Discover Hunza Valley

Itinerary

Day 1 – Islamabad to Naran/Besham

We recommend arriving into Islamabad one day early so that you can settle in and be ready to go on the morning of day one. Whilst this will require you to pay for an extra nights accommodation on your own – arriving early gives you a comfortable window to join the trip in case of delays, problems with baggage, etc. 

After our group has assembled on the morning of day 1, we will have our first group meeting/introductions over tea/coffee and then we will hit the road.

Note on spring tours: we must take a different route due to heavy snow fall/road closures. Instead of driving to Naran, we will be stopping in Besham on the evening of day 1.

Traveling by comfortable minibus, the Kahn Express,  for the whole adventure, we leave Islamabad behind and embark on our journey! The plan is to drive roughly 10 hours to the mountain bazar town of Naran located in the lush Kaghan Valley. The drive to Besham from Islamabad takes only 4-5 hours, depending on traffic. 

Here we will rest up for the night at a comfortable hotel before hitting the road again in the morning.

Besham marks the start of the Karakoram Highway.

Drive time from Islamabad: 10-14 hours with breaks. 

Day 2 – Travel to Fairy Meadows

This morning we hit the road (4 or 5 am start), we will travel to Raikot Bridge where we will transfer into 4×4 jeeps and traverse the legendary Fairy Meadows jeep track – think sheer drops and impossible hair-pin bends… In the distance, if the weather is clear, you will catch your first glimpse of Nanga Parbat; the most beautiful mountain in Pakistan, and the ninth highest mountain in the world. This is the stuff adventure is made of. You may have to hike part of the jeep track as the road is sometimes washed away.

Arriving at the end of the jeep track we will then hike for two to three hours (porters available for an additional fee). Arriving into The Fairy Meadows, we will spend the next couple of nights in comfortable but basic cabins with wood burners to keep us warm.

Drive from Besham to Raikot Bridge – 7-8 hours – then 1.5 hour jeep journey and 2 – 3 hour trek

Day 3 – Optional Trek to Nanga parbat Base Camp

The Fairy Meadows is the perfect place to chill out and unwind; watch the clouds dance past Nanga Parbat, the glacier snaking through the valley below, and explore the cool woods surrounding our log cabins. There are several optional treks available here but the real highlight is the hike to Nanga Parbat Basecamp (6-8 hours return).

The Fairy Meadows is one of the best places in the world to relax and watch the mountains. At night at the Fairy Meadows we will have an epic bonfire beneath the stars!

Note: the optional hike to Nanga Parbat basecamp requires a moderate level of fitness and takes around 6 – 8 hours round trip (with time to chill out at base camp, eat lunch, etc.). For the spring tours it likely will not be possible to hike beyond the upper view point due to snow pack/rock fall hazard.

Day 4 – Fairy Meadows to Hostel Nomads Aliabad

We are up early again as we depart Fairy Meadows, After a few hours walk, we are back at the dirt track, where a jeep will get us back to the main road.

Today, we are traveling along one of the world’s highest paved roads, The Karakoram Highway. Traveling along The Karakoram Highway is an unforgettable experience; you will see peaks and valleys, rivers and glaciers. Twenty-one of the world’s one hundred highest peaks are visible from the KKH and the journey is a great introduction to the mountains as civilization slips away behind us…

The goal is to reach Aliabad and our guesthouse by the afternoon. 

This place is awesome and unique to Northern Pakistan and one of our best stopovers of the whole trip!

Dinner and rest are on the evening agenda. 

We have the whole next day to relax and explore the stunning mountain village of Karimabad.

Fairy Meadows to Jeep Pick-up Point: 2 hours hike
Jeep Pick up to Karakoram Highway: 1.5 hours drive. 

Drive from Raikot Bridge or  to Aliabad/Karimabad – approx. 5 hours – including breaks along the way.

Day 5 – Karimabad Exploration

Karimabad is the gateway to the mountains and a great place to wander about for a day. Today there is a mix of free time and planned activities.

After breakfast, we get to grips with the dark history of Baltit Fort and/or Altit Fort (time permitting).

In the afternoon, take time to explore the cobblestone streets, bargain for rubies and handicrafts, feast on Hunza cuisine, sip espresso in Café Hunza on your own time in the afternoon.

After a day of exploring Karimabad, we’ll return for our 2nd night at our Hostel Nomads Aliabad .

Day 6 – Eagles Nest Sunrise and Drive to Ghulkin Village Homestay

Very early morning start today (in the dark) and drive to catch the sunrise above Eagles Nest. Well worth it! Our group will then return to Mountain Story for breakfast before starting our drive to Ghulkin Village in Upper Hunza.

