About

Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate housed in a beautiful and spacious Grade A listed building, located on one of the oldest thoroughfares in the Scottish capital. Cowgate – literally used as the route for driving cattle to market from as early as the 1490s – is now well known for its lively pub, club, bar, restaurant and cafe scene.

Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate is within walking distance of Edinburgh’s most popular attractions and sites including a 2 minute walk to the Royal Mile and 10 minutes to Edinburgh Castle.

Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate presents you plentiful communal spaces, bar and 230 beds in a variety of room combinations – from 8 bed dorms to two-bed private rooms with ensuite facilities – typical of all Safestay hostels.

Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate Policy and Conditions:

Check in from 15:00
Check out before 11:00

Cashless property
Taxes included
Breakfast not included, available for additional cost

General:
- The electronic lock on the door
- High quality white linen
- Individual lockers
- Big common space
- Luggage room (additional cost applied)
- Laundry (additional cost applied)
- Free Wi-Fi
- Organized events
- 24/7 Reception. No curfew.
- Non smoking.


Guest will be required to show an official ID with photo at upon arrival.

Person under the age of 18 years are only allowed to stay in private rooms or dormitory rooms that are booked for use of one family or group of persons, and can't share a dormitory rooms with other guests. People under 18 years of age must travel with their parents or legal guardian.

FOR GROUPS:
Please note our Policy: 

Bookings of more than 10 people would need to be confirmed by the hostel. Special cancellation, amendment and payment policy will apply:

• Payments: The full payment of the total booking amount must be made 42 days before arrival to guarantee the reservation. 
• Cancelations and amendments: No cancelations or amendments can be made 42 Days or less prior to arrival date.
• The Hostelworld deposit is non-refundable.
• Failure to comply with this special conditions will result in your booking being cancelled.


Please contact the property directly for the group reservation details.
For any special requests or to get more information, never hesitate to contact us directly!

House Rules

Check In

15:00 - 24:00

Check Out

until 11:00

  • Taxes Included
View House Rules

Facilities

  • Free City Maps
  • Free WiFi
  • Free Internet Access
  • Luggage Storage
  • 24 Hour Reception
  • Housekeeping
  • Wake-up calls
  • Internet access
View all facilities

Reviews

7.4Very Good(424)
  • Value for Money
    7.1
  • Security
    8.0
  • Atmosphere
    6.5
  • Cleanliness
    6.8
  • Staff
    7.8
  • Location
    8.8
  • Facilities
    6.4
Summary of traveller reviews

Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate boasts a fantastic central location, perfect for exploring the city. Guests often praise the friendly and helpful staff. However, be aware that the property is situated next to a lively bar, which can lead to significant noise, especially on weekends. Some recent reviews mention issues with bathroom cleanliness and a lack of amenities like a kitchen.

Was this helpful?
Stayed in Jul 2026
9.1
E
Emma
Female, 31-40, England
Nice place good location, staff were friendly, but super loud, from nearby bars, but over all good, a sanitary bin in the en-suite bathroom would be good
Stayed in Jul 2026
7.4
Y
Yazmin
Female, 41+, USA
I liked that it was affordable but they had no kitchen to save your food if you wanted to cook instead of eating out. The showers were on the small side. Wish they had a cubby outside of the shower to hold your little toiletries. I didn’t purchase one that hangs. There was one washer that was not working so it left only one. But overall if you don’t mind those things then you are good.
Stayed in Jul 2026
8.6
A
Annie
Female, 41+, Canada
Feels more like a cheap hotel than a hostel. Very big and noisy with banging doors and echo ring hallways. Common areas are not really welcoming or comfy but clean. No self catering area at all - not even a microwave.
View all reviews

Location

94 -116 Cowgate, Edinburgh, Scotland
0.6km from city centre