Hostels in Basque Country 
Looking for the best hostels in Basque Country? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Basque Country with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Basque Country hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Basque Country and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Basque Country
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Basque Country, across 23 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 Basque Country 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 Basque Country. 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 Bilbao
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All Top Hostels in Donostia-San Sebastián
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All Top Hostels in Pamplona
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All Top Hostels in Zarautz
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Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Basque Country
The Basque Country of Spain has some incredible destinations and culture.
The largest destination here to visit with the most hostels is San Sebastian (Donostia). This is a stunning beach town along the northern coast and has a couple of different beaches popular for surfing so grab a board. There are also some amazing restaurants here to experience during your stay. Make sure that you head to the cathedral as it has stunning architecture. If you are after a more quiet beach town, there are quite a few different locations where you will find hostels scattered along the northern coastline of Spain.
The second major destination city in this region is Bilbao. This previously unremarkable city transformed into an attractive travel destination thanks to the Guggenheim museum. There are now also other fine arts museums to visit as well as this most famous one. Taking a stroll along the river front is also great to experience as there is a great deal of sculpture and art along the way too. The city has a very cultural feel to it and about a dozen hostels to choose from.
Getting around Basque Country is fairly easy. They run buses quite frequently from town to town. It helps if you can speak some Spanish along the way. They also speak Catalan here as well. Make sure that in the summer months you book your buses a day or so in advance; they can fill up quite quickly in the summer months. The majority of the travel times here are no longer than an hour or so to the next destination.
There is a great range of Basque food in both Bilbao and San Sebastian, so get involved as the food is one of the best things about this region. They serve "pintxos" in some of the bars, a Basque version of the Spanish tapas, and getting on board a 'pintxos' route is highly recommended. There are also some different festivals on here throughout the year, so check the tourism board website to see what is on at different times of the year.
Heading further inland, there are some beautiful Natural Parks that you can visit and hike. Make them a pit stop on the way south to the city of Vitoria Gasteiz. The architectural features of the city are beautiful and not to be missed if you have the time. Also take a look at some of the smaller towns in Basque towns that also offer a hostel or two.
Handwritten by local expert for Basque Country hostels Globetrotter
Travel Tips for Basque Country - 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 Basque Country. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Basque Country. 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 Basque Country
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 Basque Country?
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 Basque Country 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 Basque Country 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.