For most backpackers traveling along the Adriatic, Croatia’s capital Zagreb is more than meets the eye. It is the birthplace of the necktie and, more importantly, Croatia’s cultural hub.
Aside from its Baroque architecture, beautiful parks, and delicious foods, the unofficial “real” reason for visiting Zagreb is that it not only has the best nightlife in Croatia, but it is also the number one party spot for travelers traveling around the Balkan region due its abundance of very social, boozy-infused hostels.
This guide is an extension of our handwritten guide to the best hostels in Zagreb.
🥳 The COOLEST Party Hostels? Our favorites are:
Money-saving tip: Compare hostel prices with Hostelz.com. You can even filter specifically for Party hostels on Hostelz.com.
This guide is perfect for YOU, when you want …
- to party!
- a social Hostel to actually meet people!
- a cool hostel with drinking games and such!
After exploring the city’s rich history, distinctive museums, and endearing neighborhoods, treat yourself to a bottle of rakija and drunkenly admire one of Europe’s favorite off-the-beaten-path destinations.
For those looking for the ultimate party along the Balkan backpacking route, here are Hostelgeek’s picks for the best party hostels in Zagreb.
If you’re planning on backpacking Croatia, we have a dedicated guide to the best hostels in Croatia as well.
You can find all 5 Star Hostels here with Hostelgeeks and all guides to “Best Hostels in” here.
Quick Introduction to Zagreb
Average price for a bed: On average, the price of a hostel in Zagreb is €19 to €25 per night. Prices always depend on the season and holidays. Please always check the exact rates on Hostelz.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.
When to visit Zagreb: Unlike many hostels in Croatia, which close after the summer months, Zagreb’s hostel is open all year, making it not only a fun city to visit during the summer, but also a must-visit winter destination for travelers seeking a taste of the wild, summer fun that is typically lost as the weather cools.
The capital’s location means that it will be hot in the summer and frosty white in the winter, with Christmas markets and holiday festivities adding to the fun. In June, Zagreb hosts the InMusic festival, one of the largest open-air music festivals in Croatia that plays indie, rock, and electronic music.
It is typically held a week before the famous Ultra music festival in Split, promising tons of middle-of-summer debauchery if combined with these three best party hostels in Zagreb.
Most popular area for a drink in Zagreb: After pregaming in one (or all) of these hostels, head to Tkalcha Street in the city center, where all of Zagreb’s best restaurants and pubs are located among the city’s most colorful buildings.
🔥 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 $)
- 63 Craziest Party Hostels in the World (with Map)
- How does the Hostelworld App work exactly? Our Advanced Guide
The Coolest Party Hostels in Zagreb are …
Let’s jump right into the fun hostels in Zagreb for partying:
These are our favorite hostels in Zagreb to party. We put all these hostels on the map, including our own insider tips for bars, clubs, and popular night life areas in Zagreb (and more!).
Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type
| 🙎♀️ Female Solo Traveler: | Chillout Hostel |
| 👫 For Socializing: | Whole Wide World Hostel |
| 👩❤️👨 Couple Hostel: | Funk Lounge Hostel |
| 📍Top Location: | Chillout Hostel |
| 🍃💨 Stoner-friendly: | Funk Lounge Hostel |
| 🌆 City views: | Chillout Hostel |
1. Chillout Hostel
Chillout Hostel is a year-round party in and of itself, with a 24-7 bar and a constant influx of crazy hostelers.
Its main purpose is to provide guests with an unforgettable experience in Zagreb, and the amazing hostel staff always succeeds.
After spending your afternoons exploring all of the nearby landmarks, you can participate in the hostel’s many events and activities, such as city tours and, most importantly, the hostel’s famous pub crawl, which guarantees you drunken memories and new friends.
The hostel’s rooftop terrace is ideal for listening to live DJs and chugging beers while overlooking the beautiful Zagreb skyline.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
There is no curfew at this hostel, so expect to hear noise throughout the night. Despite its nature, the hostel provides a safe environment for all of its guests, with locker and storage facilities, as well as electronic key cards that hostel guests can only use—you won’t have to worry about randoms appearing in your room at five in the morning.
