica coffee in Carrer Mallorca 253. A croissant with a café con leche costs around 2€.
Location of The Central House Hostel: Perfect! It’s also just a 10 minute walk away from Placa Catalunya and the old town with its Las Ramblas.
You will be staying on the top of famous Passeig de Gracia, just a short walk from bustling Gracia (perfect for bohemians and nightlife). Come here for a drink at night with the locals. From The Central House Hostel it takes you around 15 minutes to walk downtown, meaning the famous Placa Catalunya and Las Ramblas. You have the La Pedrera House and Casa Batllo by Gaudi in the famous Passeig de Gracia just a 2 minutes walk away. Check my map for reference.
In the direct area you’ve plenty of bars and restaurants as well as a direct metro connection to the beach.
I especially recommend Placa del Sol to hang out with locals and mingle.
There is also a great tapas bar, just a 5 minutes walk from the hostel. The name is Nou Candanchu. If you speak Spanish or Catalan, call them before to reserve a table. If not, just come here before ±7:30pm and you should get a table.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Note: This hostel was previously named “Rodamon Hostel“, and it is now named The Central House Hostel.
2. Casa Gracia (5 Star Hostel + Fun!)
Prices for Casa Gracia start from $35 for a dorm and $130 for a private room.
For: Solo Travelers & Cultural Explorers
Here you find a mix of young people from all over the world. This is a great spot for solo-travelers, small groups as well as couples! Here is my detailed review about Casa Gracia.
Why Choose: Located in an impressive modernist building at the heart of Barcelona, offering a mix of events and workshops that immerse you in local culture. Ideal for solo travelers seeking a blend of luxury and community.
Location: It is located at the end of Passeig de Gracia. This is a super safe hostel in Barcelona with a safe location! You are right next to bohemian Gracia district. This is the BETTER district for a night out.
This street is the shopping mile with all famous shops and the two famous buildings by Gaudi: Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. From here it takes you 15 min to walk to Las Ramblas and the very downtown.
This is where students go, artists hang out. Head over to Placa del Solo and have a drink there, it’s especially awesome in summer when everybody just sits with a drink in hand on the square.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
3. Yeah Hostel Barcelona – Backpacker Hostel
Prices for Yeah Hostel Barcelona start from $30 for a dorm and $120 for a private room.
For: Backpackers & Young Travelers
The average age is young, between 18 and 24. If you are looking for a bit more party and nights out, this is the place to be.
Why Choose: With its vibrant social scene and central location, it’s perfect for those looking to meet fellow travelers. The hostel organizes nightly events and has a rooftop pool, catering to a younger crowd seeking fun and adventure.
Extra Feature: The Hostel has its own roof top swimming pool! Pretty epic!
Location: Great and safe! It is just a 10 minutes walk to Sagrada Familia and to the nightlife area of Gracia!
The YEAH is located near a metro station with access to downtown. You can also take a bus to Placa Catalunya. By walking, it takes you around 15-20 minutes to reach downtown.
The area is more local and fun than busy old town. You can walk from here to Sagrada Familia, it takes you around 10 minutes.
The rooms and dorms are cool, comfy, clean and spacious. YEAH Hostel is the best option out there for the solo-traveler, in my opinion. It is easy to socialize and the clients here are usually younger. A youth hostel, if you will. Barcelona hostels best place for the youth to stay!
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Compare 3 Hostels – Side By Side
We are big fans of Hostelz.com, the price comparison for hostels. They have this feature to compare hostels side-by-side. Below I added for you the comparison of my 3 favorite hostels in Barcelona:
Our Favorite Hostels in Barcelona put on a map + sights
Let us have a look on the map. Below I list all three best Barcelona hostels on a map. I also included the main tourist attractions you’ve to know in this list:
- Sagrada Familia
- Casa Batllo
- Las Ramblas
- Camp Nou Stadium
- Magic Fountain
- Park Güell
- Barceloneta Beach
All accommodations are located near a metro stop and bus stop. So you can get to every single sight and old town within no time or even in walking distance.
Below I included a neighborhood guide. Here I show you what the areas are about and perfect for. I share details of the districts and what to do there below the map. Scroll down.
- Blue is Gracia (great for art, small shops and nightlife bars)
- Yellow is Eixample (the “chess” field district with Sagrada Familia)
- Red is Old Town (including the parts El Gotico, El Born and El Raval)
- Green is beach (my favorite is Bogatell Beach – much less people than Barceloneta)
The OLD TOWN is the district you find Las Ramblas and all the narrow, beautiful streets. In Gracia you find the bohemian nightlife I absolute enjoy.
