The Balochistan Explorer
fromA ten-day trip into the heartland of Pakistan’s largest and least-visited province, Balochistan. A region previously very difficult to access but that’s now possible.
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Vacation Style Holiday TypeCulture
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Activity Level Moderate
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Group Size Small Group
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.
Start point – Karachi
End point – Karachi
Maximum number of people: 8
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.
- 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
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.
- All accommodation
- Breakfast
- All ground transport
- Guiding
- One internal flight (Quetta – Karachi)
- Permission to visit Balochistan
- Visa support
- Any necessary visas
- Insurance
- Other flights
- Entrance fees
- Lunch & Dinner
- Drinks
- Tips
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.