Hostels in Tennessee 
Looking for the best hostels in Tennessee? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Tennessee with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Tennessee hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Tennessee and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Tennessee
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee. 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 Tennessee
Tennessee is home to some of the most incredible musical history of the United States and the world. There aren't a great number of Tennessee hostels, but there are at least one or two in the major cities you may want to visit.
When starting in the northern part of the state, you may want to start with a hostel in Nashville. It is here that some of the most popular country and folk musicians come to from across the world travel to record their music and play. It's also home to the Country Music Hall of Fame museum and the Country Music Awards each year. The town has a super cool and chilled out feel about it and any night of the week that you want you will be able to find live music here. There are only a couple of hostels here so if you are planning to come during one of the busier times of the year it is best to book in advance to make sure that you don't miss out.
The other famous music city in Tennessee is Memphis. Home to the famous rhythm and blues movement, you will find your time in Memphis to be incredibly soulful. Memphis is also home to Elvis' Graceland. This is a not to be missed attraction as it contains so much history of the area. You can also pop down and visit the famous Sun Studios where so many of the incredible artists of that era recorded their music, including Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. The other must do in Memphis while you are wandering down Beale Street is to get in and among the most incredible barbecue ribs. Get in early as sometimes they actually run out they are that good! There are also not too many hostels in Memphis so book in advance.
There are a few other towns throughout Tennessee that are off the beaten track of these two main cities that are worth a visit. Snuggled in along the Appalachian Mountain Ranges you will find the towns of Knoxville, Erwin, and Gatlinburg. You can use any of these towns as a base to do some hiking and explore the nature of the region. Overall there aren't too many hostels in each of these towns as well so contact them to check availability.
If you are planning on just driving through and not stopping in Nashville, there are some other hostels in towns along the way where you can lay your head for a while. Getting in and around these places can be difficult. Check the Greyhound bus schedule as to where it goes, but the best way of exploring the region is with a car.
Handwritten by local expert for Tennessee hostels Globetrotter
Travel Tips for Tennessee - 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 Tennessee. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Tennessee. 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 Tennessee
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 Tennessee?
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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.