The small village of Ghulkin is a truly special place where time stands still and mountains march away into the distance on all sides. En route we will take in the scenes at Attabad Lake.

Upper Hunza is one of the best places in Pakistan to trek, explore glaciers, snack on apricots, camp out under the stars and chat with the locals.

Accommodation in Ghulkin will be in one large traditional guest room and we will all be sharing a space. Conditions in the village are very clean (yes, there’s a western toilet!) but are also basic; electricity is sporadic and Wi-Fi is slow when it does work. 

Aliabad to Ghulkin drive time: 3 hours max. 

Day 7 – Bridge to Bridge Hike Ghulkin Chill Day

In the morning, we go for an easy/moderate hike to visit the legendary Passu Suspension bridge. The bridge itself is far less visited than the more famous Hussaini bridge found directly off of the Karakoram Highway.

We return to Ghulkin for chill time in the afternoon dinner.

After a few hectic days of driving and sight seeing, today is overall meant to be a relaxing day and also our first group hike. Part of the experience of staying in a small mountain community is to take the time to fully appreciate the slower pace of life here without constantly rushing to the next thing.

The hike is a good warm-up for tomorrow’s adventure.

Total trekking time 2-3 hours

Day 8 – Start to Patundas Pass Trek

Today we will be trekking into the mountains not too far from Ghulkin village. We begin the trek at the end of a jeep track at Borith Lake. After about 2-3 hours of steady, but steep hiking we will come to the truly stunning Passu Glacier crossing point.

We take an easy pace as we hike across the ice as there are a few challenging, but epic sections.

Here we will traverse the glacier for about 2 hours before arriving at our camp site for the night (3400 meters).

From here, our group can enjoy stunning views of Shispar Peak, Passu Peak, and the Passu Glacier. The stars at the camp are unreal if the weather is clear! Keep an eye out for eagles and ibex in the mountains above you and soak in some of the freshest air you’ve ever tasted.

Note: Group gear, tents, and food will be portered. If you would like additional gear portered for you, porter services are available at a reasonable cost.

Day 9 – Trek to Patundas Meadow

Today, we start off on the second leg of our trek after breakfast. The distance is only a few kilometers, but it is straight up the side of a mountain and gains about 900 meters of elevation, so we will take our time and enjoy the views as we go.

Total trekking time today is roughly 2-3 hours.

Once on the top, our group will savor in the 360 degree views of the Passu Cones, Batura Glacier, Shispar Peak, and Passu Peak. Formerly only a shepherd’s settlement, only about 100 people come up here a year, so we should have the place to ourselves. The Batura Glacier viewpoint (4300 meters) is truly a magical place and offers up one of the best views in Pakistan.

After spending the day atop Patundas we will return to our base camp for an epic dinner feast, fire, and maybe even some local music.

Note: For most of the year there is no water at Patundas Meadow, which means that we will keep our first base camp setup and just visit Patundas as part of an epic day hike. During the early springtime, it may not be possible to visit Patundas due to large amounts of snow covering the trail, but that is why the April/May tours start in the late spring.

Day 10 – Trek back to jeep Track and stay in Passu Village

Today, we finish our trek via the same route in which we came across the Passu glacier. The going is much easier on the way down, so the whole trek will likely take the group around 3 hours.

We are staying at a hotel in the small town of Passu where we can rest, do laundry, shower up, and maybe even try a Yak Burger.

Day 11 – Rest Day And travel to Gilgit

Today, we have a slow start after a few days of hiking and moving around. 

We have a combination of free time and the possibility for a swim in Borith Lake if the weather is nice, 

In the afternoon, we will move to the city of Gilgit, where the plan is to take a flight the following morning. 

Note: If the weather is forecasted to be poor over the next few days, we may start driving the Karakoram Highway back to Islamabad on this day if it becomes clear a flight won’t be possible. 

Day 12 – Flight to Islamabad Or Arrive by Road

If all goes well with the weather, we will fly from Gilgit to Islamabad (1 hour 10 mins flight) in the morning.

If we started driving from Gilgit to Islamabad the day before due to poor weather, this will be a travel day. 

Arriving into Islamabad, we will head straight to our hotel to freshen up / chill for a few hours. Once everyone is ready, we head out for the night to enjoy the final team dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in town. This one is special!

Day 13 – Departure Day

Team member departure day.

Today our adventure comes to an end! 

Check out of the hotel is around noon on this day.