Short answer: 1. Sunset Destination Hostel is the one to book first. Rooftop pool, free breakfast, sits inside a train station, and it is still the most social hostel in the city. For a calmer, more design-led stay go with 3. Lisbon Calling, and for a pool plus coworking combo look at 2. Selina Secret Garden . Prices in Lisbon swing hard by season, so run the dates through Hostelz first and compare across booking sites before you commit.
Lisbon has a very special place in my heart. It is one of the places where I fell in love with hostels in the first place.
Portugal takes hostels seriously in a way most countries still don’t. The standard here is high, the staff actually hang out with guests, and the design in some of these places is better than hotels charging four times as much. Below is our shortlist for Lisbon, plus the party picks, the solo traveller picks, and a few gems further down.
Awesome design, real events, a rooftop swimming pool. Yeah, it is all here.
Our favorite hostels in Lisbon are:
- Sunset Destination Hostel - best for Solo Travellers
- Selina Secret Garden - best for Female Solo Travellers
- Lisbon Calling - best for Couples
- Extra: Lisbon Destination Hostel - best for Digital Nomads
Money-saving tip: Compare hostel prices with Hostelz.com. They compare prices from Hostelworld, Booking.com and others with 1 click.
1. Sunset Destination Hostel
2. Selina Secret Garden
3. Lisbon Calling
Lisbon sits on the west coast of Portugal and it works for pretty much every kind of budget traveller: digital nomads, solo travellers, party people, slow backpackers. For the party crowd, here is our handwritten guide to the coolest party hostels in Lisbon and one of the best surf hostels in Lisbon.
We’ll get into the party hostels and the best hostel in Lisbon for solo travellers further down. Cheap places to stay in Lisbon are listed here too.
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
- Introduction to Lisbon Hostels
- Best Hostels in Lisbon Compared at a Glance
- How to Pick the Right Lisbon Hostel
- Our top hostel picks in Lisbon
Quick Introduction to Best Hostels Lisbon
Lisbon has a lot of hostels. More than 160 of them, at least, and the quality across the board is high. Which is a lovely problem to have until you are staring at page four of search results at midnight trying to decide.
So let’s make it easy. First, the general stuff worth knowing before you book:
Average price for a bed: a dorm bed can be as cheap as 13€. For a decent hostel, push your budget to around 20€. Honestly, it is worth it, because at that point you are into gorgeous boutique places and hostels with rooftop terraces or a pool.
Treat that as a rough average, not a promise. Rates move with season and holidays, and in Lisbon it is very normal for places to jump their prices on weekends. Always check the exact rate for your dates on Hostelz, which compares what the different booking sites are charging for the same bed, or go direct to Hostelworld.com or Booking.com.
Check-in and check-out: check-in is usually from 15:00 (3pm), check-out before 11:00 (11am). Most hostels store your luggage if you arrive early or leave late. Ask whether that storage is free or costs extra, because it is not always free.
Best areas to stay in Lisbon: Lisbon is compact, but the neighbourhoods are genuinely distinct from each other. Here are the ones we think are worth basing yourself in. They are all marked on the map below.
Central areas, the most popular:
- Baixa: the historic centre, flat and walkable
- Chiado: the chic shopping district, plus a lot of culture (and egg tarts)
- Alfama: the oldest neighbourhood and the most photogenic one
For nightlife:
- Bairro Alto: the classic night out, drinks in the street
- Cais do Sodré: the hipster quarter, home of Pink Street
Lisbon tourist tax: €4 per person per night, capped at seven consecutive nights. It went up from €2 in September 2024 and it is holding at €4. This is almost never included in the price you see when booking, so add it to your budget. Under-13s are exempt.
Hostelgeeks Tip: the tax cap resets if you change accommodation, so hopping between two hostels on a long stay means paying the seven nights twice. Stay put if you can.
How long to visit Lisbon?
You can cover Lisbon’s highlights in 2 to 3 days. We’d give it more.
