Volunteer in Nepal

“Our students want to learn.
They want a better life for themselves
and their families. Global Volunteers
helps us motivate and encourage women
and children, and brings us resources
we couldn’t otherwise have.”
Bina Deuja, director and teacher, Astha Women’s School

As a volunteer in Nepal, help youth and adults overcome the destruction and widespread poverty resulting from the 2015 earthquake. In Kathmandu’s valley – at an altitude lower than Denver – you can contribute your skills towards the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Teach conversational English, help repair living and learning spaces, provide support and training to marginalized women, and help impoverished children reach their full potential. Review a standard volunteer work schedule.

FAQs: How to Volunteer in Nepal

Dates & Fees

Registration is quick and easy! (1) Choose program date and duration below;
(2) Click on the option you prefer in the search list;
(3) Complete the digital registration and hold your place with a $350 deposit. Be sure to select all applicable discounts. All payments tax-deductible.

|Mail Adult Registration| |Mail Minor Registration|

|View Single Room Fee|

Call a volunteer coordinator at (800) 487-1074 for assistance.

This fixed contribution reflects a $233 discount for registrations 180 days in advance of start date.
(limited one per family/group)

Upcoming Volunteer Dates in Kathmandu, Nepal

Choose Program Duration:

Choose Year:

Team Leader

Dorota Wierzbicka, Global Volunteers director of international operations, will lead the service program that begins on March 9, 2019. And, Stephen Raja Chinnappan, our long time India country manager, will lead most of the other Nepal teams in 2019. All Global Volunteers service programs are led by experienced team leaders who participate in Global Volunteers extensive team leader training, are experienced in managing diverse groups, and have completed CPR and First Aid training. You’ll receive specific information about your team leader approximately four weeks before your departure.

Arrival & Departure

Plan your flight to arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport (airport code KTM), on the first Saturday of your service program. To enter the country, the Department of Immigration provides “Visa on Arrival.”

Fill in ‘Arrival Card’
Fill in Tourist Visa form. Volunteers can either a) complete the form upon arrival using a Kiosk machine at the airport; or b) complete it prior to arrival by visiting the official website of the Department of Immigration: https://online.nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa. .
Make payment: While different modes of payment are accepted, cash may be the most reliable option. Fees are 25USD, 40USD, and 100USD for 15/30/90 days respectively.

Provided you supply us with your flight number and arrival time, Global Volunteers representative, holding a Global Volunteers sign, will be expecting you outside Customs. Check-in time at the hotel is 2 PM. Your team leader will greet you at the hotel. Global Volunteers’ Nepal program officially commences with the evening meal on the first Saturday. If your flight is delayed, please contact us as soon as you confirm your new flight so your team leader can offer you alternative transportation to the hotel. Departure is on the last Saturday of your selected service option.

Health & Safety

Your health, safety and security in Nepal is a top priority. Your lodging, food and transportation are provided always with a mind to help you ensure your health, safety and security while volunteering at the work site and in your lodging facilities. Read more about health and safety here.

While there are risks travelling anywhere – read about Travel Risks here – you can minimize risks if you are cautious and follow good health and safety protocols. Malaria risks in Kathmandu are low. For additional information on staying healthy, review the websites below.

Centers for Disease Control | Health Canada Online | Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Global Volunteers includes emergency medical evacuation insurance for every volunteer. We also recommend you purchase health insurance that covers you while in Nepal, and trip cancellation insurance in the event you must cancel your participation on the service program. Your travel agent can refer you to travel insurance providers.

Free Time

Evenings and weekends are free time for Nepal volunteers. While our non-profit status prohibits us from planning your free-time activities, the hotel staff will eagerly advise you of some options to enjoy as a team or individually. There are many shops, cafes and restaurants just outside the hotel where you can enjoy free time in the evenings. For example, the Kathmandu Guest House, just a five minute walk from the hotel, offers a lovely garden sitting area, bar and restaurant. Some weekend options include:

Tour to Chandragiri and Swayambhunath

Chandragiri Hill which is situated at an altitude of 8,333 (2540m) is the picturesque hill station of Kathmandu Valley. Seven km from the Kathmandu Valley, there are restaurants, cable cars, resorts, branded shops, and multipurpose hall at Chandragiri Hill. The cable car runs from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM during the week and 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM on public holidays and weekends.

The oldest shrine complex in the Kathmandu Valley, Swayambhunath Temple was said to have been built over 2,000 years ago. Situated at the top of a winding staircase, “Monkey Temple” has one of the city’s best panoramic views. The complex, containing multiple shrines and a stupa, is considered holy to both Buddhists and Hindus.

Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupati Nath Temple, BoudhaNath Stupa

Durbar Square, or palace square, is the UNESCO-listed heart of Kathmandu’s Old City. Located in the heart of Kathmandu, this vibrant public square was once the Kathmandu Kingdom royal residence. It has one of the world’s highest concentrations of well-preserved ancient buildings, making for a stunning open-air museum. Although the square was damaged during the 2015 earthquakes, there is still an array of architectural gems to see.

BoudhaNath Stupa is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world, and a major pilgrimage point near Kathmandu. Every day, Buddhists fill the square to light incense, turn prayer wheels, and perform kora—clockwise circumambulations—around the monument. Rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake, the stupa is one of Nepal’s most visited attractions.

