Leo Hostel

A NOTE ON BOOKING ROOMS/BEDS: Only some of our rooms/beds are on this website. You can also contact us direct to check for availability. Just search for us on google. Need a bookings voucher for your China visa? Please let us know your full names, passport numbers and nationalities.

Quote from the Lonely Planet China 2009 Edition (released in May 2009):

'Leo Hostel. Popular and crowded, it's best to phone ahead to book a room at this bargain hostel tucked away down Dazhalan Xijie. It has an attractive interior courtyard... a busy bar and a great location. Staff at reception make solid efforts at wooing international backpackers.'

Welcome to the Leo Hostel, Beijing's best choice for budget accommodation, as recommended by the Lonely Planet and many of China's top rated hostels...


We are perhaps Beijing's most popular hostel, with a reputation of friendliness and fun. Please read below to find out more... :)

Best location: We are one of the most central hostels in Beijing, only 5-10 minutes walk from Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Qianmen bus & subway center. There is no problem taking transportation to anywhere you want to go in Beijing. We can provide you with a free bus and subway map when you arrive. Please see our map (in the picture section) and compare our location carefully with the other hostels. We are also located in a great hutong market street (see below for more details!).

Budget beds: We are a large hostel that can accommodate up to 100 guests. We have a wide range of accommodation types to suit all levels of budget, and further discounts can also be offered to long-term guests and tour groups. All dorm rooms have lockers, big enough to fit an average-sized backack, with built-in electric sockets so you can charge your valuables safely ;)

Great tours: We have a wide selection of great tours, including the Great Wall, Acrobatics, Kung Fu, & Beijing Opera. We also have some special Leo Hostel tours, like our very popular Secret Great Wall tour, where you will be the only ones on the wall.

Great service: We are a very friendly, family-run hostel, with helpful, English-speaking staff that care. The management and staff have many years experience catering towards foreign customers, so our guests are sure to feel right at home :)

FREE services:

- FREE Internet computer. There is a free internet computer for guests to check their emails quickly. If you want to use the computer for longer, more paid internet computers are available, all with cameras and headsets (Skype available here ;). Got a lap-top? We have FREE WIRELESS connection in the bar.
- FREE luggage storage
- FREE security lockers for dorm rooms (our hostel also has 24 hour CCTV camera security)
- FREE local area map, showing banks, post offices, supermarkets, bus stops, subways, and everything else you need to know
- FREE Beijing information magazines - letting you know what's happening around Beijing right now
- FREE Chinese language guide - made by us to help you speak a little Chinese during your stay, and our staff can help you practice.
- FREE bar street map, made by us to help you find Beijing's cheaper/alternative bar scene, hidden off the main bar street.
- FREE darts board, guitar, & many other fun bar games

Facilities & Services...

- Large, friendly bar & restaurant, with western & Chinese food menu (vegetarians welcome!)
- DVD music videos and a very wide selection of good quality movies (all with subtitles and no skipping ;)
- Laundry service
- Bike hire service
- Book exchange/sale, some *new edition* Lonely Planet China books available.
- Playstation 2 with latest games (Pro Evo 2008 ;)
- Pool table
- Plane, train ticket-booking & tibet permit service, and advice on getting to international destinations, such as Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
- International telephone call facilities
- Forward hostel booking service for other popular hostels in China (and we also can arrange for them to pick you up direct fom the station)
- Airport pick up and transfer

More Details...

We have a prized location inside the famous Da Zha Lan hutong market streets, with over 600 years of history. The Da Zha Lan hutong markets are filled with bustling character, with interesting shops, restaurants and stalls, leading right up to Tiananmen Square itself. Day or night, there's always something interesting to see!

The Leo Hostel is a traditional Chinese hutong hostel, beautifully decorated with traditional furniture and fittings. As an escape from the busy market streets outside, inside the hostel are several peaceful, green seating areas, where you can relax with a good book or quietly socialise with friends. Art and calligraphy exhibitions are placed throughout the hostel, and you can watch our in-house artist paint new works every day, or even take one of his kung fu / tai qi classes!

