The Great Himalayan
Easter Expedition
A Journey of Great adventure
7
DAYS
4
DESTINATIONS
3
BIOMES
Easter Among the High Peaks
7-day adventure through Nepal
Embark on a rare and deeply enriching 7-day journey into the heart of Nepal’s Himalayas, where remote landscapes, living culture and meaningful celebration come together.
Begin with a scenic flight from Kathmandu to the mountain village of Phaplu, settling into The Happy House, a historic Sherpa family home once favoured by Everest pioneers and now reserved exclusively for your group. From this welcoming base, explore sacred monasteries including Chiwong and Thupten Choeling, walk to Junbesi, the birthplace of Sherpa culture, and share moments of meditation, storytelling and home-cooked meals by the fire.
Venture further on a gentle expedition to Pikey Peak, trekking through rhododendron forests, alpine villages and terraced valleys, camping beneath vast Himalayan skies. Along the way, celebrate Easter in truly unforgettable fashion, with egg painting, the world’s highest Easter egg hunt and a festive dinner framed by snow-capped peaks.
The journey culminates with a sunrise ascent of Pikey Peak’s 4,100-metre summit, offering panoramic views across Everest and Nepal’s highest mountains, before returning to Kathmandu with a profound sense of connection to place, people and perspective.
Trip Highlights
Sherpa Heartlands and Himalayan Hospitality
Travel deep into Nepal’s mid-hill Himalaya to Phaplu, staying exclusively at The Happy House, a historic Sherpa family home once frequented by Everest pioneers. Share home-cooked meals, stories by the fire and moments of calm through yoga, singing bowls and simple daily rituals that reflect the warmth and generosity of Sherpa culture.
Sacred Monasteries and Living Traditions
Walk to important centres of Tibetan Buddhism including Chiwong and Thupten Choeling monasteries, where daily life unfolds to the rhythm of prayer and devotion. Visit Junbesi, the birthplace of Sherpa culture, gaining insight into the beliefs, history and traditions that continue to shape life in the Himalayan highlands.
A Quiet Himalayan Summit Experience
Step away from crowded trekking routes on a relaxed expedition to Pikey Peak, moving through rhododendron forests, alpine villages, terraced fields and high mountain pastures. Camp under vast star-filled skies and rise before dawn to summit at sunrise, rewarded with sweeping views of Everest and all eight of Nepal’s 8,000-metre peaks.
Travel That Connects People and Place
Every element of the journey is rooted in meaningful exchange, from supporting Sherpa families and monasteries to travelling at a pace that allows for reflection, connection and care. This is a rare opportunity to experience the Himalaya not as a spectacle, but as a living landscape shaped by culture, belief and community.
Activities tailored for all experiences
Mountain Flights and Remote Arrival
Begin with a spectacular flight into Phaplu, landing in a quiet Himalayan village far removed from Nepal’s main trekking corridors. This aerial approach offers a powerful sense of scale and isolation, setting the tone for a journey defined by remoteness and intention.
The World’s Highest Easter Egg Hunt
Celebrate Easter in an unforgettable setting with the highest Easter egg hunt in the world. Set against the backdrop of snow-capped Himalayan peaks and accompanied by the dogs of The Happy House, this joyful moment brings lightness, play and shared memory to the adventure.
High-Altitude Trekking Without the Crowds
Venture onto lesser-known mountain routes as you make your way toward Pikey Peak, walking through forests, open ridgelines and high pastures with few other travellers in sight. The journey prioritises immersion over intensity, allowing the landscape to unfold naturally.
Creative and Restorative Mountain Moments
Between explorations, slow the pace with yoga sessions, singing bowls, spa treatments and time by the fire at The Happy House. These quieter interludes create space for reflection and recovery, balancing adventure with wellbeing.
Your Journey Overview
Easter in the Himalayan Heartlands
Journey into the quieter folds of the Himalaya, where mountain villages, sacred landscapes and ancient paths shape a way of life largely untouched by time. This is Nepal beyond the familiar routes, a place of wide horizons, deep stillness and enduring tradition.
Moving at a gentle pace, the journey invites space for connection with people, place and season. From remote valleys and high ridgelines to moments of shared celebration and reflection, each day unfolds with intention.
Arrival in Phaplu
Arrive in the Himalayan mid-hills and settle into The Happy House, a secluded Sherpa home tucked among pine groves above the village of Phaplu at 2,500m elevation. Long a gathering place for mountaineers, thinkers and explorers, this historic house once welcomed Sir Edmund Hillary and remains imbued with a sense of quiet intellectual and cultural exchange.
Recently and sensitively restored, the ten-room retreat blends modern comfort with deep tradition, from hand-painted Buddhist Thangka murals adorning every wall to candlelit interiors, a roaring fire and peaceful garden terraces overlooking the village below.
Enjoy a traditional lunch served in the garden, surrounded by mountain air and birdsong. The afternoon unfolds gently with a light walk in the surrounding landscape, allowing time to acclimatise, stretch your legs and begin to absorb the rhythm of life in this remote corner of Nepal.
As evening falls, return to the warmth of the house, where the stillness of the mountains and the intimacy of the setting invite rest and reflection. This first day sets the tone for the journey ahead, grounding you in place, pace and presence.
