Northern Pakistan: Wonders of the Karakoram

Group Tour

Overview

On this amazing journey through the mountains of the famous Karakoram Highway - the eighth wonder of the world - we will experience stunning scenery, historical forts, regional cuisine, imposing plateaus and heritage properties as we venture into the Baltistan region.

Beginning in Islamabad, we travel north through the beautiful forested landscapes of Kaghan Valley and over the spectacular Babusar Pass to the classic frontier town of Gilgit. From here we continue to Hunza, home to ...

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HIGHLIGHTS

At a glance

MEALS

13 x Breakfasts
13 x Lunches
13 x Dinners

TRANSPORT

Local Prado or classic re-conditioned 1970s Willys jeeps for certain sections in the north; coasters everywhere else.

GROUP SIZE

Maximum: 12

EXPERT TEAM

The full services of a Wild Frontiers Tour Leader with local guides where appropriate

ACCOMMODATION

All accommodation as outlined in the itinerary

ENTRANCE FEES

All entrance fees for sights mentioned in the itinerary

FITNESS RATING

Low / Moderate

WILD MILES

This tour will earn you 7514 Wild Miles

ACCOMMODATION

As an overall ethos, wherever possible we aim to use characterful accommodation that enhances the overall travel experience, not just offers a bed for the night. This can obviously vary dramatically from country to country and from trip to trip. On this trip, there is some varied accommodation including some excellent hotels, but on the whole it will be in small hotels and guesthouses with Western style bathrooms.

For security reasons we do not provide details of the hotels used on this trip but if you would like more information please contact the office.

FITNESS RATING

LOW: You should be comfortable walking around towns and cultural sites. May include some optional walks (typically 1-2hrs).

LOW/MODERATE: May be of a long duration and/or involve numerous border-crossings. May include easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-3hrs/day). You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle.

MODERATE: May include several easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-5hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle. Previous experience of similar trips helpful.

MODERATE/HIGH: May involve several days of moderate hiking (up to 3-6 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.

HIGH: May involve several days of moderate/strenuous trekking (up to 4-7 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a very fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.

Wild Miles Club

When you book a trip with Wild Frontiers you are awarded points, which are based on the return distance from London to the arrival city of your trip. Points are awarded for all our holidays, including both our escorted group tours and tailor-made trips. When you accrue points, you will qualify for the following discounts on all future bookings:

Blue More than 10,000 points 2.5% discount
Bronze More than 30,000 points 5% discount
Silver More than 45,000 points 7.5% discount
Gold More than 60,000 points 10% discount

Positive Impact of this Trip

Tree
Ten trees are planted per passenger on this trip
Community
Supports Wild Frontiers Foundation community projects
Wind Turbine
A contribution to renewable energy projects

Map & Itinerary

Individual departures may vary so please refer to the information in the tour specific links in the Dates and Prices section below

Northern Pakistan: Wonders of the Karakoram
EXPAND ALL ITINERARY DAYS
COLLAPSE ALL ITINERARY DAYS

Day 1 Tour starts in Islamabad

Day 1 Tour starts in Islamabad

Today the tour starts in Islamabad, 'City of Islam', Pakistan's capital city. It replaced Karachi back in 1967 and is now the political and commercial heart of the country. Situated against the lush backdrop of the Margalla Hills it is a city where old and new collide. Leafy green boulevards are home to modern buildings, and shopping malls, but also dotted with traditional homes and mosques. After checking in to our rooms, available from 14:00 or possibly earlier, we have the chance to visit some of the famous sights of Islamabad including the Faisal Mosque, the largest in South East Asia, and 5th largest mosque in the world. We will also take time to visit the Lok Virsa Museum and Pakistan Monument.

Hotel
Lunch, Dinner

Day 2 Islamabad – Naran

Day 2 Islamabad – Naran

After breakfast leave for the beautiful valley of Kaghan, a drive of approximately 7 hours. The valley has a beautiful river flowing through it, flanked by stunning mountains. Check into the hotel in Naran in the late afternoon and enjoy an evening at leisure. The majority of the people here are Pashtun and you should have the opportunity to have a stroll around the bazaar this evening or sit and watch the world go by in one of the rooftop cafes.

