9 Best Hostels In Mexico City (ONLY the top ones)

Mexico City is one of my favorite cities in the world. But as incredible as the city is, where you stay can hugely affect your experience, so let me share what I think are some of the best hostels in Mexico City.

This guide is based on my actual experience staying in different places in CDMX. Each hostel or neighborhood can have quite a different vibe, so I hope this helps you pick the right hostel for you!

Quick tips

Best social hostels: Viajero Hostel CDMX and Casa Pepe
Best boutique (premium) hostel: Casa Pancha
Best for digital nomads: Selina or Casa Pepe
On a budget: Hostel Home or Mexico City Hostel
On a layover: Hostel Airport Mexico DF

Which areas to stay

Most hostels in Mexico City are located in one of two areas. These both make for a great base, though they each have a different vibe.

El Centro

Staying here near the main square will be the most convenient for sightseeing. You will be smack in the middle of the Mexican capital, with numerous plazas, museums, churches/cathedrals, shopping streets, etc. within walking distance. This makes it an ideal base, though it can feel a bit empty at night when the shops have closed.

Best hostels: both Viajero Hostel CDMX and Casa Pepe are legendary hostels in El Centro.

La Condesa & Roma

These adjacent neighbourhoods are beautifully green, residential, and brimming with hip restaurants and cafes. While highly internationalized and more upscale, the atmosphere is highly inviting and makes you almost forget you’re inside a sprawling mega city. You’ll be about 7 metro stops from the main square.

Best hostels: the boutique hostel Casa Pancha is incredible or try the classic backpacker hostel Hostel Home if you’re on a budget.

Best hostels in Mexico City

Viajero Hostel CDMX

BEST SOCIAL HOSTEL

El Centro Mixed dorms Female dorms Private rooms

If you’re looking for a highly social hostel, don’t think twice about it and just book Viajero Hostel CDMX! Trust me, this is the place to stay for solo travellers or just anyone wanting to meet other travellers.

This is partly thanks to the many activities that are organized (including via a private WhatsApp group), but also the hostel’s layout. The breakfast area, bar, coworking room, etc. all connect to the central courtyard, making it the natural hub of all activity. This creates an instant atmosphere beyond what most hostels offer.

Viajero CDMX is not really a party hostel, though it is lively and the courtyard does often get busy at night with drinks and games. Quiet hours start at 11pm. A second courtyard further back offers more secluded rooms if you prefer this.

Note: Viajero Hostel is very popular so it’s worth booking ahead.

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Casa Pepe

BEST FACILITIES

El Centro Mixed dorms Female dorms Private rooms

Smash a hostel and a hotel together and you’d get something like Casa Pepe. While it’s definitely a hostel, the facilities and amenities at Casa Pepe feel very premium and almost like a hotel.

Spread across several floors, Casa Pepe offers private rooms as well as dorm rooms with pod-style beds, complete with a large and small locker, charging points, reading lights, and even complementary earplugs (which I should say I didn’t have a need for, though you never know if you’ll get a snorer).

Next to the reception area there is a spacious room with many bookshelves and decorations and large tables. It’s perfect for remote workers to set up their laptops here.

Breakfast is served on the rooftop area, which is also where you’ll find the bar at night for some socializing with other travellers. Many tours and activities are also provided at Casa Pepe.

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Casa Pancha

BEST BOUTIQUE HOSTEL

La Condesa Mixed dorms Female dorms

You wouldn’t describe it as “quiet” (in fact, it’s often fully booked, so be sure to reserve your bed), but Casa Pancha has an amazing calmness to it.

The beautiful common room — loft-style and with large windows facing the canopy outside — feels like some kind of secret oasis in Mexico City.

If you’re looking for a relaxing hostel stay in a more mature ’boutique’ hostel, I highly recommend Casa Pancha. It’s perfectly located on a leafy avenue in La Condesa with fantastic restaurants and cafes around.

The facilities are perfect and feature pod-style dorm beds that have curtains as well as lockers, sockets, and reading lights.

