3 Best Hostels in Budapest – Royal Mansion Renovation, Wicked Staff and Epic Party Hostels

This article is our detailed guide to bring you the 3 best hostels in Budapest! We’re actually pretty excited to introduce these to you.

The design is fun, the staff friendly and the atmosphere second to none. The question is, which one will you choose?

Our favorite hostels in Budapest are:

1. Maverick City Lodge - best for Female Solo Travellers
2. Maverick Hostel - best for Flashpackers
3. Flow Hostel - best for Solo Travellers
4. Extra: Maverick Urban Lodge - best for Couples

Money-saving tip: Compare hostel prices with Hostelz.com. They compare prices from Hostelworld, Booking.com and others with 1 click.

We condensed it all to the 3 very good hostels in Budapest.

This guide is perfect for YOU, when you…

• are tired of crappy hostels!
• want a social Hostel to actually meet people
• are happy to spend $1 to $2 more for a much better experience

Some readers may be pleased to hear that we’ve scouted and found the best party hostels in Budapest, PLUS the best hostels in Budapest for solo travellers.

Budapest is Hungary’s striking capital. There’s lots of fun to be had and plenty of history to discover along the River Danube. Perhaps you’ve been inspired by the Grand Budapest Hotel – you won’t be disappointed with this destination.

Quick Introduction to Budapest Hostels

Average price for a bed: A bed in a dorm can be as cheap as 7€ up to 15€ per night. This is a rough average to give you an idea. Prices always depend on the season and holidays or special events like the Sziget festival.

Please always check the exact rates on Hostelworld.com or Booking.com.

Check-In and Check-Out: The average check-in time is from 15:00 (3 pm), while the check-out time is before 11:00 (11 am). Hostels usually offer luggage storage in case you arrive earlier or leave later. Make sure you check if luggage storage is free or if there is an extra cost.

Budapest Tourism Tax: Travellers in Budapest pay around a 4% tax on the total price. This tax is usually not included in the price and can differ slightly depending on the district of Budapest.

Sziget festival: When planning to visit the famous Sziget festival, make sure you make your booking as early as possible. The city is packed at that time!

Party Hostels in Budapest: The nightlife is big in Budapest, let us tell you that. You will find an endless number of clubs and super cool bars. No surprise, there are many epic party hostels. We included all the best party hostels in Budapest in this guide – and further below.

Hungarian Forint Vs Euro: It is possible to use either currency during your time in Budapest. However, we did find that more local places didn’t offer the option of Euro, so we’d recommend opting for Forint to be on the safe side. Besides, it’s fun to use a new currency and Forint will have you feeling rich!

Budget tip: We have a dedicated Budapest travel budget guide.

🎁 New to Hostels? Read our guide to staying in a Hostel for the First Time here. We especially recommend reading:

• How to book hostels? (and websites to save $)
• 23 clever items: the hostel packing list to download
• How does the Hostelworld App work exactly? Our Advanced Guide

The 3 Best Hostels in Budapest are …

Let’s jump right into the coolest hostels in Budapest.

1. Maverick City Lodge – best for Female Solo Travellers
2. Maverick Hostel – best for Flashpackers
3. Flow Hostel – best for Solo Travellers
4. Extra: Maverick Urban Lodge - best for Couples

These are our favorite hostels in Budapest. We want to make your life even easier, so we put all accommodations on a map for you. We even added our own tips for favorite restaurants, things to see, and more.

Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type

🦸 Solo Traveler:	Flow Hostel
🙎‍♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler:	Maverick City Lodge
🥳 Party Hostel:	Onefam Budapest by Hostel One
👩‍❤️‍👨 Couple Hostel:	Maverick Hostel
👨‍👩‍👦 Family Hostel:	Flow Hostel
👩‍💻 For Digital Nomads:	Maverick Student Lodge
🧘 Cozy Hostel:	Maverick City Lodge

1. Maverick City Lodge (every comfort box ticked)

Here is the Maverick City Lodge, a superb accommodation and your new home in Budapest. One of the two 5 Star Hostels in Budapest! It’s a modern, minimalist design hostel with many luxury amenities and social events: easily one of the best hostels Budapest has to offer.

