Family Homestay and Newar Village Life is a 3-day trip for visitors who want to sleep in a family home rather than a hotel and spend their days in villages instead of tourist streets. You stay two nights at our family homestay, the Nagarjun Homestay, then walk through the Newar villages of Bungamati and Khokana with Patan on the way, and visit the cave and monastery at Pharping. It is graded Easy. It costs from USD 290 per person (Budget, couple). The price per person is the same for a private trip and a group of the same size, and it falls as the group grows.
Family homestay and village life tour at a glance
| Duration | 3 days, 2 nights at the family homestay in Banasthali, Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Maximum altitude | About 1,350 m. No climb |
| Grade | Easy. Short village walks. No technical skill |
| Best months | October to May |
| Group size | 1 to 20, always private |
| Permits | No permit needed |
| Start dates | Any day |
| From price | USD 290 per person, Budget, couple. Standard USD 530, Luxury USD 760 |
Why I built it this way
I want to be clear about what this is. Our homestay is a family home and guest house in Banasthali, a neighbourhood of Kathmandu. It is a city stay, not a farm in the hills. You are with a family that knows the city and the airport roads. The village life comes in the days: Bungamati and Khokana are working Newar villages a short drive from Patan, with carved wooden windows, craft workshops and old mustard-oil mills, and Pharping is a small town of caves and monasteries on the southern edge of the valley.
If you want a night in a hill village instead, 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. Read Homestay in Nepal and Visiting the Nagarjun Learning Center: What to Expect, Cost and How to Help for what a homestay with us is and what it is not. The homestay supports our charity, the Nagarjun Learning Center. We do not take drop-in visitors at the centre, and please do not give money, sweets or pens to children on the trail or at a school.
A night at our homestay is USD 15 per person. This trip adds a guide, a vehicle that follows your tier, entry fees and a plan for the days. Some buildings in the villages and in Patan are still being restored after the 2015 earthquake, so parts of a lane may be closed on the day.
Best time to go, month by month
These notes come from our guides on the valley. They are not forecasts.
| Month | What it is like | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| January | Cold mornings, 0 to 5 C, often clear views. | Good, pack warm layers |
| February | Dry and clear, cold at the start of the day. | Good |
| March | Warmer, rhododendrons starting, haze by midday. | Good, start early |
| April | Rhododendrons in bloom, hazy afternoons. | Good, start early |
| May | Hot lower down, pre-monsoon storms and cloud by mid-morning. | Early starts only |
| June | Monsoon: cloud, mud and leeches. | No |
| July | Monsoon. | No |
| August | Monsoon. | No |
| September | The rains ease late in the month. | Late September only |
| October | Clean air after the rains and the clearest views. | Best |
| November | Dry, clear and cool. | Best |
| December | Dry and clear, cold mornings. | Good, pack warm layers |
October to May is the walking window, with the clearest air in October and November. In the monsoon the lanes are muddy.
Starting dates for 2027
You choose your date. These are the windows I would pick for 2027. Festival dates are the expected ones and are confirmed each year. Some shops and temples close on festival days.
| Window in 2027 | What to expect | My advice |
|---|---|---|
| January to February 2027 | Clear and cold, quiet trails. | Good |
| March to May 2027 (Holi expected 22 to 23 March) | Spring: warmer, hazier afternoons. | Good |
| June to mid September 2027 | Monsoon: wet paths, cloud and leeches. | No |
| Mid September to December 2027 (Dashain expected 6 to 10 October, Tihar 29 to 31 October) | The clearest views of the year, and the busiest weeks. | Best |
Tell me your arrival time and flight and I will plan the first evening around it, so the family can prepare.
Permits and costs
No permit and no TIMS card are needed. Entry fees for Patan and the Pharping sites are included.
| Permit or fee | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permit or TIMS card | None needed | All sites are in the Kathmandu Valley |
| Patan Durbar Square | NPR 1,000 | Included |
| Pharping cave and monastery | Small entry or donation | Included |
The price per person falls as the group grows, and a child pays the same as an adult. Private or group, the price per person is the same. Here is the full table. These are our 2027 prices. If we have already quoted you a price in writing, we hold it.
| Group size | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 guest (solo) | USD 435 | USD 740 | USD 1,110 |
| 2 to 4 guests | USD 290 | USD 530 | USD 760 |
| 5 to 8 guests | USD 160 | USD 365 | USD 555 |
| 9 to 12 guests | USD 130 | USD 325 | USD 505 |
| 13 to 20 guests | USD 125 | USD 320 | USD 505 |
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, paid in cash on arrival), travel insurance, tips, personal spending and donations. Hotel nights are not part of this trip because the nights are at the homestay. You pay a 10% deposit to book and the balance in Kathmandu or online. We take US dollars or euros, in cash or by card. We cover the card fee on the deposit. If you pay the balance by card it carries a 3.5% bank charge, and cash has no fee. We cannot take Nepali rupees from foreign guests.
Getting there and getting back
We collect you from Tribhuvan International Airport and take you to the homestay in Banasthali. Tell me your flight so the family can plan. On days 2 and 3 we collect you from the homestay and drive to the villages. On day 3 we take you to the airport or to your next stop.
Visa on arrival is USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, and your passport must be valid for at least six months.
Safety and altitude
This is an easy trip. The sites are low in the valley, so there is no altitude concern. The risks are uneven lanes and traffic. Your guide leads and carries a first aid kit with a pulse oximeter. Cover your shoulders and knees at temples and monasteries, take your shoes off before you enter a home, and ask before you photograph people. Do not take or post pictures of children unless a teacher or parent says yes. Buy travel insurance at home that covers day hikes.
What to pack
- Comfortable walking shoes that slip on and off
- Modest clothes that cover shoulders and knees
- A warm layer for winter mornings
- A universal plug adapter
- A small gift for the family from your own country, if you wish. We ask you not to bring gifts for children
- A sun hat, sun cream and water
Budget, Standard or Luxury
All three tiers have the same nights at the homestay and visit the same places. What changes is the vehicle and the meals.
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nights | 2 nights at the family homestay | 2 nights at the family homestay | 2 nights at the family homestay |
| Vehicle | Local shared vehicle | Shared tourist vehicle | A comfortable private vehicle |
| Meals | Breakfast at the homestay | Meals on the three days | Meals on the three days with soft drinks |
| Guide | Licensed English-speaking guide | Licensed English-speaking guide | Licensed English-speaking guide |
Read before you book
- Homestay in Nepal and Visiting the Nagarjun Learning Center: What to Expect, Cost and How to Help
- Patan, Bungamati and Khokana Day Tour
- Pharping and Champadevi Hill Day Hike from Kathmandu: Caves, Monastery and Valley View
- Chisapani, Nagarkot and Dhulikhel Trek, 4 Days
The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
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