A Backpacker’s Guide To The Best Hostels in Vienna, Austria | Our Favorite Vienna Hostels

Vienna is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and it is regularly ranked as one of the “most livable cities in the world” — but it’s also expensive. Luckily, hostels in Vienna are surprisingly affordable if you book early enough to snag the affordable beds. Just like any city, Vienna’s hostels range from junky to great so that’s why we’ve sorted through the city’s 30+ hosels to find the best hostels in Vienna.

Average Vienna Hostel Prices

A bed in a highly-rated hostel will cost anywhere from about €26-€39/night with an average of around €31/night. The cheapest hostel you’ll find will cost around €15/night but the quality most likely won’t be great. 

NOTE: These are “high-season” prices for the cheapest bed option — off-season prices will be 20%-30% cheaper. Also, prices are often a little more expensive on Friday and Saturday nights than on weeknights. 

Check Hostelworld to get exact prices for your dates.

More Vienna Hostel Considerations

• Cheap Beds & Good Hostels Go Early: Hostel prices are fairly standardized in Vienna but the quality can vary quite a bit. The best and cheapest hostels do get booked up quickly — especially in the summer.
• Check Location: Most hostels in Vienna are centrally located but there are a few located outside the city. Vienna does have a nice public transportation system so getting around is easy.
• Bed Configuration: Most hostels have multiple bed configurations and that affects the price. For example, a hostel could have a room with 8 beds and another with 4 beds. In general, rooms with more beds are cheaper but you also have to deal with more people in your room.
• Private Rooms: Private rooms in hostels can be expensive but they can make sense for groups, families, and couples.
• Weekend Rates: Expect to pay an extra on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Check-In Times and Cleaning Times: Many hostels have late check-in times (around 2 pm-4 pm) but nearly all will let you store your bags if you arrive before check-in.

New To Hostels? Check out our Hostels 101 Guide to learn everything you need to know about finding the perfect hostel.

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The Best Hostels in Vienna: Our Top Picks

We’ve stayed in so many hostels that we’ve lost count — so we know all the little things that separate good hostels from great hostels. Below you’ll see what kinds of things we look at when we rank hostels.

• Overall Quality: We take a holistic look at the hostel to see the positives and negatives. Our goal is to find amazing hostels that are still affordable.
• Location: Most hostels we list will be centrally located or at least close to public transportation.
• Price: We try to filter out the super-expensive hostels to help find the best price-to-quality ratio.
• Vibe/Atmosphere: Every hostel has a personality. Some are party hostels and some are quiet. We try to note the atmosphere so you can find a place to stay that matches your travel style.
• Past Guest Reviews: Every guest has a different experience so we look at the good and the bad. We suggest you take a few minutes to read prior reviews.

We encourage you to check out Hostelworld to do a bit of searching for yourself.

NOTE: All prices listed below are the cheapest option available during the busy (i.e. expensive) season. Prices will often be 20%+ cheaper during the slower seasons.

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Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna

Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna is an amazing hostel — it’s a real “hosteler’s” hostel. It has plenty of character and a social vibe. It’s a great place for meeting people so it’s a top choice for solo travelers. It has a nice bar, plenty of lounge space, and an amazing courtyard garden. They have a huge self-catering kitchen and the staff is super helpful. Guests also comment that it’s a quiet hostel so there shouldn’t be any issues with loud partying at night.

The only minor downside is that the location is a bit outside the center (but it’s located in a nice neighborhood that’s near public transportation).

• Price: Starts around €18-€26/night (via Hostelworld):
• See on Google Maps
• Read More Reviews at Hostelworld

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Wombats City Hostel Vienna – The Naschmarkt

Wombats City Hostel Vienna – The Naschmarkt is the most popular hostel in Vienna. It’s part of the top-notch Wombats Hostel chain so you’re guaranteed that it’s going to be a quality hostel. This hostel does everything well — it has a great location (10 min walk to the city center), it’s modern, it’s spotlessly clean, the beds are comfortable, and the rooms are a good size.

This is a large hostel but they keep it very social and welcoming. They have plenty of common areas and there is a great bar with cheap drinks and food. So this is a solid hostel for solo travelers and people wanting to meet other people. They don’t have a self-catering kitchen or a free breakfast (but there is an affordable all-you-can-eat breakfast). Overall, you can’t go wrong if you stay here.

• Price: Starts around €20-€30/night (via Hostelworld):
• See on Google Maps
• Read More Reviews at Hostelworld

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JO&JOE Hostel Vienna

Jo&Joe is a new boutique hostel chain that’s billed as a “mixture of a hostel, hotel, and party spot.” This multi-floor hostel has a 24-hour reception, a cool bar with a huge beer wall, a restaurant, and plenty of space to meet other travelers.

They also have the largest, freely accessible roof terrace and beer garden in Vienna that offers a unique view over the rooftops of Vienna. And unlike many other boutique hostels, Jo&Joe manages to do a pretty good job of keeping a social atmosphere.

• Price: Starts around €38-€50/night (via Hostelworld):
• See on Google Maps
• Read More Reviews at Hostelworld

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MEININGER Vienna Downtown Franz Hostel

Like most MEININGER properties, MEININGER Vienna Downtown Franz is a modern and well-appointed hostel with a bit of a hotel feel. Its large size means it’s not a super social hostel (so not great for solo travelers) but it does have a bar and a self-catering kitchen.

The beds are comfortable, the rooms are large, and the bathrooms are super nice. It is a bit outside the city center but well-connected via public transportation.

• Price: Starts around €32-€39/night (via Hostelworld):
• See on Google Maps
• Read More Reviews at Hostelworld

Hostel photos from Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna, Wombats City Hostel Vienna, MEININGER Vienna Downtown Franz, Jo&Joe

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More Budget Travel Advice From The Savvy Backpacker

Here are some helpful links to articles that we think you’ll find interesting if you’re staying in hostels and traveling around Europe on a budget.

• Guide to Hostels in Europe: Tips and advice for finding the best hostels in Europe
• How To Be A Good Hostel Guest: The unwritten rules about staying in a hostel
• Backpacking Europe Packing List: What/how to pack when staying in hostels
• Travel Insurance 101: How to choose the right travel insurance
• The Best Travel Backpacks: Our favorite travel packs.