BEST hostels in India for solo travelers (I stayed at a lot of India hostels!) 🌴 Backpacking India alone

Hi there!

So you’ll be traveling around India alone as a solo backpacker, and you would like to have at least some level of normal social interaction.

Or maybe you’re just looking for a convenient place to stay that’s relatively cheap or budget-friendly!

Either way, there are a bunch of hostels all over India located in cities that are on the backpacker trail, complete with a common area.

And a welcoming atmosphere!

This can give you reasonable accommodation for a reasonable price, as well as a good atmosphere to just chill.

The cities below are places to visit in India that will give you a chance to stay at a hostel.

In general, the best states to visit in India for backpackers are probably Rajasthan in North India, and Goa and Kerala in South India.

See a sample backpacking route for South India.

And then there are also a few cities outside of these states that can be good for backpacking when it’s your first trip to India.

Some of the popular backpacker hostel chain brands in India include Zostel, Moustache, Hostelavie, GoStops, Madpackers, and Backpacker Panda.

For backpacking North India, see how to spend 2 weeks in Rajasthan, including Udaipur (city of lakes), Jaipur (pink city), Jodhpur (blue city), Jaisalmer (golden city), the Thar desert (camel safari), Agra, the Taj Mahal.

And for backpacking South India… Goa beach huts and the Kerala backwaters!

Things to look for in a hostel

None of these things will make or break your stay, but they could be extra things that you may want to look for!

• Common area
• Rooftop access
• Views from your room or rooftop depending on the city
• A/C
• Hot water shower
• Wifi
• Kitchen
• Filtered water provided
• Breakfast or snacks for purchase on-site
• Private room – meet people but have your own room!
• Female-only dorm rooms or mixed rooms

Now…

First, WHY the listed cities are worth visiting in India.

Then, a list of the best hostels in each of these cities.

So…

What are the best cities for backpacker hostels in India?!

More like..

Where to look for hostels in India?

Hostels in North India

• New Delhi hostels
• Agra hostels
• Varanasi hostels
• Amritsar hostels
• Rajasthan hostels
• Manali hostels
• Leh hostels

Hostels in South India

• Mumbai hostels
• Hampi hostels
• Gokarna hostels
• Pondicherry hostels
• Madurai hostels
• Goa hostels
• Kerala hostels

There are affiliate links below. You should totally check out the pictures and reviews of these hostels in India.

Best places to visit when backpacking North India

1. New Delhi

As one of the major international hubs, if you’re planning on traveling around North India or the Golden Triangle, you’ll probably end up in Delhi.

There are also a few world heritage sites worth visiting in Delhi – the Qutab Minar, Red Fort, and Humayun’s Tomb.

The Paharganj neighborhood is known as the backpacker’s area in Delhi.

Best hostels in New Delhi

1. Moustache Delhi
2. Hide-in hostel Delhi
3. LetsBunk poshtel

2. Agra

Agra is the home to India’s national icon, so there’s probably no introduction required for why to consider a Taj Mahal visit!

But, there are places to visit in Agra beyond the Taj Mahal, so you might consider staying for at least one night here.

Otherwise, it’s very reasonable to make it a one day trip to Agra from Delhi or from Jaipur… and you can still have time for some of those things to do beyond the Taj Mahal.

Best hostels in Agra

1. Go Stops Udaipur
2. The Hostel Crawl
3. Banjara Hostel

Go for a one day Agra itinerary.

3. Varanasi

Varanasi is kind of out of the way, but it’s a place to go when you’re looking to visit cultural India.

This city is known for being one of the top places to visit for the holy Ganges River.

Best hostels in Varanasi

1. Hog Hostel
2. Moustache Varanasi
3. Wander station hostel

4. Amritsar

Amritsar is also kind of out of the way.

If you’ll be headed up to the Himalayas, you can kind of make a slight detour to go to Amritsar on your way up, or when you’re coming back down.

Amritsar is best known for the Golden Temple that sits on the lake.

Located in the state of Punjab, it’s also not far from Pakistan.

It’s also somewhat of a tourist attraction to visit the Wagah border for the closing ceremony.

Best hostels in Amritsar

1. Jugaadus’ Hostel
2. Nutz Backpackers hostel
3. Blue eye backpackers hostel

5. Rajasthan

Rajasthan is one of the main reasons to visit North India, and 2 weeks in Rajasthan can be a perfect amount of time to spend here.

This is where you go to see the city of colors, including the pink city, blue city, and the golden city.

Best hostels in Rajasthan

1. Blue Beds Hostel Jaipur
2. Stops Hostel Udaipur
3. Moustache Jodhpur
4. Madpackers Pushkar
5. Swan Hostel Jaisalmer

See more hostels in Rajasthan based on top backpacker destinations.

6. Manali

If you want to get a taste of the Indian Himalayas, then Manali is a good place to go.

