Intercultural adaptation is a critical issue in international tourism. Good quality interactions can provide satisfaction for both tourists and local communities. This paper presents a study of intercultural adaptation in the context of international short-term mission trips using qualitative research methods. The objective of this study was to understand the process of intercultural adaptation so that existing theory on intercultural adaptation can be informed and, at the same time, insights can be gained with respect to short-term mission travel as a new form of tourism for which such intercultural adaptation seems to be an important condition.