Johannesburg, South Africa’s City of Gold, is a vibrant and diverse city with an interesting history. From its beginnings as a gold rush town in the late 19th century, Johannesburg has grown into a sprawling metropolis of around five million people. With its vibrant culture, unique architecture, and wealth of attractions, Johannesburg is the perfect destination for travelers looking to explore South Africa. Whether you want to explore the city’s rich history, enjoy its buzzing nightlife, or take advantage of its world-class restaurants and shopping, Johannesburg has something for everyone.
If you’re looking for a great place to stay for your upcoming visit to Johannesburg, you’re in luck! This vibrant city is home to some of the best hostels in the world. Whether you want a bustling, social atmosphere, or a more low-key and private spot, there is something for everyone.
Staying in a hostel can help you to save money on accommodation, so you have more cash for food, experiences, and entertainment. Plus, hostels provide shared spaces and events where you can meet other like-minded travelers – helping you make friends while on the go. It’s a win-win!
From centrally located and modern hostels to those with stunning rooftop views, you’re sure to find the perfect place to stay in Johannesburg. Read on to find out more about the best hostels in Johannesburg.
Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers
Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers is a great place to stay when visiting the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. Located in the Orlando West neighborhood, this hostel is conveniently situated near many of the city’s attractions and activities. Lebo’s Soweto provides a range of services and amenities for travelers, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious travelers.
The hostel has several room types to choose from, including private rooms, dormitory rooms, and family rooms. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, comfortable beds, ensuite bathrooms, and other amenities. This hostel also has a communal kitchen and lounge, where guests can cook and socialize together, helping travelers save money on food costs.
The hostel offers guided tours of Soweto and Johannesburg, allowing visitors to explore the city safely in a group setting. Lebo’s also provides a range of activities, such as yoga classes, cooking classes, and dance classes, keeping guests entertained. You can also grab a drink at the hostel bar, which offers a selection of local beers and wines.
The staff at Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers are friendly and helpful, providing guests with any assistance they may need. They can help arrange tours and activities, book tickets, and give advice on local attractions. This hostel has free Wi-Fi, laundry services, and luggage storage, which makes it easy for guests to stay connected and keep their belongings safe.
Overall, Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers is an excellent hostel for travelers looking for a comfortable and convenient place to stay in Johannesburg. The hostel offers exceptional amenities and services, as well as friendly and helpful staff, making it a great option for budget travelers.
Hostel details
Address:
10823 A Pooe Street, POBox Orlando West, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Guest rating:
4.9 out of 5.
Price per night:
from $12
Curiocity Backpackers
Curiocity Backpackers is a hostel located in the Maboneng District of Johannesburg. This hostel was designed with budget travelers in mind, offering a wide range of accommodation options, including private rooms, dormitory rooms, and shared spaces.
These rooms are modern, with contemporary amenities and comfortable furnishings. The hostel also offers a range of communal areas such as a bar, lounge, game room, and outdoor pool.
This hostel is in a great location, close to many of the city’s main attractions, within walking distance of the vibrant Maboneng Precinct, the lively Newtown area, and the historic city center. The hostel is also close to the airport and many public transport links.
The staff at the hostel are friendly and helpful, and always willing to offer advice and assistance to guests. Curiocity Backpackers has 24-hour reception and security, ensuring the safety and comfort of guests.
This hostel offers a range of activities and events for guests, including yoga classes, live music, a movie night, and a weekly pub crawl. These activities are a great way to meet fellow backpackers and explore the city.
Curiocity Backpackers is an excellent place for those seeking a comfortable and affordable stay in Johannesburg. With clean facilities, friendly staff, and a vibrant atmosphere, this hostel is perfect for budget travelers.
Hostel details
Address:
302 Fox Street, Maboneng Precinct, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Guest rating:
4.4 out of 5.
Price per night:
from $12
Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge
Situated in a massive mansion, Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge offers a unique place to stay for just the right price.
This laid-back hostel has a range of rooms, including mixed and single-sex dorms with bunk beds and fans. While most bathrooms are shared, there are private rooms with up to 8 beds and ensuite bathrooms. Rooms include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee, luggage storage, and linens.
Guests can enjoy free breakfast in the mornings, in addition to an outdoor pool, BBQ facilities, and a shared kitchen space where you can make your own meals. The onsite bar serves food and drink, with a terrace and pool table, making this a great spot to hang out and meet new friends. If you’re more of an ‘outdoorsy’ type, the hostel also has an onsite campground with pitches for tents.
Whether you want an affordable stay, to meet new friends, to go camping, or all of the above, Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge has it all!
Hostel details
Address:
75 Observatory Avenue, Observatory Extension, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Guest rating:
4.6 out of 5.
Price per night:
from $11
About our Johannesburg hostel recommendations
Whether you’re a solo traveler looking for a private room, or a backpacker traveling around in a group wanting to stay in a cheap and cozy dorm, above you will find the best hostels in Johannesburg for all your needs.
Kindly note that we only list hostels on our website with an aggregated guest review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5. We aggregated all reviews from different booking sites and other unbiased review websites. Hence, you can be certain all hostels listed above offer a magnificent value-for-money stay in Johannesburg.
Best price guarantee
For our hostel recommendations, we work together with Hostelworld and Booking. These partnerships don’t have any influence on the recommendations we make or on the order in which our recommended hostels are listed. The reasons why we have chosen to partner with these companies are that they’re trustworthy, offer excellent service and both apply the best price guarantee.
This means you can claim a refund for the difference if you find your reservation cheaper on another website. It has to be for the same property, accommodation type, dates, cancellation policy and conditions, otherwise, you can’t claim a refund for the difference. If you book through Booking.com then all you need to do is contact them at least 24 hours before your check-in date. If you book through Hostelworld you must claim the refund within 24 hours after you made the booking.
Top 3 hostels in Johannesburg
To summarize again, based on thousands of guest reviews, these are the best hostels in Johannesburg:
Why you should be careful when booking the cheapest hostel available
Booking the cheapest hostel available is not recommended for a few reasons:
- The cheapest hostels available are typically not in a great location. If you want to go sightseeing or go for a night out in central Johannesburg, you probably end up having to pay for public transport or a taxi to get there. So your stay could end up being more expensive compared to a stay in a central location. For first-time travelers, we recommend staying central anyway, but also for frequent visitors, it’s probably worth it to pay a bit more to stay in a central location.
- Another reason why you shouldn’t stay at the cheapest hostel is that the people staying at the cheapest hostels are often not the people that can afford to travel like you. Because a very cheap hostel is often cheaper than renting a flat, these places tend to attract migrant workers or local misfits. That’s probably not the crowd you want to hang out with, especially if you’re a solo traveler looking for friends.
- The third reason why you should avoid the cheapest hostels is safety. Some of the cheapest hostels don’t check IDs, don’t ask for signatures, or only accept cash at check-in. The hostel won’t know who is actually staying there.
- Lastly, the service at these hostels isn’t great. For instance, if you choose to store your luggage, your bags will be unattended in a public space. It won’t be recorded anywhere or tagged and stored in a locked room.
So, it’s probably worth it to spend a bit more on your hostel stay in Johannesburg.
And finally, a tip: always read the latest reviews of the hostel! All places have good and bad reviews, but the most recent reviews matter the most.
More Johannesburg tips
Get to know the city even better and check out our other articles about Johannesburg:
