Best backpacker hostels in Adelaide: find options near you

The environment here is beautiful, it’s very easy to make friends because the common area is quite small but comfortable at the same time so it’s literally impossible not to have nice interaction with other people. I read some reviews about the management not been good enough but that’s bullshit, they do their best but the reality is the some people are just disrespectful and they don’t clean their dishes, and they complain because they get fined…
Also they just renewed the entire hostel and it’s brand new, so good stuff!

I had an absolutely amazing time at Tequila Sunrise Hostel! This was my very first hostel experience, as I usually book through Airbnb, and I can honestly say it exceeded all my expectations.

I stayed for 10 nights and it was such a great choice. One of the best things is how much money you can save here — both breakfast and dinner are included for free, which is such a huge bonus. The meals were always fresh and really convenient, especially for a longer stay.

The staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and always ready to help. Their accommodating nature really made me feel at home. The atmosphere of the hostel itself was warm and social, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable.

I would definitely go back again without hesitation. Tequila Sunrise Hostel made my first hostel stay a truly memorable one, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

You can find the best vibes and people here. It’s the cheapest hostel you can find and they even include dinner and breakfast in the price. Beds are really private with light, plug in and fan inside the box. The staff here is just amazing, alexia is multi-task and always smiling. Love her energy, love them! I’ll come back for sure

Was a nice hostel (on the pricier side for a hostel but not too expensive). Free breakfast and dinner is included (I utilised the breakfast but not the dinner). The rooms are mixed but because of the ‘pod’ style, it was very private. The only issue with the beds was that if the opening is at the end, it can be inconvenient getting stuff from the shelves as you have to get to the other side. Was provided a blanket which meant I was chilly in the morning (but I didn’t ask reception for any more layers so not blaming them here)

I’ve stayed at Tequila Sunrise Hostel a few times, but unfortunately the quality has gone down with every visit.
• It’s very noisy at night: people talk and make noise in the corridors until very late, and some guests wake up extremely early without considering others.
• Bathrooms are often not clean, and showers are sometimes broken or in poor condition.
• The kitchen is inconvenient: it closes early in the evening, and when it’s open it’s so small you can’t really use it properly. I’ve also noticed food sometimes goes missing from the lockers.
• Meals provided are very basic, usually the same thing every day.
• The overall atmosphere is not very safe or comfortable compared to other hostels.
• Prices can also be very inconsistent. For example, I once paid $350 for a week in a room with over 20 beds, which feels unreasonable for the conditions offered.

If you’re looking for a better option in Adelaide, I’d recommend other hostels like Base Camp or YHA. For example, Base Camp offers cleaner facilities and more peace of mind, and through Google (redirecting to Agoda) you can often find deals around $180 per week.

I stayed at the Tequila Sunrise Hostel and overall, it was a positive experience. The location is excellent, right in the heart of Adelaide CBD, just a short walk from the Central Market and Hindley Street, making it very convenient for exploring the city.
The atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed, perfect for socializing with other travelers. The facilities are clean and functional: the rooms are secure and comfortable, the shared kitchen is well-equipped, and the free Wi-Fi works well. The complimentary breakfast with pancakes, fruit, and hot drinks is a nice bonus.
One aspect I especially want to highlight is the staff: the people working here do a really great job. They are helpful, friendly, and always ready to assist with anything, from city tips to helping with parcels or other small requests. Managing a busy hostel is not always easy, but it’s clear they put in effort and dedication

Unfortunately, this hostel keeps getting worse and worse.
In the morning it’s common to find dirty dishes left everywhere by some of the French guests, and the staff never says anything. Cleanliness in general is very poor: the kitchen is usually messy and dirty, and if you want to cook you’ll have to wait until at least ten other people finish before you can even start.

The new manager has only made things worse. Once she even threw away some guests’ alcohol without asking for permission absolutely shameful

The atmosphere is unbearable. At dinner time there are not enough seats, so sometimes you can’t even sit down. If you arrive a bit later, you risk not finding any food left. Breakfast is only served for one hour, and exactly at 8:30 they remove everything, without caring at all if you came just a few minutes late.