We are the most convenient hostel for transportation links. As we are so close to Tiananmen Square and the Qianmen subway & bus center, there is no problem taking transportation to anywhere you want to go, including the train station and airport shuttle bus terminals. We can provide you with our free Leo Hostel bus and subway map when you arrive. Many tourist sites are also within walking distance, such as Tiananemen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Mao Mausaleum, Bei Hai Park, Liulichang Art/Culture Street, and many more...

Along with the normal Beijing tours, we also have some special Leo Hostel tours. Our 'Secret Wall' tour is very popular. You will be the only ones there and you will see the Wall in its most natural form, without cable-cars or sellers chasing you along the wall! You'll also have the chance to visit a local village for a delicious traditional meal. We also offer special Leo Hostel tours to Beijing beauty spots, where you can climb mountains, drift through natural gorges, go horse-riding, try bungee jumping, see ice-sculptures, go ski-ing, and more. And if you want to make your own private tour, we can arrange transportation for you.

Customer Comments...

Please read the ratings section to see what our satisfied guests have said about our hostel! You can also check the ratings on www.hostels.com (hostelworld associates).

ABOUT LEO...

Leo (Liu Yue Lai) has worked for over 10 years in Tourist Information & hostel management. He is now very proud to welcome his old friends and new guests to his very own, family-run hostel.

We look forward to seeing you very soon!

A NOTE ON PASSPORT/VISAS: Only customers showing a valid passport and China visa are allowed to stay at the hostel. This includes people already living within China. If you are getting a visa extension, remember to take a copy of your passport photo page and China visa, along with a copy of your receipt.

Directions

DIRECTIONS TO BEIJING LEO HOSTEL

Chinese address: 中国北京前门大栅栏西街52号，广聚园宾馆

LEO HOSTEL, GUANG JU YUAN BINGUAN, 52 DA ZHA LAN XI JIE, QIANMEN, BEIJING;

** PLEASE READ THESE DIRECTIONS FULLY TO AVOID ANY PROBLEMS GETTING TO THE HOSTEL. PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRINT OUT THE MAP (see our pictures) - IT HAS OUR CHINESE ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBERS **
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DIRECTIONS FROM THE BEIJING INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:

1) Book a taxi pick-up from us. We can pick you up at the airport for 240rmb per car (fits up to 3 passengers) (from 10pm to 7am, there will be an extra 50rmb charge). If you are interested, please provide ALL of the following details: arrival date, arrival time, flight number, airline, departure city.

Please book your pick-up at least 48 hours in advance. If your flight arrives within 48 hours, please phone the hostel to give us your details.

or

2) Take the shuttle bus to the Beijing city center (the journey takes over 1 hour). There are different shuttle buses but it is best to take the bus to the main Beijing train station (16rmb). The bus stops about 200 meters west of the Beijing station. When you get off the bus. continue walking straight (in the direction of the bus) to arrive at Beijing station. For directions from the station, please read below.

3) Take the new shuttle train from Terminal 2 or 3 to Dongzhimen subway station (25rmb). Then change to subway line 2 and take the subway to Qianmen, then
follow the map.

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DIRECTIONS FROM THE MAIN BEIJING TRAIN STATION: (trains arriving from Shanghai, Mongolia, Russia etc…)

1) Take the bus. Leave the station by the north exit, walk right (east) about 500 meters to the bus park and take bus 20 or 59 to Da Zha Lan (1rmb). The Da Zha Lan stop is around the 5th or 6th stop (wait for the bus to completely pass Tiananmen Square and then get off at the next stop). When you get off the bus, walk north (in the opposite direction to the bus) and then turn left on to Da Zha Lan Xi Jie market street. Then walk for about 300 meters and you will see Leo Hostel on the left. Please note: the Da Zha Lan Xi Jie street has some road construction work right now, so you may prefer to use the back-alley off Yang Mei Zhu Xie Jie (see map). Please remember to print out our map, or even make a hand-copy!

or

2) Take the subway. The subway is

Facilities

Restaurant, Internet Access, Luggage Storage, 24 hour reception, Breakfast Not Included, Concierge, Air Conditioning