Drifter Wellington – Opening January 2027
About Our Wellington Backpacker Hostel
Wellington squeezes a whole capital into about twenty walkable blocks, and Drifter takes up a heritage building in the middle of them. This is a hostel in Wellington for people who came for the bands, the galleries and the coffee, and who want to be a short walk from all three at one in the morning.
Wellington fills up every time a festival rolls into town, which is most months of the year. Sort your dates early and you wake up in the middle of it, rather than out in the suburbs working out which bus goes back in.
Register Your Interest
If you’re simply interested to receive exclusive updates, early access information, and priority booking opportunities before our doors open, fill in the form below
Our Wellington Backpacker Accommodation Goes Beyond the Basics
Set in a heritage building in the middle of the city, Drifter is one of the best hostels in Wellington for travellers who want more than a bunk and a locker. We mix hotel comfort with the social energy of a hostel, so you get the best of both worlds.
Take a snug Dream Pod, a Superior Shared Suite, or a Premium Private Suite. Every room’s designed for the way you travel.
Facilities at our Wellington hostel
FREE WIFI
VENDING
CINEMA
COMMUNAL LAUNDRY
DIGITISED SERVICES
WELLNESS
COMMUNAL KITCHEN
CURATED EVENTS
LOUNGE
CO-WORKING SPACE
GAMES AND RECREATION
The cinema screens movie nights, the courtyard is where people sit when the weather allows it, and the wellness room is there for a slow start to the day.
There are desks and free Wi-Fi for the days you need to work, guest laundry that clears a month of travel in one go, and digitised check-in so you’re not queuing to get your key. The lounge and games room fill the hours when the southerly is blowing.
What’s Nearby
Step out onto Cambridge Terrace and you’re in it. Courtenay Place at the top of the street, bars and live venues down the length of it. The harbour at the bottom, where the waterfront walk starts. Coffee the city takes more seriously than anywhere else in the country. Cuba Street and its second-hand record shops a few blocks west. Trains north from the railway station, the ferry across to the South Island, and the airport fifteen minutes southeast.
Drifter is the hostel in Wellington in the thick of all of it.
Bringing the whole crew to Wellington?
Wellington is a great group city and Drifter is one of the best hostels in Wellington for making it easy. School trips, sports tours, gap year groups. Flexible rooms, communal spaces, and event support do the heavy lifting. Tell us what you need. Drifter Wellington opens in January 2027
GROUP BENEFITS
DEDICATED COORDINATOR- EXCITING COMMUNAL SPACES
SECURITY 
- 24/7 SUPPORT
- WIFI
- EVENTS
- GUEST LAUNDRY
- STUDY AREA
BLOG
Guides to Wellington and the rest of our cities, written by the people who work in them.
Wellington Address
21 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro, Wellington
Book your stay at Drifter Wellington today
Book direct for the best rates, member discounts and early bird deals.