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 Naran - Gilgit (4173m approx)

Day 3 Naran - Gilgit (4173m approx)

Departing early this morning we will continue through the forested Kaghan Valley and over the spectacular Babusar Pass and Raikot Bridge, enjoying more spectacular scenery as we drive along the Karakoram Highway to Gilgit.

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 Gilgit - Hunza

Day 4 Gilgit - Hunza

This morning we have a chance to take a look around this classic frontier town, once considered the furthest outpost of the empire. We will see the Christian graveyard and the bazaar, before heading north on the KKH to Hunza in the famed Hunza Valley. We know we use a lot of superlatives in this tour but this journey really is epic, particularly as you round the corner and see the titanic form of Mount Rakaposhi basking in the sun, right beside the road. We will take lunch on the way – at the Rakaposhi View Restaurant – before continuing on to Hunza. On arrival we will have the chance to explore this laidback little town and admire the mountains that surround it before continuing on to our hotel for our first night situated, as the name suggests, 2,850m above sea level, 800m above the valley floor with panoramic views of seven 7,000m peaks!

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 Around Hunza

Day 5 Around Hunza

After breakfast we rejoin the Karakorum Highway and drive to Gulmit (located in Upper Hunza) along the banks of the newly-formed Attabad Lake, a significant addition to the natural beauty of Hunza. On reaching Gulmit we can enjoy a walk through the village and learn more about carpet weaving and other traditional handicrafts. From here we will drive on to Borith Lake situated just north of Gulmit, stopping en route to see the spectacular Hussaini Hanging Bridge. The lake can be reached from Husseini village, which lies adjacent to Gulmit village. Proceed to Passu to enjoy fabulous views of Tupupdan Sar, Passu Peaks, Shispare and Boyohagur, before enjoying refreshments at the local hotel and then returning to Hunza.


Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 Around Hunza

Day 6 Around Hunza

Another full day around Hunza gives us the chance to take a wonderful water channel walk down to Hunza town where we’ll visit the famous Baltit Fort, recently restored by the Aga Khan Trust to a fantastic standard, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll also have plenty of time for shopping in the town’s pretty bazaar as well as time simply to relax. After all this is a holiday!

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 Hunza - Astore

Day 7 Hunza - Astore

Today we return south and head for the alpine meadows of Rama Lake and Astore. The 215km-long journey will take around 5-6 hours as we pass through some of the region's most impressive landscape. Continuing on the KKH to Thilachi, we then divert into the 55km-long narrow Astore Gorge, eventually reaching our hotel. This afternoon we will then visit Rama Lake, which will involve a walk of around 3km each way to reach the lake from the road. After soaking up the stunning lake views, return to Astore for the evening. 

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 Astore – Deosai Plateau – Skardu (4100m approx)

Day 8 Astore – Deosai Plateau – Skardu (4100m approx)

After an early breakfast we'll set off for the amazing Deosai Plateau National Park. Deosai Plain has an average elevation of 4,114m above sea level, making it one of the highest plateaus in the world. We’ll enjoy a hearty picnic lunch with views of the Himalayas before continuing on to Skardu. Today will be a long day as we are covering large distances but will be rewarded with yet even more striking scenery.

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 Skardu - Khaplu

Day 9 Skardu - Khaplu

This morning we’ll visit the old bazaar, and then head out to see the Manthal Buddha rock carving just outside Skardu. After this we’ll drive to Khaplu for a real treat as we stay in one of the most wonderful heritage hotels in the whole subcontinent. This has been recently converted by the Aga Khan Cultural Development Trust and runs as a community project.

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 Khaplu - Hushe - Khaplu (3050m approx)

Day 10 Khaplu - Hushe - Khaplu (3050m approx)

Today the adventure continues as we follow the Shyok and Hushe Rivers into the heart of the Karakoram. Draining an enormous area of the eastern Karakoram, much of which is now in India, the Shyok and Hushe rivers cut a spectacular trail into this eastern most part of Baltistan. We'll drive up the Hushe Valley, where we have the opportunity to visit our foundation-sponsored school in the remote village of Baleygon. From here we’ll continue a little further up the valley to Marzigone where we see the magnificent sight of the 7,000m Mashabrum Mountain standing sentinel before us. In the late afternoon, as the sun is setting, we’ll return to Khaplu.

