Galway
Ireland.
Ireland · 6 districts · 4 vibes
6 handpicked hostels in Galway, sorted by traveler rating.
Galway is the west-of-Ireland capital of traditional music and Cliffs of Moher day trips — an 83,000-person city that punches above its size in backpacker scene density. The hostel circuit clusters around Eyre Square (Kinlay, Galway City Hostel, Snoozles on Forster Street) and the north-river Woodquay strip (The Woodquay Hostel, The Dawson), with The Nest Boutique Hostel breaking away to the Salthill seaside. The main sell is Shop Street's 15-pub medieval spine, nightly trad sessions at Tigh Cóilí and The Crane Bar, and the morning Cliffs of Moher buses from Eyre Square at 9:30am. For backpackers who want Ireland unfiltered: pub crawls, fiddle sessions, Atlantic seafood chowder.
What to do in Galway.
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Best Hostels in Galway
6 handpicked hostels in Galway, sorted by traveler rating.
Galway City Hostel
Galway City Hostel is the highest-rated hostel in the city on Booking — 9.0 across 1,385 reviews, tucked on Frenchville Lane between Eyre Square and Ceannt Station. Beds from around €26, private rooms from €80. Small, staff-run, and visibly cared for.
Kinlay Hostel Eyre Square
Kinlay Hostel is the biggest hostel in Galway and winner of Ireland's best hostel (Irish Hostelling International 2025) — 8.9 rating across 3,804 reviews, €28 dorms on Merchants Road at Eyre Square. Pool table, in-house bar, tour desk, and a lot of private rooms for groups.
The Nest Boutique Hostel
The Nest Boutique Hostel is the Salthill-side option — a boutique-styled hostel on the Salthill promenade, 8.8 across 2,777 reviews, dorms from €32 with modern wooden bunks, a rooftop terrace looking toward Galway Bay, and breakfast included. Quieter than the Eyre Square hostels and closer to the sea.
Snoozles Galway City Centre
Snoozles Galway is the repeat-booker's hostel on Forster Street — 8.7 across 1,918 reviews, €27 dorms with an included continental breakfast, 2 min walk to Eyre Square on the quieter side. Long-running family-owned operation with a high return-guest rate.
The Dawson Hostel Galway
The Dawson Hostel (formerly Sleepzone Galway City) is the refurbished 100-bed property on Bothar na mBan — 8.1 across 2,981 reviews, dorms from €25, included continental breakfast, a ground-floor outdoor terrace, and 5 min walk to Eyre Square. The best value for money hostel in Galway per return bookers.
The Woodquay Hostel
The Woodquay Hostel is the budget pick on the quieter north side of the River Corrib — 7.9 across 2,792 reviews, dorms from €23, 6 min walk to Eyre Square. Two-building setup, big kitchen, West End trad pubs on the doorstep.
Hand-picked guides.
Galway is the kind of small city where the social scene organises itself — you walk out of Eyre Square and within five minutes you're in a S…
Galway is a two-minutes-end-to-end walking city, so the 'city tour' that matters here is the day trip out: Cliffs of Moher (90 minutes south…
Galway is not a rooftop city by Mediterranean standards — the weather doesn't reliably support open-air terrace culture, and most hostels ar…
Galway's live music scene is synonymous with traditional Irish music — 'trad' — and in this small city the sessions happen within walking di…