Karakoram Highway
Road Trip

The trip kicks off with the guests dropping off their luggage in their Deluxe Rooms at Serena Hotel, Islamabad, and freshening up for the day ahead. These tastefully decorated rooms give you the option to choose between a comfortable king bed or twin beds for your comfort. Deluxe Rooms comes with a working desk, safety deposit box, and luxurious bath amenities. The Islamabad leg of this journey starts with a tour of Pakistan s capital city followed by a leisurely snacking break at Monal a restaurant up in the mountains embracing the city. You can choose from a wide variety of palate pleasers at Monal. We recommend their Cheese Naan and Seekh Kebab. Keep it snack-sized because we have made special plans for dinner. The restaurant is the perfect place to witness the sunset behind the thick trees and hills of the region. Feel free to ask your tour guides to give you a quick tour of some of the major attractions in the city such as Faisal Mosque, Daman-e-Koh, and Pakistan Monument. You will come back to a deluxe dining experience at Dawat. Witness professional chefs prepare your food in open kitchens for you while you swoon to Pakistani music.

Buckle up for a truly sensory experience as we leave Islamabad after a very early breakfast towards the serpentine roads leading to Gilgit. Since this is an adventure road trip format, we have added many stopovers along our 12 hours road trip so that our guests can truly absorb the spectacle and bask in the karmic balance of the valley. We will continue our journey for 2 hours approximately to arrive at our first photo stop, Asoka Rock Inscriptions in Mansehra. Delve into the mystique of early Buddhism with the ancient Indic script on boulders dating back to 3rd century BC (Gandhara Civilization). The guests continue our journey for another 2 hours and 45 minutes approximately to reach our next stopover where you can get the first view of River Indus at Thakot. Lunch will be served at Besham, which is the largest town and commercial center in the district called Shangla some 120 km away from Mansehra. The total travel for this leg of the journey is approximately 5 hours. The city is a popular halting point for explorers taking the Karakoram Highway to get to Hunza and Gilgit. After lunch, we travel further for approximately 5 hours to reach Chilas, a historical city in Gilgit Baltistan. Like Besham, Chilas is a traditional halting point when traveling to the Northern areas and is quite popular because of its Buddhist influences and scenic views. Enroute stopovers include the Diamer-Bhasha dam site where you get to see the power prospect of this aspirational megaproject. After an eventful day, guests will check-in at Serena Gilgit. Dinner will be served at Dumani. An on-site restaurant renowned for its impressive menu offering Pakistani, Continental, and Chinese cuisines, Dumani gives guests a chance to enjoy their meal with a view of the lush valley gardens and have their first rendezvous with fine dining Baltistan cuisine.

Today is about witnessing great wonders. After a hearty breakfast, we set out to search and discover the 7th-century Kargah Buddha rock carving deep in the hills of Gilgit. Next, we depart for Jaglot to witness the 3M mountain ranges Karakoram, Hindukush, and the Himalayas visible in a single panoramic view to your front, left, and right. Enjoy the colony of sky-high mountains from here before we head to the Rakaposhi viewpoint in Ghulmet for our second majestic view of the day. See the Rakaposhi mountain rise from its broad base to its 7,788m peak with a clear vantage point. Savor the taste of local delicacies as you soak in the magnificence of the Rakaposhi Mountains (meaning snow covered ) in the local language. You will continue your journey back to your hotel in Gilgit. Stroll the popular Gilgit Bazar visit the Chinar Bagh and take a walk in Serena hotel s rose and organic fruits garden, Dinner will be served at the Garden BBQ restaurant. The Garden BBQ offers a buffet of local seafood, chicken as well as beef specialties from May to September. Enjoy your fine meat kebabs and steaks with Balti music and the sound of water channels in the background.

