Where to Stay in Venice for the First Time: A Complete Guide
Written by Nour De Wilde Salhab| Last update: Sep 1, 2025
(First-Hand Travel Experience & Price Comparison)
This guide is part of our main page where you can compare all hostels in Venice. 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.
Venice is the only place where getting hopelessly lost is considered a cultural experience, and the local answer to Google Maps is “follow your nose and pray.”
The lagoon plays tricks with light; cobblestones flirt with your ankles; every canal curve whispers, “Good luck finding that cheap pizza place again.”
Pick the perfect are to stay in Venice, and these mind games feel romantic.
Pick poorly, and you’ll finance the vaporetto company while hauling luggage up bridges that look innocent until the fifth one.
Top Picks: The Best Hostels in Venice
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Hostel Price Statistics & Key Numbers in Venice
| Total number of hostels | 12 |
| Typical dorm bed prices in Venice | $15 |
| Private room costs in Venice | $107 |
| Cheapest hostel in Venice | a&o Hostel Venezia Mestre for only $19 |
| Popular Party Hostel in Venice | Anda Venice Hostel (4 hostels for partying in total) |
| Where to stay in Venice on a budget? | Cannaregio, Mestre, Giudecca |
Top Neighborhoods to Stay in Venice
San Marco
Venice’s trophy case—basilicas glowing at dawn, orchestras tinkling at dusk, pigeons auditioning for fame in between.
- Snack: a €7 cappuccino here will include a free concert and a mild heart attack at the bill.
- Pros: Landmarks on your doorstep, lit streets at 3 a.m., selfie statistics off the charts.
- Cons: Dorms priced like boutique hotels, tourist menus charging for the view and the air.
- Best for: Solo travelers who treat budget as a theoretical concept.
Dorsoduro
The artsy district: university chatter, gallery queues, and canal-side spritz culture that starts suspiciously close to breakfast time.
- Pro tip: sunset on Zattere tastes better with a €2 cone of pistachio gelato—scientifically proven.
- Pros: Mid-range beds, vibrant nightlife, Peggy Guggenheim vibes.
- Cons: Late-night bar chatter echoes like gossip in a marble bathroom.
- Best for: Creatives, night owls, and anyone who writes “museums” under “cardio.”
Cannaregio
Everyday Venice with extra seasoning: fish stalls, thrift stores, and bàcari serving €1 cicchetti that double as love letters to your stomach.
- Cheap thrill: hopping bar to bar costs less than a gondola selfie stick.
- Pros: Budget dorms, genuine local buzz, train station two bridges away.
- Cons: Longer walk to Saint Mark’s; alleys go ghostly quiet past midnight.
- Best for: Backpackers intent on saving euros for gelato research.
Looking for a specific district?
Check out hostels near the following landmarks
Castello
Leafy stretches, naval museums, and locals who wave at you because they’re genuinely friendly, not because they want you to buy a mask.
- Unexpected joy: jogging through Giardini Biennale while old men play chess under plane trees.
- Pros: Fewer crowds, breezy waterfront, homely trattorias.
- Cons: Limited hostel inventory, boat ride back after nightlife escapades.
- Best for: Solo travelers who carry novels and reusable water bottles.
Giudecca
An island that gazes at the postcard skyline like it’s binge-watching. Industrial warehouses now host galleries, and sunrise here will flex on your Instagram followers.
- Memory morsel: hostel balcony sunrise, seagulls arguing, coffee from a vending machine that tasted like ambition.
- Pros: Spacious hostels, cheaper eats, panoramic views worth twice the ferry fare.
- Cons: Dependence on vaporetto; last boat waits for no one.
- Best for: Photographers, meditators, anyone okay with boat commutes.
Short and crisp: The Best Hostels in Venice
- Ostello Santa Fosca - CPU Venice Hostels - best for Older travelers (+50), Quiet Rest
- Albergo Antico Capon - best for Couples, Older travelers (+50)
- Ostello Domus Civica
- Ai Musici
- L'Imbarcadero - best for Quiet Rest
Top 10 Tips for Your First Time in Venice
- Stay on the islands, not Mestre, unless your spirit animal is a commuter train.
- Pack a backpack, not a rolling suitcase; wheels + bridges = comedy for locals, tragedy for you.
- Use fountains labeled “Acqua Potabile”; the water’s free, cold, and blessedly pigeon-free.
- Validate vaporetto tickets before boarding or risk a fine the size of a gondolier’s ego.
- Cicchetti hour starts at 11 a.m.—your brunch budget just got a promotion.
- Google Maps melts in narrow alleys; follow yellow signs for “Rialto” or “San Marco” like breadcrumb arrows.
- Set an alarm for dawn once—quiet canals glow pink, and your camera will write you a thank-you note.
- Sunday grocery closures are ruthless; snack hoard on Saturday like a strategic squirrel.
- Polite volume after dark; your voice ricochets off stone like a pinball machine.
- Step aside on bridges; locals treat them as highways, not photography platforms.
How much are hostels in Venice?
Let's talk about hostel prices in Venice. This graph shows you typical, average prices for a bed in a dorm and for a private room. Simply mouse-over to see rates for each month.
Prices can vary a lot, especially on high-season, weekends, and special holidays such as New Years Eve.
Average Dorm Price per Month in Venice
Average Private Room Price per Month in Venice
Hostels in Venice Are the Best Option — Here’s Why
Hostels slash room costs and multiply friends faster than you can say “Prosecco.” Expect canal-view kitchens, pasta nights that outrank paid food tours, and staff who double as human Google Maps.
Dorms come with lockers big enough for your life choices, and common rooms spin strangers into squadmates before the kettle boils.
-webp_thumbnail.webp "7 Hidden Gemz for Venice (by Hostelgeeks)")
7 Hidden Gemz for Venice (by Hostelgeeks)
Final Recommendations
Choose San Marco for brag-worthy mornings, Dorsoduro for art-fuelled evenings, Cannaregio for wallet peace, Castello for garden air, and Giudecca for panoramic meditation. Skim fresh reviews, confirm there’s no curfew (yes, some places still do that), and practice “Permesso” for graceful crowd weaving.
Then load up on stretchy pants, because Venice sells carbs disguised as cultural heritage. Pack an extra memory card, a tiny umbrella, and enough curiosity to let wrong turns become right stories. Your first stay in the floating maze starts now—buon viaggio!
Backpacking Venice? 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!
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About the author: Nour De Wilde Salhab
A Lebanese-Congolese-French-Belgian girl as likely to be found climbing a volcano in Indonesia or reading a sci-fi book by the sea in the South of France. Always on the hunt for remarkable experiences. My two favorites so far: volunteering in emergency medical services in Lebanon and solo backpacking around the world. Life is enjoyable in all its facets, from its healthy extremes to its mundane slows.
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