5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Mt Cook 🎒 [2023]© Unsplash
5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Mt Cook 🎒 [2023]

5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Mt Cook 🎒 [2023]

© Unsplash

Where to Find Backpacker Accommodation in Mt Cook

With ski planes, scenic flights, stunning hikes, kayaking and boating on glacial lakes, no wonder you want to save money on accommodation by staying in one of the backpacker hostels in Mt Cook. We have you covered in this list of awesome backpacker hostels in Aoraki Mt Cook!

However, if you have done any research into Mt Cook you will realise there is only one hostel in Mt Cook Village and some backpacker accommodation in Glentanner on the way to Mt Cook… That’s it! Nevertheless, we have added some backpacker accommodation alternatives like campgrounds and hostels in surrounding towns that provide a great Plan B.

1. Mt Cook Lodge & Motels

Backpacker dorms, motel rooms, communal facilities… Mt Cook Lodge & Motels has something for every kind of budget traveller including backpackers. What once was a hotel has now been refurbished as a backpacker lodge and motel, with all rooms kitted out with ensuite bathrooms. Book a bed in a four-bed dorm or enjoy your own space in one of the standard double/twin rooms, either with a view or without for a cheaper rate. There is a small communal kitchen hidden upstairs, should you want to save money by making your own meals. For more about the motels here, check out the 5 Best Motels in Mt Cook.

Check Mt Cook Lodge & Motels out:

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2. Glentanner Park Centre

Another budget accommodation option for backpackers is Glentanner Park Centre, about 20 minutes drive from Mt Cook Village. Glentanner Park Centre provides a variety of budget accommodations from holiday park cabins to backpacker dorms to tent sites for campers. Enjoy various communal facilities too, such as a dining, lounge and kitchen area with a cosy log fire and a TV, while outside are gas barbecues. Bathrooms facilities are also communal.

Check Glentanner Park Centre out:

5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Mt Cook© Glentanner Park Centre

3. White Horse Hill Campground

Backpackers travelling with a tent or campervan have the scenic accommodation option of White Horse Hill Campground. Run by the Department of Conservation (DOC), the campsite has 60 tent/non-powered sites with a cooking shelter, flush toilets (replaced by pit toilets in winter) and tap water (no running water is available in winter). Bookings must be made to use this campsite. For more cheap accommodation alternatives, also check out the 5 Best Budget Accommodations in Mt Cook.

Check White Horse Hill Campground out:

5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Mt Cook 🎒 [2023]© Unsplash

4. High Country Lodge (Twizel)

In the busy summer season, Mt Cook accommodation can get pretty limited so an alternative is to pick a backpacker hostel in a nearby town. High Country Lodge in Twizel is about a 45-minute drive from Mt Cook Village and provides backpacker dorm and motel accommodation. For more accommodation in surrounding towns, check out 5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Twizel and 5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Lake Tekapo.

Check High Country Lodge out:

5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Mt Cook© High Country Lodge & Backpackers

5. Tailor Made Tekapo Accommodation (Lake Tekapo)

This charming hostel is in a quiet corner of Lake Tekapo village, about an hour’s drive from Mt Cook on the main tourist trail. Relax in the garden with hammocks and hostel pets at Tailor Made Tekapo Accommodation where you’ll also get a break from bunks as this is a no-bunk hostel. There’s also sporting equipment to use for the courts free to use behind the hostel, as well as ski tuning equipment. Find out more about the Tekapo ski fields in The 24 Ski Fields in New Zealand.

Check Tailor Made Tekapo Accommodation out:

5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Mt Cook 🎒 [2023]© Tailor Made Tekapo Accommodation

[CLOSED] YHA Mt Cook

This log-cabin-style backpacker hostel promotes eco-friendly backpacking using solar power. Guests enjoy 2GB free. Plus, YHA members benefit from a discount. After a cold day in the alpine environment, warm up in the free sauna and enjoy the central heating. Otherwise, in summer, lounge in the BBQ and picnic areas.

More About Mt Cook for Backpackers

That’s it for our list of the best backpacker hostels in Mt Cook. For more advice for the ultimate Mt Cook experience, check these out:

Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in our Aoraki Mt Cook National Park – Guide for Backpackers and The Guide to Mt Cook on a Budget.

Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before calling New Zealand home. He has now spent over a decade in the New Zealand tourism industry, clocking in more than 600 activities across the country. He is passionate about sharing those experiences and advice on NZ Pocket Guide and its YouTube channel. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides.

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