This is basically the backpacker’s town in the Himayalas.

Because of weather, the summer is the best time to go.

You can go outside of summer season too, but you’ll just want to make sure you pack cold weather clothes!

Best hostels in Manali

1. Crazy Indian Pad
2. Moustache Manali
3. Backpacker Panda Manali

7. Leh

If you want to get an even bigger taste of the Himalayas, then from Manali, head to Leh!

This is considered to be a high altitude destination, and it’ll be an adventure just to get to Leh.

Best hostels in Leh

1. Hostelavie Leh
2. Rover’s Den

Best places to visit when backpacking South India

1. Mumbai

There really aren’t too many tourist attractions in Mumbai, but it can be worth visiting as a city to just experience.

This is also the home of Bollywood.

Mumbai is a BIG city, so it can be good to first figure out what you want to do, so then you’ll know what area to stay.

You will likely want to stay in either south Mumbai in the Colaba area, or the suburbs around Bandra or Andheri.

Or else, you could find yourself stuck in traffic for a LONG time… although that is also part of the Mumbai experience. 😉

I went from Mumbai to Rajasthan by overnight bus.

Best hostels in Mumbai

1. Horn Ok please hostel
2. Backpacker Panda Colaba
3. Locomo hostel Mumbai Airport

2. Hampi

So there aren’t actually really any hostels in Hampi, but as this is basically a list of backpacker cities in India, there seemed to be a need to mention it as a place to go.

Hampi is where you go to see some rocks and unique geological formations.

This might not sound very interesting, but Hampi will likely leave an impression.

It’s a good city to stop by if you want to relax for a few days.

You can stop by when you’re going from Goa to Kerala.

3. Gokarna

👆 Common area at the Zostel Gokarna hostel in India.

Gokarna is a coastal town located in the state of Karnataka, located between Goa and Kerala.

So this is another place you can visit to relax for a few days.

You can choose Gokarna instead of Hampi if you’re looking for beach vibes or a coastal area to hang out.

👆 The Zostel Gokarna hostel in India has group activities!

Best hostels in Gokarna

1. Hostelavie Gokarna
2. Zostel Gokarna
3. Trippr Gokarna

4. Pondicherry

Pondicherry is famous for its French Quarter.

This is also kind of out of the way, and it’s actually the only city on this list that’s on the east side of India.

But if you’ll be in Chennai, then you may consider stopping by Pondicherry, and it’s a common route to go from Chennai to Pondicherry by bus.

When you’re in the area, you can also consider going to Mahabalipuram, another coastal town.

Best hostels in Pondicherry

1. Micasa hostel
2. Droid hostel
3. Valentine hostel

5. Madurai

Madurai is best known on the backpacker’s trail for its temple.

This is also considered to be one of the holiest cities in India.

A good route to get to Madurai from Kerala can be to go from Kerala to Kanyakumari, and then onwards to Madurai.

Kanyakumari is the southern tip of India where the 3 seas meet. 

Madurai is also where you can possibly find the cheapest flight to/from Sri Lanka.

This is another city that you won’t really find any hostels, but there is one!

Best hostel in Madurai

• The Lost Hostel Madurai

6. Goa

If you’re starting out in the north and you’ll be in India for at least a month, then Goa is the perfect place to go following your time up north.

Goa is a beach destination in India, so it’s another place to go when you want to relax.

There are a number of hostels in Goa that can be good to stay at, and you may also consider trying out some beach huts in Goa too.

Best hostels in Goa

1. The Nest Hostelogy Anjuna
2. Happy Panda Arambol
3. Rainbow Lining Hostel Palolem

See more hostels in Goa based on top beach destinations.

7. Kerala

Save the best for last. 😉

Why visit Kerala?!

Similar to Goa, Kerala can make for a perfect follow-up to North India to give you time to catch your breath and relax a bit!

Get out on the famous Kerala backwaters by canoe, kayak, or even cycling on a road along the water.

Go for overnight camping in the forest of the Western Ghats along with trekking to the second highest peak in Kerala.

Or go for a more gentle walk with a tea plantation trek.

There are also beaches in Kerala where you can catch the sunset on the ocean.

And along with some hostels in Kerala, you may also consider staying at a beachside guesthouse in Kerala too.

Best hostels in Kerala

1. The Lungi Vibe Varkala
2. Zostel Alleppey
3. Happy Camper Fort Cochin

See more hostels in Kerala based on top backpacker destinations.

HAPPY HOSTEL STAY IN INDIA!

How to spend your time in North India

• 2 weeks in Rajasthan
• 3 days in Udaipur
• 2 days in Jodhpur
• 3 days in Jaisalmer
• Overnight camel safari
• 3 days in Jaipur
• 1 days in Agra
• Taj Mahal visit

How to spend your time in South India

• Kerala backwaters on a budget
• Best backpacker cities in Kerala
• How to spend one month in South India