City Backpackers Hostel

Central location in a 19th-century building on Norrmalm

City Backpackers Hostel is located at Upplandsgatan 2a on Norrmalm, approximately 500 metres from Stockholm Central Station and the Cityterminalen bus terminal. Drottninggatan can be reached on foot in five minutes. Hötorget underground station is the nearest public transport hub, and from there it is easy to travel on to Gamla Stan, Djurgården and Södermalm. Sergels Torg is within comfortable walking distance.

The hostel is housed in a 19th-century building and is operated by City Backpackers AB. It is not a modern hotel complex but an older city residential building with a courtyard that is furnished with tables and chairs during the summer months and serves as a natural outdoor meeting place when the weather permits. Reception is staffed 24 hours a day and the hostel has no night-time check-in restrictions, which is convenient for guests arriving late by train or plane. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is by 11:00 at the latest. Dormitories are available in sizes of 4, 6, 7, 8 and 12 beds, and gender-separated options are offered. Bed linen is not included in the price but duvets and pillows are provided. The hostel offers free pasta, evening sauna and WiFi, as well as bicycle hire for a fee and ice skate hire in winter. There is also a games room. Apartment options include Standard Apartment for up to 6 people, Superior Apartment for 9 or more, and Apartment with Sauna for 7 or more. The hostel operates an environmental policy with waste separation and renewable electricity.

Norrmalm is a central business and shopping district rather than a pronounced tourist quarter, which means there are grocery shops, pharmacies and everyday services nearby. The restaurant Nomad Swedish Food & Bar is directly adjacent to the hostel and is a separate establishment, not part of the hostel's own meal offerings. The hostel is a member of the Famous Hostels network, a European association of independent hostels.

Free pasta, evening sauna and ice skates – what is included in the price

City Backpackers Hostel offers a number of benefits that are included at no extra charge in the room price. Pasta is available free of charge in the shared kitchen – guests prepare their own sauce but the pasta itself is free. It is therefore not a served meal but a self-catering arrangement. The evening sauna is likewise free of charge and is highlighted as one of the hostel's most talked-about features. WiFi is free throughout the facility, and in the lounge area there are stationary Mac and PC computers with free internet access.

During the winter months, guests can borrow ice skates free of charge. Bicycle hire is available for a fee. The hostel also offers a book exchange, board games, a games room and film nights with Swedish films in the lounge, which also has cable television. These communal areas are intended to function as meeting places and are part of the hostel's stated social profile. Breakfast is not included in the price. Bed linen is not automatically included – guests need to bring their own or hire on site – whilst duvets and pillows are provided.

The hostel has a bar and café on site, and snacks and drinks are sold at reception during daytime hours. It is important to distinguish these paid options from the free benefits: pasta and sauna are free, but food and drink from the bar and café cost extra. Luggage storage is available, and lockable lockers are in the rooms – padlocks can be purchased at reception if you do not have your own.

Dormitory, private room or apartment – the actual differences between rooms

The hostel offers dormitories and private rooms as well as apartments. Dormitories are available in sizes of four, six, seven, eight and twelve beds. There are female-only dormitories in several sizes; these are subject to limited availability and should be requested when booking. Private rooms are available as a twin room solution with bunk beds and shared bathroom. All rooms have air conditioning and heating. Bed linen is not included in the room price – guests bring their own or hire on site – whilst duvets and pillows are included in all room categories.

The hostel also has apartments in several confirmed categories: a standard apartment option for up to six people, a Superior Apartment for nine or more people, and an Apartment with Sauna for seven or more people. The apartments have their own bathroom with shower and a well-equipped kitchenette with, among other things, a microwave and refrigerator, and a seating area with dining table. There is also a double room with its own bathroom. Apartments and the double room with its own bathroom are the only room categories with private toilet and shower, making them a different option from dormitories in terms of both space and function.

An important caveat concerns windows: some rooms lack windows to the outside. The hostel states this openly. There is also a twin room without windows listed as a separate room option. Bathrooms are shared for dormitory guests and are shared by several rooms. Laundry can be done in the hostel's own washing machines for a fee.

Communal areas and the hostel's social character

The shared kitchen is fully equipped with microwaves and refrigerators and is open to all guests. It is the hostel's practical hub for self-catering and also functions as a natural meeting place. Free pasta is included as part of the offering and is a concrete expression of the hostel's social ambition. The lounge with computers, television and a library with newspapers and book exchange is a complement to the kitchen and gives guests the opportunity to settle down without having to leave the hostel. The sauna is an evening arrangement and is not available 24 hours a day – exact times should be checked at check-in.

Reception is staffed 24 hours a day with no closing time and there is no night lock or curfew. The hostel has a stated environmental policy with waste separation and renewable electricity. Staff are multilingual and the hostel arranges activities and tours. Bicycle hire for a fee is available to guests, as is ice skate hire in winter. The hostel does not accept pets and smoking is not permitted indoors. City Backpackers is a member of Famous Hostels, a network for quality-assessed hostels.

The social profile is the hostel's most distinctive characteristic: communal areas, free pasta, sauna and film nights are all designed to encourage contact between guests. It is an arrangement that suits travellers who actively seek a social context, whilst those who prioritise privacy will likely choose a private room or apartment rather than a dormitory. The hostel describes itself as a base for exploring Stockholm and highlights the staff's local knowledge as part of the offering.