The Best Hostels in Sofia: 10 I'd Book in 2026

Most of Sofia's hostels sit within 1 km of the center, some of them in 19th-century buildings a short walk from the Roman ruins and Vitosha Boulevard. Dorm beds usually cost €10 to €20 a night and start at about €5 off-season. These are the 10 hostels I'd book, what each one is best for and what a night costs.

My picks at a glance

Prices are the lowest listed rates in early November 2026 and change with the season and the date.

The best hostels in Sofia

1. Hostel Mostel

Hostel Mostel is the best-known hostel in Sofia, with more than 11,000 guest reviews, and my overall pick. It sits in a renovated 19th-century building on Makedonia Boulevard, about 0.7 km from the center and within walking distance of the central railway and bus stations, which helps if you arrive overland.

The atmosphere is open, relaxed and social, so solo travelers find people to explore with. Dorms sleep 6 to 18 and come with lockers, and private rooms sleep up to 6, which suits a group that met on the road. Breakfast brings waffles, salami, cheese and Bulgarian yogurt. There is a communal kitchen, free WiFi, laundry and an outdoor terrace. Dorm beds start at about €7 a night.

2. Hostel N1

Hostel N1 is for people who want sleep. It calls itself a no-party hostel with many rules, and it means it: follow them and you get a proper night's rest at one of the lowest prices in town, with dorm beds from about €5. It has no private rooms.

It sits on Serdika Street, about 400 m from the center and within easy walking distance of the Central Mineral Baths, the Sofia Synagogue and the Banya Bashi Mosque. You choose between dorms with a fan or air conditioning, and with more space or less. There is a kitchen, laundry, free tea and coffee, games in the lounge and a terrace.

3. Bla Bla Hostel

Bla Bla Hostel is the most central hostel on this list, about 400 m from the center on Iskar Street, around the corner from some of the city's best bars and pubs. It is newly renovated, with a social atmosphere and a 24-hour reception, so coming back late is never a problem.

Dorms have 4 to 6 beds, and there are female-only dorms. The shared kitchen is where people meet before going out, and there is a washing machine and free tea and coffee. Dorm beds start at about €13 a night, and there are no private rooms. If you are here for Sofia's nightlife, this is where I'd sleep.

4. Green Cube Hostel

Green Cube Hostel is the first capsule hostel in Sofia. Its 96 dorm beds are capsules, so you get your own space in a shared room, with key card access, air conditioning and a 24/7 reception.

It is on Hristo Botev Boulevard, about 1.1 km from the center, with the sights and a train station within walking distance. There is a laundry, free tea and coffee and free WiFi. Dorm beds start at about €13 a night, and there are no private rooms.

5. Vintage Central Hostel

Vintage Central Hostel is the one for digital nomads. It is on Knyaz Boris I Street, within walking distance of Serdika metro station, and it has bright, open common spaces with plenty of desk room and free WiFi.

When work is done, there is an on-site bar, a PlayStation and board games. It has dorms and private rooms, 24-hour security and a meeting room.

6. Guest House 32

Guest House 32 is a guesthouse with a hostel's social side. It is on the first floor of a 19th-century building on Hristo Belchev Street that belonged to the family of the French artist Jules Pascin, close to Vitosha Boulevard and the National Palace of Culture.

It has private rooms only, cozy and spacious, and the common areas are where guests meet. There is laundry and luggage storage. Private rooms start at about €10 a night, and it is my pick for couples who want a hostel's prices without the dorms.

7. The Green Bar House

The Green Bar House is the annex of Guest House 32, in a 120-year-old building at Vitosha Boulevard 55, above Green Bar. The rooms are quirky, spacious and full of light, and there is no bunk bed anywhere.

It is the only hostel on this list on Sofia's main pedestrian street, so you step out of the door into the restaurants and terraces. Private rooms start at about €19 a night. On summer nights the boulevard is loud, so pack earplugs if you sleep lightly.

8. 10 Coins Hostel

10 Coins Hostel is in a quiet neighborhood about 3 km from the center, on Dechko Uzunov Street, and it is the hostel I'd pick if you arrive with a car, a motorbike or a bicycle, because you can park it securely on site.

The dorms have air conditioning, fresh linens and lockers, and there is a community kitchen, laundry and a small outdoor terrace. Breakfast is available for an extra fee. Dorm beds start at about €13 and private rooms at about €10 a night.

9. Hostel Ivory Tower

Hostel Ivory Tower is a small, simple hostel at 60 Tsar Samuil Street, with only four rooms. Every dorm has single beds, with no bunks, and each bed has deep drawers underneath for your bags.

With so few rooms, it feels intimate. There is a kitchen and an outdoor terrace. I'd book it if you hate the top bunk.

10. Smart Hostel Sofia

Smart Hostel Sofia is a few minutes from the main central sights, with both dorms and private rooms, so it works for solo backpackers and couples alike. All rooms come with lockers.

The outdoor terrace is the social spot, and the hostel rents bikes for exploring the city. There is a communal kitchen, free WiFi and laundry.

What a hostel in Sofia costs

A dorm bed in a Sofia hostel usually costs about €10 to €20 a night, and a private room in a hostel about €30 to €45. Off-season rates go much lower: in early November 2026, the lowest listed dorm beds on this list started at about €5 and private rooms at about €8.

Food and transport are cheap too. A metro, tram or bus ride costs €0.80, and the day's travel stops costing anything after €2, so Sofia on a budget is easy to do on a backpacker's money.

Where Sofia's hostels are

Nearly every hostel worth booking is in the center, between Serdika, the Women's Market and Vitosha Boulevard. Bla Bla and N1 are about 400 m from the center, Mostel about 700 m and Green Cube about 1.1 km, while Guest House 32 is on Hristo Belchev Street, close to Vitosha Boulevard, and The Green Bar House is on the boulevard itself. Only 10 Coins is further out, at about 3 km.

The center has the sights, the bars and Serdika metro, which is why it tops my list of areas for where to stay in Sofia on any budget. If you want a step up from a dorm without leaving the center, Sofia's boutique hotels mostly have 9 to 35 rooms, and most of the best hotels in Sofia are in the same streets.

Which hostel suits you

• Solo travelers. Hostel Mostel, for its social atmosphere, the easiest start to making friends in Sofia if you arrive alone.
• Light sleepers. Hostel N1, as long as you can live with the rules.
• Nights out. Bla Bla Hostel, around the corner from the bars, with a 24-hour reception.
• Women traveling alone. Bla Bla Hostel has female-only dorms and a 24-hour reception, the first two things I'd check for solo female travel in Bulgaria.
• Couples. Guest House 32 or The Green Bar House, for private rooms at hostel prices.

Skip Hostel N1 if you plan to come back at 3 AM.

Tips for staying in a Sofia hostel

Since Bulgaria switched to the euro on 1 January 2026, money in Bulgaria is simple for a hostel stay: the cash that N1 and 10 Coins want at check-in is euros.

Popular hostels sell out in summer, the busy season, so book ahead for June to September.

Bring a padlock for the lockers, and earplugs for any hostel near Vitosha Boulevard or Iskar Street. The center is small enough to walk, and getting around Sofia by tram or metro covers the rest.