If you want to make the most of Zagreb's nightlife, your best bet is to stay in the Upper Town, also known as Gornji Grad. This is the area where you can find the street with the highest concentration of cafes and bars in the whole city: Tkalciceva street. This is where a night out in Zagreb usually starts.
Not as crazy as other hostels in the Croatian coast, the party hostels in Zagreb are really fun and social. They have regular on-site parties with DJs and even live music sometimes, and their on-site bars are always buzzing. Social events like Karaoke nights, pub crawls and drinking games are also regularly organised.
Dorm prices range from 8€ to 17€ per night, depending on the time of the year. Privates are around 30€ to 40€.
Croatia has recently become a popular summer party destination, especially along the coast. However, many travellers have to pass by Zagreb, and they spend 2 or 3 days in the capital before continuing to the coast! As it is typical for capital cities, the nightlife offer here is more varied than on the beach towns. From little dive bars full of locals drinking cheap beer and Rakjia to huge nightclubs serving elaborated cocktails and hosting internationally known DJs and artists.
Even though Zagreb's Nightlife season is from September to June , you can also find pubs and clubs with a lively atmosphere during the summer months. Plus, if you are visiting during the summer, you can enjoy the beach party vibe of Lake Jarun . This lake is south of the city and reachable by tram, and its beaches are sprinkled with cool beach bars and clubs playing international hits. Some of the biggest nightclubs in Zagreb are also around Lake Jarun.
Even though you can find cool bars all around Zagreb, the main areas where all nightlife concentrate are the Upper Town (Gornji Grad) , the Lower Town , and Lake Jarun .
Upper Town is basically Zagreb's Old Town . It is the most touristic part of the city, but it is also where most locals go. As can expect from any Old Town, there is a large variety of nightlife venues. From old-fashioned bars mainly filled with locals or music venues with live music to pubs and nightclubs with several dance floors.
The busiest part in the area in the Upper Town is Tkalciceva , a pedestrian street filled with bars and clubs where most locals start their nights.
Another thing to note is the recent development of a craft beer culture in the city, with a great offer of both local and imported craft beers served in different bars. If you are into craft beer, you should definitely head to Opatovina . On this almost pedestrian street, you can find a wide selection of bars that serve many different craft beer brands.
Lower Town is part of the new town , and you should expect more sophisticated and elegant bars, lounges, and clubs. Between Trg Petra Preradovića (also known as Cvjetni Trg) and Bogovićeva , you'll find quite a few bars and cafes with great outdoor areas and terraces. When the weather is good, the area resembles a big outdoor party with everyone having drinks outside until just a bit past midnight, when they move the party somewhere else.
If you are looking to party in massive nightclubs, you'll have to go to Jarun Lake . Here you will find huge nightclubs, most of them with terraces overlooking the lake, as well as beach bars and beach clubs that get really busy during spring and summer months.
In general, the vibe in Zagreb clubs is rather relaxed and chilled. You'll only find scary bouncers, strict door policies and high-class fashion demands in a few clubs in Zagreb, but they are the exception. Check with the guys at the reception of your hostel to double-check about the place you are planning to go.