3 Best Hostels in Jerusalem, Israel – Great Food, Hostel Tours and Banksy Art

3 Best Hostels in Jerusalem, Israel - Great Food, Hostel Tours and Banksy Art
Photo by Dan Freeman

So you’re ready to visit one of the oldest cities in the world and discover the best hostels in Jerusalem.

This holy place is a surreal and vibrant city; the religious and historical epicentre of the world! We travelled to Israel already twice; this is our insider guide on the best hostels with location and tours (read this guide ’til the end with my insider tips!!!)

It’s quite something to venture to Israel and witness a mix of Old City history and modern day lifestyle. And the hostel game is something to behold!

Your shortcut:

  1. Stay Inn Hostel – best for solo travelers
  2. The Post Hostel – ideal for couples
  3. Abraham Hostel – perfect for groups & adults

Any questions about hostels in Jerusalem?

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This is your chance to revel in local culture and enjoy comforts from home, all at the same time.

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

Have a look at our guide to the best hostels in Tel Aviv – great for female solo travellers. We have also put together the absolute BEST Hostels in Israel and Palestine.

Quick Introduction to Jerusalem

Average price for a bed: Hostels in Jerusalem cost 13€ – 23€ per night for a bed in a dorm. A private room starts from 30€ up to 90€ per night. This is a rough average just to give you an idea.

Prices always depend on season and holidays. Please always check exact rates on Hostelworld.com or Booking.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.

Hostel Location: The best location for Jerusalem Hostels in between the Old City and Mahane Yehuda Market. This way you have access to the train station, main bus station, fun nightlife and the curious Old Town. All our 3 recommended hostels are located here.

Day Trips to Dead Sea and others: You can join fun day tours to the dead sea, Ein Gedi, West Bank Tour and such. Best way to book is directly with Get Your Guide. You can find here all Abraham Hostels tours as well.

Any questions on tours? We joined several, we can help you with insider tips. Drop us a comment below!

IMPORTANT; Shabbat – Travelling on a Friday or Saturday: From Friday Sunset to Saturday Sunset there is the Shabbat. Meaning, there will be no public transport and many restaurants and stores are closed. You can easily say 90% of the city and country shuts down. Yes, you can still take a private taxi to the airport, but it costs an arm and a leg. So, if you can, avoid travelling from Friday.

Visa: Most countries will provide a visa on arrival; it is free. You will get a small extra paper as visa, not a stamp when flying into the country. They do this as they know you may have problems entering other countries if you have been to Israel.

Personally, I cannot enter Saudi Arabia with my current passport, since I have the Israeli Visa stamp. If entering through Jordan by land, you will get the passport stamp, they do not have the paper-visa there.

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

The 3 Best Hostels in Jerusalem

What is the best hostel in Jerusalem? Let’s find out.

  1. Stay Inn Hostel
  2. The Post Hostel
  3. Abraham Hostel

We put all three accommodation on the map, you will find the map at the end of the article.

Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type

🦸 Solo Traveler: Stay Inn Hostel
🙎‍♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler: The Post Hostel Jerusalem
🥳 Party Hostel:Abraham Hostels Jerusalem
👩‍❤️‍👨Couple Hostel: The Post Hostel Jerusalem
👨‍👩‍👦 Family Hostel: Stay Inn Hostel
👩‍💻 For Digital Nomads: Abraham Hostels Jerusalem
🎒 For Backpackers: Abraham Hostels Jerusalem

1. Stay Inn Hostel (best for solo-traveler!)

When it comes to a #1 hostel in any destination, there are a few must haves, in our opinion.

At Stay Inn Hostel, all of the following boxes are ticked:

  • Prime location
  • Affordable prices
  • Comfy rooms
  • Awesome service

Yet it doesn’t stop there, oh no.

The design is fresh, modern and certainly created with the solo traveller in mind.

Social vibes are always flowing thanks to the onsite bar and fun events such as group meals and BBQ’s.

In fact, drinks are on sale almost around the clock!

Get to know the city and join a free walking tour – this is also a great way to meet other travellers and share experiences.