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 Khaplu - Skardu

Day 11 Khaplu - Skardu

Today we drive the shorter two-hour drive back to Skardu. In the afternoon we can then spend some time exploring Kharapocho, also known as Skardu Fort, before visiting the sand dunes of Skardu's unusual 'Cold Desert'.

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 Skardu - Islamabad

Day 12 Skardu - Islamabad

This morning we will fly south back to Islamabad. After checking in, we can enjoy some lunch at a local restaurant before setting off for the neighbouring 'twin city' of Rawalpindi. Here we will visit the colourful Raja Bazaar before finally visiting the Margalla Hills to enjoy magnificent views over the twin cities.


Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13 Around Islamabad

Day 13 Around Islamabad

Today we will have a relaxed start and take a short drive to Taxila to explore this fascinating Buddhist university town, dating back to the Gandaharan era of Alexander the Great. We’ll then return to Islamabad where they may be time for some last minute shopping before our farewell dinner.

Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14 Tour ends in Islamabad

Day 14 Tour ends in Islamabad

Tour ends in Islamabad after breakfast.

Breakfast

PRIVATE HOLIDAYS: DATES DON’T FIT?

All group tours can be taken on a private basis.

Additional Details

Responsible Travel

With local people, culture and eco-systems in mind, responsible travel and sustainable tourism are at the core of Wild Frontiers. We believe that a successful trip not only delivers a unique and unsurpassable journey for our travellers but also benefits the people and places we visit.

When designing our tours, we actively seek out experiences that have a positive impact on the communities and precious environments we visit - from supporting social enterprises; resting our heads in rural homestays; and eating at locally owned restaurants; to helping fund conservation projects that protect wildlife and their habitats. 

Visit the Responsible Travel area of our website to read more, including the work of the Wild Frontiers Foundation through which we fundraise to aid community empowerment and education projects.

Baleygon School – Hushe Valley, Northern Pakistan

On this tour you have the opportunity to visit the Wild Frontiers Foundation sponsored school in the remote Hushe Valley village of Baleygon. The building and ongoing support of the Baleygon Village School has been our biggest and most challenging project to date, spanning over 10 years. With government funding often not forthcoming at the time, hamlets, villages and entire regions had little in the way of educational facilities, denying children of even a basic level of tuition. This was the case in Baleygon village, where stood a dilapidated two-roomed building with 10 broken desks and around 100 students (most of whom had to sit on a hard concrete floor even in mid-winter to learn), one teacher in charge of all students from 4 to 14-year-olds, and very little else in the way of equipment. Recognising the needs of the village and the students, the Wild Frontiers Foundation’s first major project was initiated in 2010. It was a long process, but the initial funds raised through a charity trek to K2,  led to huge developments at the school including land purchase, three new classrooms and a new teacher. In 2012 there was an official opening of the new school extension amid much celebration.

We now work with educational charity partner, the Felix Foundation Baltistan, which manages the school on our behalf to help ensure a good quality of education and student attendance. As guardians of the school, the Wild Frontiers Foundation’s continued support funds teachers’ wages, teaching aids, equipment and contributes to the general maintenance and upkeep of the building and grounds, while helping to secure the future education of the children in Baleygon and surrounding villages.  

 

 

Reducing Single Use Plastic

We recognise the environmental issues and challenges around single-use plastic in many countries we visit and are actively working with our partners on the ground to reduce plastic waste on our tours and within the hotels and restaurants we visit. You can help to reduce your personal plastic waste by taking a refillable, filtered water bottle with you on your trip. Filtered water bottles can be refilled from water sources including your hotel room and restaurant taps, drinking fountains and refill stations. Every time you refill your bottle without the use of single-use plastic, you will be helping to reduce waste and protect the environment. Filtered Water Bottles | Wild Frontiers (wildfrontierstravel.com)

Supplementary Information

Lahore Post Tour Extension

Day 1 –

This morning you will be driven from Islamabad to Lahore.

En route you will stop off at Rohtas Fort, also known as Qila Rohtas, an exceptional example of early Muslim military architecture in Central and South Asia. Following the defeat of the Moghul Emperor Humayun in 1541, Sher Shah Suri built the strong fortified complex at Rohtas, a strategic site about 16km north-west of the city of Jhelum. On arrival in Lahore, you will be taken to your hotel for check-in.