Chiwong Monastery and Valley Reflections
Set out this morning on a scenic walk to Chiwong Monastery, dramatically positioned on a rocky cliff high above the Phaplu Valley. Founded in the 6th century, this important centre of Tibetan Buddhism is both a place of deep learning and quiet devotion. As you arrive, discover interiors adorned with striking tantric murals painted by Tibetan artists, their imagery and symbolism reflecting ancient teachings focused on meditation, ritual and the path to enlightenment.
The monastery is home to around 40 monks, including young novices who begin their studies here at an early age. Time spent in their presence offers a rare glimpse into monastic life as it is lived today. Lunch is shared at the monastery, followed by the opportunity to take part in an afternoon prayer session, with time set aside for meditation and reflection within this powerful setting.
Later in the day, return to Phaplu either on foot, by 4×4 or by bike, choosing the pace and perspective that best suits you. As evening falls, gather back at The Happy House for a traditional candle-lit dinner, bringing the day to a gentle close.
Thupten Choeling and Junbesi
Begin the day with gentle restoration at The Happy House, choosing between morning yoga, singing bowl therapy, sauna or massage, followed by breakfast in the garden. Mid-morning, travel to Thupten Choeling Monastery, one of the most significant centres of Tibetan Buddhism outside Tibet and once home to hundreds of monks and nuns. Enter the prayer hall to observe daily rituals and take part in meditation in this deeply spiritual setting.
From the monastery, walk down through terraced fields and Sherpa farm gardens to Junbesi, the birthplace of Sherpa culture and a sacred beyul known as the “Moon Valley”. Enjoy lunch in a local family home before returning, enriched by stories, landscapes and living traditions that define this remarkable region.
Exceptional Stay at The Happy House
Pikey Peak Expedition Begins
After breakfast in the garden, the expedition begins, set out on a three-day journey toward Pikey Peak, following ancient trade routes once used by Tibetan and Nepali merchants and early Himalayan explorers. These quiet trails wind through forests and high valleys far removed from the crowds of Everest and Annapurna, offering a rare sense of solitude and connection to the landscape.
By afternoon, arrive at your pre-set expedition camp, where spacious, comfortable tents and a fully equipped mobile kitchen await. The rest of the day is about easing into mountain life, with time to paint Easter eggs, share grilled marshmallows around the fire and enjoy the simple pleasure of being together beneath wide Himalayan skies.
Easter Egg Hunting on the Edge of the Himalaya
Continue your ascent to Pikey Khop, the base camp for Pikey Peak, following high alpine trails past old yak houses, sacred mani walls and flowering rhododendron. With every step, the landscape opens into wide Himalayan panoramas, the sense of scale and solitude growing as we climb.
Set against this dramatic mountain backdrop, the afternoon brings a truly unforgettable moment for children and adults alike – the world’s highest Easter egg hunt, played out beneath the soaring peaks of the Himalaya. It’s a joyful, light-hearted pause in a powerful setting, before settling into the calm of high camp as evening falls and the mountains glow around you.
Exceptional Stay while Camping
Summit Sunrise and Easter Celebrations
Before dawn, the ascent to the summit of Pikey Peak begins, timed to reach the top as first light spills across the Himalaya. From this extraordinary vantage point (one of the few in Nepal to look across both the eastern and western ranges) the panorama is nothing short of breathtaking.
On a clear morning, eight of the world’s fourteen eight-thousand-metre peaks come into view, including Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Annapurna and Kanchenjunga. It is a sight so powerful it was said to be Sir Edmund Hillary’s favourite view of Everest.
After lingering on the summit, the trail descends gently back toward Phaplu, passing terraced fields and quiet farming settlements before returning to the comforts of The Happy House. The evening is reserved for a celebratory Easter dinner, gathered around the long wooden table beneath hand-painted Thangka walls. Thoughtfully prepared by Chef Mingma using locally sourced ingredients, the meal is warm, generous and deeply communal – a fitting close to an unforgettable Himalayan adventure.
Return to Kathmandu
After a final breakfast at The Happy House, it is time to bid farewell to Phaplu and the people who have so warmly hosted the journey. Surrounded by pine forests and mountain air, there is a moment to reflect on days shaped by shared rituals, quiet trails and expansive Himalayan views.
A scenic flight returns to Kathmandu, tracing a final arc over hills and valleys before the energy of the capital comes back into view. The journey concludes in the city where ancient temples, lively streets and layered histories offer a gentle re-entry to urban life, bringing this Easter adventure in the Himalaya to a close, with memories of mountains, culture and connection that linger long after departure.
Exceptional Stay at the happy house
Our purpose
Journeys With Purpose engage guests with the world’s most ambitious and exciting conservation projects across our seven continents. We believe travel can be a powerful force for learning, for expanding horizons and shifting perspectives on the magic and wonder of our natural world. Our journeys invite you to step outside of your daily ecosystem and engage with new cultures, environments and people in the world’s wildest corners.
At this moment in history, we are placing unprecedented pressure on the planet and wildlife, communities and nature is under threat. True wilderness is increasingly rare, yet there are remarkable examples of nature rebounding, and flourishing. These conservation successes showcase the resilience of our natural world, and our journeys serve to spotlight, and support, these projects.
Whether on a safari, diving trip or mountain expedition, by travelling with JWP you contribute to our mission: to conserve and restore 30 million acres of land and 30 million acres of seas by 2030. We are proud members of 1% for the Planet, through which we donate 1% of our annual revenue to grass-root initiatives.
Journeys With Purpose is also a member of The Long Run, a Conde Nast Traveller specialist travel agency, and a Certified B Corp, awarded “Best for the World: Environment 2022”.
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