Nepal Volunteer Programs from $20/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

As far as I'm aware , my experience wasn't unique. Any review I looked at was very similar to my experience. The country is beautiful, the people are lovely. The food is great. There are so many things to do in Nepal, from sightseeing to paragliding to trekking, jungle safari, yoga retreats but to mention a few.
The women's education programme was eye opening. These women turned up every day so eager to learn. They were always happy and smiling. They were also so appreciative of our help.
If anything they thought me a few life lessons too. It's an experience I'll never forget

Thanks to IVHQ, Vertical Ascent, Pokhara Homestay, Samata School aka Pokhara Bamboo School and Happy Treks for such a memorable experience in Nepal!

IVHQ’s website made exploring many options easy and selecting the destination that best matched our expectations. My husband, daughter and myself wanted a volunteer experience that we could attend together and live in a homestay.

Once we reached out to IVHQ they consistently communicated in a friendly and professional manner guiding us to the trip of a lifetime! IVHQ makes it possible to live, learn and give back to well-deserving people all around the world.

Upon arrival to Kathmandu the local Vertical Ascent team took care of all of our needs and wishes through airport pick-up, orientation, sight-seeing and project placement. Shortly after orientation our family headed to Pokhara where we were picked up by Pokhara Homestay and arrived to join in the celebration of their daughter’s birthday. Ironically our last day at the Homestay was my 53rd birthday and we celebrated my special day. The family kitchen was always open serving delicious Nepali Dal Bhat (Lentils and Rice). The accommodations were much nicer than anticipated. My husband and I shared a private room with an ensuite bathroom on the top floor of the home with a spectacular view of the city and mountains.

We volunteered at Samata School aka Pokara Bamboo School 6 days a week from 10-3 for three weeks. The students and faculty were superb! My favorite part of each day was the walk to school. We were greeted as “teacher” by the passerbyers, witnessing shop owners and family life.

Finally, Happy Treks of Nepal created a special overnight short trek to the mountains for our family.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” Thanks again for such a memorable experience in Pokhara - IVHQ, Vertical Ascent, Pokhara Homestay, Samata School aka Pokhara Bamboo School and Happy Treks!!

Having been out of country only once before at the age of 46 now, this experience was influential to my core being. Like many women my age, we have spent a long time raising families with little focus on what we want, the changes we want to see in the world. Having an opportunity to be with women my age in a different culture and spend time with a family in the culture was healing to my soul and offered exactly what I needed. Some lust for what I want to see, the changes I want to make, and ideas for my career and how I can help this globe has been planted.
Everyone associated with IVHQ was gentle, helpful, and overall amazing through this adventure. I can not wait to do something like this again!

My time in Kathmandu working with a local NGO was incredible! My favourite part was the homestay experience, the family I lived with were so welcoming, kind and helpful, the food was delicious, and by the end of the 10 weeks I truely felt part of the family. The friends I made throughout my time made the experience extra special and our weekend adventures were an absolute highlight!
The NGO I worked with provided so many opportunities for me to be involved in a variety of projects including, education, environment and health. I was able to learn and see so many aspects of Nepalese culture and local life in Kathmandu I would not have otherwise been able to experience. Their organisation is simply so understaffed that I felt anything I could take off their overflowing plates was helpful. Each day varied from writing reports and proposals to helping set up and run local training programs.
I cannot recommend this experience enough! The team in Nepal ensure that each program is ethically run and the volunteers are in placements that genuinely need extra support. All in all, an amazing experience and opportunity for anyone looking to learn more about Nepal and its people. I would definitely recommended staying for a longer period of time if possible, everyone I met who only stayed for 1-2 weeks wished they had booked for longer!

At 56years old, I signed up with IVHQ to volunteer on a 4week teaching assistant program in Nepal. Having a scientific background, and no real experience trying to teach, I was unsure what to expect, or how I would be received! I should not have worried - IVHQs vetting of the regional program leads allows a degree of confidence that the local charities are credible and the appropriate matching of skills with requirements ensures that the volunteering is beneficial to the community and for the volunteer.

