Hindu Kush & Karakorum Pakistan
fromA 14-day road trip through the awe-inspiring Karakorum and Hindu Kush mountain ranges of Northern Pakistan. These mountains contain a kaleidoscope of people as well as some of the earth’s most incredible scenery.
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Vacation Style Holiday Type
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Activity Level Leisurely
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Group Size Medium Group
A 14-day road trip through the awe-inspiring Karakorum and Hindu Kush mountain ranges of Northern Pakistan. These mountains contain a kaleidoscope of people as well as some of the earth’s most incredible scenery. We’ll begin by taking a flight from Islamabad to Chitral. There we will take our time experiencing life in the pagan Kalasha valleys. From there we take a three-day roadtrip through the Hindu Kush range and into Karakorum. Next, it is the Hunza valley, exploring the rope bridges of Husseini, Passu glacier and learning about life in the high mountains of Pakistan. Finally, we’ll take one of life’s great road trips, the Karakorum Highway, back to Islamabad.
Highlights:
- Experience life in the pagan villages of the Kalasha valleys
- Explore the wonderful Hunza valley
- Cross Husseini rope bridge
- Drive the legendary Karakorum Highway
Start point – Islamabad
End point – Islamabad
Maximum number of people: 10
- All accommodation
- Breakfast
- Transport
- Guiding
- Meals in the Kalasha Valleys
- One internal flight between Islamabad and Chitral
- Bottled water
- Entrance fees
- Any necessary visas
- Insurance
- Flights to Pakistan
- Lunch & dinner
- Other Drinks
- Tips
- Day 1 Islamabad
- Day 2 Fly from Islamabad to Chitral
- Days 3-5 Chitral and the Kalasha Valleys
- Day 6 Kalasha Valleys - Chitral - Mastuj
- Day 7 Mastuj – Shandur Pass – Phandur
- Day 8 Phandur - Gilgit - Hunza
- Days 9-11 Around Hunza
- Day 12 Hunza - Naran or Besham
- Day 13 Naran or Besham - Islamabad
- Day 14 Islamabad - End
We do not and cannot offer a uniform accommodation standard on our itineraries. Even if we wanted to, the reality is that standards in Islamabad cannot be compared to a Kalasha guesthouse in an isolated valley in the Hindu Kush. 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 2 people sharing.
In the Kalasha Valleys it is possible that three will share a room in the local home.
Single supplement is an additional US$520
- All accommodation
- Breakfast
- Transport
- Guiding
- Meals in the Kalasha Valleys
- One internal flight between Islamabad and Chitral
- Bottled water
- Entrance fees
- Any necessary visas
- Insurance
- Flights to Pakistan
- Lunch & Dinner
- Other drinks
- Tips
We do not directly arrange international flights to Pakistan. We recommend Turkish Airlines and Emirates who offer flights either directly or with a layover at Istanbul (IST) or Dubai (DXB). Flights are also run by Qatar Airways with layovers at Hamad International (DOH).
We do not arrange Pakistan visas directly. We will provide visa support in the form of letters of invitation to assist in your Pakistan visa application.
We include breakfast every day. We also include some other meals in remote areas were 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, such as when we are living in a Kalasha guesthouse, 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. In the Chitral valley the roads are sometimes very bad and we will be in jeeps for this section. Your comfort and enjoyment of the journey is the first priority.
On this trip you will be accompanied by an experienced English speaking guide from Untamed Borders for the full length of the trip.
The far North of Pakistan in Chitral, Gilgit, and Hunza are currently stable areas. 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.