Hostels in Virginia 
Looking for the best hostels in Virginia? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Virginia with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Virginia hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Virginia and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Virginia
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Virginia, across 4 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 Virginia 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 Virginia. 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 Virginia
Virginia is located on the east coast of the United States. As one of the original thirteen colonies, the state is rich in natural history and hostels are scattered across the state.
The national capital, Washington DC, is located to the northeast of Virginia. In order to save money, many people who work in Washington DC live just across the border in Virginia, where rent and real estate are significantly cheaper. This can help you save on hostel costs, too. Stay at a hostel in a border city, such as Bluemont or Alexandria, and take public transportation back and forth with the commuters.
The capital of the state of Virginia is Richmond, which has served as somewhat of a national capital on two occasions. Before the United States was officially recognized as a country, the founding fathers temporarily used Richmond as the capital during the American Revolutionary War. During the Civil War, the southern states formed the Confederate States of America and declared Richmond the capital of that makeshift country. Battlefields from both of these wars, in addition to the shaping of the country at other times, means that Richmond is filled with more than a lifetime of history to explore.
Virginia Beach is the most populated city in Virginia. Stay in a hostel here to enjoy a beautiful beach along the Atlantic Ocean. Guinness World Records claims that Virginia Beach has the longest pleasure beach in the entire world. State parks, shops, museums, and a naval base are not too far away. From Virginia Beach you can visit Chesapeake Bay, a huge bay bordering most of the eastern border of Virginia. Norfolk is another popular place to stay in the Chesapeake area.
The Appalachian Trail, a cross-country hiking trail, runs through much of Virginia. Serious outdoor backpackers will appreciate staying in hostels a few nights while trekking along this route. Each year many people complete the entire Appalachian Trail between Georgia and Maine, but even more simply enjoy a scenic walk through one of the segments. Check out AT hiker-friendly hostels in Pearisburg, Damascus, Luray, Charlottesville, and Bluemont.
Whether you choose to visit Virginia as part of your Appalachian Trail trekking adventure, to discover how history impacts the future, or for your own reason, you surely won't run out of things to do - or hostels to stay in!
Handwritten by local expert for Virginia hostels Jessica Lippe
Travel Tips for Virginia - 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 Virginia. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Virginia. 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 Virginia
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 Virginia?
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 Virginia 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 Virginia 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.