Hostels in Laos
Looking for the best hostels in Laos? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Laos with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Laos hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Laos and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Laos
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Laos, across 9 cities! Not all cities have hostels, but many offer alternative budget options like guesthouses and affordable hotels. Use our filters to quickly find cities with hostels or other budget accommodations to simplify your trip planning.
All Laos hostels on a map
Alright, you are more the visual type? Planning your trip with a map is always handy.
Therefore, this map shows you all cities with hostels in Laos. It will help you to plan your trip. Just zoom in the map and click your destination for more details. Just so you know: If we do not have a hostel in a city, it is likely that there is no hostel in that city.
All Top Hostels in Luang Prabang
We help you pick your hostel like no one else. Check our detailed guides to:
All Top Hostels in Vientiane
We help you pick your hostel like no one else. Check our detailed guides to:
All Top Hostels in Vang Vieng
We help you pick your hostel like no one else. Check our detailed guides to:
All Top Hostels in Pakse
We help you pick your hostel like no one else. Check our detailed guides to:
Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Laos
Laos is an incredible country. The people here are giving and humble and if you take the time to talk to them you will learn some amazing life lessons through their attitudes to life and the way they live. It is sad that despite being not involved in the Vietnam War, Laos ended up being the most bombed country in the world because of the Viet Cong hiding in the jungle along the border between the two countries. The effects of the war are still seen in the country today among its people. They go on, however, and are happy to live without having to experience any more war.
While there is the odd one off hostel scattered along the Laotian border, the majority of the hostels in Laos can be found in the most popular travel destinations.
Vientiane is the capital city. The French name of the city is from the influence that the French had during this region during their occupation of the Indochina region. Many of the influences have stayed here, especially in the foods that you eat and you can find some incredible French bakeries and patisseries around the city. There are a few beautiful temples to visit around the city but otherwise you shouldn't need any more than a couple of days at a hostel here to explore.
Vang Vieng is the party town on the circuit in Laos. It is best known for its tubing but there is plenty more to explore in this region. Make sure you explore the caves around the area going cave tubing. You can also go kayaking with the buffalo. Of course the thing that everybody does is hire a tube and float down the river past all of the bars along the way that have some amazing rope swings and slides. It is a giant water playground that is a lot of fun. In recent years it closed down and was then again reopened. Its closure was due to an increased number of deaths of people getting way too drunk and making bad decisions while tubing. Make sure that if you are going to do this that you don't get too drunk and that you go with a friend. Safety should always come first.
The most stunning of the main destinations, and the one with the most hostels, is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang. The whole town has been listed for its astonishingly beautiful temples. You can spend a good couple of days exploring the temples around the town here. Don't miss the night markets where they have some spectacular handicrafts for a really good price. And of course no trip to Luang Prabang would be complete without climbing to the top of the hill in the centre of the city to watch the sun set over the river. All of the hostels and everything within the town is within walking distance or it is cheap to take a tuk tuk. You can take a boat from here down the river towards the Thai border as well to cross into northern Thailand.
Make sure you take ample time to explore Laos, talk to the locals and have an authentic experience. You won't regret it.
Handwritten by local expert for Laos hostels Globetrotter
Provinces
Travel Tips for Laos - from the Community
Hey fam! Here are a few more tips from the community, from them to you, and you to them. This space is dedicated for travellers to share their best tips on backpacking Laos. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Laos. Everyone is welcome to add something useful, funny, unexpected and the "absolutely necessary to know before you go" - share, share and then share a little more!
FAQ on Hostels in Laos
There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:
Finding Hostels and Prices
What hostel booking sites are best to use?
There is several hostel booking sites, such as Hostelworld.com, Hostelsclub.com and Booking.com. While every platform has its pros and cons, there is a universal truth you as a traveler should be aware of: Not a single booking site can always offer the best prices.
This is where Hostelz.com comes in. You can compare all major booking portals with one click.
For you as a traveler, Hostelz.com is the best booking site to actually save money.
How much are hostels in Laos?
Prices always vary, depending on various factors. Weekends tend to be more expensive, same goes for special holidays. Please also take into account local vaction time.
You can search for exacty hostel prices in Laos here on Hostelz.com. Pick your destination and pick a date. The system will track down the prices to give an idea of what budget and prices you can expect.
When to book hostels?
If you want to stay at the best hostels, it is a good idea to have your hostel booked around 1 month before you travel. For the regular hostels, booking one week before should be okay. Yet again, this always depends.
We dedicated a full article to the topic of when to book hostels.
Safety and Packing
Are hostels in Laos safe?
Generally speaking, hostels are as safe as you make them. We highly recommend always to bring your own padlock, using the lockers and taking care of your belongings. Make sure you pick a safe hostel, offering lockers and a safe location. Please always pay attention to the reviews; they can give you a great insight on what to expect and safety tips.
What to pack when staying in hostels?
There is a few basics you should always pack when staying in hostels.
There is more actually. We wrote a complete guide with more details. Read our full hostel packing list.