Wanderlust Hostel in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Another hostel to add to my list, Wanderlust Hostel had plenty of great reviews and a cozy, homey vibe. But my stay turned out to be… a bit more interesting than expected. If you’re planning to stay here in Almaty, here’s my honest experience—what I liked, what surprised me, and what you should know before booking.

📍 Quick Summary of Wanderlust Hostel (for impatient readers!)

Wanderlust Hostel is a centrally located hostel in Almaty with decent facilities, a social common area, and an affordable dorm option.

However, while it has good basics and a great location, there are a few comfort and maintenance issues that may affect longer stays.

👉 Best for: budget travelers, short stays, solo travelers
👉 Not ideal for: travelers sensitive to cleanliness/comfort issues or long stays

Hostel Location in Almaty

The hostel is located on Tole Bi Street in central Almaty, making it easy to explore major attractions on foot.

Nearby landmarks include:

• Ascension Cathedral
• Green Bazaar
• Almaty Central Mosque
• Arasan Wellness & Spa
• LOTTE Rakhat Candy Factory

If you’re planning a self-guided city walk, you can easily combine these into a route—I also documented this in my DIY Almaty walking tour.

🚶‍♀️ Bottom line: Location is a big win here. Very walkable and convenient!

Tucked quietly along Valikhanov Street, the hostel entrance is easy to miss at first. It’s right beside a small grocery store, and if you need a quick meal, McDonald's is just a block away.

Wanderlust Hostel's Rooms & Facilities

With options ranging from a Female Dorm, Male Dorm, Mixed Dorm, to a Standard Double Room, Wanderlust Hostel caters to different types of travelers. I stayed in the 6-bed Female Dorm, which felt spacious but quite basic and slightly outdated, especially the bedding.

Housekeeping could also be improved. While I didn’t have issues with overall cleanliness, there was one instance where another guest left trash in the room, and it stayed there for a few days until I eventually took it downstairs myself.

The common areas, on the other hand, were neat and functional. There’s a shared lounge that doubles as a co-working space, which many guests seemed to use. The kitchen and pantry were also well-equipped with essentials like fridge, microwave, kettle, stove, plus utensils and cookware.

There’s also a small patio on the second floor and shared bathrooms on both floors. However, this is where it gets a bit limiting. There’s only one bathroom per floor, so a total of two for the entire hostel.

Under the stairs is where the washing machines are located, although that area felt a bit cluttered. Still, having access to laundry facilities is definitely a plus.

Hostel Cost

I booked my stay at Wanderlust Hostel through Booking.com. My booking was a bit all over the place, as you can see from the screenshots below. It's because I reserved multiple nights separately and even extended my stay, paying directly at the hostel.

To simplify, a night in the female dorm costs around 6,500 KZT (≈50 AED / 13.7 USD) during my visit in June 2024.

💡 Price stayed consistent across booking platforms and direct payment.

👉 Compared to other hostels in Almaty, this felt slightly on the higher side for the level of comfort provided.

Overall Experience in Wanderlust Hostel:

Overall, I did like the hostel and its facilities. It had everything I needed at the time, which is why I extended my stay for a few more nights.

However, my experience came with something a bit unusual—and I’m still not entirely sure what caused it.g I needed at the time, which is why I extended my stay for a few more nights.

Every morning, I would wake up with new insect bites. At first, I thought I might have gotten them while hiking in the mountains. But even after staying in the city, the bites kept appearing... consistently, every single day.

They weren’t just on my legs, but also on my arms, back, and other areas. I tried using ointment to relieve the itch, but it didn’t really help. Visiting the banya gave some temporary relief, but the itching would flare up again during midday and at night.

Eventually, I started considering going to a clinic. But instead, I decided to test something else—I moved to another hostel, My Hostel Almaty. And the bites stopped.

I can’t say for sure what caused it, and I’m not directly blaming the hostel. It could have been mosquitoes, environmental factors, or even my skin reacting to something specific. Still, the experience did affect how I remember my stay.

On top of that, while the hostel is decent, it could benefit from some improvements—especially considering how competitive the hostel scene in Almaty is. Personally, I also found 6,500 KZT per night a bit on the higher side compared to other hostels that offer better overall value.

💡 Ready to visit Almaty, Kazakhstan? Check out these posts:

• Travel Story: Alone but Not Lonely: My Solo Travel through the Great Steppe of Kazakhstan
• City Tour: My DIY Almaty Walking Tour (The Route I’d Actually Do Again)
• Hiking Suggestion: A Morning Hike in Small Almaty Gorge in Shymbulak
• Sightseeing: Charyn Canyon National Park & Tour to Kaindy Lake and Kolsai Lakes
• Experience(s): Banya Experience in Arasan Wellness & Spa Complex
• Border Crossing: Almaty to Bishkek by Public Bus (Ak-Zhol Border)