The day trips are the reason. Sintra alone eats a full day and deserves it (more on those below). If your budget is tight, skip the day trips and spend the time at the beach instead, wandering the tiled streets, eating well, drinking cheap wine, catching Fado drifting out of a doorway.
Four days is a good number. Five if you want to breathe.
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
The weather here is decent year round, but we’d avoid the extremes.
Winters are not cold, they are just wet. It is the rainiest stretch of the year and the rooftop terraces you came for are shut or miserable.
Summers are warm and very, very busy. If crowds don’t bother you, or July and August are the only weeks you can take off, go for it. Just know what you’re signing up for.
The sweet spot is March to early June, or September into October. Warm, fewer people, and hostel prices are noticeably kinder.
Transport in Lisbon: the city is small and walkable, but it is hilly, and the hills are not a joke. Public transport is cheap and worth using. Buses, trams and funiculars run under Carris while the metro is a separate operator, which sounds confusing but isn’t in practice: get a Navegante occasional card (the reloadable card that used to be called Viva Viagem) and load it with zapping credit, which works across all of them. You can also just tap a contactless bank card at the metro barriers now. The Lisboa Card is the other option and bundles transport with museum entries.
Budget Tip: check out our Lisbon budget travel 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 Lisbon are …
Let’s jump right into the coolest hostels in Lisbon.
- Sunset Destination Hostel – best for Solo Travellers
- Selina Secret Garden – best for Female Solo Travellers
- Lisbon Calling – best for Couples
- Extra: Lisbon Destination Hostel - best for Digital Nomads
These are our favorite hostels in Lisbon. 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. Sunset Destination Hostel
2. Selina Secret Garden
3. Lisbon Calling
Best Hostels in Lisbon Compared at a Glance
Here is the whole shortlist in one place. If you are in a hurry, this table is the article.
| Hostel | Best for | Vibe | Area | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunset Destination Hostel | Solo travellers, first-timers, party | Social, loud in the evenings, friendly | Cais do Sodré | Heated rooftop pool and river views, inside the train station |
| 2. Selina Secret Garden | Digital nomads, couples, long stays | Design-led, relaxed, sociable at the pool | Santos, walking distance to Bairro Alto | Outdoor pool, rooftop terrace, coworking |
| 3. Lisbon Calling | Couples, mature travellers, light sleepers | Calm, homely, definitely not a party hostel | Rua de São Paulo, by Cais do Sodré | Themed rooms in a 250-year-old building, big shared kitchen |
| 4. Lisbon Destination Hostel | Sociable travellers who want central | Busy, easy to meet people, well run | Rossio | You sleep inside Rossio railway station, under a glass roof |
| WOT Lisbon Patio Hostel | Backpackers, groups of friends | Chilled, outdoorsy, low-key | Central, near trains and metro | Hammocks and a big outdoor lounge, free breakfast |
| Yes Lisbon Hostel | Solo travellers who want to go out | Event-driven, lobby-centred, social | Baixa | Famous group dinner and pub crawl |
| The Independente Hostel & Suites | Solo travellers who want quiet plus style | Stylish, grown-up, calm | Bairro Alto / Príncipe Real | Dorms in three sizes, bar and garden on site |
Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type
| 🦸 Solo Traveler: | Lisbon Destination Hostel |
| 🙎♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler: | Selina Secret Garden Lisbon |
| 🥳 Party Hostel: | Sunset Destination Hostel |
| 👩❤️👨 Couple Hostel: | Lisbon Calling |
| 👨👩👦 Family Hostel: | Selina Secret Garden Lisbon |
| 👩💻 For Digital Nomads: | Selina Secret Garden Lisbon |
| 🧘 Cozy Hostel: | Lisbon Calling |
How to Pick the Right Lisbon Hostel
Most people overthink this. Here is the shortcut, by whoever you happen to be:
- Travelling solo and want to meet people fast → 1. Sunset Destination Hostel. The rooftop does the work for you.
- Travelling solo and want quiet → The Independente. Sociable without the 2am corridor traffic.
