Delhi is one of the key landing cities for travelers. Whether you want to explore the capital or carry on with your India travel plan there is a high chance you will spend at least a night in Delhi.
There are many people who asked me to recommend hostels in Delhi since I lived for two years in the city. Nevertheless, I was renting apartments and I could maximum suggest the best areas of the city to stay. Since I don’t live there anymore, I visit Delhi as a tourist just like many of you and experiment with different accommodation options.
In this post, you will find my suggested list of best hostels in Delhi and let me share first my criteria of selection.
Definition of best hostels in Delhi
Delhi is fast, noisy, crowded, stressful, diverse and many other adjectives. But the key characteristic of the city is a capital status and it is expensive.
There are travelers who hate Delhi and many of them haven’t even seen the city properly. One of the key reasons is the accommodation choice in one of the densely populated and cheap areas like Paharganj. You might find cheap stays there even under 250 INR (<~4 USD), but you get what you pay for.
My key criteria for choosing the best hostels in Delhi for travelers:
- Area of stay – preferably green and calm area, maybe residential or gated society, where you are not overwhelmed by a number of sellers, rickshaws, and bikes just outside of the building. I love places, where I can enjoy morning tea or a book on the balcony or terrace without 10 honking vehicles overcoming each other.
- Connectivity – how far or close is the hostel to the metro or key places a tourist might need. Note: Delhi is a huge city, not a village (I met a few people complain they have to travel 20 minutes to the center). If your commuting time to the city center is 20-30 minutes – it’s a great deal (given the fact that good residential areas are away from the center)! Since there are many places to visit beyond the center, wherever you stay, you will be mostly close to a few places to visit.
- Windows – daylight is a next level luxury in Delhi (yeap, many houses and offices don’t have it). Consider me pretentious, but daylight is important for me, so I was choosing options that have light without going to the terrace/outside of the building.
- Price – while this is the last factor, I still try to keep options under 600 INR (<~9 USD per day) – which is reasonable for a good stay in the capital city.
Top hostels in Delhi under 600 INR budget
In many hostels mentioned below, you will find as well prices over 600 INR, but as long as most of their dorm offerings are within 400-600 INR, they are on the list.
Hide-in Hostel
This is one of my personal favorites for a few reasons. It gives overall a very homey feeling, though it’s a hostel. Located in a residential society in Saket (one of the most happening areas of Delhi for shopping, parties, and dining-out it is just 5 minutes away from Saket metro station.
As mentioned before – location in Delhi is everything. What is equally important – people – hostel staff is really helpful and supportive whether you want a suggestion about the city or helping hand in booking tickets. I’ve taken a few meals here (lunches & dinners), they were tasty, affordable and mild spicy.
They have a great terrace which transforms in some evenings into a chilling area or a movie theatre. The only down-side I can think of, some of the rooms are relatively close to the road. If you open the windows, there will be some noise. Otherwise, it’s a very homey stay and I would say one of the best hostels in Delhi for solo travelers!
The price range is 400-500 INR depending on the type of dorm and it usually includes breakfast. Read more about Hide in Hostel and check exact price for your dates.
Soul Stay
The hostel is in the posh location of South Delhi – Safdarjung enclave. Since it’s a residential area, it is basically a flat converted into a hostel. The ambiance is very homey (yaay, introverts!). The property is clean with modern interiors.
You can see the Deer park just from the terrace. It’s generally a green, safe and calm area of Delhi. At the same time, if you cross a Deer park, there is a Hauz Khas Village – one of the trendy party and dine-out areas of the city.
The hostel is close to the metro, which gives you a connectivity to major places to visit both in the south and center of the city. Another great point is 24-hour reception (as in other cases on the list you have to inform about your approximate time of arrival).
Read more about the hostel and check the prices for your dates.
The Hosteller
The Hosteller is a branded chain of hostels in India. Located just a walking distance from Saket, this is a great area for shopaholics and foodies. They have several cool common areas, including a roof top which is used for gatherings, parties and games.
Since it’s a bigger hostel (by capacity), you can meet many people here especially during high season. Here is another plus on the topic – they have a bathroom in each room. You might think it’s a standard, but in many residential areas in Delhi bathrooms area shared for optimal use of the space.
The hostel price range is 450-600 INR depending on the seasons. Read more about the Hosteller and check out prices for your dates.
Mystic soul
Mystic hostel is in a residential gated society in Greater Kailash – another great area of Delhi to live. The hostel is just near a park, so it is a green and calm corner of buzzy Delhi. The whole property is well lit and maintained.
If you are a solo woman traveler or just looking for a quiet and peaceful stay, this is another recommendation for you. The price range is 350 – 500 INR as a rule. Read more about Mystic soul and check the rates for your dates.
HOG Hostel
Located in a quiet residential area in one of the neighborhoods of Nehru place, Hog Hostel is close to one of the iconic landmarks of Delhi – Lotus Temple. If you are into morning jogging, yoga or any other outdoor activity, there is a huge park just nearby.
One of the main benefits, the hostel is a walking distance from Nehru place metro station. From here it’s easy to get both South and center of the city. Also, in the metro station area, you find plenty of cafes – think of anything from Starbucks to local food joints.
It’s very clean, cool common areas and lit with daylight. The price range is 350 to 500 INR depending on the seasons, but the price usually includes breakfast. Read more about Hog Hostel and check the prices for your dates.
The desire hostel
The Desire hostel is in a quiet residential neighborhood in Malviya Nagar. Nevertheless, it’s very close to the market (should you need to buy something) as well as 15 minutes walking distance from the Hauz Khas metro station. From here you can easily commute to both south and central areas of the city.
The property is clean, friendly, homey and well-maintained. They also have a terrace where you can chill or read a book. There is a 24-hour front desk, though if you arrive at odd times as in other hostels, please inform the staff in advance. Read more about The Desire hostel and check the prices.
An after story
An after story is a great hostel in Delhi close to the airport – it’s just 8 km away from IGI airport which is convenient if you might arrive at odd hours or have an early morning flight. Reception works 24 hours and they will check you in at any time. You just need to inform them about your approximate time of arrival as it’s a gated society.
Great features: Area –Vasant Kunj – one of the posh areas of South Delhi. Hostel is in a residential calm, green society, so no honking and crowds. Funky interiors in common areas (cover photo is from here). There is a terrace and balconies where you can relax. You can opt for a tasty homey breakfast (mild spicy).
The down-side: since it’s a posh area, auto-rickshaws will charge your arm and leg. This is the case when you download Ola or Uber app for fair taxi pricing. Alternatively, you can walk ~2.6km till Chhattarpur metro station and travel further.
The price range is 400-600 INR depending on the season. Read more about An After Story and check exact price for your dates.
What’s next?
Now you have some great hostels in Delhi to choose from in really quiet and green areas of the city. Don’t get me wrong, there are people who enjoy hustle and bustle of Paharganj and Old Delhi. I like this part of the city for shopping and food stroll, but I recommend first reading about this area, watching a few videos and then decide whether living there is for you or not :).
Also, there are many other great hostels in Delhi, but I’ve shared my criteria for selection (area, connectivity, daylight, costs). Meanwhile, I will be hunting for new options in other areas of Delhi! It’s a big city with an exciting start-up scene, so every now and then an interesting property comes to the market.
What about you? Have you stayed at any great hostels in Delhi which are not on the list?
Disclaimer: I’m NOT paid by any of these hostels and I’ve included them in the list by my own choice and initiative. Some links in the post that lead to their profiles, reviews, prices, and facilities are affiliate. These links give you more information about the property and come at no cost to you if you use them.