The Full Moon Backpackers
Pub-with-bunks on the Stokes Croft frontier — loud, social, properly Bristol
Backpacker hostel attached to The Full Moon pub on the edge of Stokes Croft, Bristol's street-art and counterculture quarter. Live music nights downstairs, a beer garden out back, and the cheapest bunks within walking distance of the city centre.
The Full Moon Backpackers sits above (and inside) The Full Moon pub on North Street, the southern threshold of Stokes Croft. If you came to Bristol for the music, the murals, and the late-late nights, this is the obvious pick. The pub downstairs runs live bands and DJ nights through the week, the beer garden fills up in summer, and your bed is genuinely a 30-second walk from the bar.
This is not the place to come if you have a 7am train. The bass from the pub carries up through the building, the Stokes Croft scene runs late, and the dorms — while clean — don't pretend to be soundproofed. Come for the social density, stay because at £20 a night you can't beat it.
The shared kitchen is functional, the showers are reliable, and the staff (especially behind the pub bar) are genuinely friendly Bristol regulars who'll point you to Lakota for drum & bass, the Trinity for old-school clubs, and the corner of Jamaica Street for the best Banksy in walking distance.
Location-wise: 12 minutes' walk to the Old City and the harbour, 5 to Hamilton House (the Stokes Croft co-op), 15 to the bus station. The Full Moon's beer garden is itself a destination on summer evenings — locals come up from the Old City for it.
- 01Live music four nights a week, free for guests, no walking required.
- 02Beer garden out back is an actual Bristol locals' venue, not a hostel afterthought.
- 03£20 a night gets you a clean bunk in a real Bristol neighbourhood, not a Travelodge.
- 04Walk to Banksy's 'Mild Mild West' in seven minutes, to Cabot Tower views in twelve.
- 05Staff actually live in Bristol and give recommendations beyond the TripAdvisor list.
- Pub and live-music venue downstairs
- Beer garden in summer
- Stokes Croft street-art quarter on the doorstep
- Cheapest hostel beds in walking range of centre
“Love this place. Great vibes and great people. I always come here when I need a place to stay in Bristol — the staff are friendly, the pub downstairs is properly social, and you actually meet locals not just tourists.”
“Spacious and organised shared spaces, the bathroom and the living room. Cleaned every day. The pub downstairs is a plus for socialising but a minus for sleep on weekend nights — bring earplugs.”
“I was so surprised to have such a decent place for just £20 per night. Security, cleanliness, and friendly staff all checked out. The kitchen had everything I needed for breakfast and the location is perfect for Stokes Croft.”
- Stokes Croft (Banksy walls)5 min walk
- Old City and harbour12 min walk
- Hamilton House co-op5 min walk
- Cabot Tower viewpoint12 min walk
- Bristol bus station8 min walk
- Lakota nightclub4 min walk