Ideal: reception is open 24/7 and there is no curfew.

What we love about the rooms is the privacy curtains and crisp, clean environment.

The dorms come in many sizes, from 4-14 beds. This mean you can choose depending on your level of social ability.

There’s also private options for both couples and small families of four.

Drop your bags and hit the rooftop – this is a great way to overlook Jerusalem and get your bearings.

Location: Right in the city centre. Tourist attractions, bars, markets and the Old City are all within a few minute walk from the hostel. You are between the Mahane Yehuda Market and the Old City, ideal!!

Remember, we said it is the best location to stay between these two spots!

This is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem for

  • Solo travellers
  • Families
Book Stay Inn Hostel here

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

Stay Inn Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel Stay Inn Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel Stay Inn Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel

2. The Post Hostel

Alright dear readers, let’s now visit a stylish urban hostel that serves as a cosy and convenient base for all.

The Post Hostel Jerusalem is an eclectic blend of people, design, culture and experiences.

You’ll quickly be feeling that Jerusalem vibe, created through

  • Various events (live music, yoga, workshops)
  • The fresh rooftop terrace air
  • A quiet evening at the chillout room
  • Interesting discussion in the open lounge

What else? Let us show you.

How about a free breakfast, helpful staff at hand 24/7 and a shared kitchen that’s always open.

This is the Jerusalem hostel for you, whether you want to talk the day away or get through that good book (or two).

Overall, there are 40 stylish rooms to choose from.

There are of course the usual dorms, with 4,8, 10 or 12-beds.

Yet we’d like to focus more on the option for couples and travelling friends.

Stay in a double or triple private and enjoy hotel-like comfort. This includes TV, ensuite and all the furnishings that allow you to actually unpack your bag!

Female solo traveller? Your best bet is the 8-bed ladies dorm – check out all that space!

Super cool: ask about joining the Mount of Olives tour. Guests of the hostel get a great discount.

Location: Situated right above the light rail stop in central Jerusalem. Many of the city’s attractions are within a short walking distance.

This is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem for

  • Couples
  • Friends
  • Female solo travellers
Book The Post Hostel here

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

The Post Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel The Post Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel The Post Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel The Post Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel

3. Abraham Hostel

Abraham Hostels Jerusalem is by far the biggest and most sociable in this collection – it boats a whopping 250 beds! Stay here if what you seek is a great atmosphere and daily events and tours.

It is a very big hostel, and you will find travellers of all ages here. In fact, when we stayed here, 50% of fellow travelers were above 50. So it is the best hostel in Jerusalem for adults.

There can be also big groups, which can make the hostel a bit unsocial. That being said, there have been always solo-travellers playing pool billiard or foosball.

Useless Fun Fact for you: I won against the Jeruslem champion of Foosball in this very hostel. What a fun night; for me at least, the guy was not too happy…

Let’s not beat around the bush. Abraham Hostels in Jerusalem also offers:

  • Hostel bar
  • Huge lounge
  • FREE breakfast
  • FREE WiFi (also, not always stable!)
  • Awesome rooftop

With large accommodation comes large spaces to hang out in.

Wander around and choose your spot: on a beanbag, hammock, soft chair, rooftop, by the pool table – the choices are (almost) endless! Beat boredom and get involved in something fun every day of the week.

Anything from open mic and pub crawls to hummus workshops and shabbat dinners. Oh and of course, that all important happy hour that actually lasts for two. It might surprise you that the dorm beds are kept relatively small, in a place so big.

There actually happens to be a male-only and female-only dorm – both with just 4 and 6-beds!

Otherwise, meet more people in the 8 and 10-bed options.

Note: there is a 5-bed room which can can used for groups as well as families.

Staff are super knowledgeable and can help you book tours in and around the area.

Location: Hostel Abraham Jerusalem is right in Davidka Square, just a 3 minutes walk from Mahane Yehuda Market. It’s a 20-minute walk to the Old City.

Abraham tours: The hostel also offers a traveler board. Here you can sit down and chat with a hostel worker about tours on offer. Abraham has cool tours for Ein Gedi, Masada, Dead Sea, West Bank and so on.

