Zurich Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge)
Zurich's only proper full-service hostel — Swiss breakfast, happy-hour bar, walking tours, billiards, all bundled into one Wollishofen building.
Zurich Youth Hostel (the Jugendherberge) is the city's largest, longest-running, and most institutional hostel — 8.5 from 3,540 reviews, run by Swiss Youth Hostels (HI), and the only Zurich property that bundles a real Swiss breakfast, a bar with happy hour, organized walking tours, and bar crawls under one roof. The trade-off: it sits in residential Wollishofen, 12 minutes by tram 7 from Hauptbahnhof.
Jugendherberge Zürich is the Hostelling International flagship for the city, and that label means something specific: it's a 300-bed institution rather than a boutique six-room project. The building is a converted post-war youth hostel on Mutschellenstrasse in Wollishofen, ten minutes' walk from the lake, twelve from Hauptbahnhof on tram 7. It's not in the Old Town, and that's the first thing to weigh — every other Zurich hostel on this list (Otter, Friendly, Green Marmot, Sigma) is in or next to Niederdorf, with all the noise and convenience that brings.
What you get for the residential address is everything else. Real Swiss breakfast included (bircher müesli, cold cuts, bread, coffee, decent enough to fill you for a Uetliberg hike). A bar that runs happy hour every evening and bar crawls into Niederdorf two or three times a week. A pool table, ping-pong, board games, and a shared TV lounge that actually gets used because the building is big enough to have one. A 24-hour front desk (rare in Zurich budget accommodation), a real restaurant doing dinner, packed lunches on order, and Swiss-grade housekeeping. Family rooms exist, kid-friendly meals are on the menu, and disabled access is handled properly — this is the only Zurich hostel where you'd send a multi-generational group.
Dorms run six and four beds, with proper lockers, the bunks are HI-standard (squeaky frames, decent mattresses, individual reading lights), and the bathrooms are shared but cleaned twice daily. Private rooms exist if you want the hostel social scene without the bunk bed. Hot water is reliable, the elevator works, and the bus stop (Jugendherberge, line 33 to Bahnhof Enge) is 80 metres from the door.
Pros: the only Zurich hostel where you walk in at 11pm and find a proper social scene without leaving the building, breakfast included makes the price-per-day math work better than it looks, organized activities save you decision fatigue. Cons: the residential address means everything Old Town is a 15–20 min commute, the institutional vibe (school groups in shoulder season) won't suit travelers wanting boutique calm, and the dorm noise from 6am breakfast service is real if your bunk faces the corridor.
- 01The only Zurich hostel that bundles breakfast, a real bar, walking tours, and bar crawls into the room rate
- 0224-hour front desk — rare in Zurich budget accommodation and worth the booking on its own for late-arriving solos
- 03Big enough (300 beds) that the social scene actually exists every night, not just on summer weekends
- 04Tram 7 outside the door, so the Old Town is a 12-minute commute and the lake is a 10-minute walk
- Swiss breakfast included in the room rate
- Hostel bar with daily 6pm to 8pm happy hour
- Walking tours and bar crawls organized in-house
- 24-hour front desk, family rooms, full disabled access
“Lovely staff, very comfortable lounge, nice included breakfast.”
“The place is very nice, close to the lake and park, as well as railway's station. Staff is wonderful, very helpful and kind.”
“The staff was very kind and helpful. The room was very clean and I enjoyed the breakfast. And for that price, that's awesome!”
- Tram 7 Morgental stop2 min walk
- Lake Zurich shoreline (Wollishofen)10 min walk
- Hauptbahnhof central station12 min by tram 7
- Niederdorf Old Town15 min by tram 7
- Uetliberg trailhead (S10 from HB)25 min total
- Migros Wollishofen supermarket5 min walk
