The Best Backpacker Hostels in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Near the busy junction where the twin headlands of Lapad and Babin Kuk meet, Dubrovnik Backpackers Club makes up for the location – it requires a bus journey from the Old Town – with a warm welcome, spacious bedrooms and dorms, plus indoor and outdoor kitchens. The latter also features a barbecue area. You’ll find beaches a short walk in either direction, with plenty of bars and restaurants nearby. Prices are considerably less than around the Old Town, too.

Tucked inside the northwest corner of the Old Town, by the Minčeta Fortress, Villa Angelina makes the most of its setting – one of several Dubrovnik locations where Game of Thrones was filmed. Accommodation comprises refurbished dorms with laundry and kitchen facilities, free luggage storage and soft towels. Air conditioning is a bonus.

Kingslanding fills the four floors of a restored medieval nobleman’s villa with four- and six-bed dorms. Each has an ensuite bathroom. There’s also a luxury dorm at the top of the house with stellar views over Dubrovnik. To continue the theme, the hostel lays on Game of Thrones tours and can book all kinds of trips and activities. There’s a decent kitchen and laundry service, too.

Reasonably close from the main harbour and bus station, family-run Hostel Lina is a calf-crunching trek uphill – which is exactly why the management arranges free pick-ups (after 2pm) from either transport hub. The rest of the time, it’s up to you to make your way to this part of upper Gruž, so it’s just as well this lodging is friendly, comfortable and affordable. It’s cash-only but there’s an ATM nearby.

The city walls in question are the ones that shelter Buža Bar, facing out to sea and with jaw-dropping views. Nearby, this smart hostel – done in colours representing the sea and sky – occupies a tall building housing four- and six-bed dorms, plus a double room at the top. A comfortable, friendly and well-located lodging, it runs a manned reception until 10pm, after which you have to make check-in arrangements with the management.

As the name suggests, Dubrovnik Old Town Hostel is plonked in a quiet, cobbled street just off the Stradun, the main artery in the city. Ideal for solo travellers or people hoping to meet like-minded explorers, there are a slew of activities here, including a green tea ceremony, dance lessons, a movie night, Game of Thrones screenings and a tour of Lokrum – an island just off the coast with a nature reserve and cliff jumping.

For a hotel experience at hostel prices, Sol has private rooms with ensuites dressed in a Scandi-style design – some even have balconies overlooking the Adriatic. Come morning, stop at the in-house restaurant for an expansive buffet breakfast, or to pick up a grab-and-go breakfast or lunch packet to take on your travels. There’s also a common room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the port.

This adults-only hostel sits neatly just next to the Lapad peninsula, around 3km (2mi) from the Old Town. Rooms are dorm-style, with four- to 10-bed mixed lodgings and female-only options. Each room has cooling tiled floors, the perfect respite from the intensive Croatian sunshine, and the beds are fitted with hypoallergenic pillows and fresh linens. There’s also a shared kitchenette for when you need to rustle up a quick dish.