Adult Field Journey
A 15-day, 14-night small-group journey for culturally curious adults who want to experience Nepal beyond conventional tourism.
Discover a country where Himalayan landscapes, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, ancient cities, creative enterprise, and extraordinary hospitality remain part of everyday life—all through trusted local relationships and carefully supported travel.
Come to Nepal for the Beauty. Return Home Changed by the People.
StoryBridge Nepal’s Adult Field Journey is designed for thoughtful travelers and lifelong learners who want cultural depth, human connection, and meaningful time in place—not a rushed checklist of tourist attractions.
Through Kathmandu, Dhulikhel, Chautara, and the Sukute river region, you will encounter Nepal’s living heritage, Himalayan geography, local enterprise, education, spiritual traditions, daily life, and generous hospitality through people who know these places personally.
This first hosted founding journey is intentionally limited to eight adults so the group can remain personal, flexible, and carefully supported. Participants will also help StoryBridge strengthen the route and experience for the journeys that follow.
A Small Country with an Extraordinary Depth of Experience
Nepal offers far more than its famous mountains. Within a relatively compact journey, travelers can encounter UNESCO World Heritage sites, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, ancient Newar towns, Himalayan landscapes, family-run enterprise, rural communities, and a culture in which hospitality and relationship remain deeply valued.
Living Cultural Heritage
Sacred places, historic cities, architecture, ritual, food, and contemporary daily life are not separated into a museum experience—they remain visibly interconnected.
Mountains & Human Stories
The Himalayas form a breathtaking backdrop, but the deeper story is found in the people, communities, schools, farms, and local relationships shaping life across the journey.
A More Personal South Asian Journey
Travelers drawn to India and South Asia may find Nepal especially compelling: culturally rich and layered, yet well suited to a slower, small-group experience rooted in personal connection.
For Adults Who Are Curious About the World—and Their Place Within It
You do not need to be an educator, an experienced international traveler, or an extreme adventurer. You do need curiosity, flexibility, respect for cultural difference, and a genuine interest in learning with—and from—the people you meet.
Thoughtful Travelers
Adults who want to understand a place rather than simply pass through it, and who value context, conversation, and time to notice what conventional tours can miss.
Creative & Reflective Adults
Photographers, writers, artists, educators, storytellers, and lifelong learners drawn to observation, journaling, cultural exchange, and new perspectives.
Purposeful Adventurers
People excited by Himalayan scenery, heritage sites, local food, coffee learning, community connection, and optional regional adventure within a supported itinerary.
More Than Photographs and Memories
The goal is not to tell you what to think about Nepal, but to create the time, context, and relationships that allow you to see more deeply and return with something lasting.
One Journey, Six Carefully Connected Stages
The route moves gradually from arrival and orientation into cultural learning, community connection, outdoor experience, and final reflection.
Follow the Journey Across Central Nepal
Final daily sequencing may adjust for weather, local conditions, and partner availability, but these are the principal places and experiences shaping the founding journey.
Kathmandu: Arrival, Orientation & Living Heritage
Begin at Pashupati Boutique Hotel & Spa, a comfortable base near the airport with a swimming pool and welcoming courtyard. The first days allow time to arrive, rest, meet the StoryBridge team, review cultural expectations, and become grounded before traveling farther into Nepal.
- Pashupati Boutique Hotel & Spa
- Chandragiri Hills cable car and Himalayan views
- Kathmandu Durbar Square and Nasal Chowk
- Kaal Bhairav shrine and Newar heritage
- Swayambhunath, the historic “Monkey Temple”
- Pashupatinath and the sacred Bagmati River
Kathmandu’s Sacred and Historic Places
Kathmandu is encountered as a living cultural landscape—not simply a checklist of monuments. With guidance, participants learn how Hindu and Buddhist traditions, royal history, architecture, ritual, and contemporary daily life remain interwoven throughout the valley.
- Nasal Chowk within Hanuman Dhoka Palace
- Kaal Bhairav at Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Prayer and observation at Swayambhunath
- Respectful interpretation of sacred spaces and customs
Dhulikhel & Panauti: Himalayan Landscapes and Ancient Towns
The journey then slows into the Dhulikhel region, where Himalayan views, historic settlements, Buddhist and Hindu places, agriculture, and wellness practices create a bridge between Kathmandu and the rural field experience ahead.
- Dhulikhel’s historic town and mountain outlooks
- Ancient Panauti and its Newar cultural heritage
- The 1,000 Steps and surrounding landscape
- Buddhist learning and reflective time
Sacred Landscapes Around Dhulikhel
The Dhulikhel stage brings together expansive scenery and contemplative cultural sites. Visits are paced to allow observation, questions, and time to understand the meaning of each place rather than rushing from one attraction to another.
- Kailashnath Mahadev, one of the region’s monumental Shiva sites
- Buddhist art, architecture, and hilltop perspectives
- Opportunities for guided reflection and photography
Chautara–Irkhu: The Heart of the Field Journey
Traveling east along the Arniko Highway, the group reaches the Chautara–Irkhu region of Sindhupalchok District. This is where StoryBridge’s long-term community relationships become the center of the journey.
