The Most Unique Hostel Experiences Around The Globe

When planning a trip, one of the first things you're going to consider is where you want to stay when you get wherever you're going. While most will opt for a hotel, another more budget-friendly option can be staying in a hostel.

Hostels exist in most major cities, and there are plenty of good, solid choices, but why not pick one that adds to the experience of your trip? These hostels are some of the most unique ones you can visit around the world.

Heradsskolinn Guesthouse

heradsskolinn hostel
Photo Credit: Twitter
Photo Credit: Twitter

Experiencing the Northern Lights is something that is on most people's bucket list, and Iceland's Heradsskolinn Guesthouse makes that much easier to achieve. The Guesthouse is located within the famous Golden Circle sightseeing trail in Laugarvatn, Iceland, and every room offers either mountain or lake views.

ADVERTISEMENT

Casa Elemento

ADVERTISEMENT
casa elemnto colombia hostel
Photo Credit: Imgur
Photo Credit: Imgur
ADVERTISEMENT

Set on a mountainside in the middle of the Colombian jungle, Casa Elemento, with its giant hammock nets that overlook the jungle, is the perfect escape for anyone looking to appreciate the nature Colombia has to offer.

ADVERTISEMENT

Safestay Holland Park

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
safestay hostel holland park lodnon
Photo Credit: Instagram / @efgreen1
Photo Credit: Instagram / @efgreen1
ADVERTISEMENT

A hostel built on a property in London that has previously hosted literary guests such as Charles Dickens and Lord Byron, the Safestay Holland Park spans over 54 acres and is located just 23 miles from Buckingham Palace, so you really will feel like royalty.

ADVERTISEMENT

St Briavels Castle

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
st briavels castle gloucestshire
Photo Credit: Flickr / Philip Blayney
Photo Credit: Flickr / Philip Blayney
ADVERTISEMENT

We'd all love to think we deserve the royal treatment when we're traveling, and thanks to YHA's St Briavels Castle, you can have that. This hostel is built in a castle in Gloucestershire, England, that's over 800 years old and has a variety of different dorm options to choose from—including staying in The Prison.

ADVERTISEMENT

Lucky Lake Hostel

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
amsterdam campervan lucky lake hostel
Photo Credit: Instagram / @luckylakehostel
Photo Credit: Instagram / @luckylakehostel
ADVERTISEMENT

Located just outside of Amsterdam's city center, Lucky Lake hostel is the perfect summer hostel if you're looking for a camper van experience in the heart of The Netherlands. They've got all the amenities you'd find at a hostel, plus experiences like a breakfast dining hall built out of a bus, and an outdoor kitchen area.

ADVERTISEMENT

Kadir's Treehouses

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
kadirs treehouses hotels in turkey
Photo Credit: Instagram / @kadirstreehouses
Photo Credit: Instagram / @kadirstreehouses
ADVERTISEMENT

How could anyone not be interested in staying in a treehouse in Turkey on their next vacation? Kadir's Tree Houses in the valley of Olympos is just what you need to immerse yourself in nature and relax while feeling a little like you're in Tarzan.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hub New Lisbon Hostel

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
hub new lisbon portugal ball pit
Photo Credit: Instagram / @hostels.hub
Photo Credit: Instagram / @hostels.hub
ADVERTISEMENT

The Hub New Lisbon Hostel may seem like a regular hostel in Portugal, but what really sets it apart from others is one main feature: a ball pit. That's right, a literal ball pit, like you always dreamed of having in your house when you were a child.

ADVERTISEMENT

Book And Bed

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
book and bed hostel tokyo
Photo Credit: Instagram / @bookandbedtokyo
Photo Credit: Instagram / @bookandbedtokyo
ADVERTISEMENT

The Book and Bed hostel in Tokyo has a theme that's fairly obvious based on the name: books. This hostel gives you the opportunity to be surrounded by books and sleep inside the bookshelves. With more than 1,700 books you're sure to find something you'll want to read.

ADVERTISEMENT

JumboStay

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
jumbostay hostel sweden
Photo Credit: Instagram / @tomoko.oishi
Photo Credit: Instagram / @tomoko.oishi
ADVERTISEMENT

Located at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport—because where else are you going to turn a Boeing 747 airliner into a hostel?—this hostel is one of the more unique accommodations to stay at while in Sweden. It's been open since 2009, but it has all the modern amenities you could want, including a flatscreen where guests can watch the departure times for the flights around them.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bambuda Castle

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
bambuda castle hostel panama
Photo Credit: Instagram / @bambudacastle
Photo Credit: Instagram / @bambudacastle
ADVERTISEMENT

The only castle in Central America, Bambuda Castle in Western Panama opened in 2016 and has been ranked as the number one hostel in Panama since then. Nearby, you've got mountains, waterfalls, and the Baru Volcano, then you get to return to your castle at the end of the day!

