When it comes to beautiful destinations, nothing compares to Hawaii. People love venturing to the islands and becoming completely engrossed in everything they have to offer. Take a look at the best hostels in Honolulu.
The Hawaiian culture is so unique and the best island to visit for those looking to experience it all is Oahu hands down. Conveniently, Honolulu, located on the island of Oahu, is also home to some of the best hostels in all of Hawaii.
We also have a detailed guide about the best hostels in Hawaii.
Our favorite hostels in Honolulu are:
- THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel - best for Couples and Female Solo-Travellers
- Seaside Hawaiian Hostel Waikiki - best for Solo-Travellers
- Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki - best for Couples and Solo-Traveller
- Extra: Hostelling International Honolulu - best for 50+ Traveller
Money-saving tip: Compare hostel prices with Hostelz.com. They compare prices from Hostelworld, Booking.com and others with 1 click.
1. THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel
2. Seaside Hawaiian Hostel Waikiki
3. Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki
It’s really important to note and take part in the culture of a location when you’re visiting. Otherwise, you could go somewhere close by and not really worry about the stress that comes with travelling.
A common misconception is that travelling is extremely expensive. Of course, there are some expenses that can enter the pricey side of things, but with the ever-growing market of low-cost airlines getting you to unique destinations on a budget.
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
Then when you get there, if you planned well enough, a very exciting and rewarding trip can be had with even the tightest of budgets.
Keep in mind, most outdoor activities can be done for cheap or even free. Of course, finding a quality backpackers hostel is something you should consider.
Here are our top 3 Honolulu Oahu hostels for the absolute best possible experience. You can get a taste of island life and explore the wilderness, or kick it like a local on the beach and just relax.
What we cover in this article?
You can find all 5 Star Hostels here with Hostelgeeks and all guides to “Best Hostels In” here.
Quick Introduction to Honolulu
Average price for a bed: Hostels in Honolulu cost $32 – $40 per night for a bed in a dorm. A private room starts from $89 up to $100 per night. This is a rough average just to give you an idea.
Prices always depend on season and holidays. Please always check the exact rates on Hostelz.com or Hostelworld.com.
Check-In and Check Out: The average check-in time is from 15:00 (3pm), while the Check-Out time is before 11:00 (11am). 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.
Safety: Honolulu is a generally safe place to visit. There are, nevertheless, certain areas with higher crime rates that tourists without local knowledge should avoid. It’s also important to stay alert when you’re out at night because this is when most crimes happen.
Tourism: The state of Hawaii levies a 10.25% transient accommodations tax, and Honolulu adds an extra 3% accommodation tax surcharge.
🎁 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 Honolulu are …
Let’s jump right into the coolest hostels in Honolulu.
- THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel – best for Couples and Female Solo-Travellers
- Seaside Hawaiian Hostel Waikiki – best for Solo-Travellers
- Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki – best for Couples and Solo-Traveller
- Extra: Hostelling International Honolulu - best for 50+ Traveller
These are our favorite hostels in Honolulu. 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.
1. THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel
2. Seaside Hawaiian Hostel Waikiki
3. Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki
Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type
| 🦸 Solo Traveler: | Seaside Hawaiian Hostel |
| 🙎♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler: | THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel |
| 🥳 Party Hostel: | THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel |
| 👩❤️👨Couple Hostel: | Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki |
| 👨👩👦 Family Hostel: | Hostelling International Honolulu |
| 👩💻 For Digital Nomads: | Seaside Hawaiian Hostel |
| 🧘 Cozy Hostel: | THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel |
1. THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel
One of the more common issues people come across when trying to book a place to stay, especially when on a budget, is somewhere that allows for later check-in times.
THE BEACH Waikiki Boutique Hostel is the place to get this combat.
The staff at this Waikiki beachside hostel is international and able to provide assistance with almost any language barrier, and they offer 24-hour reception.