Day 2 -

Lahore Full Day City Tour

Today you have a full day of guiding in Lahore. The historic capital of both the Moghul and Sikh empires, this city also played a significant part in the British governance of the Punjab. Home to a remarkable collection of cultural and historic highlights, your tour today will include visits to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Jahangir Tomb, Asif Khan Tomb and Noor Jahan Tomb, once richly decorated with floral fresco paintings on lime plaster. Following this, drive to the Shalimar Gardens and then on to the Wagah border where you will join the patriotic crowds to witness the extraordinary - and very bizarre - Wagah Border Ceremony. Watch the spectacle of the frontier guards of Pakistan squaring up to the frontier guards of India in an act of great bravado, pomp and ceremony, closing the gate between the two countries, each lowering their flags. This is a wonderful introduction to the relationship between the two great foes.

Day 3 -

Today your tour includes the wonderful assortment of artefacts and national history displayed at the Lahore Museum, the striking Badshahi Mosque built from red sandstone and the neighbouring Lahore Fort. In the early afternoon, head to the walled city of Lahore to view the hustle and bustle of day to day life in this city. If you walk through the busy bazaar, you can also visit the spectacular and recently restored Shahi Hammam, as well as the Wazir Khan Mosque. In the afternoon, you will visit the shrine of Hazrat Mian Mir, a famous Sufi Muslim saint who resided in Lahore.

Day 4 –

Early this morning, you will be transferred from your hotel to Lahore Airport in time for your flight.

Please note that this tour extension will be with a Local Guide and not a WF Tour Leader and may be shared with other clients booked on your group tour departure. Accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis. Please contact our Sales team for more details and costs.

Getting There

If you would like us to send you a quote for the suggested tour flights or on any alternative flight that may suit you better, please let us know, noting that for our US clients, we will most likely refer you to one of our preferred partners. For this trip our suggested flights from the UK (subject to change) are shown below.

If you wish to arrange your own flights you are completely free to do so and in this case we can arrange any transfers or supplementary accommodation that you may require. However please note that if you are planning on making your own flight arrangements, we recommend that you first check with us to see if the trip is guaranteed. We then suggest that you purchase flights that are flexible and ideally refundable as due to the nature of adventure travel, itineraries and destination accessibility can change at any time. For more information, please refer to our booking conditions.
 

Flight Code Departing Arriving
QR 008 London Heathrow (LHR) 16:00 Doha International Airport (DOH) 00:40
QR 614 Doha International Airport (DOH) 02:20 Islamabad Airport (ISB) 07:50
QR 615 Islamabad Airport (ISB) 09:45 Doha International Airport (DOH) 11:30
QR 001 Doha International Airport (DOH) 12:55 London Heathrow (LHR) 18:00

Visas

VISAS

Visas are necessary for many of the destinations we travel to and while we aim to provide you with the most up-to-date information, requirements frequently change and as such for the latest advice we advise that you check with the relevant embassies or contact a reputable visa agency. More details can be found here - https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/visa

For this tour UK passport holders currently require a visa for Pakistan.

Passports should ideally be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the end of your tour.

Non-UK passport holders or non-UK residents should contact the relevant embassies for individual requirements.

VACCINATIONS & ADDITIONAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is a mandatory requirement for all travellers to Pakistan. Also, if your travels are for 4 weeks or more, you will be required to show proof of a Polio vaccination on exiting the country.

For all destinations, please make sure you are up-to-date with any standard vaccinations (e.g. MMR, Hepatitis A, Tetanus) as recommended by your local health care provider. 

Malaria is present in some parts of Pakistan and precautions are essential.

For the most up-to-date information on all vaccination requirements and the most suitable anti-malarial tablets, we strongly suggest that you seek advice from your local travel centre or consult an official travel health website such as www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.travelhealthpro.org.uk

Covid Testing: No mandatory testing is currently required for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers.

If necessary further details will be sent out to you upon booking, however ensuring that correct and valid visas & vaccinations are obtained remains the sole responsibility of the client.

Extensions

If you have more time available, why not arrive early to adjust to a new time zone or just to get a feel for the country before your tour starts? Alternatively, you might choose to allow a few extra days after the tour to relax or to undertake some further exploration.

The choice is completely yours and we can usually arrange anything from simply additional accommodation and transfers to full tailor-made itineraries*. Please contact the office for more details and to discuss your requirements.

