Hostels in Moscow, Russia

Note: All prices are in US dollars. The prices for doubles are for one room, not for one person. The hostels are listed in the order of our preference.

There are not many hostels in Moscow and the majority of them just rent a floor or two in a Soviet-style hotel, so you shouldn't hope for any special atmosphere. The prices are also quite high, but reasonable if you look at how much anything else costs in Moscow.
To give you the first impression about the hostels: the best location is offered by Home from Home and Godzilla Hostels, but they may be busy during summer months. If you are after quieter and home-like atmosphere try Home Hostel, Trans-Siberian hostel, Yellow Bus, or Sweet Moscow.
Private single and double rooms are offered by Home Hostel and Godzilla.
Hostel Tramp is boring, empty, and not central, but it's close to Botanical Gardens (it matters if you like the nature). Hostel Sherstone is for those who don't care about anything of the above, but still needs an inexpensive place to stay. Hostels Asia and Travelers Guest House are the oldest hostels in Moscow, but they both lack character. However, of the less central hotels they are better situated.
The cheapest hostel in Moscow is Home from Home ($20 / night), which is also centrally located at Arbat street.
Overall, our favorite hostels in Moscow are Napoleon and Home Hostel.


Napoleon Hostel
Our reviewer was refused entry when he tried to update information about this hostel. Besides, they are not happy with the clients who book it through Way to Russia, as there are lots of no shows. They are not very good in replying requests and there were a few cases of overbooking, so we recommend against booking this hostel, just try the other ones below.
Address: Maly Zlatoustinskiy per, house 2, 4th Floor View Map
Contact: Phone: +7 495 628 66 95, Fax: : +7 495 624 59 78
Area: Take the Maroseyka exit from the metro station Kitai Gorod. Walk 100 meters up Maroseyka Street on the left hand side. Walk past the old Orthodox Church and take the first left street called Bolshoi Zlatoustinskiy Street for 20 meters. Then take the next right turning called Maly Zlatoustinskiy. Walk for 60 meters down this street and you will see our sign outside Dom 2 (House 2). Enter the stairs and we are on the 4th Floor. The total walk from the metro is 2 minutes.

Home Hostel
Opened in September 2006, Home Hostel is perhaps the best equipped in Moscow. It features a total of five dorm rooms (800R - $29): a 12-bed, 10-bed, 8-bed and two 6-bed rooms as well as a double room (2000R - $75), three twin rooms (2400R - $90) and one double room with en suite (2700R - $100). Unlike most hostels in Moscow there are proper and ample bathroom facilities, with multiple combined toilet/shower units. Other facilities at Home Hostel include three computers with internet, lockers for each guest and laundry. But perhaps the best feature is a large, well-lit common room with a balcony, an all too rare feature in Moscow hostels. Something else that isn’t too common in Moscow is that the hostel offers free breakfast and visa registration. With great use of natural light Home Hostel is a bright and cheerful place to stay, amplified even more by the experienced and friendly staff. On the downside, the location isn’t great – 10 minutes walk from Park Kultury metro. Of course, this is only a short metro trip from the very center and there is the great bar trio of Keks, Suzy Wong and Vodka Bar nearby as well as numerous restaurants, but the walk to the metro is a bit tedious. Also, the prices at Home Hostel are slightly higher than at other Moscow hostels. Still a great option if you don’t mind spending a bit more.

Address: 2nd Neopalimovsky Pereulok, #1/12. Metro: Park Kultury. View Map
Book online through Way to Russia
Contact: Tel: (+7 495) 109-4228.
Directions: From Park Kultury metro station, take the exit to Zubovsky Bulvar and walk along this busy street in the direction away from the river. Turn down Burdenko Ulitsa, the fourth street on the left, and then take the second street on the right and you have arrived.


