Be sure to take one of the London Walks tours - they're marvelous, cheap, and let you see and learn more about London than you could on your own!
Hostels in Greater London 
Looking for the best hostels in Greater London? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Greater London with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Greater London hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Greater London and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Greater London
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Greater London, across 3 cities! Not all cities have hostels, but many offer alternative budget options like guesthouses and affordable hotels. Use our filters to quickly find cities with hostels or other budget accommodations to simplify your trip planning.
All Greater London hostels on a map
Alright, you are more the visual type? Planning your trip with a map is always handy.
Therefore, this map shows you all cities with hostels in Greater London. It will help you to plan your trip. Just zoom in the map and click your destination for more details. Just so you know: If we do not have a hostel in a city, it is likely that there is no hostel in that city.
All Top Hostels in London
We help you pick your hostel like no one else. Check our detailed guides to:
Notting Hill
Located in a Victorian terraced house built in the 1800s, Urbany Hostel is a social backpacker more
from
$17.91
Pimlico
"…Payment upon arrival by credit cards, debit cards.
Taxes included.
Breakfast included.
more
from
$27.12
Whitechapel
Check in and receive a free drink at Wombat’s! Drop your bags in your chosen dorm (female more
from
$19.76
Bayswater
"…He insulted me by looking me over and asking if I had been caught in the rain (I hadn't been). Was more
from
$20.03
Earls Court
A quaint accommodation that’s suitable for the quiet traveller. Included in the price of more
from
$17.12Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Greater London
There are a few areas with hostels that you can stay at in the Greater London area. If you are flying in or out from Heathrow Airport at a ridiculous hour, there are hostels in Heathrow that you can stay at to make your transit a whole lot easier. Make sure you contact the hostels and find out if they have transport arrangements and how easy they are to get to from the airport.
Majority of the hostels are in the area of Greater London are in the city of London itself. This area on its own is incredibly vast. You will find that there are different neighbourhoods that are more popular for hostels than others such as Camden in the north or Clapham in the south. Again, do your research about where it is that you want to stay here to be close to wherever it is that you want to go. The tube system here is vast though and you should be able to get to wherever it is that you want or need to go with one of the Oyster cards on their transport system. Your hostel staff should be able to set you on your way and help you out with directions for getting to and from any destination that you will want to visit during your stay in London, of which there are so many that you could spend months here exploring the amazing architecture, museums, bars and nightlife. There are also a range of different festivals that can be going on here at any given time of year so check out online what is happening and get planning before you arrive so that you can fit it all in.
Ilford is the other place where you can book a hostel to stay in the Greater London area. This is close to the London City Airport if you are flying into or out of here for convenience. Otherwise, there isn't too much to do out in this area other than visit the odd park or museum. It is out in the direction of Stratford and the Olympic Park used in the London 2012 Olympic Games, however this is also easy to get to from the tube if you are staying in Central London.
If you are going to stay within the Greater London area and actually want to go out and explore things to do, then your best choice will be to stay within London city. The only reason you would want to stay in the hostels that are a little further out is for ease of getting to or from an airport for your flight.
Handwritten by local expert for Greater London hostels Globetrotter
Travel Tips for Greater London - from the Community
Hey fam! Here are a few more tips from the community, from them to you, and you to them. This space is dedicated for travellers to share their best tips on backpacking Greater London. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Greater London. Everyone is welcome to add something useful, funny, unexpected and the "absolutely necessary to know before you go" - share, share and then share a little more!
FAQ on Hostels in Greater London
There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:
Finding Hostels and Prices
What hostel booking sites are best to use?
There is several hostel booking sites, such as Hostelworld.com, Hostelsclub.com and Booking.com. While every platform has its pros and cons, there is a universal truth you as a traveler should be aware of: Not a single booking site can always offer the best prices.
This is where Hostelz.com comes in. You can compare all major booking portals with one click.
For you as a traveler, Hostelz.com is the best booking site to actually save money.
How much are hostels in Greater London?
Prices always vary, depending on various factors. Weekends tend to be more expensive, same goes for special holidays. Please also take into account local vaction time.
You can search for exacty hostel prices in Greater London here on Hostelz.com. Pick your destination and pick a date. The system will track down the prices to give an idea of what budget and prices you can expect.
When to book hostels?
If you want to stay at the best hostels, it is a good idea to have your hostel booked around 1 month before you travel. For the regular hostels, booking one week before should be okay. Yet again, this always depends.
We dedicated a full article to the topic of when to book hostels.
Safety and Packing
Are hostels in Greater London safe?
Generally speaking, hostels are as safe as you make them. We highly recommend always to bring your own padlock, using the lockers and taking care of your belongings. Make sure you pick a safe hostel, offering lockers and a safe location. Please always pay attention to the reviews; they can give you a great insight on what to expect and safety tips.
What to pack when staying in hostels?
There is a few basics you should always pack when staying in hostels.
There is more actually. We wrote a complete guide with more details. Read our full hostel packing list.