Bhaktapur and ChanguNarayan

Bhaktapur, once medieval Kathmandu Valley’s seat of power, earns its accolade as Nepal’s best-preserved city. The earthquake of 2015 claimed many historic buildings, but the one-time flourishing kingdom is still packed with old-world charm. Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and heart of the city, is well-worth a visit.

Changu Narayan Temple, located within easy reach of the town of Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, has a history as a sacred site dating to the third century AD, though the double roofed temple that stands in honor of the god Vishnu today was erected after a fire in 1702. Some of the statuary contained within the temple date to the fourth through ninth centuries.

Mount Everest 1-hour Scenic Flight

Several tour agencies offer daily flights to see the top of Everest – without the climb. The cost is about $200-250 per person and only takes place in the early morning (5:00 AM arrival at the airport for the 6:00 AM flight). An example of such a tour is here.

Family Opportunities

Families of various compositions with children 13 and older can serve with us in Nepal: parents and teens, grandparents and grandchildren, aunts, uncles and nephews and nieces. The contrast of life in a Nepali school or children’s home with your teen’s own lives comes up time and again as the greatest lesson for all.

Parents and guardians are expected to supervise their teenage volunteers, and collaborate with our staff and local partners to maximize the service experience for everyone. Youth are invited to offer their own perspectives in team meetings and fully participate in free-time activities. In this way, your teen gains a personal understanding of the Nepal culture as well as the role and responsibilities of being a team member. They likely also will create life-long friendships with other volunteers and local students who share their interests and experiences – and make a permanent impression on all who serve.

Group Opportunities

Student, professional, religious, corporate and community groups are warmly welcomed by the open-hearted Nepali people. Because of the wide variety of volunteer projects, every member of your group can apply their unique skills and interests in meaningful service. Learn about each other in a non-traditional way as an intact volunteer team, and know that your specific contributions to genuine community development projects advance the futures of impoverished Nepali children and women.

Nepal service-learning for high school and college groups

Educators and student teachers, social workers, and anyone with a child-care background (including parents!) can find a direct way to mentor and support children in classrooms. Trades professionals, carpenters, plumbers, and painters – anyone who can work with their hands – are needed to help repair and maintain classrooms and community buildings. Best of all – comparing notes with your teammates at the end of the day in your comfortable hotel, you reflect on the contributions you’ve made and the remarkable culture you’re experiencing together.

Details on group volunteering in Nepal

Nepal Community Volunteer Projects

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
If you enjoy physical activity and light labor, you can help local people brighten a classroom, fix a sink or toilet, repair classroom furniture and improve the safety and utility of community facilities.
Gender Equality
Help women who could not complete their education when they were young learn basic classroom subjects. Teach conversational English, science, basic computer skills, nutrition, child development and personal health and hygiene.

CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH
In small groups of five students or a classrooms of 30, help Nepali teachers bring basic English skills to impoverished students, and help improve their future education and employment opportunities.
Psycho-social Support
Assist with after-school homework, tutor in English, teach music, dance and crafts and serve as mentor of life-long skills. Work for an hour or two after school and all day on holidays when schools are not in session. Encourage, guide, stimulate and leave your positive impression on a child.

Program Snapshot:

Volunteer in Nepal

1 or 2 weeks year-round

Tax-deductible Contributions From:
$1,962* – $2,695

* with qualifying discounts.

Local time:

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Food and Lodging

Your safety when volunteering in Nepal is our highest priority. Team lodging is in a secure, new and comfortable hotel in the Thamel tourist district of Kathmandu. The guest rooms are double-occupancy with private bathrooms, showers, hot and cold running water, wi-fi, LED televisions, safety deposit boxes and refrigerators. There is also a health and wellness spa at the hotel.

Available wi-fi
Onsite restaurant
In-room refrigerator
Safety deposit boxes
Single rooms available for an extra fee

The team breakfast is at the hotel. Lunch is at local restaurants near the service project sites. Dinners are at restaurants near the hotel serving authentic Nepali and Chinese cuisine. Pizza and other Western foods are also offered, but with a Nepali touch. Vegetarian diets can generally be accommodated. Purified or bottled water is provided.

“Nepal is an amazing country filled with amazing people. A warmer and more friendly people you will not find anywhere on the planet.”

“Volunteers can make a significant difference in the arc of Nepal’s children’s lives. What’s more, they’ll fall in love with these beautiful dark-eyed, bright-smiling children. ”

“English is the international language of opportunity.That truth is remarkably relevant in Nepal. “

Be The Change.

Volunteering in Nepal gives you a broad perspective on the resiliency of the human spirit. Through daily assignments, cultural activities and time for personal adventures, you’ll learn about Kathmandu and remain forever invested. Our time-tested and proven philosophy of service ensures your personal efforts help advance local people’s development vision and goals. Long-term community projects enable you, in just a short time, to serve as a critical link in a chain of continuous volunteering in Nepal.

Volunteer Voices:

Read more about volunteering in Nepal on our program blog.

Volunteer in Nepal

FAQs: How to Volunteer in Nepal

Call a volunteer coordinator at (800) 487-1074 for assistance.

Upcoming Volunteer Dates in Kathmandu, Nepal

Nepal Community Volunteer Projects

Volunteer in Nepal

Request a Fact Sheet

Recent Stories from Nepal

Food and Lodging

Volunteer Voices:

Single Room Fees and Availability

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