Having now completed my program I can't wait to go back for more. There are few emotions that match the sense of fulfillment when you see a group of children learn something new, and enjoy themselves while doing so. Working with an after school club, has been chaotic at times, always challenging and as much a learning experience for me as for the children I spent time with! I have loved every second. I can't claim to always have been successful, and learning to pitch lessons at the right level for a mixed group of students is a skill that I can only hope to learn from the amazing teachers here. However, working alongside other inspirational volunteers, there have been successes in helping these children from various disadvantaged backgrounds start to express themselves in English, and the smiles, hugs and feeling of love I felt on my departure was tear-jerking!

To have the opportunity to volunteer in a country as beautiful as Nepal, where every valley has a wealth of history, culture and varied cuisines, whose people are unrivalled in their friendliness, makes for an addictive experience. Yes, there are constant changes to plan, and sometimes it feels that there is no plan - even the Nepali joke about their poor time-keeping! There is extreme poverty, pollution, traffic chaos, dust and every possible form of weather, but that just adds to the charm. Sometimes, it is good to move outside our personal comfort zones - our protected little bubbles of ordered risk-free life in "wealthy countries ". However, if wealth is measured by happiness, there are few places on earth that are richer. If you learn to adapt the Nepali way - to let go of trying to plan too much and accept a degree of uncertainty and spontaneity, it can be incredibly cathartic!

I have never been one to lie on a beach on holiday with a book, but I can no longer imagine a holiday without trying to get involved in some sort of volunteering or community project. It may not be for everyone, but unless you try, you will never know how rewarding it can be. I can't recommend enough!

As for Nepal, I promised to the after-school club that I would come back, and I am already planning my next trip! I'd recommend to anyone that has a bit of life experience to consider volunteering. It doesn't have to be teaching - there are projects in construction, women's empowerment, medical assistant or even agriculture - it is the interaction with people from a different culture that is important. This is as much a learning opportunity as one of sharing knowledge. Come with the right mindset and both yourself, and the community you are working with, can benefit enormously!

I had an amazing experience volunteering from women's education in Nepal-Bhaktapur under the IVHQ team. They truly care about each volunteer and the needs from the start to finish of each program. This was my first international volunteer stint and was very nervous but IVHQ made the whole process smooth and comfortable to follow through. I truly cherish this experience and looking forward to many more. They are always by your side, helpful, caring and safe
for all travelers especially solo travelers. Highly recommend!!

I strongly recommend volunteering with IVHQ. It is ethical, an affordable price, and the local support team checked in with me throughout my time volunteering. The guidance given by IVHQ was helpful and all of my questions were thoroughly answered. Orientation day was great and they organized a range of activities, which helps to create connections between the volunteers. They also found me a female guide and arranged for my friend and me to do an overnight trek while volunteering. My words of advice are, go into the experience with the right frame of mind, and you will likely find there is little to complain about. My friend and I loved volunteering and the homestay. We are both 16-year-old girls who worked in a Pokhara child care center in Nepal. This was the first time we traveled on our own and it didn’t feel stressful at all. The teachers were so kind and welcoming and I felt like I made connections with many kids. It made an impact on my life and hopefully, I made a small impact on others’ lives through the connections that were made. This is a great way to immerse yourself in a different culture and learn about the world.

Absolutely amazing experience volunteering with IVHQ in Nepal. We were cared for each step of the way. The local volunteer team and family we stayed with were both amazing. I would recommend IVHQ to anyone looking to volunteer internationally. I am already planning my next trip with IVHQ! Everything was very organized. We had the opportunity to meet with local people and learn about the culture. We felt safe the entire time. I went with my 15 year old daughter and she had a wonderful time. We can't wait for our next trip!