What are the best hostels in Peru? There are so many to choose from! I ended up discovering some great places, and share my favorites in this article.
Why did I write this article?
I found it difficult to find good hostels in Peru since there are so many! Since I’m backpacking as a 30-something, I had some requirements:
- relaxed vibe (no party hostels),
- a common room, so it was easy to meet people
- stable wifi (travel blogger!
- a dorm with 8 beds or less
- clean
Eventually, I stayed in some amazing hostels and share my favorites in this article.
Want to read more about staying in a hostel as a 30-something? Check out my post “How to survive a hostel“.
Lima: KACLLA, The Healing Dog Hostel
KACLLA, The Healing Dog Hostel. Isn’t this a weird name for a hostel? Well, there’s a giant dog walking around! However, it was a great place to stay in Lima and perfect for my start journey in Peru. The hostel has several dorms (4 to 6 beds) and some private rooms and is located Miraflores. It’s a historic building, with high ceilings and beautiful wood carving. For a common room, there’s a small living room with a couch and a patio with several tables. Most of the travelers that stay in this hostel are 25 years or older.
Pro: Great location, breakfast is included.
Con: They can be very strict about check-in or check-out.
Costs: €10/€11 for a bed in a dorm and €26 for a private room (with a shared bathroom)
Where to book: Reserve a bed or a room in KACLLA, The Healing Dog Hostel.
Huaraz: Akilpo
Hostel Akilpo is located in the town of Huaraz, and this is the place to be if you love hiking in the mountains. Two brothers own the hostel and they know everything about all the trails in the area. You can also book some amazing hiking excursions with them. In the hostel, there’s a large common room, with couches, tables, and a kitchen. You can get free coca tea here, which is highly recommended if you’re not used to the altitude (Huaraz is located on an altitude of 3000 meters). The dorms and bathrooms are a little old, but clean. The people that stay in this hostel, are usually very relaxed, because every who stays in Huaraz, is there to hike. So you can find hiking buddies very easily!
Pro: It’s cheap, they can do your laundry, a lot of information about hiking in the area, great common room.
Con: No breakfast included, showers are occupied most of the time, the common room is closed at night.
Costs: €6-€8 for a bed in a dorm and €21 for a private room.
Where to book: Book a bed or a room in Akilpo.
Paracas: Kokopelli Hostel Paracas
Kokopelli is a small chain of hostels in Peru, there are Kokopelli hostels in Lima, Cuzco, and Paracas. When you arrive, you’ll get a bracelet and with this, you can get a discount if you’re planning to stay at other Kokopelli hostels. The Kokopelli hostel in Paracas has more of a party hostel vibe compared to the other hostels on this list. However, I found this hostel pretty relaxed. It’s in a gorgeous location, from the garden you can just walk to the beach and the boulevard of Paracas. The garden (which is the common room) has a bar, couches, benches, and it’s really easy to meet people here and have a cocktail. The dorms are pretty neat as well, with a large locker for your backpack, firm bunk beds, and a curtain at every bed.
Pro: Large common area in the yard, good location, great dorm, breakfast is included.
Con: There’s always a possible of loud noises, because of the party vibe. It’s more expensive than the other hostels in Paracas.
Costs: €11-€13 for a bed in a dorm, and €46 for a room with two beds.
Where to book?: Book a bed or a room in Kokopelli Hostel Paracas.
Huacachina: The Upcycled Hostel
The Upcycled Hostel is officially located in Ica, and not in Huacachina. But it’s very close because it’s along the road to Huacachina and you only have to walk for 15 minutes to get to the oasis and the dunes are right across the street. This is one of the most beautiful and colorful hostels in Peru where I stayed at. The hostel has a great garden, with a pool, a bar, and lots of different places to lounge. The dorms (which are located around the garden) are very basic, but the matrasses are very comfortable.
Pro: Huacachina is very noisy (loud music and the buggy’s that drive by), but here you won’t hear a thing, it’s beautifully furnished, the pool is amazing, breakfast is included.
Con: It’s a little far from the oasis.
Costs: €13 for a bed in a dorm and €33 for a private room.
Where to book?: Book a bed or a room in The Upcycled Hostel.
Arequipa: Limbo Jump Hostel
Off all the hostels in Peru on this list, the Limbo Hostel in Arequipa has the most friendly owner. When I arrived in this hostel after a long bus ride, I was pretty sick, and the owner immediately got me a room and called a doctor.
He also has hundreds of tips about Arequipa (and about other places in Peru) and makes the most delicious breakfast every morning. I’ve met a lot of great people in this hostel, it felt like family. Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures of the hostel during my stay here, because I was ill. But the pictures on Booking.com are certainly doing the hostel justice.
Pro: a friendly owner, great breakfast, good common room, fantastic bed
Con: it’s quite a walk to get to the city center.
Costs: €8-€10 for a bed in a dorm and €18 for a private room.
Where to book: Book a bed or a room in Limbo Jump Hostel.
Puno: Bonny Hostel
Bonny Hostel was the most basic hostel in Peru where I’ve stayed. Which was fine, because I was only there to sleep and haven’t even seen the hostel by daylight. Puno is the gateway to Lake Titicaca, and you can go on some great tours to explore the lake. The tours are pretty cheap when you book them in the hostel. They also offer free coca tea, which is very convenient since Puno is located at 3800 meters. The dorms are very spacious, the beds are large and you get a lot of warm blankets because it can get very cold at night.
Pro: Cheap, good location, great beds, breakfast included.
Con: Not a great common room to meet people.
Costs: €7 for a bed in a dorm and €16 for a private room.
Where to book?: Book a bed or a private room in Bonny Hostel.
Cusco: Nao Victoria Hostel
After a bad experience with my first hostel in Cusco (I had planned to stay there for 6 nights, I left after the first night), I ended up staying in Nao Victoria Hostel. And it was one of the best hostels in Peru where I’ve stayed at! It’s a brand new hostel, in a beautiful historic building and steps away from the Plaza de Armas. There are two common rooms and there’s a place to store luggage when you’re going on a multi-day tour. The dorms are fantastic, with large lockers, sturdy bunk beds with curtains, and every bed as electricity sockets and a light.
Pro: Fantastic dorms, breakfast included, friendly staff, great location.
Con: More expensive than other hostels.
Costs: €13-€20 for a bed in a dorm and €63 for a luxurious double room with a private bathroom.
Where to book: Book your bed or room in Nao Victoria Hostel.
These were my favorite hostels in Peru. In which one would you like to stay?
Would you like to read more about Peru?
Get one of these guidebooks:
Or check out these articles:
– Travel tips Peru: everything you need to know before you go
– A month in Peru: the perfect itinerary
– Top 5 things to do in Cusco (Peru)
Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a small percentage of the sale if you make a purchase. I appreciate your support a lot, this helps to keep my website running. If you have questions about a product, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will only share links to websites I truly believe in and used to buy products or services.
Leave a reply