Homestay in Nepal and Visiting the Nagarjun Learning Center: What to Expect, Cost and How to Help

Last updated 15 October 2026.

Short answer: Yes, you can stay with a family in Nepal. Our own family home and guest house in Banasthali, Kathmandu, takes guests at USD 15 per person per night, and it supports the Nagarjun Learning Center. Visiting a centre, or volunteering at Saldum for a week or more, is possible only if you message me first, because we do not take drop-in visitors and I cannot promise time with the children. Please do not give money, sweets or pens to children on the trail or at a school. If you want to help, stay with us, book through us, or ask me what the centre needs.

I am Shreejan. My wife Shamjhana and I founded the Nagarjun Learning Center in 2019, so people ask me this often. This is the honest version, including the parts I cannot promise. If you want to pair a homestay with a short walk, the Chisapani, Nagarkot and Dhulikhel Trek, 4 Days starts and ends at your Kathmandu hotel.

Can I stay with a family in Nepal?

You can stay with a family in Nepal in two ways, and I want to be clear about which one I offer. The first is our own home. We run a family home and guest house in Banasthali, a neighbourhood of Kathmandu, and we call it the Nagarjun Homestay. It is a city stay, not a village stay. You are in Kathmandu, with a family that knows the city and the airport roads.

The second is a village homestay on a trek. Some Annapurna villages offer homestays, as I describe in my guide to the Annapurna Conservation Area. Our own trek itineraries are written with teahouses and lodges, not village homestays. If you want a night in a village house, tell me where you are going and I will say honestly whether I can arrange it. I would rather tell you no than promise a family I have not asked.

What does a homestay in Nepal cost?

What does a homestay in Nepal cost with us? It is USD 15 per person per night at our family homestay. Kathmandu hotel nights are not included in any trek price, so many guests use these nights before and after the trek. Our Kathmandu tours do include two hotel nights, and extra nights before or after a tour are not included.

Our Our heart for Nepal page links to the homestay listing on Booking.com. If you book with me, the rate is the USD 15 above, and I would like your arrival time first so the family can plan.

What is the Nagarjun Learning Center?

The Nagarjun Learning Center is the charity that Shamjhana and I founded in 2019. Our flagship centre is in Saldum village, Dhading District, where 70 children receive free education and hot meals. We helped build seven learning centres in all, and we run the one at Saldum ourselves. We also have centres in Nagarkot and Nuwakot, as our Our heart for Nepal page says. The centre is verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal.

A part of every booking helps the centre, including every trek and tour we sell. A night at our homestay is not a donation in disguise. You pay for a room, and it supports the centre.

Can I visit a school or learning centre in Nepal?

Can you visit a school or learning centre in Nepal? You can ask, and I will answer honestly. Visits are arranged before you come, not on the day. A class is not a tourist attraction. Some of our centres are close to Kathmandu. Saldum is far, and the way in has changed since the floods, so ask me for the current route and the time it takes before you plan around it. It is a journey of days, not an afternoon.

I cannot promise that you will meet the children. It depends on the school day and the teachers. Ask before you photograph anyone, and do not take or post pictures of children unless the teacher says yes. I wrote about this in my Nepal travel etiquette guide.

Can I volunteer for a week in Nepal?

Can you volunteer for a week in Nepal at the Nagarjun Learning Center? Possibly, but it is not a formal programme with a brochure and a fee. I set out the terms in my guide to slow travel in Nepal. We do not take drop-in volunteers for a day or two, because that is disruptive for the children and useful to nobody. If you can commit a week or more, we can talk about helping with English classes, maintenance work or supporting the health assistant. We decide together whether your skills match what the centre needs.

I do not have a fee or a fixed start date for this, so message me and I will tell you what is possible and what is not. If you are 18 to 25 and planning months in Nepal, my gap year guide covers the wider plan. I would be careful with orphanage placements, because most children in them have living parents.

Check your visa rules before you come. A tourist visa costs USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days or USD 125 for 90 days, paid on arrival. I am not an immigration officer, so ask Nepal immigration if you plan to volunteer for longer.

How can I support the learning centre without causing harm?

How do you support a learning centre in Nepal responsibly? Start with this rule: do not give sweets, money or pens to children along the trail or at a school. It teaches children to ask strangers for things, and it works against what teachers are trying to build. I say the same in my guide to responsible trekking in Nepal.

If any project asks you for money, ask who runs it, who is paid and what you will see. I am glad to answer those questions about our own work.

What should I bring to a homestay or a centre visit?

What should you bring for a homestay in Nepal? Bring what you would bring for any stay in Kathmandu, plus a few things that make you a good guest. Cover your shoulders and knees when you visit villages and temples. Take your shoes off before you enter a home, and do not point your feet at people. Accept the tea when it is offered, with your right hand or both. Nepal uses a mix of plug types, so bring a universal adapter. My packing list covers the rest, and warm layers matter on winter mornings.

I do not suggest you bring gifts for the children. If you want to bring something for the family you stay with, a small thing from your own country is fine.

How does a homestay fit with a trek?

A homestay fits with a trek in the simplest way. You land in Kathmandu, sleep at our homestay while we arrange permits and gear, and go back to it after the trek. If you have a few spare days, the Chisapani, Nagarkot and Dhulikhel Trek, 4 Days starts and ends at your Kathmandu hotel and reaches 2,175 m, so there is no altitude risk. It costs USD 465 per person on Budget, USD 710 on Standard and USD 1,225 on Luxury for two to four people. Nagarkot is a hill town where we also have a learning centre, though the trek does not include a visit to it.

When is the best time to visit?

The best time to visit the Kathmandu valley hills is October to December, with March and April next. This table is from our notes on the Chisapani to Nagarkot route, written by our guides. They are not forecasts, and I do not have separate figures for Saldum.

For 2027, Dashain is expected around 6 to 10 October and Tihar around 29 to 31 October. The government confirms the dates each year, and some shops close on festival days.

What insurance do you need?

Buy insurance at home, not in Nepal. For the 4-day Chisapani and Nagarkot trek the highest point is Nagarkot at 2,175 m, so the policy should cover trekking and helicopter rescue to 2,500 m. I do not recommend policies bought in Nepal.

Questions people ask

Can I stay with a local family in Nepal? Yes. Our family guest house in Banasthali, Kathmandu, takes guests for USD 15 per person per night, and it supports our learning centre. A village homestay on a trail is a different thing, and I will tell you honestly if I can arrange one.

How much does a homestay in Nepal cost? Ours is USD 15 per person per night. I do not know other families' prices.

Can I volunteer in Nepal for one week? At our learning centre, possibly. We do not take drop-ins for a day or two, but for a week or more we can talk about English classes, maintenance or helping the health assistant. Message me and I will tell you what is possible.

Can tourists visit a school in Nepal? Sometimes, by arrangement. Ask first, never turn up, and accept that the school may say no. I cannot promise access to children.

Is it okay to give sweets, pens or money to children in Nepal? No. It teaches children to ask strangers for gifts. Ask the school, or me, what is actually needed.

How do I know the Nagarjun Learning Center is genuine? It is a charity founded by my wife and me in 2019, with a flagship centre in Saldum, Dhading District, and it is verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal. Ask me anything about it, and I will answer plainly.

What are the terms for these trips?

Group size is 1 to 20, and you can also trek solo. The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice to any date within one year. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients.

How do you plan this with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates, how many of you there are and whether you want a homestay night, a short trek or a talk about the learning centre. I will tell you what is possible and what is not, and send you the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.