Tours are not exactly cheap, yet they do make things easier.

One thing we did not like about the travel board and Abraham Hostel: They do not help you with any other travel plans except their tours. When asking for public transport, the support was very limited. Especially when asking for public transport to Ramallah or Bethlehem, the responses even implied to scare you by saying “it is quite risky, buses are unreliable, maybe not safe”.

So again, Abraham is a great hostel for groups and adults. Solo Travellers better go with Stay Inn Hostel and the tours can be fun if you look for comfort tours.

This is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem for

  • Adults
  • Groups
Book Abraham Hostel here

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

Abraham Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel Abraham Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel Abraham Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel Abraham Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel

Best Hostels in Jerusalem for Solo Travellers?

What is seriously the best hostel in Jerusalem for solo-travellers?

That’s easy; Stay Inn hostel.

It has everything a solo traveller could ask for. Central location, fun vibes and a wonderful range of modern rooms.

Book Stay Inn Hostel here

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

Stay Inn Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel

Party Hostels in Jerusalem

Luckily for you, there are two great choices for party hostels in Jerusalem!

Well to tell the truth, neither of them class themselves as a party hostel. Bare this in mind, it’s important. Whilst the nightlife in Jerusalem is surprisingly good, there are no up-all-night-crazy-go-hard party hostels here like you’d find in Ibiza.

Instead, there is a wonderful balance between good vibes and an escape to quiet, comfy rooms.

Read: How to Be the Worst Hostel Guest Ever? 22-steps Recipe

We’ve already mentioned Abraham Hostel, which is our #3 hostel in this guide. This has huge potential for a fun night thanks to the hostel bar and arranged pub crawls and activities amongst travellers.

In second place, we’d like to mention Cinema Hostel Jerusalem.

Whilst the cinema evenings offer a more relaxed vibe, there is also a chance to join pub crawls and jam sessions. Good vibes certainly kick off at the on-site bar where special cocktails await.

Tip: opt for a smaller 4 or 6-bed dorm to balance out a good time with a good sleep.

Book Cinema Hostel Jerusalem here

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

Cinema Hostel is one of the best party hostels in Jerusalem, Israel

Hostels in Jerusalem Old City

Fancy experiencing being in the Old City of Jerusalem and what it feels like to sleep in a 700 year old building?

We thought some of you might.

This is your chance to delve into the charm and history of Jerusalem and be amongst the religious aspect of the city.

Two top hostels in Jerusalem Old City include:

  1. Jaffa Gate Hostel (aka Jaffa Hostel Jerusalem) – free tour, Wifi & private and dorm rooms
  2. New Citadel Hostel (aka Citadel Hostel Jerusalem) – sleep on the rooftop in summer

Note: there are other hostels in this area such as Hebron Hostel Jerusalem and Chain Gate Hostel, yet we would recommend the above two first.

Friendly reminder, check our map for the Jerusalem hostels. Here you have an excellent overview of all the different locations.

We went that extra mile and found some options to help you find a cheap hostel Jerusalem:

  1. New Swedish Hostel
  2. Palm Hostel Jerusalem

On the same note: Is it worth it to stay in the Old City in Jerusalem?

No, we do not think so.

The city is packed, and very much overpriced. If you think Jerusalem in general is pricey, wait until you see prices in the old town. In our opinion, stay slightly outside the old town like The Post Hostel, Stay Inn or even Abraham Hostel.

You will be visiting the Old Town anyways. At night, you want to have fun, get a drink and wander the night market.

Citadel Youth Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem Old City
Citadel Youth Hostel
Citadel Youth Hostel is one of the best hostels in Jerusalem Old City
Jaffa Gate Hostel

Sleep in Bethlehem at Banksy Hostel / Hotel

This is a super cool recommendation; I wish I knew about this before travelling here.

A fellow hostel mate told me about the Banksy Hotel in Bethlehem, he was planning to stay there the following day.

What is that?

