Is Hacker Paradise Worth It? [In-depth Review + Comparison]

Whether you’re an aspiring digital nomad, or an expert remote worker, being able to travel while doing your work is a dream for many. Actually organizing yourself to take your work abroad with you can be overwhelming and stressful, though.

We’ve already touched on programs like WiFi Tribe that allow you to join a group of digital nomads abroad and work in a community-style environment, but today, we’re going to be talking about the Hackers Paradise.

But first, what is Hacker Paradise?

What is Hacker Paradise?

Hacker Paradise is a remote working community that allows you to join a trip and do your remote work abroad while having most of the logistics sorted for you. Hacker Paradise is pretty much the embodiment of the hackers paradise (no pun intended).

While you must already be a remote worker to join their trips, you don’t need to be a hacker as the name might imply. Hacker Paradise works to create travel cohorts that are handpicked so that every person on the trip is a good fit for the community.

Hacker Paradise trips run months long, with two destinations always running simultaneously per month, and two optional start dates spaced two weeks apart during the month. As such, you can join a trip for two weeks or the full month.

But how do you actually join a trip with the Hacker Paradise?

How do you join a Hacker Paradise trip?

In order to participate in a Hacker Paradise trip, you’ll start by selecting your chosen location, and then picking your optional start date.

After making that decision, you’ll have a chat with the team so that they can ensure you’ll be a good fit with the rest of the hacker community for your chosen destination. You can then pay upfront for the first month to secure your spot, and any subsequent trips will be paid for a month before they start. Groups are typically 20-30 people on each trip. 

While Hacker Paradise is specifically designed for digital nomads or those who can partake in remote work, they do not offer job opportunities. You must already have a job that allows you to work remotely to participate. If your current job isn’t remote, Hacker Paradise offers a guide on how to pitch remote work to your employers, as well as their services if you have any questions on that process. 

If you’re curious about reading what other digital nomads have to say about Hacker Paradise from a source other than their website, head to the r/digitalnomad (or read up our guide on r/digitalnomad to see what you can find in there) sub on Reddit. If you search “Hacker Paradise,” you’ll be able to see several posts and comments speaking positively, and negatively, about Hacker Paradise (although the reviews do lean heavily towards positive.)

Hacker Paradise also has a blog with pieces that touch on being a digital nomad, traveling while working remotely, and much more!

Hacker Paradise Pricing

Participating in a Hacker Paradise trip is not the cheapest venture, but the pricing does include several amenities. If you’re looking to settle down with Hacker Paradise for two weeks, the starting price is $1550, while the monthly rate starts from $2190. If you’re willing to share a room with someone, costs can be lowered to starting at $1700 per month, but you’ll need to inquire especially about that situation.

If you’re wanting to join a community for the programming only, and find your own accommodation, the price is fixed at $1200 per person for any given trip. 

Not included in the price, however, are flights to and from your destination, visas if required, or health insurance to cover you during your travels. If you need to cancel your trip for any reason after you have paid, note that you will not receive a full refund. 

To see where Hacker Paradise has trips planned, you can head to their trips page, which lists all the planned trips, both ones that are open, and ones that need more sign-ups to go forward. They already have all their trips planned out through the end of 2021 and into 2022 so you can get a feel for all the destinations they have chosen, and pick the one that fits your goals and schedule the best. 

Hacker Paradise Program

The pricing for any Hacker Paradise trip includes more than just a place to stay while you do your work remotely.

In addition to a private room (unless you opt to share with another hacker) with cleaning, you’ll be provided with a local SIM card complete with data to use, professional development opportunities, hands-on workshops, coworking space, onsite facilitators, weekly lunches and potlucks, networking events with locals, and the ability to join a global network of digital nomads who have partaken in Hacker Paradise trips.

Having all this organized for you means that you can focus your energy on successfully being a digital nomad, and also feel less stressed about organizing what you need to do so. 

What does Hacker Paradise trips look like?

Each trip with Hacker Paradise is customized to the location, and the people joining the community.

The programs are themed to allow you to take part in experiences like networking with local entrepreneurs, panels, talks with local influencers, and workshops that will help you come away from your trip with more than just travel memories. They also ensure that in addition to being able to travel while living your best digital nomad life, that you can focus on your professional development as well.

They organize goal-setting sessions, reciprocity rings so you can ask for help from your fellow digital nomads, and a side project night where you can share your projects with the rest of the community. This way you can gain inspiration from other digital nomads, and forge connections with other remote workers that will last you longer than just your trip. 

In addition to getting to work in a fabulous location, Hacker Paradise also organizes short sightseeing trips, and a big weekend activity so you can also explore the city you’ve chosen to stay in for your trip. Of course, you’re also free to organize your own adventures when you’re not working, and you can do as much or as little exploring with the other hackers on your trip as you want. 

Hacker Paradise vs Remote Year

Since Hacker Paradise isn’t the only company out there offering organized travel for digital nomads, it can be beneficial to compare them to find which program works best with your remote work, and your budget.

A frequent comparison that digital nomads make with Hacker Paradise is Remote Year (we've reviewed them as well!). The main difference between Remote Year and Hacker Paradise is that the former requires a year-long commitment.

If you drop out before the end of your year, you lose your deposit and potentially additional funds as well. Hacker Paradise, on the other hand, allows you to commit for shorter periods of time, while allowing you to still benefit from the community approach. Both programs offer support throughout your stays with them, and help organize the nitty-gritty aspects of travel like accommodation, tourism, and additionally, shared spaces so you can successfully work. 

Is Hacker Paradise Worth It?

Whether you’re looking to travel as a digital nomad for two weeks, a month, or longer, Hacker Paradise offers several trips to various destinations to allow you to do just that. With their vetting process, you’ll be part of a hand-selected group of digital nomads, and while you’ll have access to community spaces to work alone, you can also lean back on the group for support both professionally, and personally.

Hacker Paradise organizes your accommodation, as well as other perks to allow you to sit back and digital nomad in peace. Having that kind of organization and dedicated coordinators does come for a price, but the benefits might outweigh the cost for you.

Our Rating: 4.3/5

Pros:

• All inclusive trips
• Allowed ranges of customization
• Networking opportunities
• Allow flexible term memberships

Cons:

• Pricey programs
• Employment required

Take the Pilot seat and plan your own trips!

Group travel can be a wonderful experience as a digital nomad, but if solo travel is more your style, make sure to Pilot your own itinerary and adventures!