Budget travellers can find India quite an overwhelming country with plenty of places to explore, dozens of palatable cuisines to taste, over-friendly people, shocking landscapes and sweet and sour travel experiences. Like any country, travelling India on a budget is a dream of many adventure enthusiasts. But what usually makes people give a second thought to voyaging India is the safety and accommodation aspect of travelling.

India has tons of hotels that cater to all kinds of people whether they seek a lavish room or a budgeted one. But it doesn’t mean that its hostels should be kept out of scope while selecting an accommodation. In fact, there are many hostels that provide comfort like home to travellers without charging them heavy. These fabulous dirt-cheap hostels are not popular without any reason. Many backpackers prefer to book hostels for their comfortable stay, meeting travellers and swapping stories not to forget free wifi when they travel across the length and breadth of the country. Here’s how you can benefit from the best hostels in India and enjoy your vacation like never before.

Zostel

Zostel can primarily be called the #1 hostel for backpackers to stay in while exploring the northern parts of India. Spread all over India in Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Pushkar, Udaipur, Agra, Bir, Goa, Mysore, Manali, Ooty, Khajuraho, Gokarna, Jaisalmer, Varanasi, and Delhi, Zostel offers a stay making you feel home away from home. The funky common rooms, lavish suites and dormitories with bunk beds, fully stocked open kitchen distinguish it from the rest of the hostels in the country. It is both safe and comfortable to stay here for as long as you’re exploring the area.  Zostel promises an exhausted traveller with more than a comfortable bed to crash in. Here you get to exchange your adventures with other backpackers over bonfire and enjoy fun activities which are an enlightening experience.

• Facilities provided: Free wifi, tea and coffee, lockers, guest kitchen, housekeeping, cable connection, restroom, game rooms, parties etc.
• Stay cost (per night): INR 600 to INR 1200 (might vary location-wise)

The Madpackers Hostel

The harsh summer and winters of Delhi can make a backpacker fall sick of he/she is not prepared for her/his trip to Delhi well in advance. While Delhi is bustling with thousands of hotels that promise all basic amenities for cheap, they really don’t give what you actually seek. Madpackers hostel not only provides you necessary amenities but a lot more exciting things and that too at affordable rates. It is the perfect place to get a comfortable space where you can meet new people, exchange stories and do a plethora of things to quench the thirst of your travel-hungry soul.

• Facilities provided: Free wifi, rooftop terrace, free breakfast, AC, laundry service, heritage walks, restaurants, airport shuttle, library, game room etc.
• Stay cost (per night): INR 600 to INR 2000

Horn Ok Please Hostel

Located in the posh locality of Bandra, Horn Ok Please is stunning century-old bungalow that has been renovated to cater to the needs of wanderlusts looking for a comfortable and safe place to stay during their trip to Mumbai. The hostel is set up in two old-style cottages in the most vibrant and accessible parts of the city of Bollywood and give a chilled vibe unlike regular hostels. Here you can not only bond with travellers over a steaming cup of coffee but can get valuable inputs on places to explore in Mumbai so that you get to enjoy the juiciest and liveliest corner of the city rather than brood over boring clichéd places.

• Facilities provided: Lockers, free breakfast, AC dorm rooms, 24 X 7 free wifi, hot water shower, refrigerator, fully-equipped pantry, books and board games, pub crawling, free tea and coffee etc.
• Stay cost (per night): INR 900 to INR 2000

Backpacker Panda

If you wish to stay in a place that has a friendly vibe to it, the one that not only gives you the comfort of home but is equipped with necessary services as well, then Backpacker Panda is the hostel you should be staying in. Backpacker Panda is a network of hostels providing cheap accommodation to traveller in cities-Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kullu, Chikhaldara, Pench, Pathankot, Manali, Rishikesh, Coonoor, Udaipur, Devgad, Mumbai and Kochi. The lively ambience of the hostel is sure to captivate you. Moreover, it’s one of the best hostels in India that is safe for female travellers as well as solo travellers. So why worry about budget when you can cut down unnecessary expenditure on hotels that gives you the same services at bomb charges.

• Facilities provided: AC, laundry service, hot shower, lockers, high-speed free wifi, kitchenette, TV room, games and other activities. Bicycles on rent facilities are also provided in some locations.
• Stay cost (per night): INR 300 to INR 800

YHAI Hostels

The very trend of hostels stemmed from the youth hostel association of India that enlisted hostels for travellers and backpackers where they can get decent accommodation in hostels without breaking their banks. The hostels under YHAI are extremely cheap, convenient and safe for travel enthusiasts. You can find Youth hostels in almost all parts of the country be it Delhi, Ladakh, Port Blair, Darjeeling, Bangalore etc. These hostels also provide treks and tours for different places in India at affordable prices.

• Facilities provided: free breakfast, wifi, lockers, open kitchen, etc.
• Stay cost (per night): INR 300 to INR 2000 (might vary according to locations)

Moustache Hostel

Moustache hostel takes the world of hostels to a whole new level by providing luxury accommodation and services to the backpackers at affordable rates. The difference between Moustache and the rest of the hostels is that it gives neck-to-neck competition to the international hostels. Deeply embedded Rajasthani culture can make your stay even more enjoyable and exciting. The hostels are located in the following locations: Delhi, Goa, Jaipur, Manali, Udaipur, Varanasi, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Kasol, Pushkar, Rishikesh, Kaza, and Khajuraho. Moustache hostel is a quirky place where you get to meet new people bond over travel stories, engage in fun activities and a whole lot of fun things. It is by far the cleanest and secure hostel chain in India.

• Facilities provided: Kitchen, free wifi, lockers, hot showers, laundry etc.
• Stay cost (per night): $9 and above (equivalent to INR 600)

GoStops Hostel

GoStops is one of the leading and trusted hostel chains in the country that provides ample of facilities and services to travellers to make their stay comfortable and fun-loaded one. The hostels can be found in Delhi, Bir, Jaipur, Agra, Amritsar, Mumbai, Naggar, Rishikesh, Dalhousie, Jaisalmer, Varanasi, and Udaipur. It’s a great place to have a chat with fellow backpackers and get insights into the juiciest places that shouldn’t be missed, or have a nice time relaxing and reading your favourite novel. With plenty of entertaining activities and options, GoStops is undoubtedly one of the best hostels in India for wanderlusts.

• Facilities provided: free wifi, laundry service, game room, kitchen, barbeque, AC rooms, free breakfast, cinema room, well-stocked library etc. GoStops in some locations also offers bicycle renting services.
• Stay cost (per night): INR 600 to INR 2000 (or more for major locations)

If you’ve stayed in any of these hostels, do share your experiences with us and help others in selecting a hostel for their travel itinerary. Feel free to let us know your valuable thoughts through the comment box given below.