The Banksy Hotel offers the “worst hotel view”. Basically, Banksy designed this hotel right in front of the separation wall from Israel and West Bank, near Jerusalem.

The official name is The Walled Off Hotel, you can book it on Booking.com.

Please note, the hotel is not cheap. The one and only dorm they have can be $50 per night for a single bed. And for the private rooms, the hotel will block $1000 on your credit car. It will be unblocked when you check-out and nothing is missing or broken in the room.

They needed to do this, since people started to steal Banksy Art.

In a nutshell, it is pricey but an incredibly unique place to stay! Beds and rooms are sold out fast, so better plan accordingly and book ahead.

Book The Walled Off Hotel here

How to book?

We recommend using Booking.com or Hostelworld for your reservations.

Hostelworld is the most popular website when it comes to hostel bookings.

Read: step-by-step guide on how to book with Hostelworld

On both platforms your credit card is 100% protected and the booking 100% confirmed.

We included the handy links to each of the recommended hostel. Just click on the hostel name. The link will lead you to check prices and availability.

Here is the overview:

  1. Stay Inn Hostel Jerusalem: Booking.com | Hostelworld
  2. The Post Hostel Jerusalem: Booking.com | Hostelworld
  3. Abraham Hostel Jerusalem: Booking.com | Hostelworld

We recommend booking your hostel as early as possible!

All of Jerusalem best hostels are popular; especially in high-season. To make sure you end up in those stylish hostels, secure your room or bed as soon as you have your travel dates fix.

What about the cheapest hostels in Jerusalem?

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 Jerusalem.

  1. Open Hostelz.com with a full list of all hostels in Jerusalem
  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?

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 Jerusalem 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.

Download the Hostelworld App here

QR Code to Download your Hostelworld app with one scan
Scan the QR Code with your Smartphone to download the Hostelworld App from the App Store - like a real Hostel Geek!

The best way to find hostels: Hostelgeeks website and Hostelworld App

Need an eSIM Card for Jerusalem?

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.

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Need an eSIM Card for Jerusalem?

Our Favorite Hostels in Jerusalem put on a map + sights

Let us have a look on the map. Below we list all three best Jerusalem 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.

We also included the main tourist attractions you’ve to know in this list:

  • Old City
  • Western Wall – West Jerusalem
  • Church of the Holy Sepulchre
  • Dome of the Rock
  • Temple Mount
  • Tower of David
  • Mount of Olives
  • Mahane Yehuda Market
  • Jaffa Gate

(Deactivate different layers in the left sidebar, open the map in a new tab here)

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More tips and Things to do in Jerusalem

I want to add a bit more insight to this guide.

There are many many things I wish I knew before coming over, so I really want to help you to make the best out of your trip.

Great and cheap food

Here are my favorite three places to eat in Jerusalem on a budget:

  • Jachnun Bar – great comfort food at the Mahane Yehuda Market
  • Slices of great Pizza at Craft Pizza
  • מסעדת נגילה Nagila Rest
  • Cofix (for good and budget-friendly coffee and snacks)

I marked them for you on the map, too.

Dead Sea Trip

An absolute must do is visiting the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is only a 45-60 minutes ride away from Jerusalem.  We joined the Dead Sea Tour by Abraham Hostels. It was around 45€, and takes 4 hours.

Few things to pack for the Dead Sea:

  • Bathing suite but not any white or beige colors – the mud can leave marks on them
  • flips flops – not really necessary. Some blogs recommend flip flops, you won’t need them. In fact, they will end up muddy, better walk bare-foot.
  • bring a newspaper for some fun photos; you will find free ones in your hostel or kiosk
  • 15 minutes is a good amount of time to be in the water
  • 2 hours around the Dead Sea is enough; I thought more time would be great, but it is plenty to enjoy, chill, swim
  • There are many flies; super annoying but what can you do.
  • There is a bar and restaurant with average food and overpriced drinks. Better bring some water and a snack with you.
  • Team up with hostel mates to take photos of each other
Book your Dead Sea Tour here

Dead Sea Trip

Better not discuss Politics

One guy put it really well: You are there to learn and listen, not to give away your limited knowledge on the area.