And we’re not just saying that based on what we’ve heard; we’ve stayed here a few times and love it.

The rooms here are of exceptionally high quality, kept at an agreeable budget rate. This is your luxury hostel in Budapest; enjoy!

Book Maverick City Lodge here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Full review | Official Website 

As soon as you walk through the door you’re going to get a warm welcome from the international team of warm humans. That makes such an impression, right?

There’s an 8-bed dorm, female-only dorm, double and triple (both with an en-suite).

Each bed has curtains that go all the way around, and because the bunks are custom-made, you’ll avoid the deadly squeaking.

Think of every possible luxury to make your stay super comfortable – it’s all here at Maverick City Lodge. Yes, really!

I mean, just look at the spacious rooms. The super high ceilings and huge lockers tone down the usual over-crowded feeling in hostel dorms.

Let’s look at a few other inclusions:

• Free tea + coffee all-day
• 24-hour reception = no curfew
• Free lockers + storage
• Free walking tours
• Linen + towel included

Psst! Forget instant coffee, Maverick offers fresh ground coffee to prepare in an Italian coffee maker. Genius.

To keep a high standard of living, the staff does a great job of cleaning all of the rooms daily.

There’s a large common area where you’ll find plenty of regular social events taking place. Relax on a beanbag under the warm lighting, log on to one of the computers or strike up a conversation with the awesome staff.

Fat Mama is the on-site bar and restaurant. We really enjoyed the vibe here. There’s live music over the weekend and every Maverick guest gets a 10% discount on breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks.

However, if you fancy cooking for yourself there’s also a fully equipped kitchen and plenty of seating.

Location: This newly built property is in the heart of the historical Jewish Quarter in the centre of the city. It’s easy enough to explore on foot from here, or you could rent a bike from reception.

Maverick City Lodge is the best hostel in Budapest for:

• Female-solo travellers
• Friends

Book Maverick City Lodge here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Full review | Official Website 

2. Maverick Hostel (sensational royal vibes)

Welcome to the gorgeous Maverick Hostel, the best choice for a top hostel in Budapest and brother hostel to Maverick City Hostel.

We invite you to our second 5 Star Hostel in Budapest.

Located in a renovated royal mansion built by the Hapsburg dynasty, you’ll get the true royal treatment at this exceptional hostel.

Book Maverick Hostel here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Full review | Official Website

The rooms differ slightly here in terms of size, but the high standard remains the same. There’s choice of a 5, 6 and 10-bed mixed dorms, standard double and 4-bed en-suite.

Pretty cool: there are no bunk-beds in the 5, 6 and 10-bed dorms – how great is that?!

As we mentioned before, this is the brother hostel of our #1 Budapest hostels.

That means you can expect a similar service as well as amenities and social events. So yes you’ll be glad to know the freebies remain the same for both hostels.

Maverick Hostel is a great alternative for those looking for a bit more of a grandeur stay. And for people that particularly hate bunk-beds!

Guests say “it’s like staying in your own apartment”.

As this place is quite a bit place; there’s a kitchen, lounge area, TV and free Wi-Fi on every floor. Don’t worry too much about all those stairs.

Read our full review of Maverick Hostel here and see if this 5 Star Hostel is for you.

Famous ruin bars and major city attractions are all within 15-minutes from the hostel.

Maverick Hostel is the coolest Boutique hostel in Budapest for:

• Flashpackers
• Couples

Book Maverick Hostel here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Full review | Official Website

3. Flow Hostel (old meets new design)

The concept of Flow Hostel is to synthesize high quality living with an activity-packed social life.

It opened its doors back in 2016 with brand new facilities.

If you would like to taste the real Budapest feeling in a classical old town building but experience the new vibe of service; Flow Hostel is for you.

Book Flow Hostel here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Flow has the space to accommodate solo travellers and families with a range of en-suite dorms and private rooms available. It’s also a fun backpackers hostel Budapest offers.

What do rooms include?

