You are looking for hostels in Norway? Good news, you have come to the right place.
On this page we list every single city with hostels and other budget accommodations. Hostelz.com helps you to find your Norway hostel and compare its prices on the major booking sites such as Hostelworld, Hostelsclub and Booking.com. So you can sleep on a budget and save money while backpacking Norway.
We list every single hostel in Norway and the world. In total, we have 66 cities in Norway for you. Please note that not all cities actually have a hostel to stay in. Below you can filter for cities with hostels and with no hostels-type accommodation, but guesthouses and budget hotels. This will help your planning.
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 Norway. 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.
Norway shares most of its border with Sweden, but also borders Finland and Russia in the far north. Norway is not a member of the European Union (but it is part of the Schengen area) and it uses the Norwegian krone as its currency. Norway has been ranked as the best country to live in several times, something the Norwegians are very proud of. They are also proud of their royal family, and the national day (17th of May) is celebrated by everybody with cake, ice cream, soda, and hot dogs.
Tourists mostly come to Norway to experience the amazing nature and outdoor sports. From mountains to fjords, and from world class hiking to rafting; Norway has it all! With several smaller cities worth a visit, Norway is also a good country for city trips. The most popular cities are Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim. But Stavanger, Lillehammer, Ålesund, Tromsø, and Bodø are also worth a visit. Lofoten has the most beautiful nature, but is not easy to reach and travel around with public transport. There are several national parks that are worth a visit for hiking, the most popular ones being Jotunheimen and Hardangervidda. Interesting day hikes are Preikestolen, Kjerag, Besseggen, and Trolltunga.
A famous place for biking is Flåm, where you can also take a rail trip with beautiful scenery. Not far away is Finse, one of the places you can walk on a glacier. Also famous for its scenery is Geiranger, where you find amazing viewpoints. Also worth seeing is the charming town of Røros, where you can visit the popular market in February. Norway is beautiful in winter, but many hostels outside the bigger cities are closed. Skiing is good in many places, most famous are Trysil and the areas around Lillehammer.
Probably the most desired place to visit when going to Norway is the North Cape. The very tip of mainland Europe has an information center and a view over the ocean (and nothing but the ocean). Honningsvåg is a good nearby location to get a hostel for the North Cape area.
Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world and the hostel prices are no exception. Expect to pay about 50% more for a bed as in any other western European country. Going out for dinner is challenging when on a budget, so it might be wise to find a hostel with a kitchen. Alcohol is especially pricey, but hostel staff can give you tips on which bars are more affordable.
Traveling around Norway can be cheaper if you book ahead. There are long distance buses between the major cities that are cheap when booked long in advance. Trains are comfortable and also have tickets on sale, but the destinations that can be reached by train are limited. Taking a plane might sometimes be cheaper than you expect and saves you a lot of time. Almost every mid-size city has an airport.
The quality of hostels in Norway is high. The hostels are usually very clean and modern. It's not as common to have bed linen included in the price as it is in other countries, so this is something to be aware of. Breakfast is sometimes included, and is usually of good quality, sometimes even including Norwegian salmon. In bigger cities there are usually a few hostels, but don't expect a hostel on every street corner. In smaller towns, there is usually only one hostel, and sometimes these hostels are only open during the summer high season. It is therefore wise to book in advance.
Handwritten by local expert for Norway hostels Paulien
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 Norway. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Norway. 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!
There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:
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.
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 Norway 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.
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.
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.
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.