Ask and listen. Listen and ask. When talking to 10 people, you will get 11 opinions.

The situation is so complex and centuries long, nobody expects you to walk in and throw your magic knowledge on them. Listen and listen more.

Old City Jerusalem - make sure you wander a lot around and get lost

Wear no religious Symbols and dress appropriately

Since the Old City is divided by religions and nations, it is better to skip any religious symbols. It will just avoid issues. Imagine you walk with a cross around your neck around the Dome of the Rock. Moslem’s will not be very happy to see this and so on.

There are even tours that tell you not to bring any religious symbols with you.

As for clothing, always wear something appropriate. Sure, you will not walk around shirtless or in Bikini (like some bad tourists do in Barcelona and other places), but remember you should always cover the shoulder and wear pants covering knees.

This way you can always enter the church, Synagogue and Mosque.

Free walking tour in Jerusalem

Passport and Visa

I recommend carrying your passport at all times.

You will need it when crossing from Jerusalem to Bethlehem for instance. You will also need it when traveling from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. It is better to carry it with you so you can identify yourself.

I highly recommend to visit the West Bank when you are around.

The Best of West Bank Tour takes you around Ramallah, Jericho and Bethlehem. It also includes a visit to the Separation Wall and famous Graffiti.

Have a look at some of the Graffiti you can see.

Graffiti in Jerusalem Make Hummus not walls - a Graffiti at the separation Wall of Israel and West Bank I cannot believe what you say because I see what you do - James Baldwin Donald Trump Graffiti in Bethlehem

Safety in Jerusalem and Israel

One of the most common questions I get is “Is Israel safe“.

The answer is YES! Unless you are a Jew, Moslem or US American, you will not run into any issues at any side. 99% of people are incredibly happy to see tourists. You can even take endless photos of Jews praying on the Western Wall, you can even ask Soldiers to take a photo with you.

That being said, always pay attention to smaller things. We were just wondering around Old Town, when a police check-point told us we cannot enter here: “Moslem’s only“. This was in the old town.

Be respectful at all times. Personally, I was afraid to do something wrong all the time.

When visiting the Western Wall, I was not sure if I could actually enter.

Luckily, I had a fellow hostel mate with me who already went there. We just had to put on the Kippah (for free at the entrance!), and then you can go to the wall, even pray and take photos.

Please remember, women and men have a separate area to visit the Western Wall.

Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem

Wearing a Kippah at the Western Wall is mandatory and free The Women Area of the Wester Wall

Guns and Soldiers everywhere

Especially for a European and many other countries, it is quite unusual to see armed people all over the place. You see massive machine guns and regular guns everywhere.

This is part of the situation right now.

Praying at the western Wall in jerusalem, Old City

Have fun

It is not all that serious as it might look! People enjoy their trip to Israel and have an incredible time here.

There is even pub crawls to join, party, live music. Do not forget to smile. Soak in the culture, the situation, learn, listen, ask, smile.

Funny Camels; always worth it to take a photo

Flights to Jerusalem?

So how can you actually fly to Jerusalem?

The most used Airport is Ben Gurion in Tel Aviv. Or at least, they do say it is Tel Aviv. In fact, Ben Gurion Airport is located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

From the Airport you can take a bus or train to the main train station in Jerusalem. It is cheap, especially compared to shared taxis.

Although we always took flights to Ben Gurion Airport, there is also cheap flights to Eilat and Jordan. Consider checking flights there too.

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.

Our Step-by-Step Guide to Skyscanner

review of Skyscanner flight searches

FAQ

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

More Guides

Alright, this is your answer to where to stay in Jerusalem – a collection of wonderful hostels Jerusalem has to offer.

We did the leg work for you and bring you more hostel guides to destinations:

You can find all our new and updates articles for Best Hostels in here.

We also created a huge guide to hostels. Here we cover how to build lifetime friendships in hostels, the perfect packing list and more.

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 Jerusalem 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

Happy travels!

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A complete guide and overview to the best hostels in Jerusalem, Israel

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