Hostels in New Jersey 
Looking for the best hostels in New Jersey? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in New Jersey with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal New Jersey hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking New Jersey and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in New Jersey
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in New Jersey, across 5 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey. 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 New Jersey
New Jersey, USA, is a small state on the east coast of the USA, nestled between New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. It has a few attractions worth visiting, and provides a gateway to even more attractions in the region.
Since New York City is on the border of New York and New Jersey, many travelers save money by staying in less-costly New Jersey. Look for New Jersey, USA hostels in places like Jersey City or Union City if you'd like to take advantage of this savings idea. There are plenty of transportation options to get you across the river and into New York. The downside to this is that you will have to account for extra traffic time, especially if you get stuck in one of the traffic jams that are all too well-known in this area.
If you're driving, you may especially want to take advantage of some New York City sights that are also available to view from New Jersey. You can see the Manhattan skyline from much of this part of New Jersey. The Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island is visible on most days, though you'll only see her back from New Jersey. The most popular way to get to New York is through the Lincoln Tunnel, an underwater road.
Being on the east coast, you can expect New Jersey to provide some beach towns. Wildwood is a good city to enjoy the beach. A very popular destination within New Jersey is Atlantic City. This beachside town has shopping, sand, and a boardwalk. However, it's best known for being a major place for casino gambling. You can find New Jersey, USA hostels in both of these seaside cities.
You can stay in a New Jersey, USA hostel as a stopover to explore the New England region, which is a bit north of New Jersey. The historic city of Philadelphia, located in Pennsylvania, can easily be done as a day trip. This is where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where the famous Liberty Bell can be seen. The nation's capitol, Washington, D.C., is a bit further away, but can be done as a weekend trip or next destination from New Jersey. The diverse state of Virginia is only slightly further south from there.
Handwritten by local expert for New Jersey hostels Jessica Lippe
Travel Tips for New Jersey - 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 New Jersey. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of New Jersey. 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 New Jersey
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 New Jersey?
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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.