16 Days Tours to North of Pakistan

Rental: Islamabad, Hunza Karimabad, Fairy Meadows, Phunder, Chitral, Kalash, Swat Valley & Peshawar KPK.

Experience the beauty of Karakoram, Himalayas & Hindukush in an economical manner. Staying at tourist category hotels and traveling by local transport, you get to know the lifestyle of people of north Pakistan.

ITINERARY DETAIL:

Day 01:                                  Arrive Islamabad

Start with Pickup at Islamabad International Airport at, Day at Leisure in Islamabad exploring Faisal Mosque, Pakistan Monument and Rawal Lake (Ramada Islamabad)

 Day 02:                        Islamabad – Mingora Swat Valley.

Peshawar has always been important in the history of sub-continent because of its location in by: Khyber Pass & Gandhara civilization. The city is now known more for its special feel of being a frontier town than for its monuments. In the morning we will visit the street of story-tellers: Kissa Khawani bazaar, the street of Gold (Kasera bazaar), Karavan Serai and Mahabat Khan Mosque & Museum of Peshawar, known for its collection of Gandhara artifacts. After lunch we will drive to Swat. Swat, a land that shines with fruit laden orchards, flower-filled slopes, meandering rivers, rumbling streams and is surrounded by the mighty ranges of the Hindu Kush and Himalayas. The valley is 2,250 feet above sea level; Saidu Sharif and Mingora are the towns that form the twin capital of this area. The town Bahrain borders the Swat River and trout fishing is a favorite pastime. Kalam is 30km from Bahrain and about 3000m above sea level. Drive back to hotel overnight stay 170km, 3/4 hrs

DAY 03:         Swat  – Kalash Valley Via Dir Lowari pass.

Enter Chitral Drive to Chitral, passing through the fertile green plains of the valley of Peshawar, crossing the branches of the Swat River. Climb the Malakand Pass and enter the valley of Swat. At Chakdara you turn left to by-pass Churchill’s Picket and cross the bridge that leads to Dir. Lunch at Al-Manzar hotel, Dir. Proceed towards Lowari Pass (3200 meters). The descent takes travelers through about 96 hairpins down to the valley floor. Arrive at Chitral town, transfer to the motel for meals and overnight. (330 km, 10-11 Hours)

DAY 04:         – Kalash Valley.

Visit Kalash Morning city tour of Chitral town, the capital of the valley. While your guide arranges for the permit to enter the Kalash valleys, we have time to visit the colorful bazaar where we will find people from all over Afghanistan and North Pakistan. Enjoy fascinating views of Tirich Mir (7708m), the highest mountain of Hindu Kush range, and visit the town’s central mosque. Lunch at the hotel then drives to Kalash Valley the home of the Kafir Kalash. This tribe is known as the infidels as they still believe in the old gods, and they are also legendary for their known to the outside world for their celebrations and general enjoyment of life. Legend says that they are descendants of four Greek soldiers of Alexander’s army. The women wear black robes and skull-caps decorated with seashells and coins. We camp by their village overnight. (40 km, 1-2 hours)

DAY- 05                     Kalash – Mastuj Valley.  Bomburet – Mastuj.

Morning drive from Bomburet to Mastuj village, beside the Chitral River. The Hindu Kush landscape is arid, as this area is outside the reach of the monsoon so receives very little rain. We stop at a small village for lunch and then continue north, enjoying spectacular views of snow-clad peaks reaching up to 4500 m. Meals & overnight at camp. (163 km, 7-8 hours)

DAY-06:         . Mastuj – Pjander Valley. 

Through Shandur Drive up the Phander jeep track over the Shandur Pass to Phander Lake. After Laspur village the zigzag jeep track climbs up the Shandur Pass (3500 m). At the summit, we leave the jeeps and walk over the pass to the highest polo ground in the world. Every year a grand festival of polo takes place where teams from throughout North Pakistan meet to decide the champion team. The festival is attended by many enthusiasts from every village, who came here for days to see their teamwork their way towards the glory. We continue by jeep to Phander lake to camp overnight. (80 km, 6-7 hours)

DAY -07          Pjander Valley – Hunza Karimabad.

Karakoram Short drive from Punial on a jeep track to Gilgit town. We rest at Gilgit, the administrative capital of the Northern areas of Pakistan. Gilgit, 630 km from Islamabad along the Karakoram Highway, has a small airport and is connected to the outside world with modern communication systems. After lunch we continue to drive on Karakoram Highway, crossing the Gilgit River on a historic suspension bridge. Driving along the Hunza river, the soaring ridges of the Karakoram on both side of the gorge

 DAY-08: Karimabad – Passu – Khunjerab pass – Gulmit.