ADVERTISEMENT

Hostel Celica

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
hostel celica slovenia former prison
Photo Credit: Instagram / @hostelcelica
Photo Credit: Instagram / @hostelcelica
ADVERTISEMENT

Another former prison that's now been turned into a hostel (clearly, it's something people are interested in), the Hostel Celica Art in Ljubljana, Slovenia, is just as colorful and beautiful as its history.

ADVERTISEMENT

HI Ottawa Jail Hostel

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ottawa jail hostel
Photo Credit: Instagram / Adamwawrykowicz
Photo Credit: Instagram / Adamwawrykowicz
ADVERTISEMENT

Located in Canada's capital city, the HI Ottawa Jail Hostel is located in what used to be a jail in the 19th century, and it's in the perfect location to see everything that Ottawa has to offer. Hopefully, your nights here will be the only time you ever spend in jail!

ADVERTISEMENT

Sant Jordi Hostel Sagrada Familia

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
sant jordi hostel sagrada familia barcelona
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest
ADVERTISEMENT

You might not have realized there was even a market for a skateboard-themed hostel, but the Sant Jordi Sagrada Familia hostel in Barcelona has that covered. The vibrant theme of this hostel is meant to reflect the street art and culture of the city. It even has an indoor mini skateboarding ramp for you to try out.

ADVERTISEMENT

Caveland Hostel

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
caveland hostel in greece
Photo Credit: Instagram / @cave_land
Photo Credit: Instagram / @cave_land
ADVERTISEMENT

Built out of a set of caves that used to be an 18th-century winery, the Caveland Hostel in Santorini lets you live out your Mamma Mia fantasy while also keeping you cool in the caves at night.

ADVERTISEMENT

MET A Space Pod

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
singapore met a space pod hostel
Photo Credit: Instagram / @metaspacepod
Photo Credit: Instagram / @metaspacepod
ADVERTISEMENT

It's just a fact that most people cannot afford a trip to space, nor will they ever be able to. So for all of us non-astronauts, MET A Space Pod in Singapore offers you the chance to feel like you're in space.

ADVERTISEMENT

Railway Square YHA

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
sydney railway square YHA
Photo Credit: Flickr / Gavin Anderson
Photo Credit: Flickr / Gavin Anderson
ADVERTISEMENT

Who would have thought that there was a hostel located just a five-minute walk away from the Sydney Central train station that offers you the opportunity to actually stay in restored train carriages? Close to the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour as well as having easy access to transportation to all of Sydney's other highlights, the Sydney Railway Square YHA is a unique Australian opportunity.

ADVERTISEMENT

Lavender Circus Hostel

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
budapest lavender circus hostel
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest
ADVERTISEMENT

The Lavender Circus Hostel in Budapest makes its guests feel like they're stepping into a picture book thanks to its elaborate hand-painted murals and eclectic furniture. While its decor is impressive, the hostel also hosts incredible dinner parties for its guests to allow them to immerse themselves in Hungarian culture and experience the city to the fullest.

ADVERTISEMENT

Urban House

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
urban house copenhagen
Photo Credit: Instagram / @dourbanhouse
Photo Credit: Instagram / @dourbanhouse
ADVERTISEMENT

If you're looking for the perfect memento from your trip that will help you remember it forever, Copenhagen's Urban House hostel with its in-house tattoo parlor is the place for you. This pop art and graffiti-filled hostel is located in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen and has plenty of activities to participate in besides getting inked, like watching a movie in their classic theater.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hostel Cascada Verde

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
cascada verde hostel costa rica
Photo Credit: Instagram / @cascadaverdehostel
Photo Credit: Instagram / @cascadaverdehostel
ADVERTISEMENT

If you're looking for unique outdoor experiences, clearly Central and South America are the places to go, because the Cascada Verde hostel in Costa Rica offers just that. Just a five-minute walk from the Uvita Waterfall, this hostel will make you forget about civilization altogether.

ADVERTISEMENT

ArkaBarka Floating Hostel

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
arkabarka hostel inbelgrade
Photo Credit: Instagram / @arkabarkahostel
Photo Credit: Instagram / @arkabarkahostel
ADVERTISEMENT

We'll give you one guess as to why Belgrade's ArkaBarka hostel classifies as a floating hostel... That's right, this hostel is actually a series of floating apartments that sit on the Danube. The hostel is located in the Friendship Park area, which is a favorite for cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts, and you'll have a great view from your floating dormitory.