The rooms are also poorly organized: in some of them there are drawers that you can’t even open. On top of that, the prices are completely inconsistent and change whenever they want. Sometimes a double bed ends up being cheaper than a single one which makes no sense and feels like a scam.

In short: dirty, badly managed, inconsistent prices, and ridiculous rules. My experience here was extremely disappointing, and I would strongly recommend choosing another hostel for example, YHA, which is way better managed and offers a much cleaner and more comfortable environment.

And I’ll share a tip: at YHA, if you ask at reception for a 3-bed room, the price can be as low as around $160 per week per person much better value for money compared to this place.

A comfortable place if you just want to sleep, quiet enough to sleep because it is not noisy. The staff service is good and informative. I like it because even though the building is old, it is quite interesting And also clean. So far it’s been a pleasure staying here, I will be back.

Sunny’s isn’t your average hostel. Has a certain charm and relaxed vibe. It’s old and has no frilly edges. But if you’re looking for a place that has a real Australian atmosphere this is the place for you

Vicinissimo a Chinatown. Per il servizio proposto (4 letti con bagno e doccia in camera) miglior prezzo di tutta la città. Occhio alla pulizia sulle scale… il resto super

Good place Everything is so perfect. You can get what you want. Friendly people.

Great place to stay because of the people. The staff are wonderful, Pete and Rob are very helpful, friendly and kind 🙂

Sunny’s is hard to review. The owner is very pleasant and friendly and always there to help. He gives you a welcoming feeling because he remembers all the names which gives the place a personal touch. There were free pancakes in the mornings, which was great and it was easy to meet other travellers. |The downside is that the place is not the cleanest. It really could do with a major cleaning session so you feel more at ease. So this is a big minus there. The rest is really nice.

I have been there in 2017, and still have good memories of Sunny’s, those kind of memories only warmhearted people can leave : Dave and Peter are some of the most lovely people I have ever met, and they seriously helped me during my stay.
The hostel is basic and not the newest place, but the vibe and the people are truly the best.
If you want to feel home, and if you want to find a family, here is the place.

It’s a very safe hostel with incredible people! Thanks to Scott for the help and the warm welcome! What a great meeting!

Honestly one of the worst hostels I’ve stayed at. Super old, kinda sketchy vibe, and the room was freezing. I told the guy and he said “it gets warmer when more people sleep in there” (it didn’t). Had to sleep in a hoodie and steal a blanket from another bed and still kept waking up from the cold. Hard pass.

What a ghetto. Lots of long term lodgers. French guys partying all night when not driving scooters for uber eats. And some guy , who never showed his face, in the room next to me, turned the tv on at 9pm, with the volume up to 11 , and finally off at 6am. I could elaborate on the room itself though I’m sure if you’ve read this far you already would have guessed.

Stayed at this hostel for almost two months, and I cried like a baby when I had to leave. The positive vibes and friendly people just get to you after a while.
The rooms are clean and air-conditioned, and the location is great! You can easily walk to the city center or take the bus. They recently upgraded the wifi, and it works much better now. Zara is an absolute angel and has truly saved this place. If you’re looking for affordable accommodation that feels like shared housing and gives you that warm hostel-family feeling – this is the place.

Oh, and there’s a cat!

Stayed here for a month while backpacking Australia. Lovely staff really welcoming and friendly lots of activities on and always someone nice to have a beer with rooms are clean and location is great 15 minute walk into the city or free buss right outside the door. Surrounded by great cafe’s beautiful parks. Will be back !!

I find it very convenient to live in the hostel. You can find big open park, grocery shop, cool vibe cafes, bus stop and pretty much everything else in walking distance.
I lived in the hostel around 3 months so I think I can say pretty much what other long term people would say about the hostel.
What I love about living here beside the convenience is that you get to meet all kinds of people/ travelers there. By chance I got to have lovely roomates who are like family, and other friends that all are one of a kind.
I also love the leafy balcony that is chilly at the morning and sunny from the afternoon.
The cleaniness is actually not the best, and it can be noisy at night depend where is your room. On the other hand you can notice how everyone has their way of caring for the place and each other like planting free herbs, grilling free BBQ hotdogs and organizing leisure events.
So its a good place to be in Adelaide, no stress!

don’t go to sleep here a horrible experience non-existent cleaning cockroaches everywhere in the kitchen especially water perlite from the drain pipes, nights where you can’t sleep because there are people who stay with loud music until 4 in the morning especially the staff. returning to the cleaning in the hostel a cat wanders around where he does his business wherever it happens I’ll make you imagine the smell that is there.

I had a wonderful stay at this hostel for 10 days. The place is very clean and quiet, with a nice and welcoming environment that makes you feel comfortable. Good location also.
A special thanks to the owner for providing free breakfast and dinner, it was such a thoughtful gesture and really helped save a lot during my trip. Overall, I had a great experience here and will definitely come back and stay again.

One of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed at!
Base Camp Hostel is absolutely top-notch. The atmosphere is great, the facilities are clean and well-maintained, and everything is super well organised.
A special shout-out to FEDERICO at the reception he’s incredibly helpful and always ready to assist with any issues or questions. Thanks for making the stay even better!

I stayed at Base Camp Hostel for three weeks and had a great experience. The place is quiet, clean, and very spacious — plenty of room to store your belongings. The manager and staff are friendly and welcoming, which made the stay even better. It’s centrally located, making it easy to get around. The hostel also provides breakfast and dinner, which was a big plus. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay and would definitely recommend it.

Great place to stay, with brekky included such good value too. Solo female traveller been back 3 times now- felt safe & very comfortable. Friendly helpful staff & with all the amenites & a small supermarket close by nothing else u need really.Looking forward to my next trip in a few weeks.

Je n’ai pas du tout aimé séjourné ici
Les chambres sont correctes mais il n’y a que 3 douches avec toilettes pour alors il faut toujours attendre.
Par contre le fait que le lit tremble dès que quelqu’un marche dans la chambre est très ennuyant.
Les repas sont vraiment horribles, c’est un mélange de pâte ou de riz avec des restes.
Je vous conseille plutôt d’aller au tequila hostel !
Petit déjeuner très restreint, cuisine très petite pas vraiment d’espace pour cuisiner et les torchons pour essuyer sa vaisselle sont toujours trempés ou sales.

Great place to stay, good value, everything u need & brekky included. Even ensuite facilities for the dorm room.Staff friendly & helpful, supermarket nearby. Have stayed there many times now booking next trip soon

I’ll let you in on a little secret If you search for Base Camp Hostel on Google, it will redirect you to Agoda. There, you’ll notice that the price often drops… sometimes you can even find a whole week for around $180. So there’s really no need to extend your stay directly at the hostel it’s better to book it straight from there. Just a little tip from me!

This hostel is absolutely fantastic it honestly feels like being part of a big family from the moment you arrive. The Chinese owners and staff are incredibly welcoming, making sure everyone feels comfortable and included. The atmosphere is always friendly, social, and full of energy.

The kitchen is clean, well-equipped, and perfect for cooking with other travelers. Common areas are cozy and inviting, ideal for relaxing or meeting new people. Rooms are tidy and comfortable, giving you a great place to rest after a day of exploring.

Dinners here are a highlight: generous portions, tasty meals, and a real sense of community as guests gather to share food and stories. The hostel also organizes events, themed nights, and social gatherings that make it easy to connect with others. You’ll meet travelers from all over the world, especially lots of French and Italian backpackers, which makes the experience even more fun.

Out of all the hostels I’ve stayed in Adelaide, this is by far the best. The vibe, the people, and the care from the owners make it unforgettable. If you’re coming to Adelaide, don’t miss this place you’ll leave with amazing memories, new friends, and the feeling of being part of a family

I stayed here 6-7 times
First time is very good experience because reception helps me fixed my booking
2nd fire alarm was ringing at mindnigt and everyone have to go outside and wait for 30 minutes to come inside
Last week I got the wrong key and have to move at night
Today is very bad experience for me I waited for someone to open the door alone at night time for 40 -50 minutes during waiting Im hungry so I ordered food from Uber . My food was delivered to me but nobody come to reception I waited outside and keeps calling at least 10 times that make me got scared and feel very bad.