- New Araniko Coffee Farm Resort base
- Coffee agriculture and local enterprise learning
- School and community partnership experiences
- Local temples, waterfall landscapes, and daily life
- Storytelling, photography, journaling, and reflection
Sukute: River Experience and Shared Adventure
The Sukute stage offers a change of pace along the river. Participants may join a professionally supported rafting experience or enjoy the river setting at a level appropriate to their comfort and the final operating plan.
- Professional rafting operators and safety equipment
- River-valley scenery and regional overnight stay
- Time for rest, group connection, and reflection
- Participation shaped by conditions and individual comfort
Return to Chautara: Reflection and Completion
Rather than rushing directly back to Kathmandu, the founding group returns to Chautara for two additional nights. This creates space to reconnect with partners, complete field activities, reflect on what has been learned, and bring the community portion of the journey to a thoughtful close.
- Continued community and school connection
- Completion of storytelling and reflection activities
- Founding participant feedback and route evaluation
- A more gradual transition back toward Kathmandu
Kathmandu: Closing Reflection and Departure
The group returns to Kathmandu for one final night before departing for home the following day. The closing stage provides time to rest, share final reflections, revisit the meaning of the journey, and prepare for international travel.
- Final Kathmandu cultural experience as timing allows
- Closing group reflection
- Departure preparation and airport support
Encountering Sacred Traditions with Care
At Pashupatinath, participants may observe the sacred Bagmati River and Hindu cremation traditions from designated public areas. This is a profound living religious setting, not a staged attraction.
StoryBridge prepares participants in advance with guidance about appropriate dress, photography, privacy, respectful distance, and the cultural meaning of what may be witnessed. Anyone who feels uncomfortable may speak with the program team about an appropriate alternative.
Our goal is not simply to see Nepal, but to approach its people, beliefs, and traditions with humility.
Why I Created StoryBridge Nepal
I’m Kristina Applegate, founder and program director of StoryBridge Nepal. For nearly two decades, my work through Kids Share Workshops has brought together education, art, storytelling, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Nepal changed the way I understood what a meaningful journey could be. I was moved not only by its beauty, but by the generosity of the people I met, the strength of its communities, and the way ancient traditions and contemporary life exist side by side.
I created this journey so a small group of adults could experience Nepal through trusted relationships—not anonymously or from the outside. I will travel with the founding group, supported by our Nepali country directors, local partners, and professional drivers.
Designed to Help You Feel Prepared, Safe & Connected
No international journey is without uncertainty, but the founding pilot is intentionally small and supported by people who know the route, communities, and local context.
Small Founding Group
Participation is limited to eight adults, allowing for personal communication, flexible pacing, and closer program support.
Local Leadership
StoryBridge works with trusted country directors, school and community partners, local coordinators, and experienced regional providers.
Professional Transportation
In-country ground transportation is arranged with professional drivers and vehicles appropriate to the planned route.
Predeparture Preparation
Participants receive cultural orientation, packing and health guidance, communication expectations, and final program information before travel.
Help Shape the Journey That Comes Next
Your Role as a Founding Participant
Founding participants are travelers, learners, and thoughtful collaborators. You will be invited to offer feedback on accommodations, transportation, learning sites, local partnerships, daily pacing, activities, communication, and the overall participant experience.
With permission, participants may also be included in StoryBridge Nepal’s documented founding story through photographs, reflections, or interviews.
Your feedback will help strengthen future adult journeys and university programs while honoring the local relationships at the center of StoryBridge.
A Special First-Year Program Rate
International airfare not included
What the Program Fee Includes
The founding rate recognizes the first group’s important role in helping StoryBridge test, document, and strengthen the participant experience.
- 14 nights of accommodations
- Daily breakfast and lunch
- Planned in-country transportation
- Professional drivers
- StoryBridge coordination
- Two country directors/guides
- Assigned cultural excursions
- Field-learning activities
- Local partner connections
- Founder-led program development
Not included: international airfare, Nepal visa fees, required travel medical and emergency evacuation insurance, personal expenses, souvenirs, laundry, snacks, unlisted meals, and any optional extension.
Apply to Join the First Adult Field Journey
The founding journey will take place November 1–15, 2026. These dates were selected in consultation with our Nepali partners so participants can engage with schools and local programs while also experiencing Nepal during the beautiful Tihar festival season. We are seeking adults who are curious, adaptable, respectful, and genuinely interested in experiencing Nepal through relationship-based learning. No educational, professional, or international-travel background is required—culturally curious adults from all walks of life are welcome to express interest. Submitting the form does not confirm a place; responses will be reviewed, and prospective participants will be contacted directly.
Become Part of StoryBridge Nepal’s First Adult Field Journey
Join a small founding group helping document, strengthen, and celebrate a new program built around cultural exchange, storytelling, field-based learning, and meaningful connection.
Kristina Applegate
Founder & Program Director
StoryBridge Nepal
A program of Kids Share Workshops, LLC