• Privacy curtain
• Personal locker above+ under the bed
• Lamp + plug
• Towel + linen

The friendly staff will be here to assist you 24-hours a day in reception.

There’s the opportunity to join a cooking class with the staff, too. This is your chance to learn a thing or two about Hungarian cuisine.

Fancy going on a bike tour or joining one or more pub crawls? Ask at reception.

Flow Hostel is in the historical part of Budapest, just a few minutes from the Danube River. Subway and tram lines are also close by.

Flow Hostel is the best hostel in Budapest for:

• Backpackers

Book Flow Hostel here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

4. Maverick Urban Lodge

Does the name seem familiar somehow? Well spotted friends; Maverick Urban Lodge is little sister to the other two 5 star hostels by Maverick in this guide.

And yes, we couldn’t resist adding this fabulous hostel to our 5 star hostels Budapest collection!

It won’t take you long to understand why.

Have a look at the photos and you’ll see gorgeous design and little details that support a seriously comfortable, homely stay.

The on-site bar is where it’s all happening. This is a place that brings travellers and locals together.

What’s awesome is that the staff are available 24 hours a day. They’re multilingual, too!

Let’s have a sneak peak at the room types:

• 4, 6 and 8-bed mixed dorms
• 6 and 8-bed female dorms
• 4-bed dorm with an ensuite
• Standard single, twin & double privates
• Superior double room

All of the dorms have been designed with privacy and big lockers in mind. As for the private rooms; they’re super spacious.

Stay here and you’ll be in a great location close to the Great Market Hall. The very handy transport hubs are all within a 5-minute walk.

Book Maverick Urban Lodge here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Full Review | Official Website

List of Best Party Hostels in Budapest?

Alright, so we have covered the design hostels. But maybe you are more into backpacker hostels for Budapest?

Are you a social creature that loves to party? If you’re taking the time to read this, we guess so!

There just so happens to be a super duper collection of Budapest party hostels.

Here’s a list of the best party hostels in Budapest:

1. Onefam Budapest by Hostel One
2. The Hive Party Hostel
3. Vitae Hostel Budapest
4. Carpe Noctem Hostel
5. Wombats City Hostel
6. Maverick City Lodge

We wrote a special guide to best Budapest hostels for partying. Here is a collection of all the best party hostels in the world.

Along with Retox Hostel (now closed), the Onefam Budapest by Hostel One is on top of our list to the best party hostel in Budapest.

The staff are world travellers just like you. They won’t just party with you, but they’ll cook you (free) dinner and share their knowledge too.

There’s a bar where drinking games kick off the night. The party continues at Budapest’s coolest ruin bars.

Good to know: there is no air-conditioning here, but fans are provided.

Book Onefam Budapest by Hostel One here

Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com

Wondering how to hook up in hostels, or better to say, what to remember when Netflix and Chill in hostels in Budapest?

Read: Our guide to Netflix and Chill – The 10 Do’s and Dont’s.

Best Hostels in Budapest for Solo Travellers?

As a solo traveller, it’s great to have the option to socialise. Especially when it is made easy for you. After all, this is why all of us all solo-travellers opt-in for hostels, right?!

Good to know: here’s our guide on how to make lifetime friendships in hostels

We think, Maverick Hostel is the coolest place to stay for female solo-travellers. It is a safe hostel, super clean, easy to mingle and intimate. After Flow Hostel Budapest, the Onefam Budapest by Hostel One would be our next pick when traveling alone.

The common areas are spacious and enticing. The free family-style dinners are a great way to meet other people.

Either join in on the party nights or limit your socialising to daytime activities. It doesn’t matter as long as you’re keen to mingle one way or another!

Book Onefam Budapest by Hostel One here

Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com

But wait, there’s more!

We’d like to add a couple more great hostels for solo travellers into the mix.

1. Avenue Hostel – family dinners, big dorms & communal spaces
2. Adagio Hostel – beautifully bright & chilled, calm environment

What about the cheapest hostels in Budapest?

Of course, there are always cheap hostels. But how do you actually find them? When you are traveling on a shoe-string budget and you want to save every dollar, there are ways to find the cheapest places in Budapest.

