Where to Stay in Los Angeles for the First Time: A Complete Guide

This guide is part of our main page where you can compare all hostels in Los Angeles. Instantly find the best-rated hostels and real-time prices from Hostelworld and Booking.com. Compare prices side-by-side and save money every time. Learn how we compare prices.

Find your Perfect Hostel in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is huge—more patchwork than city—so picking the right base can save hours in traffic and a lot of rideshare money.

I’ve crashed in hostels from Hollywood Boulevard to the beach bike path, and each stay felt like a different trip.

Use this guide to match your style and budget to the best neighborhood, so your first time in LA feels focused, not frantic.

Top Picks: The Best Hostels in Los Angeles

Best for Hostel Newbies

STAY OPEN Venice Beach10.0

from $45.13 | More Details

Best for Female Solo Traveler

Freehand8.5

from $20.09 | More Details

Best Party Hostel

Banana Bungalow Hollywo...8.6

from $14.55 | More Details

This is not an ad. We help you find the perfect hostel and compare prices from Hostelworld and Booking. You can save up to 23.7%

Top Neighborhoods to Stay in Los Angeles

Downtown / Historic Core

Old movie palaces meet modern food halls. Walkable blocks are rare in LA, but you can cover art galleries, Grand Central Market, and the Metro in minutes.

• Pros: direct train from the airport (K Line → E Line), skyline rooftops, late-night tacos.
• Cons: prices rise fast on event nights, some streets feel empty after 10 p.m.
• Best for: culture geeks, transit riders, and Lakers fans catching games at Crypto.com Arena.

Hollywood

Landmark signs, star-studded sidewalks, and tour-bus energy 24 / 7. Hostels cluster near Hollywood & Highland station.

• Pros: easy Metro Red Line, cheap food courts, nightly bar crawls.
• Cons: tourist traps, aggressive costumed characters, some dated dorms.
• Best for: first-timers who want walk-up selfies with the Hollywood sign and built-in nightlife.

Santa Monica

Beach sunsets, bike lanes, and the famous pier ferris wheel. A safer, cleaner vibe than Venice but still social.

• Pros: beach hostels, farmers’ markets, direct E Line train to Downtown.
• Cons: highest dorm prices in LA, early bar curfew compared to Hollywood.
• Best for: sunrise surfers, sunset photographers, and anyone who hates driving.

Venice

Street art, skate culture, and eccentric boardwalk characters. Hostels sit one block from the sand, so flip-flops replace Lyft rides.

• Pros: laid-back vibe, muscle-beach gyms, Abbot Kinney food trucks.
• Cons: petty theft on crowded boardwalks, fewer late-night buses.
• Best for: creative spirits, yogis, and travelers who rate vibe over polish.

Silver Lake

Hilly streets, indie coffee, and the city’s highest thrift-shop density. No hostels yet, but plenty of budget motels and shared Airbnbs.

• Pros: live music on Sunset, reservoir jogging loop, veggie diners.
• Cons: steep hills for walking, limited public transport—rely on buses.
• Best for: digital nomads, vintage hunters, and plant-based eaters.

Koreatown

24-hour BBQ, karaoke bars, and classic Art-Deco buildings. Central for rideshares; Wilshire / Vermont station sits on two subway lines.

• Pros: cheap eats, late-night safety in busy streets, budget hotels with dorm-style rooms.
• Cons: traffic-heavy boulevards, scarce green space.
• Best for: night owls, foodies, and budget travelers who prefer private pod hotels.

Echo Park

Lakeside lotus blooms, street tacos, and view hikes to Elysian Park. Dorm choices are limited, but homestay rooms fill the gap.

• Pros: paddle-boat mornings, Dodger Stadium proximity, indie bookstores.
• Cons: hilly walks, buses run infrequently late at night.
• Best for: casual hikers, baseball fans, and slow travelers.

West Hollywood (WeHo)

LGBTQ+ nightlife, design shops, and mid-century hotels. Hostels are rare, yet shared pods in boutique hotels pop up off-season.

• Pros: safe streets, comedy clubs, central rideshare zones to anywhere.
• Cons: higher nightly costs, heavy weekend traffic.
• Best for: club fans, comedians-in-training, and travelers splitting Ubers with dorm mates.

Top 10 Tips for Your First Time in Los Angeles

• Skip daily car rentals; combine Metro Rail, buses, and occasional Lyft to save cash.
• Buy a TAP card and load $5 Day Pass only on sightseeing marathons; single rides are $1.75.
• LA County museums often offer one free weekday; check websites and reserve in advance.
• Pack a refillable bottle—public park fountains taste fine, and beach taps save plastic.
• Layer clothing; mornings start cool, afternoons scorch, nights cool again.
• Use the Transit app for live bus arrivals; times on stop signs are fantasy.
• ATM fees run high; stock small bills for taco trucks and farmers’ markets.
• Wear shoes with grip—hillside sidewalks crumble, and Venice sand appears everywhere.
• Call your hostel before arrival; many hide reception on upper floors behind keypads.
• Learn basic Spanish greetings; they open smiles at pupusa stands and Metro kiosks.

Hostels in Los Angeles Are the Best Option — Here’s Why

LA’s hostel network covers every vibe: buzzing bunks on Hollywood Boulevard, beachfront dorms in Venice, and modern pods downtown.

Rates run $35-$55 in low season, and most include pancake breakfast, free walking tours, and discounted theme-park shuttles.

Nightly events—sunset hikes to Griffith Observatory, taco crawls through Koreatown, or open-mic nights in Silver Lake—mean you never explore alone unless you want to.

Final Recommendations

Choose your base by daily plan: Hollywood for quick transit and nightlife, Santa Monica for beach mornings, Koreatown for 3 a.m. dumplings, Silver Lake for thrift sessions, or Downtown if you want car-free city days.

Book hostels early for summer and award-show weeks; LA loves a big event. 

Grab a TAP card, keep Google Maps offline areas handy, and accept that crossing town can still take an hour—plan clusters of sights instead of zig-zag days.

Fuel up on $1.50 street tacos, catch sunset at Griffith or the Venice skate park, and end nights swapping film-set spottings with dorm friends on a rooftop.

Do LA your way, but start with the right neighborhood and the city’s sprawl suddenly feels like a playground instead of a puzzle.

Backpacking Los Angeles? Here’s What You Need to Know

These are the guides I wish I had before visiting. I’ve been there, had fun, did some minor mistakes, and now I’m passing the best tips on to you. Safe travels!

Must-Read

I stayed in a Backpacker Hostel in Los Angeles

My experience and what you can expect

Where to Stay in Los Angeles as a Solo Traveler

Best Areas and how to get around

Solo Travel Los Angeles

My experience and what you can expect

How to Pick a Hostel in Los Angeles

What to Expect (and what not!)

Backpacking Los Angeles

All those cool and unique experiences we are looking for!

About the author: Matt Kiefer

Hey, I’m Matt, the founder behind Hostelgeeks.com. My team and I are collecting the absolute best hostels in the world for you. We share the coolest hostels so you can focus on your travels, rather than spending your time trying to pick a good hostel.

Personally, I’ve bunked in over 600 hostels and stamped my passport in more than 70 countries. My heart beats for Vietnam, Spain, and France, and so many more destinations. I’m a Foosball champ but a beer pong amateur.

Last but not least: Hostelgeeks is a proud ambassador of Hostelz.com.