Hostels in Sydney
There are 16 hostels listed within about five miles of central Sydney, which is 1.3% of everything on offer in the city — a modest but real hostel scene. This page covers what that actually means for a trip: which hostels are here, how they rate against Sydney's hotels, and which are worth it if you are coming for a show.
How strong is the hostel scene in Sydney?
Two numbers answer that, and neither means much on its own. The first is how much of Sydney's accommodation is hostels rather than hotels — a city can have plenty of hostels and still be a hotel city. The second is how those hostels score against the hotels sitting next to them, which is the only fair benchmark, because guest scores drift by city and a 7.8 in one place is not a 7.8 in another.
| Measure | Sydney | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Hostels listed | 16 | Dedicated hostels and backpacker accommodation within roughly five miles of the centre. |
| Share of all accommodation | 1.3% | A modest but real hostel scene. Measured against all 1,243 properties listed in the same radius. |
| Average hostel guest score | 7.2/10 | Averaged across the hostels above. Supplied by our accommodation partner, not a StubOrder rating. |
| Average hotel guest score | 7.8/10 | The same measure for Sydney’s hotels, with hostels excluded so the comparison is not partly against itself. |
The short version: hostels in Sydney score a little below the city's hotels — a gap of 0.6 points. That gap is normal and mostly measures the product, not the management: a shared room with six strangers in it will rarely be scored like a private one, however well the place is run. It is worth reading the individual scores below rather than the average.
Hostels in Sydney, closest to the centre first
Distances are measured from the middle of Sydney. Pick your dates to see what a bed actually costs — hostel pricing moves more than hotel pricing does, because a dorm can sell out one bed at a time.
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Sydney Student Living - Hostel
38 Burton Street, Concord
Recreational Opportunities: Enjoy the outdoor pool and fitness center to stay active and refreshed during your stay. Amenities: Benefit from complimentary wireless internet access…
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Leichhardt Centre Comfy Stay
345 Parramatta Road, Sydney
Escape to comfort and convenience at Leichhardt Centre Comfy Stay. Explore Sydney's attractions with ease, just a short distance away. Convenience of Location Discover the city's …
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Stay Today Hostel
Discover the perfect blend of comfort and convenience at Stay Today Hostel, nestled in the vibrant Leichhardt neighborhood of Sydney. Cozy Accommodations Relax in one of our 5 air…
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Rozelle Hostel
675 Darling St, Rozelle
Convenient Amenities Make yourself at home in one of the 85 guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Conveniences include irons/ironi…
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Cambridge Lodge
109 Cambridge Street, Sydney
Convenient Location near Stanmore Railway Station Enjoy a comfortable stay at Cambridge Lodge, just a short 5-minute walk from the Stanmore Railway Station. Explore Sydney with ea…
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Little Drifter Glebe
256 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe
Terrace and Garden Views Take in the breathtaking views from the terrace and garden at The Village Glebe - Hostel. Entertainment and Convenience Enjoy amenities such as compliment…
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EBS Sydney Hostel
379 King Street, Newtown, Sydney
Ideal Location in Newtown District Conveniently situated near popular attractions. Comfortable Shared Facilities Includes shared kitchen and lounge area, free WiFi. Clean and Cozy…
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Newtown Backpackers
5-11 Egan Street, Sydney
Charming Urban Retreat in Newtown Plunge Pool & Terrace: Enjoy a refreshing dip in our outdoor plunge pool or soak up the sun on the communal terrace. Cozy Accommodations: Choose …
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The Pyrmont Budget Hotel
11 Pyrmont Bridge Rd, Pyrmont
Convenient Location Near Major Attractions Stay at VENUS Harbourside - FEMALE ONLY HOSTEL for easy access to Harbourside and other popular Sydney landmarks. Comfortable Accommodat…
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Mad Monkey Broadway
20 City Road, Sydney
Vibrant Location near University of Technology Sydney Mad Monkey Broadway offers a vibrant stay just a short walk from UTS. Enjoy free WiFi throughout the property for all your co…
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The Lansdowne Sydney
2-6 City Road, Chippendale
Rooftop Terrace with Stunning Views Dining at the On-Site Restaurant Convenient Amenities such as Express Check-Out Experience modern comfort at The Lansdowne Sydney, conveniently…
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Little Drifter Surry Hills
207 Cleveland Street, Sydney
Convenient Location Located just a short walk from Central Railway Station, The Village Surry Hills offers easy access to Sydney's top attractions via nearby bus stops. Comfortabl…
Staying in a hostel for a Sydney event
A hostel makes most sense on exactly the kind of trip StubOrder sends people on: one or two nights, built around a fixed start time, where you are out of the building all evening. The bed is somewhere to sleep afterwards, not somewhere to spend the weekend, and the saving against a hotel on a sold-out event night is usually the largest saving available on the whole trip — event nights are when city hotel rates spike and hostel beds barely move.
