why we hostel

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Ways to travel responsibly in San Francisco

marin headlands golden gate bridge view

San Francisco is known for its dedication to protecting the planet by keeping things green. That means almost everywhere you go you’ll find ways to do right by Mother Earth, whether it’s as simple as separating your garbage or eating at a restaurant that uses locally sourced ingredients. Besides choosing to stay at HI hostels in San Francisco, which all try to do their part when it comes to encouraging conscious travel, you can get into the city’s spirit of sustainability with these quick tips that go beyond recycling.

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6 Images to Make You Fall in Love with HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel

There are so many reasons to love Point Montara Lighthouse and the cozy little hostel that sits pretty next to it at the edge of the California coast. And when you spend a night (or two) at HI Point Montara hostel, you’ll get to experience life by this beacon on an even deeper level that will make you appreciate it all even more, whether it’s thanks to the people you meet while you’re there or the opportunity to see the lighthouse under the moon and the stars.

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Why Travelers Love Staying at Hostels

Street Art Haight Street

There’s so much to love about traveling – new experiences, new sights, new foods, and new memories – especially when you choose to make your home base a HI USA hostel where people from all over the world get to meet because of their common passion. Along with knowing that after a day’s worth of epic exploring you’ve got a comfortable place to rest and relax, staying at our hostels also means that you’re pretty much guaranteed to find something new to fall in love with while you’re on the road, whether it’s a new friend or a new favorite street in a city.

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Take the Train from San Francisco to HI Sacramento

train to sacramento

Steam rose from the rain-soaked concrete at the Emeryville Amtrak Station, where I was boarding a morning train to HI Sacramento hostel. Inside the train car I overheard a young woman with an indeterminable European accent ask another passenger which was the side with the best views. “This side,” he said, meaning the left side facing the tracks and a couple of tall hotel buildings, so that’s how I chose my own seat.

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Sierra Institute Youth Group gives back at HI Point Reyes Hostel

Each year, HI USA’s Great Hostel Give Back program give hundreds of participants from dozens of groups the chance to stay for free at HI hostels across the country in exchange for volunteer service hours. From volunteering in soup kitchens to participating in environmental clean-ups, this year’s participants will donate thousands of hours of their time to good causes in our diverse communities.

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Artists in Residence: Valin Mattheis at HI San Francisco City Center Hostel

From National Park land to downtown streetscapes, hillside perches to coastal lighthouses, HI USA hostels are located in some of the most beautiful settings Northern California has to offer. So perhaps it’s not surprising that so many staff members across our hostel network are talented (and prolific) artists: they’ve got a lot of inspiration to work with!

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