Kiwi Backpackers Hostel — Hotel in Pokhara

A perfect home base in Pokhara – highly recommended!

I recently stayed at Kiwi Backpackers Hostel in Pokhara and honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Located right in the heart of Lakeside, it’s just a short walk to the lake, shops, cafes, and restaurants—but still feels tucked away and peaceful.

The hostel itself has such a cool, welcoming vibe. There’s a rooftop bar that’s a great place to hang out and meet other travelers, with amazing views of the mountains when the skies are clear. They even have a yoga room and offer traditional Hatha yoga classes daily on request. I ended up having classes with three of the best yoga instructors I’ve ever met—such a gift while traveling.

I stayed in a private room, which was really good value for money. It was clean, comfortable, and had hot showers with good water pressure, overhead fans, and even a variety of lighting options. There are also rooms with air-conditioning and dorms with both fans and AC depending on your budget or preference.

Breakfast is served daily, always with a smile, and includes a rotating menu with your choice of tea or coffee. You can also order from the rooftop menu or get delivery via local food apps. Super convenient!

But what really makes this place stand out is the team. Suman (the owner), Maya, Bipsy, and the whole staff made me feel so welcome and supported from the moment I arrived. They helped organize everything—from a trek to Mardi Himal (including guide, permits, accommodation, meals, transport, and even gear), to activities like paragliding and whitewater rafting.

My trekking guide, Kaji, was absolutely incredible. With over 20 years of experience in the Himalayas, he was not only deeply knowledgeable about the mountains, flora, and fauna, but also shared local stories, introduced me to villagers along the way, and even helped forage for local ingredients (like neuro) for our meals. When I wasn’t feeling well, he went above and beyond to make sure I was looked after—ensuring hot showers, checking in constantly, and offering genuine care. I would absolutely request him again for any future trek.

Suman also shared a lot of cultural insight and local knowledge during my stay, which I really appreciated—it added a deeper layer to my time in Nepal.

Kiwi Backpackers is more than just a hostel—it’s a community, a base, and a place where you’ll feel cared for. I’m truly grateful for the experience and can’t wait to return.

Highly recommended to any traveler...

The owner of this hostel has known about a virus spreading around kiwi backpackers for months now and yet they have done nothing to protect more guests from getting sick & preventing or stopping the spread of this virus.

My friend and I stayed at Kiwi backpackers hostel on April 20 right after finishing a 12 day trek. We were weak & tired when we checked in & we were excited to stay in a clean & comfortable space after trekking. Not only did this hostel fail to meet basic standards of hygiene &sanitation (they did not clean the bathrooms, dorm rooms or communal spaces regularly), this hostel made us get so sick we had to spend two days in a hospital in Pokhara (when our immune systems were already very weak). We found out later, from reading reviews & talking to other people who stayed at the hostel that a virus has been spreading around kiwi backpackers since March.

I am beyond disappointed and angry at how kiwi backpackers has handled this very serious situation!! This hostel should be cleaning the bathrooms, dorm rooms & communal spaces regularly & they should be shutting down & no longer accepting guests until they get this virus under control.

The owner of kiwi backpackers clearly prioritizes making money over human being’s health & well being. Do not stay at this hostel & support...

Nice hostel with the highlights being the amazing and varied breakfasts, location near the lake and nice common area. Rooms were spacious with lockers and no complaints about the beds. There are stairs which is a pain - literally if you've been hiking.

The rooftop is great for sunsets over the mountains.

The owner is an interesting character. A bit full of himself but has some interesting insights about the country that he shared with us one time. He's also a savvy (slimy?) businessman so just be aware if you ask for trekking advice in the office you're going to get an answer that serves his interests primarily and yours secondarily.

I had no time to organise a trek and shop around so had to pretty much just go with what was suggested. It wasn't until we were on the mountain that I found out we could've done it much cheaper with a package deal and that the hostel takes a whopping 30% commission on the fee for basically doing nothing and forcing the guide to pressure you for tips.

I understand that that's part of the business model of hostels in Nepal but its unfortunate that it trades off the good will generated by hostels in other countries where you can usually be assured of getting good and unbiased information at...