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Neighborhood Guide for Barcelona Hostels
Barcelona is quite big. I want to give you a quick overview of the different districts. All the hostels I cover in this article are perfectly located to go out and have fun at night and enjoy sights by day. The four main areas you need to know are colored in the map above.
Downtown Areas (red in the map!)
The downtown area is actually the historic part. The part with all the narrow streets. The districts here are:
- El Gotico
- El Born
- El Raval
Gotico is known for shopping, and the lower part near the harbor for bars and tapas bars. El Gotico is also known as Gothic Quarter. There is plenty of hostels in Gothic Quarter Barcelona. However, they are loud at night. I would stick to the hostels I recommend above to have a quiet night sleep!
El Born is one of my favorite parts of town. For having a drink, I recommend the area around Passeig del Born. Here you can also eat really great tapas at La Luna. For having a burger, I recommend Pim Pam Burger. Anyhow, you will find many bars, cocktail bars and tapas places around. Just get lost!
Last but not least, El Raval. This is the “rough” part of town. Here you will find more alternative bars and at the same time more prostitutes and drug dealers, thieves. It is a really interesting place, actually quite safe. Just do not show how much money you have and leave your smartphone in your jacket.
In Raval you find the famous bar Marsella. This is where Ernest Hemingway had his drinks. It is an Absinthe bar. Come here, it’s pure fun!!
Gracia (blue in the map)
This is the more bohemian part of town. Here you find many small boutique shops, artists, students, expats. Especially Placa del Solo is awesome to hang out at night. People here have a drink on the square, eat tapas.
Casa Gracia and The Central House Hostel are nearby.
Eixample with Sagrada Familia (yellow in the map)
The famous “chess-fields” neighborhood in Barcelona is called Eixample. You will find here the famous Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila ad Casa Batllo.
This neighborhood was built for connecting the old town with the surrounding villages like Gracia. Eixample was planned on the table and it was supposed to be as useful as possible. The idea was to have the space optimized and in case of an emergency the firemen could cross the city within no time.
Walk around this area. It’s interesting. A walk from Sagrada Familia to Casa Mila will take you around 20-25 minutes.
Beach Area (green in the map)
I love beaches and Barcelona has a selection to choose from.
The beach area in Barceloneta starts from W Hotel to the Port Olimpic. Here is where most pickpockets are and it is always packed in summer.
A more local beach area is the one behind Port Olimpic, the beach is called Bogatell. Come here, play volleyball with locals or expats, and enjoy a 1€ beer on the beach. Find here the best choices for hostels in Barcelona near the beach.
10 Best Things To Do in Barcelona
I know Barcelona like no other city in the world. So, I welcome you to join my best things to do in Barcelona. These are the things that I consider you’ve to do when coming over:
- Visit Sagrada Familia – but the right way, get the skip the line ticket BEFORE wasting 2 hours in line
- Wander Park Güell – and enter, but you’ve to book before getting there
- Wander Las Ramblas – that’s free!
- Enter La Boqueria Market with its fresh fruits and vegetables. Get a smoothie here
- Climb up the Columbus Statue (for a small entrance fee)
- Get lost in el Gotico and El Born
- Have an Absinthe in the oldest bar in Barcelona, Marsella
- Visit the Magic Fountain and its show at night
- Have a drink in bohemian Gracia district
- Head to the beach and slow down
More of my own articles:
- How to get around Barcelona?
- 23 fun things to do like riding a Vespa and pillow fighting
- 59 FREE Things to do in Barcelona (including live music, museums and events)
Tickets you have to pre-book
If you want to do sightseeing in Barcelona, then this is a must-read too.
Because: You need to pre-book Sagrada Familia Tower and Park Güell before! these are the two only sights you should pre-book as soon as you can!
1. Sagrada Familia (Visit the Towers)
You may already done your research and saw that there is always a long queue for entering Sagrada Familia. The queue can be easily 2 hours long.
Anyways, you cannot book and visit any of the Towers when queuing. This is only possible online!
Therefore: Yes, you can queue and can enter without booking. But I highly recommend climbing up the towers. It is impressive, you have a panoramic view over the city and you see so much more of the Sagrada Familia.
Seriously, once you go up or down the towers, you will notice so many more details.
How to book the towers? You can book the entrance ticket along with your tower visit. There is usually only 1 tower open for visit since they are still working, so this always changes.
2. Park Güell (13€ only)
Of course you want to visit the famous Park Güell. After all, this is the iconic photo of Barcelona.
However, there is a limited entrance now to see the main area of Park Güell. It is limited by people per entrance, and it is usually sold out for the next 7 days (except these 8am spots nobody wants…).
You can also enter for free when the sun sets and 20 minutes before closing. I personally do not like this. So so soooooo many people do exactly that. So you save 13€ for the ticket but suddenly you have to fight for your iconic photo. Sorry, for 13€ I won’t do this…
You can buy your Park Güell ticket here.