1. Open Hostelz.com with a full list of all hostels in Budapest
2. add your dates
3. Order the listings by price

Simple as that.

Hostelz.com is a price comparison site for hostels. They list every single one in the world and tells you exactly which website is cheaper to use.

Another smart Tip: Check what is actually included, and what is excluded. Take a closer look at the location, too. A further location might mean more costs in transport.

Any Discounts?

Okay, now we gave you this epic list of budget Budapest accommodation. If you where wondering where to stay in Budapest on a budget, you made it.

What about any extra discounts or promo codes?

Well, that is quite embarrassing but at the moment we have no special hostel discounts in Budapest. We know, it’s a pity. We are working on getting promo codes for Maverick Hostel Budapest, and all the other cool hostels in Budapest.

Here’s an idea: Subscribe to our newsletter and we send you over our newest hostel discounts always to your inbox. That includes discounts for Budapest and all the other major destinations.

You can find all our hostel discounts worldwide here.

Instead of opting for a hotel Budapest offers, we offer you a 35€ discount for Airbnb here. Not a fan of Airbnb? Read here more about Airbnb competitors.

Our Favorite Hostels in Budapest put on a map + sights

Now let’s show you this super handy map with all Budapest hostels.

Here you’ll find all of the hostels mentioned and their location, plus the top sights in and around the city.

Read: 17 fun things to do in Budapest – our guide

Here a few more ideas that might take your fancy:

1. Take a 1.5hr sightseeing cruise for less that $15
2. Skip the line with a Szechenyi Spa Day Pass
3. Head out on a Budapest Pub Crawl w/ VIP club entrance

The top sights in Budapest are:

1. Hungarian Parliament Building
2. Matthias Church
3. Fisherman’s Bastion
4. Buda Castle
5. St. Stephen’s Basilica
6. Hősök tere
7. Central Market Hall
8. Gellért Thermal Bath
9. House of Terror Museum (really interesting Museum!)

We’ve marked them as follows:

• Sights: Blue
• More COOL Hostels: Purple
• Best Party Hostels in Budapest: Orange
• Best Hostels in Budapest: Pink

Flights to Budapest?

You are in luck. Budapest is very well connected with the rest of Europe. You can score fantastic deals to get here. Just keep an eye on the prices.

Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is around a 30-45 minute drive from the city centre. It’s super easy to get there; simply hop on the 100E Airport Shuttle bus from outside the terminal. A single ticket costs 1,500 HUF (around €3) and it can be bought from the ticket machines or directly with the bus driver.

We use Skyscanner and Omio.com to find cheap flights and good connections all over the globe.

FAQ

Alright, you should have found your accommodation already. Below we list all the frequently asked questions. Have a look.

More Guides around Budapest

Budapest is awesome, it really is. Once you explored the Hungarian capital, it is time to move on.

Here is a list of great destinations we love near Budapest:

• 3 best hostels in Belgrade, Serbia
• coolest party hostels in Belgrade, Serbia
• best hostels in Vienna + party hostels in Vienna
• Krakow in Poland – another great city with a big nightlife. Here is our guide to best hostels in Krakow
• best hostels in Zagreb + party hostels in Zagreb
• best hostels in Skopje – put on a map
• best hostels in Prague – compared
• coolest hostels in Bratislava, Slovakia + party hostels in Bratislava
• 3 best hostels in Bucharest, Romania
• 9 best hostels in Slovenia

You can find all our 3-best-hostels guides here.

We also have guides on the best hostels in Europe, the best party hostels in Europe, and the best coworking hostels in Europe.

Over to you

Do you have any questions left, maybe doubts? Then please leave it in the comment below. We are very keen to help you - and actually you would even do us a favor!

Your question will help us to improve this Budapest guide.

Last note: Our commitment

This is a genuine article to help you travel a bit smarter, and find the best place on a budget! We will never recommend you any place we haven’t evaluated or are not convinced by. We are constantly updating all our guides to keep them as fresh and accurate as possible.

Safe travels,
The Hostelgeeks

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