Grab your pack and hit the best backpacker hostels in Queensland

Smack bang in the hub of Brisbane, the YHA has the CBD on one side, bustling Caxton St and Suncorp Stadium just up the road, and South Brisbane’s cultural precinct only a short walk away. Its book-worthy features are the rooftop pool with some of the best views in Brisbane, fast/free WI-FI, movie nights, guided walking tours, and their weekly Friday evening BBQs where you can meet other travellers from around the globe.

The Brisbane YHA is a great inner-city start to a longer road trip. There’s nothing loud or attention grabbing about this place, which perhaps is why it’s so popular. It’s quiet and unassuming, like the welcome mat granting you access to Brisbane’s doorstep - kick off your shoes, you are home for a while. 

Get friendly with other travellers: Base Magnetic Island

There’s much to explore on Magnetic Island, so a comfortable base camp to rest your head between adventures is all you need.

Granite boulders, eucalyptus forests and Australia’s most northern koala population by day, and partying to their line-up of weekly live music by night. The Base hostel has a next-gen vibe, perched on the hill overlooking the beach. Close each day out with your new backpacker mates at the Island Bar before resting in one of their dorms or private double rooms - you can even BYO tent and set up on the campsites.

Breakfast with koalas: Bungalow Bay Koala Village Magnetic Island 

For the ultimate Magnetic Island stay, split your time across these two hostels for the best of both worlds. Bungalow Bay Koala Village is a Queensland backpacker hostel with a kick-off-your-shoes casual vibe, tranquil Aussie surrounds, activities that’ll get you outside and living, and eco-credentials to boot.

Here, you’ll learn the native history of the island first known as Yunbunum – home to the Wulgurukaba people. Meet local wildlife face to face with their ‘breakfast with koalas’ program, feed the local wallabies, or ride a horse through shallow water.

If a budget sustainable stay peaks your interest, this backpacker hostel is a fully accredited eco-tourism destination, thanks to their dedication to the local wildlife and its conservation. This retreat has fostered a special connection with its land and people. The traditional owners of Magnetic Island were invited in the planning stages to evaluate the impact of Bungalow Bay Village on the land, water and community. It was given full support and endorsed by Arthur Jognson, the Wulgurukaba elder.

Barefoot basics: Backpackers at 1770

Gladstone's 1770 is one of those towns that’s hard to find words for until you visit. Once you’re there you’ll want to stay, and Backpackers at 1770 budget accommodation makes that possible. A hostel built by travellers, for travellers. The quaint beachside vibe belongs in an early 90s serial, with its local haunts, beachside pubs and friendly faces who play the drums and hula hoop by the water.

It’s an artsy and inexpensive place that reimagines how you interact with nature. The waters are warm and welcoming, and there’s plenty of activities to keep you out in the sunshine with kayak and paddle board vendors dotted along the sand - as well as tours to nearby national parks. Backpackers at 1770 is the perfect spot for self-sufficient travellers who don’t need to be fussed over.

Iconic surf and sand: Bunk Surfers Paradise

Like something out of spring break, Bunk Surfers Paradise breeds the kind of community you only witness at a beachside backpackers. A pioneer in Gold Coast hostels, this addition to Queensland’s famed stretch of surf makes your experience their priority, with daily activities, nightly events, and comfortable, modern dorm rooms. An iconic stay at an iconic location, complete with sundeck, pool and a hot tub. Bunk is a hub that meets the needs of any modern traveller. 

Watch whales frolic: Woolshed Eco Lodge, Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay’s reputation as some of the country’s best whale watching is renowned, and best of all you can enjoy to from a quiet, friendly, family-run home base. From July to November the season sees tens of thousands of humpback whales journey along the coastline, play amidst the water with their pods. The Woolshed Eco Lodge is a unique hostel set amidst an acre of tropical gardens and only five minutes’ walk from the beach, shops, supermarket and dining precinct.

A change of pace from the usual hostel circuit, rooms are spread between a number of buildings, shaded by local flora and fauna and equipped with hammocks for a true wind-down between adventures. The family run digs also offer independent advice on travelling the local region, so you’ll have a local’s knowledge of the best spots to tour and whale watch.