- A couple → 3. Lisbon Calling. Big private rooms, calm building, real sleep.
- Here to party → 1. Sunset Destination Hostel again, or dig into our Lisbon party hostel guide.
- Solo female traveller → 1. Sunset Destination Hostel has female-only dorms and 24-hour reception, which is the combination worth paying for.
- A group of friends → WOT Lisbon Patio. Big outdoor space, nobody feels crammed in.
- Working remotely → 2. Selina Secret Garden for the coworking setup, or 3. Lisbon Calling if you’d rather work somewhere quiet.
- On the tightest possible budget → compare the whole city on Hostelz and sort by price. More on that below.
Our Top Hostel Picks in Lisbon
These are the ones we keep sending friends to. Each one is here for a different reason, so read the fit rather than the ranking.
1. Sunset Destination Hostel (5 Star accommodation on a budget)
Right. Let’s start with the obvious one.
The Sunset Destination Hostel is an award-winning hostel and we’ve given it a 5 Star Hostel rating. It is easily the best hostel Lisbon has to offer, and honestly we’d go further and say it is one of the best in Portugal. Here is our full review of Sunset Destination.
The reasons are not subtle. How often do you get sunset views and a rooftop swimming pool on a hostel budget? The pool is heated now, too, which quietly extends the season by a few months.
The rooms are beautifully designed and there is something for most travellers: female-only dorms, mixed dorms, private rooms, family rooms. The bunk beds were inspired by a trip to Cappadocia, and each one comes with its own light, fan and sockets, plus a little basket for the stuff that always ends up on the floor otherwise.
What’s included:
- Noise-reducing bunk beds
- Large lockers
- Personal light and a small cubby
- Linen
- Free WiFi
Not that you’ll spend much time in the room once you’ve seen the rest of it.
The rooftop is the whole point: pool, bar, urban garden, and a view over the river and the bridge. The shared kitchen area is where the free breakfast happens every morning, and it is a proper breakfast. Sandwiches, cereal, fruit, butter and cinnamon pancakes (our favourite), freshly ground coffee. Most evenings the chef puts on a dinner or a BBQ that you’re welcome to join. You pay a small fee at reception and reserve a spot.
Activities? There are almost too many. Free walking tours, pub crawls, traditional Fado nights, DJ sets, and free beer hour at the bar between 7 and 8pm. Yes, free beer.
The common areas are built for meeting people, which is either exactly what you want or exactly what you don’t. We know travellers who spent whole afternoons on that terrace and never made it to the sights. Be warned.
Location-wise, it sits directly above Cais do Sodré station, which is a train, metro and ferry hub all in one. Trains along the coast to Carcavelos, Estoril and Cascais leave from downstairs, Pink Street is around the corner, and Bairro Alto is a short uphill walk. For a hostel this social, that is an unfair advantage.
Hostelgeeks Tip: this place books out weeks ahead in spring and autumn. If your dates are fixed, book it before you book your flight.
Read our full review of Sunset Destination Hostel here.
Sunset Destination Hostel is the best hostel in Lisbon for:
- solo travellers (male and female)
- couples
- social butterflies
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
2. Selina Secret Garden
Backpackers, remote workers, couples and locals all end up in the same building here, which is not something you can say about most hostels.
Selina Secret Garden has a rooftop terrace that does most of the social heavy lifting. It is genuinely easy to fall into conversation up there, which is why it keeps landing on our solo traveller list.
Location? It sits in Santos, tucked off the street, with Cais do Sodré and Bairro Alto both an easy walk away. Central without being on top of the noise. I added a map further down, along with my personal secret tips for Lisbon.
As you can see in the photos: an outdoor pool, a small cinema, and a clean, considered design throughout. Dorm beds have privacy curtains, which I will always take over an extra euro off the price.
The video below shows the place better than I can describe it.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
The private rooms are the strong suit. Spacious, clean, and about five minutes from the nightlife without being in it.