What about cheapest hostels in Barcelona?
Looking for cheap hostel Barcelona accommodation? Of course, there are always cheap hostels. It can be tempting to opt for the cheap places to stay in and only look for a Barcelona cheap stay. I think, it’s not worth it to go with the cheapest hostel out there.
Why?
The difference is usually 2-5€ per night, and a lot of amenities are not included. This can be breakfast or linen. Although, keep in mind a bad location – or seemingly cheap areas to stay in – far away from the city center costs you more in transport.
Also, some insider knowledge: Many of the very cheap places in Barcelona are illegal, without proper license to run.
However, if you are traveling on a shoe-string budget and you wanna save every penny, there are ways to find the cheap lodging in Barcelona. One great way of finding where to stay in Barcelona cheap is to:
- Open Hostelworld and Hostelz.com with full list of budget accommodations in Barcelona
- Order the listing by price
Hostelz is awesome to compare hostels side-by-side.
Read: How to book hostels with Hostelworld.
My recommendation for cheap hostels in BCN
A cheap and super family-style hostel is Barcelona Central Garden. They also have a fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities, really useful!
It is a family run hostel, with a small terrace inside.
They also run their own little events like Paella Nights (but not regularly!). If you fancy a super cute, family-vibes hostel, make it BCN Central Garden.
Compare prices and read reviews at: Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Best Hostels in Barcelona for Solo Travellers?
As someone conquering the world on your own, you need a fun, clean and cool hostel to meet and greet. Right? Hostels are obviously great to meet fellow travelers. I also joined bike tours and walking tours to meet other backpackers.
Good to know: Not all hostels in Barcelona are social! Many are just cheap accommodations with dorms to sleep in. Make sure you pick a great hostel in Barcelona for solo-traveller. Personally I love the ones below:
- Casa Gracia: Ideal for those seeking a touch of luxury and vibrant group activities. Perfect for mingling and making memories.
- YEAH Hostel: A hit with young travelers and backpackers, offering a lively atmosphere to connect with like-minded adventurers.
- Pars Tailors Hostel: A backpacker’s dream for party lovers and those craving a dash of international flair. Known for its iconic Paella nights and bustling social scene, it’s your go-to for a genuine backpacker experience in the heart of Barcelona.
- Onefam Hostel Sants: Not just another hostel, but a super social hub ideal for backpackers looking to dive into fun activities and meet fellow travelers. With its laid-back vibe and regular social events, it’s a sanctuary for solo wanderers seeking a community.
Highlight: Pars Tailors Hostel
For a mix of party atmosphere and hipster charm, Pars Tailors stands out.
Dive into their legendary social life, from Foosball battles to stylish common areas, making it the coolest spot in town. Their famous Paella nights and pub crawls ensure your Barcelona nights are unforgettable. Perfect for budget-conscious backpackers looking for a vibrant community.
Compare rates at: Booking.com | Hostelworld
Introducing Onefam Hostel Sants
A gem for solo travelers, Onefam Hostel Sants is where fun and friendships blossom. Known for its endless social activities, you’re guaranteed to never feel alone. From communal dinners to city tours, it fosters a warm, welcoming environment that feels like home. A must-stay for those who love to socialize and explore in good company.
Best Hostels for Female Only in Barcelona?
Hostelle – Female Only Hostel Barcelona is the first and only all-female hostel in the city. It was created with the aim of offering a safe and enjoyable place for women traveling to Barcelona, allowing them to focus on sightseeing and having a great time.
Located in the Nou Barris district, Hostelle is conveniently situated near some of Barcelona’s top attractions. Park Güell, Sagrada Familia, and Tibidabo are all within a short distance of the hostel. Additionally, La Pedrera, Casa Batllo, and Passeig de Gracia are easily accessible, allowing guests to immerse themselves in Barcelona’s architectural wonders.
Hostelle’s primary focus is on ensuring the safety and comfort of its female guests. It provides a secure environment where women can relax and enjoy their stay. Each room is equipped with a safety deposit box, offering a reliable place to store valuables.
Check prices at: Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Your Turn to Share
Got any lingering questions or uncertainties? Drop us a comment below! We’re eager to assist you, and your feedback actually helps us out too.
Your inquiries are key to refining and enhancing our guide to Barcelona. Every piece of advice here is crafted with the aim to make your travels smoother and help you discover budget-friendly gems. Rest assured, I only endorse places I’ve personally vetted and truly believe in. At Hostelgeeks, we dedicated to keeping our guides updated and as accurate as can be.
Photos by: The Central House, Casa Gracia, Yeah Hostel
