Volunteering in Nepal while trekking means adding a short, hands-on visit to a local school, health post or elderly home to your trek. With MAST, it takes from half a day to a few days, usually in Khandbari after you come down from the mountains.
We are Makalu Arun Social Trek (MAST), a government-registered trekking agency in Khandbari, eastern Nepal. Our team knows the schools, teachers and families here personally, so we arrange every visit and come with you.
This isn’t a long volunteer placement or an orphanage program. It is a respectful way to meet the community your trek supports, see where the money goes, and help in a way local people have asked for.
How it works, step by step
- Choose your trek. Pick any of our trekking packages. Most guests add a visit to the Makalu Base Camp Trek, which already has a free day in Khandbari on Day 17.
- Tell us when you book. Let us know you’d like to visit a school, health post or the elderly home, and how much time you have: half a day, a full day or longer.
- We ask what’s needed. Our team talks to teachers and staff about what would genuinely help right now, so nothing is wasted or duplicated.
- Trek first. You do your trek with a local porter-guide and stay in family-run tea houses along the way.
- Visit with our team. Back in Khandbari, a MAST staff member takes you to the visit and introduces you. You join a class, meet staff or share a meal.
- Give through the right hands. If you donate, supplies are bought locally in Khandbari and handed over through the school, health post or MAST, never directly to children.
- See the result. We can send you photos and an update afterwards, so you know how your support was used.
What you can do
Every visit takes place in or near Khandbari, where MAST is based. Choose one or combine a few.
Visit a village school
Meet teachers, sit in on a class and share something about your country or your trek. Children love a world map, photos from home or a few words in your language.
Donate school supplies
Many children from poorer families arrive without basics. You can fund notebooks, pens, bags, uniforms, shoes, socks, maps or globes. We buy them locally in Khandbari, which also supports local shops.
Support a health post
Visit a rural health post or hospital, meet the staff and learn how healthcare works in a remote district. Any equipment donation is based on what the staff tell us they need.
Help keep schools clean
Sponsor dustbins for a school and help teach children how to separate waste. It is a small project with a visible, lasting result.
Visit Manakamana Elderly Home
The home in Khandbari looks after 35 elderly people, almost all women aged 60 to 90. MAST supplies the home with rice, lentils, oil and other food. You can visit, share a meal and help with a food donation.
Read more on our volunteering opportunities and community projects pages.
Sample plan: Makalu trek with a volunteer day
Here is how a visit fits into our 18-day Makalu Base Camp Trek. You can add the same kind of day to any trek that starts or ends in Khandbari.
| Days | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fly to Tumlingtar and drive to Khandbari. Meet our team and talk about your visit. |
| 2–16 | Trek to Makalu Base Camp and back with your porter-guide. |
| 17 | Volunteer day in Khandbari: morning at a village school, afternoon at Manakamana Elderly Home. |
| 18 | Fly back to Kathmandu. |
Want more time? Add one or two extra days in Khandbari to visit a second school or a health post. On a short trek such as the Makalu View Trek or the Khandbari Sightseeing Tour, you can fit a visit in before or after.
Visa rules: what you need to know
Most trekkers come to Nepal on a tourist visa, which you can stay on for up to 150 days in a calendar year. A tourist visa doesn’t allow employment of any kind, and Nepal’s immigration department has said this includes volunteer work.
That is why our visits are short guest visits, not jobs or placements. You visit with our team, meet people and give donations, and you don’t take on a role, teach a regular class or replace local staff.
If you want to volunteer for several weeks, for example teaching at a school every day, you will need a non-tourist visa from Nepal’s Department of Immigration in Kathmandu before you start. Rules can change, so always check with the department or your nearest Nepali embassy. We are happy to talk through your plans.
How much does it cost?
There is no volunteer fee. You don’t pay MAST to visit a school, health post or the elderly home.
- Your trek: you pay for your trek as normal. Part of every trip fee already goes to our community projects.
- Extra days in Khandbari: if you add days for visits, you cover your hotel and meals for those days.
- Donations: completely optional. You choose the amount, and it goes straight to the school, health post or home, through them or through MAST.
Want to give without visiting? You can also support our school and elderly-care projects on GlobalGiving or through our donate page.
Volunteering responsibly: our rules
Short visits do the most good when they put the community first. These are the rules every MAST guest follows.
Do
- Visit schools only with a MAST staff member or teacher present.
- Follow the teacher’s lead in the classroom.
- Dress modestly and respect local customs.
- Give donations through the school, health post or MAST.
- Ask before taking photos, especially of children.
Don’t
- Hand money, sweets or gifts directly to children. It encourages begging and isn’t fair to the children left out.
- Post children’s full names or exact locations online.
- Visit orphanages or “children’s homes” as a tourist activity. Short-term visitors can harm children, and we don’t arrange these visits.
- Promise future help you’re not sure you can give.
Who it suits, and what to bring
A volunteer day suits almost anyone on a trek with us: solo travellers, couples, families, students and groups. You don’t need teaching or medical skills, just curiosity and respect.
It is especially good for:
- Families, so children can meet Nepali children their own age
- Students and teachers interested in rural education
- Groups that want to do a small project together, such as dustbins for a school
- Anyone who wants to see where their trekking money goes
Useful things to bring
- Photos, postcards or a small map of your home country to share in class
- A few words of Nepali: try our English Nepali guide
- Modest clothes that cover your shoulders and knees
- An open mind, and time to drink tea and chat
Volunteering in Nepal while trekking: FAQs
Can I volunteer in Nepal on a tourist visa?
A tourist visa doesn’t allow work, including volunteer work. Our short guest visits and donations aren’t jobs or placements. For longer volunteering, such as teaching for several weeks, check with Nepal’s Department of Immigration about a non-tourist visa first.
How long does a volunteer visit take?
From half a day to a few days. Most guests spend one day in Khandbari after their trek.
Do I need special skills?
No. You don’t need to be a teacher or a doctor. Our team guides every visit.
Is there a fee to volunteer with MAST?
No. You only pay for your trek and any extra hotel nights. Donations are optional.
Can I volunteer without trekking?
Yes. Contact us and we can arrange a visit in Khandbari on its own, for example with our Khandbari Sightseeing Tour.
Can children join?
Yes. Families are very welcome, and children often enjoy school visits the most.
Do you arrange orphanage visits?
No. We don’t arrange visits to orphanages or children’s homes, because short-term visitors can harm vulnerable children.
Plan your trek and volunteer day
Tell us which trek you’d like and how much time you have, and we’ll plan your trek and community visit together from Khandbari.
- Browse our trekking packages
- See all volunteering opportunities
- Send us a message through our contact page
- WhatsApp: +977 9861714199
- Email: [email protected]
