I’ve already written about the best neighbourhoods to stay in Porto, as well as about the best romantic hotels and the best family hotels. But it was clearly missing an option for travellers on a budget, or simply looking to meet new people.
Therefore on this article you’ll get to know everything about the Top 10 best hostels in Porto and what’s great about each hostel. Enjoy!
And the best hostels in Porto are…
The Bluesock Hostels Porto
The Bluesock Hostels Porto is not only of one the best hostels in Porto but, I dare to say, one of the best ones in Europe.
First of all, the Bluesock Hostels Porto is simply massive. The common areas are huge, as you can see above. It has a wide sitting room, with a wall with plenty of activities to do in Porto during the week.
It also has a lively lounge area, with a proper bar, vending machines and plenty of space to sit. Oh, and a giant – really giant – TV screen to watch football games.
It has double beds on dormitories, a budget option for couples who want to stay in a hostel in Porto but cannot afford a private bedroom. Naturally, if you want to have some privacy this hostel also has spacious double bedrooms and twin bedrooms with a private bathroom.
This is the best area to stay in Porto if you want to walk to the riverside and see the beautiful D. Luis bridge. From the Bluesock Hostels Porto it is also very easy to walk to the Port wine cellars, on the other side of the river. Moreover, the Stock Exchange Palace and the church of St. Francis are just 5min walking distance.
How to get there São Bento station is a 15 minutes walking distance from the BlueSocks Hostel, always climbing up. It is a bit hard to climb all the way to the subway station with your luggage, I won’t lie to you!
The House of Sandeman
The House of Sandeman has recently been awarded as the “Best of wine tourism in Porto” in 2019, and no wonder why. This is one of the very few thematic hostels in Porto and it revolves around wine – in fact, Sandeman is the name of one of the most famous Port wine brands.
What I particularly like about The House of Sandeman is that is has a huge living room where it is very easy to make new friends. It also has a nice restaurant with live music on specific days of the week. Moreover, the buffet breakfast is terrific!
This hostel in Porto has both double bedrooms and large dormitories where each bed resembles the structure of a wood barrel. However, as funny as it looks, I don’t think each bed has enough privacy.
This is the best area to stay in Porto if you want to get an amazing view over the Douro river.
How to get there: Unfortunately there is no subway connection close by, so I suggest you to take an Uber from São Bento train station.
The Passenger Hostel
The Passenger Hostel opened a couple of years ago and it quickly became the reference when it comes to the best hostels in Porto.
No wonder why: it has magnificent common areas overlooking São Bento train station, some amazing dormitories which include a small living room inside it, and large lockers. It also has lovely lofts for families, which makes it ideal for families with kids – but you still have to use the shared kitchen, which not all families might feel up to.
This is the best area to stay in Porto if you want to be close to the main city attractions, notably the famous MacDonald’s on Allies’ Avenue, São Bento train Station, the Lello bookstore and the Clérigos church.
It also has a subway station literally across the street so it is really easy to get by from the Passenger hostel.
How to get there: the The Passenger Hostel is literally inside the São Bento train station, so it couldn’t be easier to get there!
Selina Porto
Selina is indeed one of the best hostels in Porto, but it is so much more than that! After all, it provides both accommodation as well as daily activities and a really cool garden where loads of events take place, like jam sessions, Lindy hop classes, yoga, you name it.
Therefore, it is a great place to mingle with other tourists as well as locals.
The location is superb, right next to the nightlife district in Porto (yes, Selina is recommended for young people).
How to get there: this hostel is a 5 minutes walking distance from Aliados subway station.
Rivoli Cinema Hostel
What I like the most about Rivoli Cinema Hostel is its amazing rooftop overlooking the city. It is such a nice chilling area where you can relax after a day walking the steep streets of Porto! The living area on the ground floor is also gorgeous and spacious.
I did not like the dormitories as I found then too small and simplistic (no curtains, for instance), but the staff is very friendly and everything is spotlessly clean.
This is the best area to stay in Porto if you want to be close to the main city attractions. It also has tons of restaurants, ice cream shops and grocery stores nearby, so it is really convenient.
How to get there: the subway stations Aliados and São Bento are 5min walking distance from Rivoli Cinema Hostel in Porto.
Gallery Hostel
The Gallery Hostel wonderfully combines the traditional Portuguese architecture with some modern elements, creating one of the best hostels in Porto.
It has large dormitories where you don’t feel that you are sleeping on the top of the next bun bed, even though it has no curtains.
This is the best area to stay in Porto if you want to in the artsy district, as the Gallery Hostel is located in Rua Miguel Bombarda, famous for its art gallery and for Centro Comercial Bombarda. This is a trendy shopping mall with concept stores, two amazing restaurants and an organic market on Saturdays.
How to get there: the subway stations Lapa and São Bento are 20min walking distance from the Gallery Hostel in Porto.
Garden House Hostel
For me one of the most important criteria when searching for the best hostels in Porto is the existence of outdoors common areas. The Garden House Hostel might be the hostel in Porto if you share my criteria, as it has a lovely garden with a tiny lake on the backyard. I simply love it!