FILTHY! Photos on booking sites are deceptive from years ago. ||||Bathrooms n showers are so disgusting that the reception guy hasn’t used them in weeks. Stinks from 3-5 metres away. ||||Floors haven’t been vacuumed in weeks. Wouldn’t cook in kitchen due to hygiene reasons. No stairwell & hallway lighting, so dangerous. No toilet paper. Cleaning products left lying around like it’s do-it-yourself. Painting gear & ladder left in hallway.|||| Dust on sheets in dorm beds. Cockroaches aplenty. You wouldn’t allow your girlfriend to stay there. ||||Not up to 3rd world country standards.Seen better in dodgy India.||Why hasn’t this place been shut down already? Wouldn’t pass a government inspection. ||||STAY AWAY FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH & SAFETY…!

The female staff are very helpful and friendly, the facilities are ordinary, the price is affordable, the place is quiet, and aesthetica .

I booked two days in another hotel, but because I arrived a day earlier than planned, the rating of this hotel on Google Maps was very low, and the name on Agoda and Google Maps were not exactly the same, so I did not book online. Instead, I went directly to the front desk to investigate. There was an Indian lady at the front desk. She seemed very friendly during the chat, so I checked in. As an Indian artist, the lady introduced the hotel facilities and rooms to me. During the visit, I found that the hotel was very clean, not at all like the reviews on Google Maps. I asked the lady why the previous guests had such bad reviews, and she said that they changed the manager and the current manager is working hard to improve the maintenance facilities and improve the service, so I understood. I also met a Vietnamese brother who was cleaning the room that day, and had a brief exchange with him. The next morning I got up at around seven because it was my habit to get up and drink tea every morning. When I came to the kitchen, I was simply shocked. I have been in Australia for half a month and have been to different cities and different hotels. I have never seen such a clean kitchen. Everything is clean and bright, and all items are neat and orderly. As a woman, I can’t do it so cleanly if I were to clean. When I left this hotel, I expressed my satisfaction with the hotel and my praise for the work of the Vietnamese cleaner to the front desk, “He is indeed the best cleaner I have ever seen, and he finished all this so early in the morning. He really works so hard. I believe that the recognition of customers is the best compliment to him. I hope your hotel will get better and better.”

We had booked this place just bcos our 6am Kangaroo Island pickup was just 200 mts away and although it mentions as bagpackers, but also advertises as motel.|But I wish I had read some of the reviews, everything about this place is BAD. Even if the accomodation was far from my pickup point, at least stay would have been good!|1. The reception is only open for 5 hours daily and no support afterwards (they dont mention this when booking and you see it only when arrive there).|2. The place overall is filthy as said by other reviewers. They will not change towels or bedsheet for your entire stay. Overall the building is old and rooms needs mojor renovation.|3. The service is pathetic. There is an emergency mobile number but no one responds to that. There is not even soap in the toilet!|4. Our room heat pump wasn’t heating and when I called reception in the morning, the manager or owner said he will look into it. But when we returned in the evening it wasn’t heating and reception was already closed by then.|5. There is a nightclub next to this building and they play club music till 4am on weekend, so you cant even sleep in peace and no escape as the club is right next door!|By now 2 days of our 3 day stay was over, we realised that the management is highly dishonest. But while you are on a trip, you dont want to waste time fighting with motel management. So we were just relieved after our 3 days stay.|Will not recommend to anyone visiting Adelaide!!

Great little backpackers if you just need a bed for a few nights. It’s an older building and could do with a bit of maintenance, but overall great value for money. The staff member at reception was super helpful and let me store my bags and use the facilities passed checkout while I waited for my flight. It’s an old motel where the rooms were converted into dorms. The room, kitchen and toilets were clean. Overall very quiet.

How ? HOW can we let human beings live in this SLUM, especially while asking them for money?
EVERYTHING is broken. The shower tap, one of the 2 hotplates, the washing machine, the sink tap, the shower fills (it must be blocked) and overflows into the hallway. The noise of the air conditioning, we obviously can’t stop it. A pipe under the sink is leaking.
The WiFi doesn’t work.
The fridges are full to the brim. There are only 3 bathrooms, if you are upstairs and want to go to the toilet at night you have to go downstairs and often wait your turn when you just want to sleep. The upstairs bathroom (the least worst) is always busy. The carpet on the floor is disgusting. This place is hell… and the owners don’t care. NOTHING. I don’t know how they manage to have peace of mind. It’s the worst place in Australia.

