Trip Overview
NOTE: This trip takes at least 2 people to operate.
At Community Homestay Network (CHN), we invite you to experience travel that goes beyond sightseeing. We are a social enterprise redefining tourism in Nepal by connecting travelers with local communities through immersive, responsible, and meaningful experiences.
Working with over 50 villages across the country, our Community Circuits offer curated, multi-day journeys that celebrate culture, food, and craft—guided by the very people who call these places home. Hosted in warm, welcoming homestays and guided by locals—many of them women—these circuits are more than just holidays. They are transformative exchanges that generate real impact. We had the immense honor to be recognized as one of Time Magazine's 'The World’s Greatest Places of 2025'! This honor has strengthened our commitment to provide authentic cultural experiences and responsible tourism in Nepal.
Why Our Circuits Matter: Travel with Purpose
Our circuit is thoughtfully designed to offer local experiences with local people at the centre while also keeping your needs and comfort in mind. This mix lets you enjoy the familiar amenities of hotels with their own unique character while also experiencing the warmth and hospitality of Nepali homes across diverse cultures. Every circuit you join contributes directly to:
Safeguarding Indigenous Cultures: From Newar to Brahmin communities, your journey helps safeguard traditional customs, languages, festivals, and ways of life.
Empowering Women: Many of our hosts, guides, and even drivers are women—challenging norms and leading their communities through tourism.
Strengthening Local Economies: We ensure fair wages and community ownership, meaning your money stays where it’s most needed—in the communities.
Promoting Sustainable Practices: We say use electric or hybrid vehicles where possible, and champion low-impact travel that respects the land.
Fostering Intergenerational Learning: Join locals in cooking traditional meals, learning age-old crafts, and hearing stories passed down through generations.
These aren’t just trips—they’re investments in people, culture, and the planet.
Real People. Real Impact.
In 2025 alone, we welcomed over 7,900 travelers from 45 countries, impacting 1,996 individuals, including 916 women across 28 communities. These travelers didn't just visit—they shared meals, built relationships, and contributed to long-term change.
Through tourism, we also provide training in leadership, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. To date, we've formed 46 partnerships with businesses, local governments, and impact-driven organizations to further inclusive, community-led development
By choosing this Community Circuit, you’re supporting livelihoods, celebrating culture, and becoming part of a movement.
Welcome to travel that transforms—for you and for the communities you visit.
More on the Trip:
This journey through Dhankuta, in eastern Nepal, brings together living culture, traditional hospitality, and community-led climate action especially timed around the Mangshire Festival of the Aathpahariya community. It is a celebration that honours deceased relatives and welcomes new members into the family. Families travel for three days to Barahakshetra for ritual bathing and worship, then return home to celebrate with traditional music and dance such as Dhol and Maruni. Along the way, you will visit Hile and Cholung Park, see traditional Limbu houses, and pick oranges at Sipting Community Homestay. A scenic hike from Chuliban to Khambela shows you how local communities are conserving water in the hills.
This is a lesser-travelled trail, shaped together with Dhankuta Municipality, Chattar Jorpati Rural Municipality, HUSADEC, Smart Paani, and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). With these partners, we are building a tourism ecosystem alongside the Aathpahariya communities, one that promotes responsible travel and puts local traditions and environmental stewardship at its centre. You leave with a deeper sense of Nepal’s culture and landscapes, and of how its communities are responding to a changing climate.
“Responsible tourism in Dhankuta is being implemented through the HI-GRID Project, supported by the Australian Government and led by ICIMOD. This initiative is a collaborative effort between Dhankuta Municipality, Chhathar Jorpati Rural Municipality, Community Homestay Network, Smart Paani, and HUSADEC.”
What Sets This Circuit Apart
Electric and hybrid vehicles wherever possible for lower emissions
Women in leadership
Community Homestays owned and operated by local communities
Farm-to-table meals, organic gardens, and local wine