Speaking of rooms, the hostel is completely refurbished, with neatly kept 4, 6, and 8-bed mixed dormitories. If you get tired of the noise, private double-bed rooms are available.
Chillout Hostel is one of the best party hostels in Zagreb for its location and atmosphere! It is located in one of Zagreb’s best neighborhoods, near the main square, Bana Jelacica.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
2. Whole Wide World Hostel
The perfect place for a bender, Whole Wide World Hostel is beloved and cherished by many. This 3-story hostel, owned and operated by backpackers, promises an exciting but shockingly clean environment to explore Zagreb’s bustling nightlife comfortably.
Making friends is assured, thanks to having the cheapest pub crawl in Zagreb, nightly drinking games, karaoke, and beer pong tournaments in its spacious bar and game room that make meeting new people super easy for even the shyest.
Cool locals in Zagreb work and frequent this hostel, so keep your ears open for insider tips about the city and possibly a new Croatian boyfriend or girlfriend.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Best of all, this hostel provides a free, hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage, cereal, coffee, and everything else you’ll need to cure your inevitable hangover.
Plenty of mixed dorm rooms sleep 4, 6, 8, and 10, as well as a female-only option. Twin and double rooms are also available for couples or groups of friends.
The hostel is located 50 meters from a supermarket, making it ideal for cooking in the hostel’s fully equipped kitchen.
Unlike some hostels with bars, outside alcohol is permitted, which means that a stay at Whole Wide World Hostel offers the best bang for your buck in Zagreb!
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
3. Funk Lounge Hostel
Funk Lounge Hostel while not as wild as the previous two, is a stoner-friendly hostel in Zagreb with an overall relaxed ambiance and easygoing staff and guests, making it the best hostel in Zagreb to mingle with others without throwing up all over the floor.
The mixed dormitories sleep four to six people, while the private rooms, which also have bathrooms, sleep one to three. Guests enjoy lounging on the hostel’s terrace or in the common rooms.
Couples particularly enjoy this hostel because it is quiet enough for comfort while remaining social.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Funk Lounge has its own CBD shop, which sells a variety of CBD products such as oils, crystals, cookies, vaporizers, and grinders. You can even try the hostel’s signature cannabis rakija shot and cannabeer, which are ideal for unwinding after a long day of traveling.
Guests should be aware that the hostel is a forty-minute walk east of the center. Fortunately, the hostel is close to the beautiful Maksimir Park and has several public transportation options to get around the city.
Funk Lounge Hostel is an excellent choice for meeting other travelers and getting a good night’s rest.
Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com
Fun Tips for Party Hostels in Zagreb
As you have come to realize, staying at a party hostel is a little different than staying at a regular hostel. Here are some tips to make your stay go a little smoother, and how to be prepared:
How to identify a party Hostel? 4 Simple indicators:
- Is there an age limit? 18+ and an upper age-limit are indicators
- Do they offer Pub Crawls and Drinking Games in the hostel?
- Check for party pictures
- Filter the Reviews on Hostelz.com for keywords like "Party", "nightlife" or "social"
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Find all our party hostel guides.
Things to Bring & Pack
There are a few things backpackers should be sure to bring when staying at a party hostel specifically. These items include earplugs (for early mornings and loud roomates), a padlock (lock up your valuables BEFORE going out), headache medicine (always usefful!), and condoms.
Especially for the bigger European cities where pickpocketing is common we recommend wearing trousers with zippers. This limits the chances of stealing from your pockets.
Read: 23 best items to pack for staying in a hostel
Be Sociable
One of the best things about a hostel is being able to meet new people from every corner of the world. Be sure to talk to people and mingle. Travelling solo is great and life-changing, yet enjoying it with new friends can be even better. Locals especially, can show you hidden secret and some of the best spots in the city.
Read: 18 Rules for Hostels and how to build life-time friendships in Hostels
What about the cheapest hostels in Zagreb?
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 Zagreb.
- Open Hostelz.com with a full list of all hostels in Zagreb
- 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 Zagreb 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 Zagreb?