What we like:
- 🏊 Outdoor swimming pool
- 🎉 Roof Top Terrace
- 🧘 Yoga & wellness classes
- 👨💻 CoWork
- Special Cool Tours like: 🚲 Cycling 🤿 Diving ⛵ Boating 🏄 Surf 🪂 Sky Dive
- 🎉 Party Destination
- 🗽 Landmark Tours
- Exclusive organic products for sale
As mentioned, this is the pick for digital nomads. The onsite coworking space is the obvious reason.
Worth flagging: this property has changed hands and changed names in recent years, so double-check the current name on your booking confirmation before you turn up at the door. The building, the pool and the terrace are the same.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
3. Lisbon Calling (quirky design, home away from home)
A 250-year-old building, seven rooms, and no two of them alike.
Lisbon Calling is the one I’d book if I wanted Lisbon at a slower speed. Have a look at the photos and you’ll get it immediately: raised sleeping platforms, warm colours, every room built around its own theme.
The dorms are mixed, each with a different look. Private rooms are lovely and big. Bathrooms are shared across the board, because the whole place was designed to feel like someone’s home rather than a building full of strangers. There are separate HIS and HER toilets and showers, so it works better than it sounds.
The living room is the heart of it. Cosy, colourful, calm. It joins onto a fully equipped kitchen, and there is a long table where people actually sit down and eat together. That table is where the friendships happen.
Read: how to make friends at hostels
The vibe is chill and the staff are properly helpful. Ask them anything about the city, they know it.
This is not a party hostel. They don’t run activities either, which is deliberate. If you want organised social events, go with our number one pick instead.
One practical warning: the entrance is easy to walk straight past. It is an old residential building with no big sign, so save the address on your map before you arrive, or email ahead for directions. Arriving at 11pm hunting for an unmarked door is nobody’s idea of a good start.
Location is better than people expect. It is on Rua de São Paulo down by Cais do Sodré, which puts you around ten minutes’ walk from Praça do Comércio, five minutes from the Cais do Sodré nightlife strip, and close to the metro line that runs straight to the airport. The Time Out Market is essentially around the corner.
Lisbon Calling is the best hostel in Lisbon for:
- Couples
- mature travellers
- Digital nomads
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
4. Lisbon Destination Hostel
Lisbon’s second 5 Star Hostel, and we couldn’t leave it out.
Lisbon Destination Hostel is the sister property to our number one pick, and it pulls the same trick: stay here and you are sleeping inside Rossio Railway Station. Glass roof overhead, plants everywhere, light pouring into the common areas. We wrote a full guide to it if you want the detail.
What you get:
- Free breakfast
- Free sangria every night at the bar
- Pool table, badminton, ping-pong
- Free walking tours
- Pub crawls
Sociable or not, you’ll be fine here. Every bunk has a privacy curtain, so disappearing for an evening is easy. Reception is staffed 24 hours, so late arrivals and security are never a problem.
It is the most central option on this list by some distance. Whether that is a plus depends on how much you like being woken by a station.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Best Hostels in Lisbon for Solo Travellers?
This was the easy part of writing this guide. Lisbon is a good solo city and the hostels know it.
Our top two for going it alone are 1. Sunset Destination Hostel and 2. Selina Secret Garden . Here are two more worth knowing about.
1. First, The Independente Hostel & Suites. One of the most stylish hostels in the city, sitting right where the nightlife is.
The dorms come in small, medium and large, which is a smarter system than it sounds: pick your room size based on how sociable you’re feeling that week. There is a bar, a restaurant, a guest lounge and a garden.
It is the pick for solo travellers who want a sociable place that still lets them sleep.
2. But maybe you’re travelling alone specifically to go out. In that case, Yes Lisbon Hostel.
The lobby is where everyone ends up, and it is where the events happen: free walking tour, the famous group dinner, an optional pub crawl afterwards. Rooms are quiet, and there is free coffee going all day, which after a pub crawl is not nothing.
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com
Nightlife in Lisbon
You’ve probably heard. Lisbon goes out.