Trans-Siberian Hostel
A nice hostel with quality facilities, perhaps the best feature of the Trans-Siberian is that the dorm rooms are more spacious than you will find elsewhere. They haven’t crammed beds into the rooms like in other hostels. Currently there are three dorm rooms ($25): an 8-bed mixed dorm, 6-bed mixed dorm and a 4-bed female dorm, as well as one private double room ($60). A second floor with more dorms and private rooms is due to open in the future. There’s a 500R ($18) refundable key deposit o top of the prices. The Trans-Siberian Hostel prides itself on its travel desk, with plenty of information on other places for backpackers to stay while traveling in Russia. The names of other Trans-Siberian destinations decorate the entrance area to the hostel. Wireless internet is available via the hostel’s laptops, which can be used for 15R ($0.45) per 10 minutes. There’s also free breakfast, a mid-sized common room/kitchen with satellite TV, lockers for each guest and laundry facilities. The Trans-Siberian Hostel is located between three central metro stations (Kurskaya, Chistiye Prudy and Kitai-Gorod) but it’s a fair walk to any of them. On the downside, they don’t do registration, but instead give you the phone numbers of some companies that will; there are only two combined toilets/showers; and the interior, especially the common room and kitchen, is a little gloomy. Still a decent hostel and when the expansion is complete it should be even better.
Address: Barashevsky Pereulok, #12. Metro: Kurskaya.
Contact: Tel: (+7 495) 916-2030.
Directions: Kurskaya is the closest metro. From there, you should take the exit to Zemlyanoi Val Ulitsa, cross over this busy street and then follow it to the right. Take the second street on the left, Bolshoi Kazenny Pereulok. This street becomes Barashevsky Pereulok so just keep walking straight until you get there.

 
Yellow Blue Bus Hostel
The Yellow Blue Bus Hostel is a small but cozy hostel in the common Moscow mould of a converted three bedroom apartment. Opened in August 2006, it holds 16 people with an 8-bed dorm and two 4-bed dorms. All beds are priced at $25 per night. As far as features go there’s nothing flash here but it has everything you would expect: satellite TV, fully equipped kitchen, free lockers for each guest and free internet in the form of one computer. Laundry services have to be paid for. While not setting the world on fire in terms of design and facilities, the hostel is nonetheless pleasant, boasts a good location and, importantly, is very clean. But what really seems to distinguish Yellow Blue Bus Hostel is the staff. The hostel’s guest book, which features no tell-tale signs such as ripped out or glued together pages, is filled with testaments to the fun, friendly and helpful staff on hand at the hostel. The Yellow Blue Bus hostel would be a good choice if you’re seeking an intimate yet fun and friendly atmosphere. A note on the peculiar name: it’s apparently supposed to sound like “I love you” in Russian. Perhaps if you had some strange sort of speech impediment…

Address: 4th Tverskaya-Yamskaya Ul., #5, Apartment #8 (). Door code: 482218.
Book online through Way to Russia
Contact: Tel: +7 (495) 250-1364.
Area: Central Moscow, metro Mayakovskaya. Walk to the right after exiting Mayakovskaya metro station, then turn down the first street on the right after about 10 meters (1st Tverskoy-Yamskoy Pereulok). Walk straight, crossing two streets and turn down the third street to your right. The hostel is almost at the end of this street.



Home From Home Hostel
This is the cheapest hostel in Moscow. The first thing you need to know about Home From Home, is that it’s a lot more difficult to find than your real home would be. The entrance is from the rear of the building, but there is no building number, so one is not sure if it’s number 49 or 47. There are no signs for the hostel, so you need to look for “podyezd 2” and press 9 on the intercom.
Up two flights of stairs, you will find a simple but pleasant hostel. It’s not exactly a modern renovation, but the rooms are fine for those who are not seeking opulence, and it is, after all, a hostel, not a hotel. The rates range from $20 a night for a bed in a 5-room dorm, to $25 in a 4-bed, and $60 for the double room.
The bathroom facilities may not suit shy people. Although both the showers have frosted glass, they are not in separated areas, and one of the toilets is also accessed through this room, so drying in the cabinet is required. The kitchen has a microwave, oven and all the usual equipment, and breakfast is included in the room rate, along with tea, coffee and biscuits (cookies).
The common room features a piano and an exercise bike(!), and is a comfortable place to unwind. TV and DVD are coming soon. Internet access is free. There’s one computer in the kitchen, and connections for up to 4 laptops. There’s a washing machine in the bathroom, which may be used for 50r($2).
They also have a deal with the cheapest car rental firm in town, but really the best reason to stay here is the location. Old Arbat is still tourist-central. Teeming with restaurants, cafes and bars (albeit expensive and of dubious quality), Old Arbat is within walking distance to the centre, and the hostel is only 400m from Smolenskaya Metro (dark blue line).
I’m not sure that Home From Home lives up to it’s name, but as a staging point for sightseeing in Moscow, it’s not a bad substitute.