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 Zagreb put on a map + sights
Let us have a look at the handmade map we have created for you. As promised, below we list all party hostels and best hostels in Zagreb, as well as sights and our own travel tips.
Personally, we love to plan our trips with a map. It’s just easier. We thought this map will help you with planning your trip too.
We also included some of our favorite party spots in Zagreb (check out our insider tips below for more information!).
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Our Insider Tips
As mentioned in the beginning, this guide is an extension of our article “best hostels in Zagreb”.
Yet, we have written down more of our best tips for Zagreb. Check out the following:
A few of our favorite bars to visit before heading to the nightclubs include:
- Swanky Monkey Garden: Swanky Monkey is a favorite among locals. This large indoor and outdoor drinkery and eatery is fantastic any time of year, with two bars and three terraces, all beautifully surrounded by greenery and a positive ambiance that flows with the hand-crafted drinks and friendly staff.
- Spunk: Spunk is an indie and alternative bar that transforms into a nightclub after hours, boasting a dancefloor, low prices, and a laid-back atmosphere for those looking for a place to dance while also having a good conversation.
- KSET: This student club is one of the oldest in Zagreb and is a great place for travelers to experience Zagreb’s young nightlife. It is one of Zagreb’s best alternative scenes, with its artsy decor and liberal attitudes making it one of the city’s most social clubs. KSET is one of the best places to spend a few hours, with game nights, live music, and nine sections to chill, dance, make friends, or do whatever you want.
Zagreb has a plethora of cutting-edge nightclubs that rival some of the most cosmopolitan in Europe. The best nightclubs in Zagreb include:
- Museum Katran: Museum Katran is one of the best electronic nightclubs in Zagreb that isn’t too pretentious, with four dance floors in an old warehouse, each with a different music genre, DJs, and incredible live music performances. The club’s welcoming atmosphere will be a breath of fresh air for visitors to Zagreb, and partying all night here may end up being one of the wildest nights of your trip.
- AKC Medika: AKC Medika caters to all tastes. AKC Medika, located in a former factory and oozing Berlin vibes, is an ode to Zagreb’s anarchist movement and has transformed itself into one of the city’s top alternative spaces. From reggae to punk, the mantra come as you are runs strong here, where there is no enforced dress code or way of acting to enjoy this underground, punk-leaning hotspot. AKC Medika is ideal for those looking for something different than the typical clubbing scene, with live concerts, multiple music floors, and an overall great place to connect with people over many alcoholic beverages.
- Aquarius: This lakeside club is a forty-minute drive from the city, but it’s worth the trip for unforgettable nights and a stunning (but hungover) view of Lake Jarun. Aquarius is often regarded as the best nightclub in Zagreb by locals and visitors alike, with two floors accommodating 2,000 people and a variety of sounds played throughout the night, ranging from RnB to techno. Don’t be intimidated by the commute— Uber and Bolt in Zagreb are extremely cheap and extremely convenient ways to get around while intoxicated.
We recommend staying at least four days if you’re planning a party trip to Zagreb because there are so many nightclubs, bars, and things to do that you’ll need extra days to sleep off your hangover. Zagreb’s nightlife is defined by legendary nightclubs, stag, and bachelorette parties, and pub crawls, making the capital a must-see for anyone looking for a bit of chaos and fond memories.
FAQ
More questions left? No worries, we are here for you.
More guides
Alright, this is your answer to where to stay in Zagreb for nightlife and party.
We did the leg work for you and bring you more hostel guides to destinations in Croatia:
- the best hostels in Croatia
- 3 Best Hostels in Zagreb
- 3 Best Hostels in Dubrovnik + Party Hostels in Dubrovnik
- 3 Best Hostel in Split + Party Hostels in Split
- 3 best hostels in Hvar Island
- 3 best hostels in Zadar
Outside of Croatia, you can find:
- 3 best hostels in Ljubljana
- 3 best hostels in Belgrade
- 3 best hostels in Budapest
- 3 best hostels in Vienna
- best hostels in Sarajevo
You can find all our new and updated articles for Best Hostels here.
We also created a huge guide to hostels. We 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 Zagreb 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
