Zadar
Croatia.
Croatia · 6 districts · 3 vibes
6 handpicked hostels in Zadar, sorted by traveler rating.
Zadar's hostel scene clusters in two pockets: inside the 16th-century Venetian walls of Stari Grad on the peninsula (Boutique Hostel Forum perched above the Roman Forum on Široka ulica, Downtown Boutique steps from the Sea Organ) and across the footbridge in the Voštarnica/Stanovi residential strip (Lazy Monkey, Backpackers Home, Stadion, Sky Zadar). The Old Town is small, 12 minutes end to end on foot, with the Sea Organ, Greeting to the Sun, St Donatus rotunda and the daily sunset crowd on the Riva. Zadar is also the launch point for Plitvice and Krka day trips and the Pag-island ferry to the Zrće party beach. Off-season pricing drops sharply from October to May.
What to do in Zadar.
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Best Hostels in Zadar
6 handpicked hostels in Zadar, sorted by traveler rating.
Sky Hostel
Sky Hostel is the highest-rated hostel in Zadar (9.3 from 1,643 reviews) and the city's go-to for travellers who want clean, quiet and walkable rather than rooftop bars and bar crawls. Tucked on a residential street eight minutes from Kolovare Beach and twelve from the Old Town peninsula, it's the contrast pick to the social hostels inside the walls.
Downtown Boutique Hostel
Downtown Boutique Hostel is the most-reviewed hostel in Zadar (2,381 reviews at 8.9) and the only one with a full-on restaurant on the ground floor. Set on Ulica Kraljskog Dalmatina inside the Old Town walls, it's a 200-metre walk to Duke's Palace, three minutes to the Forum, and the stairs up to the terrace catch the Adriatic breeze.
The Lazy Monkey Hostel & Apartments
The Lazy Monkey is the social-bar-with-a-garden hostel in the Bregdetti area, six minutes from Podbrig Beach and a 25-minute walk into the Old Town. Run by Chris and Tiha (whose names appear in nearly every review), it's the laid-back alternative to the Old Town hostels — pool table, chess, outdoor seating, evening entertainment and a real shared kitchen.
Backpackers Home
Backpackers Home is the small, family-run hostel in a quiet residential pocket north of the Old Town — fifteen minutes' walk to Five Wells Square and a five-minute stroll to the bakery and corner shop reviewers keep mentioning. Rated 8.6 across 1,158 reviews, it's the under-the-radar choice for solo travellers who want a kitchen, a garden and a host who knows your name by day two.
Hostel Stadion
Hostel Stadion is the host-led hostel in the Stanovi residential pocket, named for the football stadium across the street. Run by Bruno (whose name appears in nearly every five-star review), it's the curtained-pod-bunk hostel of Zadar — every dorm has its own ensuite bathroom and a Lidl supermarket across the road. 8.6 across 500 reviews and trending up.
Boutique Hostel Forum
Boutique Hostel Forum is the most-reviewed hostel in Zadar (3,200 reviews) and the most-photographed: it's literally built next to the Roman Forum and St Donatus' Church, on Kalelarga (Široka ulica), the main pedestrian spine of the Old Town. Sea-view dorms, modern boutique-spec interiors, breakfast included on twin/double rooms — and the Sea Organ is a four-minute walk.
Hand-picked guides.
Three Zadar hostels run a real rooftop or terrace bar where the daily action is the Adriatic sunset: Boutique Hostel Forum (terrace overlook…
Three Zadar hostels run real organised social programs that turn random guests into the same dinner table: Boutique Hostel Forum (high-throu…
Five of Zadar's six top hostels have a real shared kitchen you'd actually use: Sky Hostel (small but fully equipped, microwave, kettle, coff…