Accommodation in New Zealand: Backpacker's Insider Tips

On websites like Tripadvisor, Hostelworld, and Hostelbookers, you can find many hostel profiles that you can sort by price and user ratings. We especially recommend Booking.com!

The great advantage of hostels is that you know what to expect in advance. You decide between single or shared rooms and always have a communal kitchen, bathroom, washing machines (usually with coins), and a common room. Sometimes there’s also a garden or events like communal cooking or parties.

In New Zealand, hostels from the BBH network are particularly cozy. If you plan on staying in hostels frequently, purchasing a BBH Club Card is worthwhile, making overnight stays a bit cheaper.

You need to provide a New Zealand address for many official procedures, such as car registration or opening a bank account. To always have the same address at hand, it’s a good idea to write down and keep the first address in New Zealand, like your first hostel’s address.

Find out how to secure the first address in New Zealand and other important data in our Mini Tip.

Top quality at a great price. Haka Lodge embodies New Zealand’s green image. The hostel in the heart of Auckland offers clean, cozy rooms and various tours. Our favorite.

Address

373 Karangahape Rd,
Auckland, 1010
See on Google Maps

Phone

09-379 4559

Booking

View rooms

Located right by the legendary Auckland Sky Tower, City Lodge offers 5-star accommodations for backpackers. The hostel has received numerous awards and even has private bathrooms in all rooms. Nice!

Address

150 Vincent St,
Auckland, 1010
See on Google Maps

Phone

09-379 6183

Booking

View rooms

This hostel is located right in Mount Eden, at the base of an extinct volcano. Free internet, a beautiful herb garden, and plenty of DVDs (or Netflix) for a chill time.

Address

6 Hopetoun St, Freemans Bay,
Auckland 1011
See on Google Maps

Phone

09-360 4180

Booking

View rooms

On the Airbnb website, you can find profiles of beautiful, affordable accommodations at your chosen location, including photos and often with reviews from previous guests. Prices are indicated, and accommodations can be filtered by room type, price, amenities, arrival and departure dates, and number of guests.

When booking, a booking fee of 6-12% applies. The rule of thumb is: the higher the booking costs, the lower the fee.

The accommodations are private rooms and holiday apartments, but there are also shared rooms. Because you’re paying, the host usually has no expectations of you other than that you leave the accommodation clean and undamaged. That’s why Airbnb is a quiet alternative to couchsurfing and hostels.

If you’re looking for affordable, long-term accommodation in New Zealand and are ready to help a few hours a day in the garden, household, or with other tasks, then international exchange opportunities like Wwoofing�00or HelpX�00are perfect for you.

You can find more about Wwoofing in our special article.

Wwoofing is mainly about exchanging help for room and board. Wwoofing requires membership of $40 per year. HelpX is free in principle, but to use the platform properly, you need to become a premium member. That costs 20 euros for two years.

Most hosts offering you a room and meals in their home or on their farm through Wwoofing or HelpX are happy to accommodate you for more than a week. Wwoof hosts are mostly found in the countryside.

HelpX hosts are often located in cities. For more information, we recommend our article on Wwoofing in New Zealand.

Couchsurfing is a great opportunity to meet locals and get to know their town while saving on accommodation costs. The international social network is based on reciprocity: Mi casa es su casa!

Here’s how it works: You create a profile on the Couchsurfing website, where you can introduce yourself. Then, you browse the profiles of hosts in the area you want to travel to and ask those who seem friendly and trustworthy for a chance to stay.

Couchsurfing hosts can be found almost everywhere – but especially in cities. Learn more in our article with the Step-by-Step Guide to Couchsurfing.

Official campgrounds and holiday parks cost between $10 and $40 per night, and you can even get power if needed. Depending on the facilities, you’ll find everything you need from toilets and showers to kitchen and communal areas and shops.

More adventurous are the more than 250 DOC campgrounds. Here, you really only get the basics, sometimes nothing more than a drop toilet. For this, these campgrounds are much cheaper, sometimes even free, and you’re usually right in the middle of nature.

A list of all campsites in New Zealand, including a free mobile download, is available at Rankers.

You can hit numerous sites nationwide for free with Freedom Camping, saving lots of money. Find more info in our article on self-contained.

It’s best to download the app from Rankers and see where you can stay everywhere.

Sad but true: The Chillawhile is now permanently closed. We still had some wonderful moments there back then!