Hostels in Orange County 
Looking for the best hostels in Orange County? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Orange County with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Orange County hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Orange County and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Orange County
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Orange County, across 2 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 Orange County 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 Orange County. 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 Santa Ana
We help you pick your hostel like no one else. Check our detailed guides to:
Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Orange County
Orange County, USA, is a bustling area south of Los Angeles in California. While it can be stressful to get to if you're getting there by car on the busy freeways, it offers a great starting point to see and experience everything you've heard about Southern California.
The most popular destination in all of California is located right in Orange County -- Disneyland. The Disneyland and California Adventure parks are visited by people all over the world. It's a family-friendly atmosphere. It's known as "the happiest place on Earth," but that happiness comes with a major price tag. You can save some serious cash by staying at a Orange County, USA hostel instead of a Disneyland resort. Some Orange County, USA hostels and those in the surrounding areas even offer transportation to Disneyland and other nearby attractions.
If you like theme parks, there's even more available to you outside of Disneyland. Knott's Berry Farm is another attraction located near Buena Park. Balboa Island, in Newport Beach, is a much smaller amusement park with a handful of carnival rides and plenty of food vendors. If you drive just outside of Orange County, the attraction opportunities are endless. Hollywood, Los Angeles, and San Diego all offer parks, tours, and unique places to go.
The Los Angeles Angels do not actually have their stadium in Los Angeles. Instead, it's near Anaheim. You can go here to watch professional major league baseball games, or save some money by attending a minor league game instead. (The Quakes are a popular local team.)
Of course, if you've seen how Orange County is portrayed on television, you know that there are plenty of beaches nearby. For ideal spots to tan, surf, and simply enjoy the beach culture, check out Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. These two cities have stunning views and miles of coastline. They also have piers to enjoy and delicious restaurants when you're not on the sand or in the water.
Because this is Southern California, a vacation here can be pretty expensive. Hostels in Orange County, USA, may cost more than some other places, but staying at one is an easy way to save money when compared to the neighboring hotels and resorts. If you can't find any available hostels in Orange County, USA, you're sure to find plenty of hostel options closer to the Los Angeles area.
Handwritten by local expert for Orange County hostels Jessica Lippe
Travel Tips for Orange County - 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 Orange County. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Orange County. 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 Orange County
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 Orange County?
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 Orange County 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 Orange County 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.