Both the dormitories and the double bedrooms are humbly decorated, so I would recommend this hostel in Porto if you are visiting our city during Summer.
This is an amazing area to stay in Porto as the hostel is located in Rua de Santa Catarina, the famous pedestrian street full of stores and street artists. This is also where the Café Majestic is located.
How to get there: the subway station Bolhão is 5min walking distance.
Porto Spot Hostel
Another hostel in Porto that checks the mark of having an amazing outdoors common area is Porto Spot Hostel. Another characteristic that makes this one of the best hostels in Porto is the amount of natural light that shines across the entire building, including the dormitories and the common areas. It is magical!
This is an amazing area to stay in Porto if you want to avoid the crowds, as this hostel in Porto is located in Bonfim, a residential area full of trendy hipster places and traditional Portuguese stores. I should know, I live in this neighborhood 🙂
How to get there: the subway station Bolhão and Faria Guimarães are a 10 minutes walking distance.
Best Guest Porto Hostel
Best Guest Porto Hostel has some of the best common areas of this list – including a marvelous living room where it is really easy to meet people, and a really large shared kitchen. For me this is an important criteria when choosing a hostel because I love to cook (it allows you to save some money too) and quite often the hostels’ kitchen are a war zone.
The dormitories are full of light and painted in bright colours, which makes them particularly cheerful. I love it!
This is an amazing area to stay in Porto if you want to be “where everything happens” because this is in the most touristy area. It is packed with people, the traffic is chaotic but you have amazing souvenir stores within walking distance, and you are also close to the Douro river.
How to get there: the subway São Bento is a 5 minutes walking distance.
Nice Way Porto Hostel
There are two reasons why the Nice Way Porto Hostel is one of the best hostels in Porto: the amazing staff and its superb location at downtown Porto.
When you walk in you immediately feel at ease as the staff is really friendly and the living room is decorated in a fun way. Nice Way Porto Hostel organises several activities so that travellers get to know each other, such as drinking games and movie nights.
This hostel in Porto also has an “Harry Potter” dormitory – I am serious! It is an oval shapped dormitory under the dome of the building, with wood beams and tiles. You can definitely picture Hedwig, the loyal owl of Harry Potter, flying around. So if you are an Harry Potter fan I strongly suggest you to book a bed at this amazing dormitory, specially during hot Summer days! 🙂
This is a nice are to stay in Porto as there are many budget restaurants.
At Rua Sá da Bandeira you will also find a pharmacy, some traditional grocery shops and small supermarkets. Also, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the famous Bolhão’s market, just 5 minutes walking distance.
How to get there: São Bento, Aliados and Trindade subway stations are a 5 minutes walking distance.
Porto Lounge Hostel & Guesthouse
Porto Lounge Hostel & Guesthouse is absolutely gorgeous. It is located at one of my favourite streets of Porto, Rua do Almada, very close by to some of the best bars in Porto.
The common areas are lovely, decorated in orange and white tones. I particularly like the esplanade on the backyard, the perfect hidden spot to relax a bit after a day walking in Porto. Moreover, it has a beautiful skylight, one of the most important architectural treasures of Porto.
Also, one of the reasons to pick Porto Lounge Hostel & Guesthouse as one of the best hostels in Porto are the countless activities it organises every night such as quiz nights, Portuguese lessons at 7.30pm, shots nights, etc.
The dormitories are very cosy, but I must warn you that the beds don’t have curtains, which might be a problem if you want more privacy or simply mind the light.
On the other hand, Porto Lounge Hostel & Guesthouse has the cutest double bedrooms I have seen, filled with light and with very comfortable armchairs 🙂 It also has triple bedrooms, ideal for families with a child.
How to get there: São Bento, Aliados and Trindade subway stations are just a 5 minutes walking distance.
Cats Porto Hostel
Cats Porto Hostel has an innovative decor aligned with the Indian concept of tattva, which refers to the natural elements: sky, water, fire, earth and air. This hostel has a wonderful location on a quiet street close to the famous São Bento train station.
In terms of facilities, the super star at Cats Porto Hostel is definitely its amazing rooftop 🙂 The rooftop also has a barbecue, making this spot ideal for hostel parties or sunset get togethers. This hostel in Porto also has its own restaurant, which is very convenient.
This is a great area to stay in Porto if you want to avoid the super touristy one. However, and to be 100% honest, I don’t feel very comfortable walking on these streets alone during the night – but I never heard of anything bad happening there.
How to get there: São Bento station is a 10 minutes walking distance.
Yes! Porto Hostel
Yes! Porto Hostel, with an ideal location for party people, is definitely one of the best hostels in Porto for young travellers.
It has a cosy living room where every night the staff of Yes! Porto Hostel has dinner with guests, creating a fun relationship with and between travellers. The kitchen is surprisingly big for a building at downtown Porto, with large tables for get togethers.
Something that I really like about Yes! Porto Hostel is that the first floor is just for ladies. There is a female dormitory and the bathrooms is just for women, which is something I find very useful for female solo travellers.
This is the best area to stay in Porto if you are looking for some nightlife fun. However, it gets really noisy during the night.
How to get there: São Bento and Aliados subway stations are a 10 minutes walking distance.