Bairro Alto is the famous one: hundreds of small bars, everyone drinking in the street between them, and enough young travellers around that finding a group to join takes about ten minutes.
Introvert? The easiest shortcut is a pub crawl. Somebody else handles the awkward first hour.
Bars close around 2am on weeknights, a bit later at weekends. Then the party moves to the clubs, most of which stay open until the sun is genuinely up. Same story as the nightlife in Barcelona.
Cais do Sodré and Pink Street are the other half of the night, and they are closer to most of the hostels on this list.
Is Lisbon a safe city to travel?
Lisbon is a safe city. It also has a lot of pickpockets, which is a different thing entirely, and the same is true of Barcelona or Rome.
Drunk tourists are the easiest targets in the world. Be sensible with your stuff at night, especially on Tram 28 and in the Bairro Alto crush.
The basics:
- Don’t leave your things unattended
- Only carry what you actually need
- Stick to well-lit streets on the way home
You will also get offered drugs on almost every corner in the tourist areas. It is a long-running scam and whatever you get handed is not what you were promised. Just keep walking.
No need to be paranoid. Just pay a bit of attention, and ask at reception if there are any specific spots to avoid that week.
What about the Best Party Hostels in Lisbon?
Is it too predictable that our top party pick is Sunset Destination Hostel again? Probably. Oh well.
You already know the list:
- rooftop
- swimming pool,
- bar,
- free beer,
- free breakfast,
- dead central.
If you can think of anything else a party hostel needs, do let us know.
But okay, there are more options. Have a look at our guide to the best party hostels in the world and read about Gspot (yes, that is a real hostel name). And by now we have written a full guide to the legendary party hostels in Lisbon.
Hostelgeeks Tip: if you’re booking a party hostel, book a smaller dorm than you think you need. Six beds instead of twelve. You’ll still meet everyone, and you’ll sleep at some point.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Best Hostels for Backpackers
There are good reasons we handpicked the hostels above. There is also a good chance they’re fully booked when you finally settle on your dates.
Book as soon as you know when you’re arriving. Lisbon has plenty of hostels, but the good ones go first, and in high season they go months out. If our top picks are gone, here are five more that will not let you down.
What are some good hostels for backpackers in Lisbon?
- WOT Lisbon Patio Hostel
- Home Lisbon Hostel
- Patio Alfama
- Goodmorning Lisbon
- Living Lounge Hostel (aka Lisbon Lounge Hostel)
- Lisbon Poets Inn
Check out this list of cheap youth hostels in Lisbon as well.
Best Backpacker Hostel: WOT Lisbon Patio Hostel (big spaces, chilled atmosphere)
Update: WOT Lisbon Patio used to be known as HUB Lisbon Patio.
Outdoor space is the thing here. WOT Lisbon Patio Hostel is built around it, and after three days of Lisbon’s hills you’ll appreciate somewhere to lie down that isn’t your bunk.
The building is newly remodelled and designed for people who want to slow down. There is a range of mixed and female-only dorms in different sizes, some with an en-suite. Twin and double private rooms also come with the en-suite option for a few more coins.
The usual comforts are included:
- linen,
- a locker (bring your own padlock),
- a curtain, and
- fast free WiFi.
Bring your own towel unless you fancy paying to rent one. Here is our hostel packing list if you want the full rundown.
The kitchen is fully equipped if you’re cooking, and there is a restaurant strip about ten minutes’ walk away if you’re not.
Important: do not confuse it with WOT New Lisbon Hostel, the sister property. Different address, same name on the booking confirmation if you skim.
The shared dining area runs into the on-site bar, but it is the outdoor lounge that makes the place. Oversized hammocks, a projector, a pool table. Fill up on the free breakfast before you head out for the day.
Central location, with trains and the metro about two minutes away.
WOT Lisbon Patio Hostel is a good hostel in Lisbon for:
- Backpackers
- Friends
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com
Best Hostels for Couples
Couples do well in Lisbon, mostly because the private rooms here are better than the price suggests.