The room was sufficient for a one night stay. It was quiet in the room we were in, close to shops to get something to eat and the place to get your key is only next door. Plenty of parking spaces and lifts available for accessibility needs. Did the trick for us at a decent price as we were just passing through.

rooms are a bit tired.
water pressure is not the greatest.
Our room hadn’t been cleaned properly. (claimed they had a power cut, there were fruit pips spat all over the floor). we were moved to a new room which was much better and the staff was apologetic.
the new room had ants going into the kitchenette in the morning.
will say it’s walking distance to town and there was plenty of free parking. we may have just been unlucky???
the family room was a generous size.

Booked for 3 days , Very disappointed, carpet had stains, white scrim curtains had large rip, so old they were falling apart. Tiny narrow bathroom, hardly any room to get dressed without sitting on toilet. Rang reception to ask to change room, unfortunately nothing else available. Found out this morning they had came in sometime yesterday while we were out & had replaced scrim, but hadn’t informed us, or apologised for the poor condition of the room.

Very clean and comfortable bed. Would have loved a microwave in the room.5 minute drive to the city. Will definitely stay there again.

The state of the room was very bad especially for a queen room. Extremely dirty and stained carpet, old furniture, broken tiles, dirty curtains and leakage in the bathroom. That room needs renovation I was definitely overcharged for it. The room was absolutely disappointing however contact with Alex G. (Assistant Manager) about a compensation was even worse. A compensation was approved and transferred to me but after 10 days was also taken back from my account. Since then I do not get any response to my emails and they are refusing to cooperate with booking.com saying I refused the compensation which is not true. Refusing to cooperate, not responding for weeks is totally unacceptable and unprofessional. Again I still wish to be contacted with an adequate solution.

Staffs are nice and helpful. Good size Room||Good location. Free parking. Easy access to free city bus||Overall value for money.

Most disgusting, filthy and dangerous place I’ve ever stayed and the staff was simply rude to me. I booked 3 days and as soon as I arrived I decided to cancel the rest of the stay because of how unsafe I felt with people smoking and hanging around the entrance. I’m so glad I did because it got worse through the night with the smell of marijuana and someone banging on someone’s door demanding to be let inside. My feet would become dirty as soon as I took off my shoes as you can see from the picture and my partner became sick. It wasn’t cheap either, after cancelling this booking I stayed at a very nice hotel for the same price in the city with a balcony and the feeling of safety, security and lovely staff. Please do not stay here.

Caveat to this review: we’re very at home in motels and YHA-type hostels. So keep this in mind with this review. This is the worst place we have ever stayed. The check-in process is pretty out there, you check in on a tv screen with a remote worker. They were super efficient and very friendly. The open area that you’re checking in is pretty dark, has an odour, and is completely depressing. The shared toilet/shower looks unusable.
Our room is hands down disgusting – it stinks of sweaty feet, the heating does not work, the TV aerial has been battered and barely works, curtains are plastic (wipe clean?) and do not close, the fridge is not plugged in and stinks – do not open. We went straight out and bought air freshener.
It’s not even that cheap. $110AUS/£53 which is the same we’ve been paying all over and got waaay better places. To be perfectly honest, this feels like a homeless hostel and a bad one at that – there’s no way that vulnerable citizens should live like this. Do not stay here.

In life, everything is relative…
The location is good.
The rooms are cleaned daily to a really good standard.
Most the other guests are considerate.
It’s a nice environment to relax.
Has common areas with a TV to chill after a hard days work.
Kitchen has everything you need.
Clean up after yourself and respect the staff and other people staying there and I’m sure you’ll have a lovely stay…

Please don’t stay at this hostel at least you don’t have where to live. It’s nobody in reception, just really low low low quality and for sure it’s NOT a backpacker vibe or nothing cool. Just don’t.