What’s interesting is that this Honolulu Oahu hostel has FREE PIZZA nights every Thursday! We are sure that you’ll love it.
Location: To top it off, the location is simply ideal. No need to bust the bank with ride shares when everything is within walking distance!
Might be the best location out there as it is literally only half a block walk from the famous Waikiki beach. Conveniently, that also means all sorts of nightlife, shopping, and top-notch dining are right around the corner.
The best choice for backpackers Honolulu for
- solo traveller
- couples
- female solo traveller
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
2. Seaside Hawaiian Hostel Waikiki
Seaside Hawaiian Hostel Waikiki isn’t just cleverly named, it actually is just two blocks from the beach. Each room and dorm is equipped with lockers, just make sure you bring your own lock and key.
With a staff that embodies the easy-going attitudes that Hawaiian natives are so well known for.
They are sure to point you in the right direction, though being just minutes from the heart of the tourist district makes this a much easier task for them.
All this is added to the free internet and free breakfast that comes with your stay. Seaside Hawaiian Hostel is a great option to really explore the best Honolulu has to offer at a reasonable price.
Location: Located in the heart of Honolulu in the Waikiki neighborhood. Just a couple of blocks from Waikiki beach and a single bus ride from the airport. It is a 1-hr drive to Kalani Hawaii Private Lodging Oahu.
If you prefer to rent a car instead, overnight garages and street parking are close by.
A great choice for
- quiet rest
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Hostelz.com
3. Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki
Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki is rated by Travel Channel as the “Best Youth Hostel in Waikiki.” They gained this notoriety with good reason as they specifically cater to students and travelers. In fact, proof of ongoing travel is a requirement.
Polynesian Hostel Honolulu Hawaii is one of the cleanest hostels out there and the staff is superb, always offering assistance.
It helps that all the best things to do are just down the road, too! With a top-tier zoo and aquarium, feel free to get to know the wildlife a little more intimately with these experiences.
Additional goodies from this hostel include free luggage storage, free beach toys, and free Wi-Fi.
This makes Polynesian Hostel Beach Club one of the top choices to have a great time and not miss out on typical hotel luxuries.
Location: Just a few steps away from the iconic Waikiki beach.
This is one of the best hostels in Honolulu for
- solo traveller
- couples
- youth traveller
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
4. Hostelling International Honolulu
At the Hostelling International Honolulu, guests staying in an all-male or all-female dormitory room have access to a communal kitchen that is fully furnished, a TV, and a lounge.
It offers all-male or all-female dormitories. There is no charge for using the Wi-Fi.
At the time of check-in, towels, and linens will be given. There will be lockers available for visitors to use, and they are advised to bring their own padlocks.
At this non-smoking hostel, there is complimentary parking that is subject to availability. The hostel also provides guests with vending machines.
Location: Prince Kuhio Beach may be reached in a car ride of 9 minutes from the Honolulu University Hostel.
The Honolulu International Airport may be reached in a little over a quarter of an hour by car. The hostel is just a short 8-minute drive away from Ala Moana Beach Park.
This hostel is also a 1-hr drive to Backpackers Haleiwa Hostel, which is one of the best Oahu Hawaii hostels in Haleiwa.
This is one of the best hostels in Honolulu for
- 50+ Travellers
- Female Solo-Travellers
- Male Solo-Travellers
Check prices at:
Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Some additional great Tips for Maximizing your Vacay!
When it comes to Hawaii, there are a few things that will help you have a great time. Even though some of the best hostels are right on Waikiki Beach, don’t limit yourself to this locale. There are so many options that are just as great and may suit your trip even better.
Another big thing is to never dismiss the idea of experiences. A lot of people will focus on getting cool souvenirs when they go somewhere, but memories will last a lot longer than an item.
Still get an item too because stuff can be cool, but it’s the memories that are more important.
To aid in this memory-making, a cool tip is to get a unique scent and put that on specifically for your trip.
