15 Best Hostels in Edinburgh

2. Edinburgh Backpackers

This is one of the best-located hostels in Edinburgh.

Here, you’re sitting on Cockburn Street (which is the city’s top ‘this-looks-like-something-from-a-Harry-Potter-movie’ street), you’re beside the Royal Mile and the main train station, and you’re right in the center of the city.

High points of the hostel itself include tidy rooms, a good kitchen, and a pool table. It’s not quite as sociable as some other options, so it’s good if you want to stay central without making endless friends.

The staff can help you to organize tours, and can offer loads of advice about both Edinburgh and Scotland in general.

If you want to tackle some cycling adventures in Edinburgh, this location is perfect—you’re right beside the National Cycle Network route 1. You can follow this route on little rides, you can follow it south all the way to Newcastle (along the Coast and Castles route), or you can ride from the NCN 1 to the NCN 75 and the NCN 754, to ride all the way to Glasgow.

You can find a map of the entire National Cycle Network here… and here’s lots of information about where to hire bikes in Edinburgh.

For more two-wheeled adventures, here are the 13 best cycling routes in Edinburgh.

Loved my stay at Edinburgh Backpackers – by far my fave of the Edinburgh hostels I’ve stayed in so far. It’s super central but somehow also incredibly quiet. I booked a 14 bed room somewhat hesitantly (I like to be in smaller rooms usually), but the beds were in sets of four with solid partitions between, so it felt very private despite being such a big dorm. Bathroom facilities were sufficient for the number of people and clean. They also make up the bed for you, which is an added nice touch.

— Georgina (Read more reviews)

Edinburgh Backpackers
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Last Updated November, 2024