Heraklion Youth Hostel
The cheapest dorm bed in the Old Town and a sun terrace, no frills and proud of it.
Heraklion Youth Hostel is the budget pick on Vyronos Street, two streets off the Daedalou pedestrian spine. Basic, well-located, and honest about what it is — A/C, lockers, refrigerators, a sun deck, free parking, and dorm beds in the €14 to €18 range. Not a social-scene hostel, but priced for the traveler who's here to see Knossos and move on.
This is the old-school Greek youth-hostel format: a four-storey building from the 1970s that's been quietly maintained, with the basics that matter (A/C in every room, individual lockers, a refrigerator on each floor, fresh linens) and not much else. The rooms are simple — bunk beds, white walls, tiled floors — and the upstairs has stairs only.
Layout is generous on bed count: several mixed dorms ranging from 4 to 10 beds, two female dorms, and one private double. The sun terrace on the roof is the closest thing to a common space; there's no kitchen and no lounge floor with sofas and a TV. People who book here mostly use the hostel as a sleep-and-shower base between Knossos in the morning and tavernas in the evening.
Location is the headline at this price. The hostel is one block off Daedalou (the pedestrianised street running from Lions Square to the Archaeological Museum), so you can walk to dinner, walk to the museum, and walk to the bus #2 stop for Knossos in under five minutes. Free parking is available and rare for the Old Town.
Downsides — the building shows its age (cracked tiles in the bathrooms, dated furniture), and the cleanliness score (8.0) is the lowest of the three Heraklion hostels but still passing. Not for travelers who want a social-events programme; this is a sleep-here-cheap operation.
- 01Honest pricing: €14 means €14, not €14 plus six surcharges
- 02Free parking inside the Old Town — the quiet superpower of this hostel
- 03Walking distance to the Archaeological Museum, Lions Square, and the bus to Knossos
- 04Lockers in every dorm, A/C in every room, individual reading sockets
- Cheapest dorm bed in the Old Town (€14 in a 10-bed mixed dorm)
- Free parking — rare and valuable inside the Venetian walls
- One block off Daedalou Street, four minutes to Lions Square
- Sun terrace on the roof for an evening with a bottle of raki
“This is how a hostel should be — friendly dedicated owners, good social vibes, nice lounge area to meet other travelers, beautiful sun terrace.”
“The hostel is comfortable and chill, the bathroom is practical and the rooftop is very good to chill in the evening. Honest budget option in the Old Town.”
“The atmosphere, creative decorations full of character, location close to the shopping street, nice and funny staff, supermarket very close by.”
- Lions Square (Liontaria)200 m
- Daedalou pedestrian street100 m
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum350 m
- 1866 Street covered market250 m
- Bus #2 stop for Knossos200 m
- Heraklion Airport (HER)5 km
