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Christchurch doesn’t have a ton of great tourist attractions on its own, but it’s a major transit point for travelers throughout New Zealand so there are loads of hostels in Christchurch to handle the demand. Hotels throughout the country tend to be on the expensive side, but New Zealand is hugely popular with budget travelers and fortunately the prices of Christchurch hostels tend to be modest.

The city center isn’t huge, but there are plenty of Christchurch hostels right in the middle of town, which is an ideal place if you are on foot. A major industry in this city is taking care of the people who are returning from or just about to depart on a tour of some kind. There are quite a few bars and internet shops located in the city center area that do a lot of business with travelers passing through town, and some of the larger hostels in Christchurch have many of these services on offer inside the hostel itself.

You should be aware that hostels in this part of the world almost always call themselves “backpackers” instead of hostels, but they are exactly the same thing. This is a huge industry in New Zealand because the country attracts to many backpackers, but don’t let the name throw you off, everyone is welcome at the backpackers/hostels in Christchurch. Very few of them have age limits and the majority offer small private rooms in addition to the cheaper dorm beds. This way nearly anyone can book into a hostel and choose their own level of privacy and value, and still be able to take advantage of all the fun social aspects of hostel life.

If you will have a car or campervan with you while staying in Christchurch you should try to book into a hostel away from the city center. The Central Business District isn’t too large, but it’s pretty dense and parking could be a problem. There are quite a few Christchurch hostels located out of the center so as long as you find one that offers some kind of parking you should be fine.

Base Backpackers is a large chain of hostels and they are particularly popular with younger travelers. The one in central Christchurch is right in the center of everything, but they have their own bar and lounge area if you don’t want to go far. Beds in their dorm rooms start around $NZ26, and they’ve also got a girls-only dorm for about the same price.

YHA Christchurch City is another one with a great central location. They don’t have a bar, but they’ve got nearly everything else a traveler would need, and they’ve also got private rooms in addition to the dorms. Their cheapest dorm beds start around $NZ25 per night, and their private twin rooms starting around $NZ33 per night per person.

Tranquil Lodge is outside the center so it’s ideal for those with a rented car or campervan. They are near a supermarket so self-catering is very easy and prices of their dorm beds are quite cheap starting around $NZ23 per night, but they’ve also got private singles, double, and twin rooms.

Hostels in Christchurch