The Charms of Passu Morning drive from Karimabad to Passu village. Trek from village to Passu glacier. Lunch at Passu, afternoon walking trip to the 250-meter-long suspension bridge over Hunza River. Evening walk around the village. Meals and overnight Lodge.

DAY-09                      Full day Hunza Karimabad. 

Karimabad Day at leisure, In the morning visit the 800-year-old Altit Fort that overlooks the ancient old silk route and the new Karakoram Highway. Later visit the newly restored palace of the Mir of the Hunza Kingdom that also served as a fort during many wars. Afternoon walk to Ultar Glacier. Meals and overnight at Hunza View hotel. Optional excursion to Nagar Valley. (Trek & sightseeing)

Day – 10 Jeep / Trek Karimabad -Tattu & Trek Fairy Meadows

We will drive on Karakoram Highway we will arrive at Raikot; at Raikot board on 4×4 soft top jeeps after one-hour drive, we will arrive at Tattu, a small village inhabited by Shina speaking Chilasis. Our trek commencement point. As loads are distributed among the porters, we leave the jeeps and start walking. We ascend gradually, walking through the dry lunar landscape of this meeting point of Hindukush and Himalayan range. Soon we enter the narrow, barren gorge of Tato River, the track clings high on its left bank. Crossing through the green juniper and pine trees arrive at Fairy Meadows for overnight huts/ camping. (07/08 hours)

DAY-11                 Trek to Base Camp of Nanga Parbat (4000 meters)

An ideal day’s walk to the base camp of Nanga Parbat. We walk through the pine trees, covered valley with Raikot glacier flowing on our left side and the summit of Nanga Parbat straight ahead. After about two hours we traverse the lateral moraine of the glacier and then arrive at a flat meadow of Bayal camping site. From here turn right for a short patch to arrive at the OLD BASE CAMP of Nanga Parbat. The meadow here is normally filled with Himalayan flowers and shouting marmots. Half an hour from here is German mountaineer Drexel’s monument. Lunch at 4,000 meters. Enjoy thrilling views of Nanga Parbat and its surrounding peaks. Later walk back to the camp at Fairy Meadows hut/ camp. (7/8 hours’ round trek.)

Day 12             Fairy Meadows /Tattu – Raikot Birdge – Skardu  (Meet the Indus River)

Early morning trek to Tattu Village, we follow Karakoram Highway reputed as the eighth wonder of the world. We follow Indus River towards the north and arrive at the place where the three highest mountain ranges of the world meet – Karakoram, Himalayas & Hindukush. Indus and Gilgit River also meet here at this unique place. We turn east from here for Skardu. This exciting mountain road that cuts through the deep & narrow gorge of Indus River, offers many challenging views. The landscape is mostly very dry and wild, villages and settlements along the way are fewer and perched high on the steep mountain slopes. Just before Skardu, the valley suddenly opens up and becomes wide. The roaring & charging river becomes peaceful and calm. Arrive and explore the capital of Baltistan, Skardu town. Formerly Buddhist, Skardu, was called’ Tibet Khurd (little Tibet) and was an important stop on the old route to Tibet and the district of Ladakh. Here the Indus River joins the Shigar River to become an enormous oval basin at 2,300 meters enclosed in purple, red, gray, and ochre mountains. Stroll down the narrow bazaar, climb up the cliff to visit the historic « Kharpocho » fort. Overnight camp at Satpara Lake, a deep blue shimmer just fifteen minutes’ drive from Skardu Valley.

Day 13 -15      – Skardu – Shigar & Khaplu Valleys.

The gentle, irrigated slopes with terraces of wheat, maize and barley, and the orchards of apricot, mulberry, peach, plum, pear, apples and nuts – all add to the charm of Shigar valley surrounded by snow-topped mountains. The town displays impressive carved wooden houses and mosques. After lunch at the town, we drive to adjoining Khaplu valley. Khaplu, the largest kingdom in old Baltistan, stretches in a wide fan from the base of a semicircular wall of mountain, dropping some 300 meters to the river level. Paths and irrigation channels connect the scattered houses set amid terraced fields and the friendly villager’s welcome visitors. We shall visit the historic wood-carved mosque, dominating the valley from the top end of the alluvial fan. Camp overnight at 2,600 meters.

Day 16            Fly Islamabad. 

Morning Drop Skardu Airport Departure Islamabad. Take self-taxi to GH/Free day Visit Islamabad. Overnight stay at GH.

(Incase flight canceled we drive to Narran. Drive Besham / Narran – Islamabad Full day drive on Karakoram Highway to Islamabad. We start early in the morning, to cover the 12 hours long drive. Short stay in Besham for lunch, by evening we shall reach Islamabad. Transfer to hotel. (500 km, 12/13 hours’ drive)

Note: the additional day will be the charge,