Hostels in Iowa 
Looking for the best hostels in Iowa? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Iowa with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Iowa hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Iowa and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Iowa
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Iowa, across 1 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 Iowa 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 Iowa. 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 Iowa
Iowa is located in the Midwest of the United States of America. It is known for its flat plains, farmland, and friendly folk. If you road trip across the United States, Iowa is likely a place you'll drive through.
Des Moines, the capital city, is located in the center of Iowa. As the largest Iowan city, it has the most to do. Adventureland is an amusement park open in the summer with rides for everyone from young children to wild thrill seekers, plus a water park as an opportunity to cool off. Downtown Des Moines offers sculpture parks, coffee shops, bars, and a small number of restaurants and retail establishments.
The urban area is completely opposite of the rest of the state, which is mostly rural and specializes in growing corn and soybeans. Even in these parts, you may not find hostels, but you're still bound to find a few gems. The most popular attraction in Iowa is the Amana Colonies, a group of people dedicated to simple living.
Western Iowa borders Nebraska, separated by the Missouri River. If you visit the city of Council Bluffs, you can walk across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge into Omaha, Nebraska. A line painted down the center of the bridge even allows you to be in two places at once!
To the east, you can find some fun roadside attractions. Traveling Trekkies will appreciate seeing Captain Kirk's Future Birthplace in Riverside. There is a marker memorializing where they anticipate him being born in the year 2228, as well as a gift shop with special souvenirs about the town and the Star Trek series. They even have a large model of their very own USS Riverside. A casino is also located just outside of this town.
In the town of Eldon, they don't have any hostels, but they do have the American Gothic House. This farm house was the backdrop of the famous painting by Grant Wood, and you can even dress up and take a snapshot to re-create the art piece.
Ames is a city that you may visit if considering colleges, as it is the home of Iowa State University. Since college towns usually have businesses and services that appeal to budget travelers as well, you may want to stop here even if you're not pursuing further education.
Hostels in Iowa are very limited, since there aren't big cities or tourist attractions to support the hostel industry. However, prices in Iowa tend to be pretty low compared to other US states, which will certainly appeal to your wallet!
Handwritten by local expert for Iowa hostels Jessica Lippe
Travel Tips for Iowa - 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 Iowa. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Iowa. 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 Iowa
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 Iowa?
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 Iowa 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 Iowa 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.