Casa Pancha doesn’t have a dedicated working space. However, between the beautiful top-floor space and a second interior common room, you can usually find a good working spot during the day.

Free breakfast is included.

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Hostel Home

Roma Norte Mixed dorms Female dorms

Located in the beautiful green area of Roma, Hostel Home is a bit different from hostels mentioned so far.

It may not be a new custom-designed hostel like you see a lot of these days, but this classic backpacker haunt has a different atmosphere, feeling a lot like staying in a residential house.

The dorm beds are not modern pods but metal-framed bunks, though it’s the homely traveller atmosphere and family-owned management that set it apart. It’s perfect for the weary long-term traveller to call home for a while or anyone looking for a local backpacker-style place.

Fun fact: Hostel Home was the very first hostel in Mexico City. The owners told me it’s been going strong for nearly 100 years!

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Mexico City Hostel

El Centro Mixed dorms Female dorms

Based on quality alone I recommend hostels like Viajero or Casa Pepe, but if you’re on a tight budget, then it’s worth considering Mexico City Hostel. It offers great value for money considering the price and location.

I stayed here several years ago and had an excellent stay. While the facilities are a little outdated, the location couldn’t be more perfect; it’s literally a 1-minute walk from the main square. There is also a rooftop area where you can mingle with other travellers.

While perhaps not the “best” hostel in Mexico City, it definitely does the job and can save you a bit of money too.

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Selina Mexico City Downtown

BEST FOR DIGITAL NOMADS

El Centro / Juárez  Mixed dorms Female dorms Private rooms

If you’re an experienced traveller or a digital nomad you are surely familiar with Selina, the worldwide hostel/hotel chain. Its formula is as consistent as it is comfortable, offering stylish premium hostel stays along with (usually) coworking, tours, and yoga/wellness.

With a strong focus on digital nomads, Selina is always a good bet if you’re working remotely from anywhere, and the Selina Mexico City Downtown is no exception. You can be assured of excellent WiFi as well as a coworking office, library, bar, and shared kitchen.

Located roughly between the main square and the wonderful Roma neighbourhood — and having a metro station right across the street — you’ll be in a highly strategic location for sightseeing as well.

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Hostel Airport Mexico DF

BEST FOR LAYOVER

Airport Area Mixed dorms Private rooms

For a quick stopover or layover in Mexico City, or to have a place to crash after a long flight, this is simply the perfect place. If you need to be based near the airport for any reason, then you can’t beat the appropriately named Hostel Airport Mexico DF.

For a hostel focused on mostly short stays, it’s surprisingly cute and homely — definitely not a bad place to get through some jetlag.

It’s also just a 10-minute walk to the terminal, so there’s no way you will miss your next flight.

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U-Co Roma Coliving

BEST FOR LONG STAYS

Roma Mixed dorms Private rooms

Are you going to be in Mexico City for a longer while? And working remotely as well? Then U-Co Roma may be just the perfect hostel for you.

Its target audience is not so much tourists but more long-stay guests. The concept of co-living is to provide a highly liveable space where you can also work online and share a communal house.

This hostel is rather quiet (which is by design) and it’s not social in the sense of other hostels that provide daily activities and happy hours. However, it is social in a slower way, letting you network and meet other online workers over the course of your stay.

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Wanderlust District

Roma Mixed dorms Female dorms Private rooms

Finally, Wanderlust District is another hostel for all types of travellers that will kick off your Mexico trip in just the right way. It’s a highly social hostel in part thanks to the communal breakfast, so Wanderlust District Hostel is a great pick if you’re travelling solo.

This beautiful hostel has accommodation for everyone’s budget, from dormitory rooms to luxurious private rooms. You can choose if you want to spend time with other travelers or if you just prefer to relax in a comfy room.

Every morning there is a tasty breakfast served, and it also includes vegan and vegetarian options. Pick up a place and join someone’s table where you can chat and start your day by exchanging some good travel tales.

Some of the facilities at Wanderlust District Hostel include a rooftop garden, super-fast wifi, free breakfast, and weekend activities. They also have board games, luggage storage, and linens available.