The theory behind this is that memory and smells are so closely correlated that by wearing a specific cologne or perfume, your brain will tie the scent to the memory. Then every time you smell this new smell, you will be whisked away in your mind’s eye back to that location.
Lastly, don’t be fooled by all the look-alike Pearl Harbor stations.
There is only one Pearl Harbor, so make sure you look it up in relation to where you are so you don’t get scammed at a fake location. Tons of places will try to fool tourists to make an extra buck.
On top of being scammed and ripped off, keep in mind that gift shops at hotels and the airport are WAY overpriced for the quality of goods you get there.
You can find something of higher quality for the same price when you get to the place you’re going to be staying.
What about the cheapest hostels in Honolulu?
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 Honolulu.
- Open Hostelz.com with a full list of all hostels in Honolulu
- add your dates
- 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?
You can find all our hostel discounts worldwide here. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the freshest hostel discounts directly in your inbox. We even have special discount codes we only share in the newsletter.
It is completely free to join!
How to book?
The most popular booking platforms are Booking.com and Hostelworld.com. On both platforms, your credit card is 100% protected and the booking 100% confirmed.
We included some handy links to each of the recommended hostel. Just click on the hostel name. The link will lead you to check prices and availability.
Read: Step-by-Step guide on how to book with Hostelworld
We recommend booking your hostel as early as possible! All of Honolulu best hostels are popular; especially in high-season. To make sure you end up in those stylish and good hostels, secure your room/bed as soon as you have your travel dates fix.
The coolest Hostel App you need comes as well from Hostelworld. It gives you super cool features like you can contact your hostel mates beforehand, ask questions, and make plans together. Find more details in our review of the app.
Scan the QR Code with your Smartphone to download the Hostelworld App from the App Store - like a real Hostel Geek!
Need an eSIM Card for Honolulu?
Get your eSIM Card with Airalo.com instantly online. It is easy to set up and cheap! Read our review of Airalo here.
No more searching for mobile stores. Get your eSIM Card for now and enjoy it instantly after landing in your new destination.
Our Favorite Hostels in Honolulu put on a map + sights
Let us have a look at the map. Below, we list all three best Honolulu hostels on a map.
Personally, we love to plan our trips with a map having all sights and potential hostels on it. We thought this map will help you with planning your trip too.
In Honolulu we absolutely enjoyed:
- Waikiki Beach
- Pearl Harbor / USS Arizona Memorial
- Manoa Falls
- Waimea Bay
- Diamond Head State Monument
- Sunset Beach
- Iolani Palace
- National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
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FAQs
We hope you love our guide about the best hostels in Oahu, Honolulu. Here we share with you the most asked question:
Any questions about hostels in Honolulu?
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Ask all your questions and connect with like-minded wanderers 🔥
Flights to Honolulu?
American Airlines, Air Canada, and Air France are the three airlines that make the most trips from the United States to Honolulu International Airport.
We use Skyscanner and Omio.com to find cheap flights and good connections all over the globe.
Skyscanner has a bunch of cool features like Multi-City Trip. Instead of doing this research step-by-step, Skyscanner offers this flight planning tool.
More handmade Guides for you
We’ve gone one step further and created these awesome guides to nearby destinations in the USA:
Here are all our US Hostel Guides:
- best hostels in the USA
- best hostels in New York City, Manhattan and Brooklyn
- best hostels in California
- best hostels in Washington DC
- best hostels in Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu
- best hostels in Los Angeles
- best hostels in San Diego
- best hostels in San Francisco
- best hostels in Hollywood
- best hostels in Key West
- best hostels in Seattle
- best hostels in Boston
- best hostels in Chicago
- best hostels in New Orleans
- best hostels in Portland
- best hostels in Denver
- best hostels in Houston
- best hostels in Dallas
- best hostels in Miami
- best hostels in Las Vegas
- best hostels in Boulder
- best hostels in Anchorage
Party hostels in the US:
- coolest party hostels in the US
- coolest party hostels in Miami
- coolest party hostels in San Francisco
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 Honolulu 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