Our number three, 3. Lisbon Calling, is made for this. The private rooms are big, the bathroom is shared but well organised, and it is not a party hostel, so you’ll actually sleep. During the day you can still mingle with the other guests around the kitchen table.
If you’d rather be somewhere with a bit more going on, 2. Selina Secret Garden leans more social. The private rooms are spot on, clean and spacious, and you can meet other couples, nomads and solo travellers at the pool or up on the terrace when you feel like company.
Hostelgeeks Tip: a private room in a good hostel usually beats a cheap hotel room in Lisbon on both price and location. Run both through Hostelz before you assume the hotel is the grown-up choice.
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com
What about the Cheapest Hostels Lisbon offers?
Looking for cheap? There is plenty of it here, and a fair amount of it is fine.
We only feature a handful of handpicked places, because we only recommend hostels we’d send our own family and friends to. The rest of the city’s hostels aren’t all bad, they just didn’t make our cut. This guide is the shortlist, not the full inventory.
And yes, there is a long tail of very cheap places with lower standards. Some of them are perfectly good for one night. Some of them are a 40-minute bus ride from anything you came to see, which is the part nobody mentions in the listing.
That last bit matters more than the price difference. A bed that is 4€ cheaper but 30 minutes out of town costs you more in transport and lost evenings than you saved.
So how do you actually find the cheapest bed in Lisbon for your dates?
- Open Hostelz.com with the full list of budget accommodation in Lisbon
- Order the listing by price
- Pick the cheapest one that is still somewhere you want to be
Hostelz is a hostel price comparison site, so it shows you what the different booking platforms are charging for the same bed rather than making you open six tabs. Hostelworld usually has strong rates and backpacker deals too, and it is worth checking both, because they are rarely identical.
Hostelgeeks Tip: check the price for your dates on a weekday and a weekend. Lisbon hostels move their rates on Fridays and Saturdays more aggressively than almost anywhere else in Europe. Shifting your arrival by one day can save you real money.
A list of things to do in Lisbon, our Secret Guide
We wrote a big guide to things to do in Lisbon. We also wrote a second one that never went public, because it is meant for actual travellers rather than search engines.
You can grab it free below. Inside:
- The best sunset spot (bring snacks and drinks)
- TRENDY: seriously good local food at local prices
- Open air concerts and a social club by the water with events most weeks
- The best surf spot and beach for a half-day trip
- A bar worth a whole night, where you’ll actually meet locals
Tip: there is also a spot in there for anyone who likes creative scenes. Artists, designers, and events running most of the year.
Things you need to know before you go
We’ve been to Lisbon several times now, and we got a few things wrong the first time. Here they are, so you don’t have to.
Book your table in restaurants in advance
Nobody warned us how full Lisbon restaurants get in the evening. The good ones are small, and small plus popular is a nightmare for spontaneous dinners.
Take our advice: ring and book your table in the morning before you head out, and avoid being turned away at 9pm when you’re already hungry and slightly annoyed. Ask your hostel to call if you’re worried about the language.
Also, many restaurants take a break in the afternoon, closing around 2 or 3pm and not reopening until 8pm. You won’t starve. You will end up eating a lot of pastéis de nata at 5pm, which is not the worst outcome.
Getting around Lisbon (and in from the airport)
Public transport here is cheap. Get a Navegante card at any metro machine, load it with zapping credit or a 24-hour ticket, and you’re covered on trams, buses, the metro and the funiculars.
From the airport, the metro red line runs straight into the city and takes roughly 20 to 25 minutes. It is by far the cheapest way in, and it beats a taxi in traffic. If you’ve got heavy bags and no patience, a taxi or rideshare takes about the same time and costs a lot more.
The old yellow Aerobus is gone, so don’t stand outside arrivals looking for it.
Hostelgeeks Tip: Tram 28 is iconic and also a rolling pickpocket convention with an hour-long queue. Ride it at 8am or walk the same route instead.
Don’t forget your sunnies
The Portuguese pavements are a genuine marvel and a genuine hazard. They’re polished limestone, they reflect everything, and they get slippery.