Address: Old Arbat, #49, entrance 2 (from the courtyard), apartment 9.
Book online through Way to Russia
Contact: Phone: +7 (495) 229 8018
Area: Smolenskaya metro (blue line) near Old Arbat street.

A small and homely hostel located on MoscowÍs famous Arbat street, this is a perfect spot for the budget traveler. The hostel has three dorm rooms which sleep a total of 20 people in 10 bunk beds.

There is one 8-bed dorm which is actually quite spacious, and two 6-bed dorms, one of which has plenty of room while the other is a bit cramped. The bathroom and toilet are separate and the hostel features free laundry, internet, tea and coffee. Cooking facilities and a fridge are provided but breakfast is not included. There is no common room but due to the great location the idea is that guests will spend most of their time outside anyway. Sweet Moscow feels more like 20 people sharing an apartment than a youth hostel. One bed costs $25 per night and there is a $20 key deposit which is refunded so long as you donÍt lose the key. The hostel is clean, tidy and has live-in staff 24 hours. There are no signs on the building so read the directions below carefully.

Address: Arbat Ulitsa, #51, Apt 31. View Map
Book online through Way to Russia
Contact: Phone: +7 (495) 241-1446
Area: Central Moscow, metro Smolenskaya (dark blue line). Turn right as you exit from the metro and then walk down the alley on your right-hand side. Turn left into Arbat Ulitsa and walk down to the Hard Rock Cafe. Sweet Moscow is in the building opposite. Go to the doorway next to Moscow Bank and a pay phone. Ring the bell for apartment 31..

Godzillas Hostel
The first real hostel was opened in Moscow in 2005. Owned and run by a westerner, Godzillas Hostel has the central location and has the right atmosphere for socializing.

G&R Asia Hostel
This hostel is located 20 minutes by metro from the city center, just outside the metro exit. The area is the real Moscow suburbs (south-east), but it's not too bad. "Asia" hostel is located on the 15th floor of a run-down soviet-style hotel (a tall white building with angry receptionists), but they aren't affiliated. The good thing about being situated in a big hotel is that almost always "Asia" hostel has free rooms, the bad thing is that there are not only backpackers living in the buiding (but maybe it's a good thing actually, depends...).
The atmosphere is almost the same as in "Travelers' Guest House" hostel in Moscow: crappy rooms, modest, cheap furniture, bathrooms and toilettes are not as clean as they could be. The location is a bit too remote from everything.
However, there are good sides to this hostel as well: the receptionists are very helpful and friendly. There's a nice panoramic view from the window of the hostel on Moscow suburbs and the avenue leading to the Moscow center. Again, like in every hostel in Moscow (and in Russia), there's no special atmosphere in this hostel, it's just a place to store your stuff, sleep, and meet people to go out with.
The prices suggest that the owner have always secretly wanted to run a hotel: a single with shared bathroom: $30, a double with shared bathroom: $50, double renovated: $80. ISIC card gives a $1 per night discount, Hosteling International card: $2 a night, Hostels of Europe card: $1 a night. Only one discount at a time. MasterCard and Visa accepted.
The facilities are standard: there's a common kitchen, safe, lockers. The place is secured, there are no lockouts. No laundry facilities, but you can ask a maid to wash your stuff for money.
Address: Zelenodolskaya ulitsa, #3/2. Contacts: Phone: +7 (495) 378-0001 / Fax +7 (495) 378-2866, Web: www.hostels.ru
Area: south-east Moscow, metro Ryazanskiy prospect (violet line), just outside the exit. Take the last car from the centrum and when you walk out of the metro, turn left - there's a tall 15-store white building - the hotel "Asia". The hostel is located on the 15th floor, reception office #1410.
 

