Phoenix is great for those who like sunshine. People are friendly, and the food is great.
Hostels in Arizona 
Looking for the best hostels in Arizona? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Arizona with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Arizona hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Arizona and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Arizona
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Arizona, across 3 cities! Not all cities have hostels, but many offer alternative budget options like guesthouses and affordable hotels. Use our filters to quickly find cities with hostels or other budget accommodations to simplify your trip planning.
All Arizona hostels on a map
Alright, you are more the visual type? Planning your trip with a map is always handy.
Therefore, this map shows you all cities with hostels in Arizona. It will help you to plan your trip. Just zoom in the map and click your destination for more details. Just so you know: If we do not have a hostel in a city, it is likely that there is no hostel in that city.
Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Arizona
Welcome to the home of red rocks and canyons. There is plenty to explore in Arizona and you are sure to have your hands full. The three main places there are hostels in Arizona are in the two largest cities of Tucson and Phoenix and in the small town of Flagstaff that borders the Grand Canyon National Park. In the rest of Arizona you will only find one or two hostels per place and in fairly scattered locations. Because of this, your best bet for seeing the best of and most of Arizona would be to hire a car and use the hostels as a base to see things from.
Arizona is home to some of the most incredible National Parks in the country. On the way through, set yourself up in Tucson to explore the small cowboy town of Tombstone and the Saguero National Park, renowned for having some of the most incredible and enormous cacti in the world. They are spectacular and not to be missed.
From here make your way up to Phoenix. Take in a baseball game and see all of the sights of the city before making your way up north. The hostels in both Mesa and Tempe are also close to Phoenix so this too is also a suitable place to stop off on your way up to Flagstaff.
You will want to stay here in the Flagstaff hostels for a while to do some exploring as it is close to the south part of the Grand Canyon National Park. As one of the most incredible places on earth, take the time out to explore it properly and walk down into the canyon if your fitness allows you to get out. You can also organize helicopter tours to see it from the air.
Flagstaff is also close to the small spiritual town of Sedona, home to some of the reddest rock in the world. People say there is a vortex here and that you can feel the energy changing around the place. Even if you can't it is cool to explore and talk to the locals.
To the north east of here you will also find Monument Valley. Make sure that you don't miss Monument Valley. Take a tour through with a local Navajo guide to get a real cultural feel for the area.
Follow this route with your car and you should hit all of the major spots along the way, and maybe discover a few more missed here.
Handwritten by local expert for Arizona hostels Globetrotter
Travel Tips for Arizona - from the Community
Hey fam! Here are a few more tips from the community, from them to you, and you to them. This space is dedicated for travellers to share their best tips on backpacking Arizona. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Arizona. Everyone is welcome to add something useful, funny, unexpected and the "absolutely necessary to know before you go" - share, share and then share a little more!
FAQ on Hostels in Arizona
There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:
Finding Hostels and Prices
What hostel booking sites are best to use?
There is several hostel booking sites, such as Hostelworld.com, Hostelsclub.com and Booking.com. While every platform has its pros and cons, there is a universal truth you as a traveler should be aware of: Not a single booking site can always offer the best prices.
This is where Hostelz.com comes in. You can compare all major booking portals with one click.
For you as a traveler, Hostelz.com is the best booking site to actually save money.
How much are hostels in Arizona?
Prices always vary, depending on various factors. Weekends tend to be more expensive, same goes for special holidays. Please also take into account local vaction time.
You can search for exacty hostel prices in Arizona here on Hostelz.com. Pick your destination and pick a date. The system will track down the prices to give an idea of what budget and prices you can expect.
When to book hostels?
If you want to stay at the best hostels, it is a good idea to have your hostel booked around 1 month before you travel. For the regular hostels, booking one week before should be okay. Yet again, this always depends.
We dedicated a full article to the topic of when to book hostels.
Safety and Packing
Are hostels in Arizona safe?
Generally speaking, hostels are as safe as you make them. We highly recommend always to bring your own padlock, using the lockers and taking care of your belongings. Make sure you pick a safe hostel, offering lockers and a safe location. Please always pay attention to the reviews; they can give you a great insight on what to expect and safety tips.
What to pack when staying in hostels?
There is a few basics you should always pack when staying in hostels.
There is more actually. We wrote a complete guide with more details. Read our full hostel packing list.