Expect to squint your way through the week without sunglasses. Take the hills slowly, especially after rain, and reconsider those flip-flops.
If you forget your sunglasses, skip the main shopping street and buy a pair at the markets. Better prices, better selection.
Panoramic views
Lisbon is a city of hills, which means viewpoints everywhere. Our favourites:
- Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
- Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara
- Elevador de Santa Justa
All three are on our map below.
Lisbon or Lisboa?
People get confused looking up information and finding both names.
Same place. Lisbon, Portugal.
Or should we say, Lisboa, Portugal? Lisboa is simply the Portuguese name (and the Spanish one). It is not a district or a neighbourhood or some village nearby. So when you see hostel Lisboa or hotel Lisboa, you now know that is not the name of the building.
Read: we also have guides on the best hostels in Europe, the best party hostels in Europe, and the best coworking hostels in Europe.
There’s also The Passenger Hostel in Porto, and more of the best hostels in Porto.
Hostel Discounts and How to Book
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 Lisbon 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!
Useful Map of Lisbon Hostels and Top Sights
Our Favorite Hostels in Lisbon put on a map + sights
This map is built to make planning Lisbon easier.
Every hostel mentioned above is pinned on it, along with the top sights in the city.
Looking for things to do a bit off the beaten track? We put together a guide to 29 fun things to do in Lisbon that you’ll love. We spent proper time in the city ourselves, so it comes from our own impressions rather than a list of top attractions.
A few other ideas:
- Take a 2-hour sunset cruise
- Join the Lisbon essentials tour of history, stories and lifestyle
- Have fun on a VIP pub crawl
- Go and see the best Fado show in Lisbon
- Head to Arrabida for a Kayak Tour and yes, we did this and it was awesome
- Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
- Castelo de São Jorge
- Museu Calouste Gulbenkian
- Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
- Azulejo Museum
- Torre de Belém
- Museu Coleção Berardo
- Padrão dos Descobrimentos
- Igreja de São Roque
- Praça do Comércio
To save time, consider the Lisbon Sightseeing Hop on Hop off bus. To save money, look at a 24, 48 or 72-hour Lisbon Card.
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Day trips from Lisbon
You can spend your whole trip inside Lisbon and have a great time. But the day trips here are unusually good, and they’re all easy on public transport.
- Sintra
The fairytale one. You’ve definitely seen photos of the colourful Pena Palace, perched on the hill above town, and the gardens of Quinta da Regaleira with their initiation wells and tunnels.
Sintra genuinely feels like a different world: castles, palaces and overgrown estates scattered through the trees. Around 40 minutes by train from Rossio station.
Tip: go early. By 11am it is packed, and the queues for Pena eat your whole afternoon. Book palace tickets online before you go.
- Palace of Queluz
Sometimes called the Portuguese Versailles. Formal gardens, waterfalls, grottos and a run of decorated canals. One of the finest Rococo palaces in Europe, and far quieter than Sintra.
- Cabo da Roca
The most westerly point of mainland Europe. Steep cliffs dropping into the Atlantic and the distinct feeling of standing at the end of something.
It connects easily by bus to both Sintra and Cascais, so you can pair it with either.
- Cascais
A 30-minute train from Cais do Sodré, which means you can roll out of the hostel and be on a beach before lunch. It is a traditional fishing town turned holiday spot, with two decent beaches right in town.
Want to go further? Rent a bike and visit:
- Boca do Inferno
- Casa dos Condes de Castro Guimarães
- Casa de Santa Maria
- Óbidos
One of the prettiest small towns in Portugal. A walled medieval town that once belonged to the Queen of Portugal. Further out than the others, so it makes for a longer day.
- Beaches
If you just want sand for a day, these two are the easy calls:
- Carcavelos beach
- Guincho beach
Flights to Lisbon
Flights to Lisbon?
Flights to Lisbon are easy to find and usually affordable, though it obviously depends where you’re flying from. We paid 40€ from Barcelona, and another 40€ from London.