Sherstone Hostel
The hostel is located in the residential suburbs of Moscow (north) sharing the street with quite a few 3-star hotels. It's about 5-minute walk from the nearest Vladykino metro and about 25 minutes by metro from the center. The area is by no means exciting, but it is not much different from where the other hostels in Moscow are situated.
The hostel is located on the 3rd floor of Sherstone Hotel, which is quite run-down and depressing. The hostel floor is kind of better, but still it's the same building...
The prices are Standard hostel dorm rooms with two-storey beds start at $22 US per night (per bed). Private single and double rooms cost $60 / night (per room). The rooms are made up from recently renovated apartments and have private bathrooms, TV, telephones, and fridges.
Address: Gostinichnyi Proezd, #8, building 1, 3-rd floor, office #324,Contact: +7 (495) 783 -3438, +7 (901) 711.26.13, Web: www.hostels-trains.ru Area: north Moscow, metro Vladykino (5 minutes walk)

If you want to save money, you can get a good deal at Hotel Sherstone (which is apparently a different organization than the hostel): they've got a very basic room with

This is a photo of Sherston Hotel, not the Hoste - they are located in the same building

musty smell that sleeps 4 people and costs $55 (1550 R) per night. Okay, it will have cheap furnishings, worn-out carpets and a grimy bathroom, but then if you are 4 people you can be proud that you got the cheapest deal in Moscow. You can't book it online, but if you're lucky you might get it if you just show up. Or try to phone up: +7 (495) 580-9090 or send an e-mail to hotel@sherstone.ru. Just be careful, because the receptionists of the hotel don't speak English and have trouble with accented Russian, clearly showing pain at having to listen to it. The hotel seems to be popular with regional Russian businessmen due to the conference halls and business centre where internet costs 1.6r per minute. The hotel also boasts a luggage room, a safe at reception and a breakfast of some description costs 80r. No credit cards are accepted. 


Tramp Hostel
This hostel with a funny name occupies a floor rented from Turist Hotel, so the interior is very basic a-la Soviet hotels, similar to Asia Hostel and Travelers Guest House.
Located about 5 - 8 minutes walking from Botanichesky Sad metro (orange metro line, north) in a quiet residential area next to a park. Apart from the Botanical Gardens, which are quite nice, there's nothing interesting around, so you'll need to take the metro (about 20 minutes to the center), to go out or do sightseeing.
The rooms are very basic, similar to Asia Hostel and Travellers Guest House, but clean enough. The atmosphere is nothing special, perhaps the least hostel-like of all the hostels in Moscow.
The prices are a bit too high: so-called de-luxe apartments for 2-3 persons cost $35 per person, a single room with a private bath costs $50 per person, a double room with a private bath costs $28 US per person. There's a 10% discount for Hostelling International and ISIC card holders. A simple breakfast is included.
The facilities are very limited. No kitchen, a bar downstairs, laundry is available upon request.
Reservations are obligatory! It is absolutely necessary to make a notification by fax or e-mail before arrival. You won't be accepted into the hostel if you just come from the street. For reservation, send them the fax or e-mail with your full name and approximate date and time of arrival.
Address: building 7, 17/2 Selskohozayistvennaya st., Moscow, 129226, Russia. Metro station: "Botanichesky Sad" (orange line, top).
Contact: +7 (495) 551-2876 (fax) or +7 (495) 187-5433 (phone), Web: www.hostelling.ru , E-mail: hosteltramp@mtu-net.ru