Roam Queensland’s backyard: On the Wallaby Eco Lodge, Atherton Tablelands

Great food and a clean, comfortable bed aren’t the only things you’ll relish in during your stay at On the Wallaby Eco Lodge. A backpacker hostel in Queensland where you can adventure all you’d like or savour the sweet art of doing nothing. This lodge is a pursuit of natural pleasure.

Affectionately dubbed as the ‘home for those who roam’, the lodge is a perfect base camp to explore Atherton Tablelands’ renowned lakes, waterfalls and rainforests. Only one hour from Cairns, the lodge is home to local platypus, a night wildlife canoeing tour, mountain biking and nightly BBQ dinners, where you can linger for hours with new friends. This eco-accredited natural wonderland is a terrific stop if you’d like an education on Queensland’s environment and conservation.  

Party on: Gilligans, Cairns

An insider’s choice among Cairns party hostels, Gilligans is as much a tropical adventure as it sounds. Making a name for itself as an award-winning adventure destination and a resort-style stay that won’t break the bank. Setting a benchmark for ‘backpackers resorts’ or ‘poshtels’, Gilligans offers everything from dorms to resort rooms and is a popular stay for young travellers along Australia’s tropical northern coastline. With its resort swimming pool, three bars, indoor entertainment hall, nightclub, restaurant, gaming room and on-site travel agency, Gilligan’s is the place to be if you’re looking to dial up the party between immersive Queensland adventuring.

The never-ending holiday lifestyle: Airlie Beach Magnums Backpackers 

Much to a traveller’s delight, it costs absolutely nothing to ogle kilometres of glassy waters, go turtle spotting by the marina or soak in the nightlife of Airlie Beach’s main drag. Once you’ve arrived, surrendering yourself to the Whitsundays assures you’ll leave having received far more than you ever first looked for. And Airlie Beach Magnums Backpackers ticks all the boxes to turn this destination city into a backpacking reality.

It’s a coined as a tropical oasis to get your party blood pumping, right in the thick of everything worth exploring. Their affordable accommodation offers options from dormitories to cabins and private rooms, all with air-conditioning. Mingle with other Airlie-enthusiasts in the shared kitchens, undercover eating area or tropical outdoor recreational space. Magnums also has an on-site tour desk offering all day and overnight sailing tours. 

A breezy, sustainable stay: Dreamtime Travellers Rest, Cairns

This indie-looking nook in Cairns is a back-to-basics hub with heart. A sustainable stay that ticks all the light touch travel boxes from waste management to solar energy. Dreamtime Travellers Rest is the perfect accommodation to any east coast soul search and is run by kind and knowledgeable staff who can book your tours and show you the local ropes. Their ethos is ‘travel in your own time’ and provide plenty of creature comforts to do so.

The homey atmosphere and wooden interiors are set amongst a lush tropical oasis: comfortable enough to relax away the day, or the perfect spot to drop your gear and explore the many stunning natural attractions in and around Cairns.

Surf’s up and wind down at Halse Lodge, Noosa

Home away from home, Halse Lodge YHA in Noosa is like staying with a family friend who offers you a few beers at the end of a long day exploring.

The lodge is in the heart town but feels amidst the middle of nowhere. Sit on the iconic Queenslander style balcony and soak in Noosa’s clean sea breezes surrounded by hinterland forest. This is the base to explore Noosa’s main drag, learn to surf, or give Noosa’s booming dining precinct a run for your money.

Re-wild  yourself: Daintree Crocodylus Resort

More like a wellness retreat or yoga-inspired natural lodge than a backpacker hostel, this Daintree gem is a breath of fresh rainforest air. Whether you’re travelling solo, with friends, or the whole family, this is the perfect place to digitally detox and reconnect amidst Queensland’s iconic tropical jungle.

There’s an immersive experience for every sense here. No air conditioners, the tropical breeze, the gentle hum of surrounding wildlife and scent of freshly manicured grass. The Daintree Crocodylus Resort is designed to maximise your eco adventure and minimise your travel footprint, with safari huts nestled deep within 21 acres of rainforest. The bungalows have plenty of room to move, so you can laze in or activity out.