*Please note bespoke, tailor-made itineraries need to be a minimum of 7 days and we can only offer them in countries where we have a tailor-made expert

Lahore Group Tour Extension

Lahore Group Tour Extension

Why not add a 3 day extension in Lahore onto your Pakistan tour, and soak up the atmosphere, historical majesty and faded elegance of the Moghul and Raj eras, along with the bustling street life of Pakistan's traditional capital.

For more details refer to the Supplementary Information section.

Governmental Travel Advice

Many governments issue advice which highlights potential hazards their citizens might experience when travelling abroad. We strongly suggest you refer to your country’s particular advisory site before booking and contact us if you have any queries or concerns. Click to follow links to the advice of the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the US State Department.

Non-UK citizens should consult the travel advice of their respective governments.

Key Information

CLIMATE

The weather conditions can be extremely varied. In the mountains of Pakistan, where you will often be travelling at heights of up to 3,000 metres, even in the middle of summer it can turn bitter; at the same time the temperature in Islamabad could be nudging 40 degrees.

IS THIS TRIP FOR ME?

It may sound obvious but Wild Frontiers tours are not always for everyone and it is important to us that the tour you choose is the most suitable. All our tours have a fitness rating as a guideline but you should check the day-by-day itinerary carefully. In certain instances we may ask you to complete a travel questionnaire before confirming your booking in order to ensure your suitability. Should you have any concerns about your ability to partake in any aspect of the tour then please contact the office.

KEY ASPECTS TO CONSIDER

Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be perfectly able to cope with this tour, as many of the activities are optional. Please note there are some long driving days and in places the drive can be bumpy. 

When travelling in jeeps, we open the roof when the weather permits to fully embrace the nature of adventure travel that this mode of transport allows and maximising our opportunity to enjoy the spectacular scenery.

THE NATURE OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

We feel that it’s worth pointing out that while we will always strive to stick as close to the stated itinerary as possible, it may be necessary from time to time to make changes to our itineraries or services (due to weather, political and religious influences etc.) and this can happen with little or no notice. This unpredictability can be one of the most exciting aspects of adventure travel and for many of our clients often leads to unexpected highlights as the tour-leader necessarily adapts the tour to the changing conditions. However we are aware that this lack of assuredness may not suit everyone. As such, with the greatest respect, if you are someone who needs to know that everything will happen exactly as planned, we would kindly suggest that perhaps our tours are not for you. Adventure travel can be infectious and once you’ve caught the bug, it is likely to never leave you, but especially if this is your first such tour we would strongly urge you to give us a call if you have any concerns whatsoever about your suitability for this trip.

TRAVELLING SOLO AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS

As a company approximately 70% of our clients are solo travellers, so it’s very unlikely you’ll be alone!

Our prices are typically based on twin-share accommodation but single supplements are not compulsory for any Wild Frontiers tour. If you prefer not to pay a single supplement we’ll pair you with someone else of the same sex for you to share with throughout the trip. On this trip, if you do opt to pay for a single supplement then please note that it will cover you for all nights of the tour.

Please note that paying a single supplement entitles you to lone occupancy of a single room. In many cases these rooms will be of the same size as a double/twin room, but in some cases they may be smaller.

INSURANCE

Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours. You should be aware that due to some of the geographical areas visited and some of the activities included on certain of our trips some standard insurance policies may not always provide adequate cover. As such we strongly recommend that you purchase a policy that adequately covers your trip. Please see the Insurance section for more details.

General Information

TOUR PRICE

All our tours are priced on a land-only basis, giving you maximum flexibility when deciding how to get to and from your tour.

DEPOSIT

A 10% deposit is required to confirm your booking.

PROTECTION FOR YOUR MONEY

For further details please see our travelling with peace of mind page

WILD MILES

This tour will earn you 7514 Wild Miles

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour.

Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatory
Tips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documents
International Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UK
Airport Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights
Beverages & any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs

WILD FRONTIERS COMMUNITY

If you’re still not sure if this trip is right or just want to see get some different perspectives, then why not have a look at the wide variety of resources we have on our website? Browse our community section to read our blogs, watch videos and find out about our events. 

WHY WILD FRONTIERS?

We are frequently asked what makes Wild Frontiers different from other tour operators. Visit our Why Wild Frontiers page to find out.