The airport is close to the centre. Metro, bus or taxi will get you in within roughly 30 to 40 minutes depending which one you pick, and the metro red line is the cheapest and most predictable of the three.
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.
FAQ
Alright, you’ve probably picked your hostel by now. Here are the questions we get asked most about staying in Lisbon.
What is the best hostel in Lisbon?
1. Sunset Destination Hostel is our top pick and our 5 Star Hostel rating for the city. Rooftop pool, free breakfast, strong social programme, and it sits directly above Cais do Sodré station.
How much does a hostel in Lisbon cost?
A dorm bed can start around 13€, and around 20€ gets you into the genuinely good places with pools and terraces. Rates jump on weekends and in high season, so compare your exact dates on Hostelz rather than trusting an average.
What is the best area to stay in Lisbon?
Baixa and Chiado for first-timers who want to walk everywhere. Cais do Sodré and Bairro Alto if nightlife is the priority. Alfama if you want the prettiest streets and don't mind the hills.
Are hostels in Lisbon safe?
Yes. Lisbon hostels are generally well run, with lockers, 24-hour reception in the bigger ones, and good security. The real risk in Lisbon is pickpocketing on busy trams and in nightlife areas, not the hostels themselves.
What is the best party hostel in Lisbon?
1. Sunset Destination Hostel again, thanks to the rooftop bar, free beer hour and nightly events. For more options, see our full guide to party hostels in Lisbon.
What is the best hostel in Lisbon for solo travellers?
1. Sunset Destination Hostel if you want to meet people immediately. The Independente Hostel & Suites if you want a sociable place that is still calm enough to sleep in.
Which Lisbon hostels have female-only dorms?
1. Sunset Destination Hostel runs female-only dorms alongside its mixed rooms, and WOT Lisbon Patio has female-only dorms in several sizes. Most larger Lisbon hostels offer them, but filter for it when booking rather than assuming.
How many days do you need in Lisbon?
Two to three days covers the highlights. Four or five is better, because it leaves room for Sintra or Cascais without rushing the city itself.
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
March to early June, or September to October. Warm weather, far fewer people, and lower hostel rates than midsummer.
How do I get from Lisbon airport to the city centre?
Take the metro red line from Terminal 1. It runs into the centre in about 20 to 25 minutes and is the cheapest option. Taxis and rideshares take a similar time and cost considerably more. The old Aerobus service no longer runs.
Is there a tourist tax in Lisbon?
Yes. €4 per person per night, capped at seven consecutive nights, and children under 13 are exempt. It is usually not included in your booking price and is paid at the hostel.
Do I need to book Lisbon hostels in advance?
For the good ones, yes. The best hostels sell out weeks ahead in spring, summer and autumn. Off-season you can be more spontaneous, but weekends still fill up.
Are hostels cheaper than hotels in Lisbon?
Usually, and often by a lot. A private room in a well-rated hostel frequently beats a budget hotel on both price and location. Compare both before assuming the hotel is the safer bet.
More Epic Hostels in Portugal and Europe
Right then. By now you’ve found your hostel in Lisbon.
We’re here to help you stay in safe, brilliant hostels around the world. Start with the finest of them, the 5 Star Hostels.
More hostel guides for Portugal:
- best hostels in Portugal with a map and secret tips
- best hostels in Lagos
- best hostels in Porto
- best hostels in Faro
- best hostels in Ponta Delgada
- best hostels In Peniche
- best hostels in Albufeira
- best hostels in Madeira
- best hostels in Azores
- best hostels in the Algarve
Party Hostels in Portugal:
Surf Hostels in Portugal:
- best surf hostels in Portugal
- Surf Camps in Portugal for All Levels
- best surf hostels in the Algarve
- best surf hostels in Ericeira
- best surf hostels in Lisbon
Things to do in Portugal:
Here’s a random cool destination you could also check out: best hostels in Riga, Latvia.
Find all our hostel guides around the world here.
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 Lisbon 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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