The two things to check before you book are the ones that catch people out. First, front-desk hours: a support act running long can put you back at 23:45, which is no use if reception closes at 23:00 and there is no night code. Second, whether the rate is per bed or per room — a private twin at £70 and a dorm bed at £35 each are the same money for two people, and the private room is the better buy.
What is on in Sydney
Matinee
The Lion King
Matinee
The Lion King
Distance from a specific venue
The hostels above are measured from the centre of town. If you want to know what is actually walkable from the doors of one building, each venue has its own accommodation page that sorts every nearby property by real distance.
- Stays near Allianz Stadium - Sydney
- Stays near Afterpay Arena
- Stays near Centre 200
- Stays near Accor Stadium
Dorm bed or private room?
This is the decision that actually determines what your stay is like, and it is not the same decision as hostel-or-hotel. Almost every hostel in Sydney sells both, at prices that overlap with the cheaper end of the city's hotels.
| Dorm bed | Hostel private room | |
|---|---|---|
| Priced by | The bed. Two people pay twice. | The room, like a hotel. |
| Best for | Solo travel, and meeting people. | Two people, or anyone who wants a door that locks. |
| Bathroom | Usually shared down the hall. | Often private, but check — many are not. |
| Getting in late | Fine, but you will wake people. | No issue. |
| Luggage | A locker, usually needing your own padlock. | In the room. |
| Versus a cheap hotel | Much cheaper, especially on event nights. | Often similar money — compare properly. |
The rule of thumb that holds nearly everywhere: travelling alone, take the dorm; travelling as two, price the private room against a budget hotel before assuming the hostel wins. On an ordinary weeknight the hotel sometimes does. On the night of a sold-out event, the hostel almost always does.
What to check before booking a hostel
Hostels vary in ways hotels mostly do not, and the variation is in the policies rather than the rooms. None of the following is unusual, and all of it is easier to find out now than at 1am.
- Age limits. Some hostels are 18–35 only, some refuse under-18s without an adult, and a few are over-18 with no upper bound. This is a property-by-property rule, not a city rule.
- Reception hours and curfews. A genuine curfew is rare now, but limited front-desk hours are common. If your event finishes late, confirm there is a night entry code.
- Whether the rate includes linen. Mostly yes; occasionally a few pounds or dollars extra at check-in, which quietly changes the comparison against a hotel.
- Lockers and padlocks. Nearly every dorm has lockers. A good number expect you to bring your own padlock, and the ones sold at the desk cost more than one from home.
- Deposits. Some hostels take a key or damage deposit in cash at arrival and return it on checkout — worth knowing if you are travelling cardless.
- Cancellation terms. The cheapest hostel rates are frequently non-refundable, which matters more than usual when the trip depends on an event that could be postponed.
Two of these — cancellation terms and what the rate actually includes — are shown on the booking screen once you pick dates, so check them there rather than assuming.
Plan the rest of the trip
Frequently asked questions
How many hostels are there in Sydney?
Our accommodation partner lists 16 hostels within about five miles of central Sydney, out of 1,243 places to stay in total — 1.3% of everything listed here. That count includes both dedicated hostels and backpacker accommodation.
Does StubOrder sell hostel beds and tickets together?
No. Tickets come from our resale marketplace and accommodation from our booking partner. They are two separate bookings with separate confirmations, and neither depends on the other.
Are there hostels near the venues in Sydney?
The hostels on this page are measured from the middle of Sydney, not from any one venue. For distance from a specific building, use that venue's own accommodation page — each one is linked above and sorts every nearby property by real distance from the doors.
Are hostels in Sydney any good?
Sydney's hostels average 7.2/10 in guest scores against 7.8/10 for the city's hotels, so they score a little below the city's hotels. Those scores come from our accommodation partner, not from StubOrder.
Is a hostel a sensible place to stay for a concert or a game?
For a one- or two-night trip built around an event, often yes — you are out of the building most of the evening anyway. The things to check are the front-desk hours and whether there is a curfew, because a show that ends at 23:30 is no use if reception shut at 23:00.
Can I book a private room in a hostel?
Most hostels sell private rooms alongside dorm beds, and they are usually cheaper than a hotel room of the same size. Whether a given property has one is shown when you pick your dates — if only dorm beds come back, that hostel has no privates free for that stay.
