The Balochistan Explorer

Overview

Start: Karachi, Pakistan

Finish: Karachi, Pakistan

Duration: 10 Days

Max. Group Size: 8

A ten-day trip into the heartland of Pakistan’s largest and least visited province, Balochistan. A region previously very difficult to access, but now possible. We begin with 4-day journeying along the Makran Coastal Highway between Karachi and Gwadar, with a feast of contrasting experiences.

From the apocalyptic ship-breaking yards of Gaddani, to spotting dolphins in mangrove swamps via mud volcanoes in Hingol National Park and beautiful desolate beaches. From there we head into the hinterland of Balochistan, where the subcontinent turns to a sparsely populated and arid Central Asian landscape.

Finally, you spend a night next to Jinnah’s residency in the world’s largest Juniper forest in Ziarat.

Please note permission for Balochistan takes a LONG time. We ask you submit all documents and book the trip at least 120 DAYS in advance.

Itinerary

Arrive in Karachi.
Transfer to hotel.

Overnight in Karachi.

After breakfast, departure from Karachi towards Uthal.
The first stop will be at Gaddani ship-breaking yard. Our next stop will be at the fishing village of Damb, where we take a boat trip to explore the mangroves and hopefully seeing the local dolphins.

Overnight in Uthal.

On route to Ormara today and we hit the Makran Coastal Highway in earnest. Following the route taken by Alexander the Great back from India, over 2300 years ago. We will visit Hingol National Park, the largest in Pakistan. Time to stretch the legs a little – the park is famous for the mud volcanoes, rugged rock formations and its Hindu temple.
From there we will continue on past the beautiful beach at Kund Malir.

Overnight in Ormara.

A morning drive to Pasni Beach where we will take a boat trip to Astola Island.
Also known as Jezira Haft Talar or the “Island of the Seven Hills,” Astola Island is Pakistan’s largest offshore island located in the Arabian Sea, and it is renowned for its natural beauty, historical significance, and unique marine habitat.

Once back on the mainland we continue to Gwadar.

Overnight in Gwadar.

We will spend the morning exploring Gwadar where we will visit the bazaar and the Corniche where we may get to see some traditional ship building.
Then visit Jiwani Beach via the coastal road to Ganz. In Jawani we will see fisherman and the bazaar and may be permitted to visit the colonial era “Victoria Hut” – currently managed by the Pakistani Coastguard.

Then drive back to Ormara in the afternoon.

Overnight in Ormara.

A long day’s driving.

Return along the Makran Coastal Highway, then turn inland to Khuzdar.
En route we will visit the Gondari caves.

Overnight in Khuzdar.

Today we will be travelling more than 300 kms to our final stop, the City of Quetta. En route we will stop in the city of Kalat, famous for the Meeri Fort, which overlooks the city. Once in Quetta we will take a walk through possibly the friendliest bazaar in Asia.

Overnight in Quetta.

Today we will take a train trip through the famous Bolan Pass, the southern counterpart to the Khyber Pass, to the town of Sibi. We then return to Quetta.
The train track drops 1000 metres in altitude through the length of the pass.

Overnight in Quetta at Hotel

Another day excursion driving to the mountains and hills outside of Quetta to Ziarat, famous for the Quaid-e-Azam Residency and its ancient Juniper forest.

Overnight in Quetta.

In the morning visit Quetta Bazaar.
After lunch, transfer to Quetta airport for flight to Karachi.

End of trip in Karachi.

All accommodation
Breakfast
All ground transport
Guiding
One internal flight (Quetta – Karachi)
Permission to visit Balochistan
Visa support

Any necessary visas
Insurance
Other flights
Lunch & Dinner
Drinks
Tips

Package Confirmed Dates

Trip Status Current Status

Tour Price in USD

Booking

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Information

We do not and cannot offer a uniform accommodation standard on our itineraries. Even if we wanted to, the reality is that standards in Quetta cannot be compared to a remote government resthouse in a small town. We consider comfort, location, design, character, historical interest and whether the money we spend will go into the pockets of the local community when we make our choices of where to stay. The accommodation will be based on guests sharing a twin room. We will pair guests of the same gender. Optional single supplement is available upon request.

We do not directly arrange international flights to Pakistan. We can suggest routes and operators.

Pakistan now has an e-visa system. We will provide visa support in the form of letters of invitation to assist in your Pakistan e-visa application.

We include breakfast every day. We also include some other meals in remote areas when trekking as stated on the itinerary. In our experience people sometimes want to eat different things in different places at different times and when there is an option we will be happy for you to have your say. We know some great places and will also happily show you some of our favourite restaurants and tea houses. Some are luxurious, some are more earthy but all have character. However, we do not pretend to be the arbiters of good taste and are equally happy for you to go off and find your own favourites. However, when restaurants are unavailable we ensure that food is provided.

When we choose our vehicles and drivers we take into consideration the road conditions, the length of journey and the competence of the man behind the wheel. Most of the roads on this trip are paved although the state of the surface can vary. Your comfort and enjoyment of the journey is the top priority. Note that we may well have a police escort at times and will not be permitted to travel at night.

On this trip you will be accompanied by an English speaking guide from Untamed Borders for the whole time you are in Pakistan. This allows for greater flexibility and means that there will always be someone on hand to help or assist you.

Balochistan has a bad reputation and can often appear on blacklists by the foreign office. However, we know these areas well and our guides are used to accompanying small groups to all parts of Pakistan. We may well be issued with an armed escort at times. However, we monitor the situation closely and we listen very carefully to advice from the foreign office and from our friends in the areas we visit. Our client’s safety is our primary concern. We must state that the tour leader has the final word with regards to changes in the itinerary for safety reasons. Whilst the route we have chosen passes through areas which we consider to be stable things can change and we may have to alter the route or cancel sections of the trip at short notice.