びびっていたけどそこまで悪くないし汚くない。悪評を改善しようとしているのが見える。
しかし住んでる人たちの治安が悪く、ホームレスのような見た目の人が多い。危害を加えてくることはないが、シャワーを浴びていない人がいるため臭いし、タバコをくれとせがまれる、各部屋の扉は鍵があるのに開けっぱなし、喫煙所にはいつも誰かがいるような感じ。フリーフードがあるのは助かるが、多分彼らのためのものだろう。チェックインはテレビ通話で行うが、指定されたベットにはすでに誰かが寝ていて、ちゃんと宿泊者の管理ができていない様子。この環境でスタッフが常駐していないのは不安だ。
言えるのはこの施設があまり観光客向けではないと言うこと。

These uncompassionate greedy and unreliable people left my family , with 2 children stranded in Adelaide with no place to stay at night. They didn’t respond to my booking and left it in pending and cancelled it in the last minute when I arrived in Adelaide. You know why? Because they could sell it for more in the last minute, I know they still had availability as I had called them. DO NOT TRUST THEM.

Honestly. The service through a video was so impersonal. Felt like there was no privacy of our information. The “receptionist” had no idea. Didn’t book our room right
No hot water
No heater
No gas

What the actual hell!!
Or literal hell?

Painful to even get refund! Absolutely terrible! Do not recommend.

I would warn everyone and anyone to NEVER EVER STAY HERE. They’re the most un-compassionate, greediest and lowest people/business EVER.
Couldn’t care less about there customers, service or anything else. Except take peoples money.
I booked to stay there for 4 nights with my cousin. As we were attending a 3 day event In Adelaide. We booked the accommodation. And the following day our grandma passed away. And for obvious reasons we’re not flying to Adelaide for the 3 day event. Which we’re losing money for the cost of the event, and our flights.
You would think any business would refund your money considering the circumstances.
BUT NO! THIS GREEDY BUSINESS WOULD NOT REFUND US EVEN THOUGH WE HAD JUST BOOKED NOT EVEN 12 hours ago and then our grandma died. Honestly it’s disgusting how they run their business.

I’m all for fairness and if we had booked the accommodation weeks or months ago I’d understand. But to have booked/paid in full 12 hours or less and then for the passing of our grandma and refused to refund us is disgusting.

NEVER EVER BOOK OR STAY HERE EVER…

If you’re familiar with the backpackers style of accommodation and have little to no standards/requirements, this is a place of good value for $25/night. Still, the cleanliness could be a bit better – remove the cobwebs, clean the kitchen and bathrooms properly, so there is no smell or flies around. The location is right in the city centre with a bus stop nearby and many places to go.

Good location, but unfortunately it is the worst hostel I have seen so far in all of Australia. It is really dirty! Dust and mold on all surfaces

This is the normal hostel and not the hotel.
Service deserve to its’ accommodation fee.

There are 12 fire stove to use. I could cook everyday, sharing space with other residents.
Only defect of this hostel is hostel owner’s personality.
She sometimes decide whether or not she will accept new residents into this hostel based on their nationality.
If you don’t have chance to know her personality, you can keep peace in your mind.

the worst managers I’ve ever seen! They spy on your every move and prefer to welcome people from outside rather than people who want to extend their stay!
The showers and kitchen are very dirty, but the rooms are pretty ok

Bonne auberge nous y sommes restés une semaine, les chambres sont un peu rustre mais nous avons rencontré beaucoup de monde super sympa. Les cuisines sont un peu sales mais elles ont le mérite d’exister. Je recommande quand même le lieu.

For the price i have to give 5 stars. But yes it is still a hostel and yes it is old and dirty. However, i liked the common area, there is many sofas and tables. Kitchen looked good as well.
The manager is lovely and caring and so were the guests. Very respectful and quiet, it is a small hostel and felt like a safe environment.

Did not enjoy the dorm itself. It was packed with stuff from long term residents, hard to find a place to put my backpack. Couldnt find a power outlet. Mattress was bad, could feel every spring and the pillow seemed old and outworn.

So, you get what you pay for. If you are on a tight budget i would still recommend

I’ve stayed in hostels across Europe, Asia and Aus, this hostel is by far the worst one I’ve ever had the displeasure of staying in. The place is absolutely falling down, spend the extra 100 quid a week and stay in Tequila Sunrise or Base Camp.