The day begins with breakfast and then we head off to the Hunza district. We check-in at Serena Inn Hunza in Karimabad and then set out for Gulmit. The travel time from Hunza to Gulmit is approximately two hours long but offers some of the most picturesque views Pakistan has to offer, including the Attabad Lake. The drive then takes a rough terrain as we offroad to Borith Lake. The travel time from Gulmit to Borith Lake is approximately 28 min (13.6 km) by a 4x4 vehicle. An exquisite water body in Gulmit, Borith Lake has an altitude of roughly 2,600 meters above sea level. You can swim, snorkel, boat, bike, trek the glaciers here or grab a book and relax by the lake. You will then return to Gulmit Village with a quick stopover at the Hussaini Suspension bridge. A real treat for adrenaline junkies, this is a rope bridge crossing Borith Lake. Over the years the bridge has become a tourist attraction as thrill-seekers test their nerves by walking on the wooden planks in strong winds. Check-in to your rooms back at the hotel and rest at leisure. We have arranged premium chalets called Tents by the hotel. The tents come with world-class amenities, window views of the valleys, and tranquil private space. Dinner will be served at Osho Marak Restaurant where you can enjoy traditional specialties made fresh and in advance to your particular taste, with a stunning view of Hunza Valley.

Guests kick start their day with breakfast at the hotel. You will then depart for your journey towards the Khunjerab Pass. Considered one of the highest mountain passes in the world, Khunjerab Pass is located in Karakoram Mountains and boasts an elevation of 4,693 meters! By noon, guests will experience the magical Khunjerab Pass walk, wildlife spotting, flora, and fauna. The trip to Khunjerab Pass is the soul of this package and you d understand why upon arrival. You can also spot an army of trucks flaunting traditional Pakistani truck art. Psychedelic and unique, Pakistani truck art is globally recognized and serves as a great backdrop to Instagram-popping pictures. Lunch will be served at the Khunjerab Pass the highest border crossing in the world and the highest point of the Karakoram Highway (4,693m) where you can rest and marvel at its unique location. You will then return to Karimabad. Rest at leisure in your chalet-style suites at Hunza Inn or go out on your own to explore. Hunza Inn offers a gateway to the Baltit Fort as well as the nearby Altit Fort that offer a glimpse of the region s history in the museums within their boundaries. Dinner will be served at the hotel. Savor the taste of traditional barbecued delicacies at Diran Terraces BBQ with a spectacular view of the Ultar Peak, Lady Finger, Mount Diran Peak, and Rakaposhi.

The day starts with a water channel walkthrough Hunzai Culture. A 3-4 hour walk along the water channels from Ultra Nala is the best opportunity to get a panoramic view of Hunza and enjoy its culture up-close and personal. Next up, you head to Karakoram Area Development Organization (KADO) for an exclusive factory visit. An indigenous initiative Kado is a vocational training institute founded to improve the socio-economic conditions of local communities especially women and disabled people. You get a tour of the embroidery workshop under KADO that is the source of livelihood for the skillful women of the region. Next you will be driven to Baltit Fort - a monument that dates back to 8th CE as the seat of the prince, and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004. The fort is a tourist favorite because of its obvious Ladakhi Tibetan architectural influences. Our tour guides will help the guests navigate through the cultural market, Karimabad Bazaar, where they can indulge in retail therapy without feeling guilty. They will be spoilt for choice here from hand-made accessories to hand-crafted art pieces made with love by the locals. Buckle up for sunset trekking behind Golden Peak also known as Spantik. The Golden Peak is a subrange of Karakoram and offers easy to difficult climbing routes with a spectacular view of the valley. Return to your hotel and rest.

After breakfast and a walk in the valley, our professional tourist guides will take you to Altit Fort. The fort was home to the rulers of Hunza state and it is one of the oldest monuments in Gilgit Baltistan especially the Shikari Tower which is almost 1100 years old. Visit the old homes here and the carpentry shop is run primarily by the skillful women of the valley. Grab a piece of walnut cake and coffee at Kha Basi Caf - a unique restaurant located under the wing of Altit Fort in the ancient royal garden called the Kha Basi . We will drive for approximately 20 minutes to Duiker Valley where we leave for our trek towards Ultar peak viewpoint for a close look of Lady Finger and Ultar Sar and bird s eye view of Hunza Valley. You will walk back to Duiker Valley just in time to enjoy the sunset. We head back to our premium campsite to wrap up the day delicious packed food, served hot with tea next to a campfire. Catch great local stories and a good dose of sleep in the wild.

Catch the sunrise with some morning tea and then return to Karimabad before departing to explore our next valley - the Naltar valley. The total travel time of this journey is approximately 2 hours. We have added many photos stops at locations that are pure hidden gems so that our guests don t miss out on the awe-inspiring vistas as they bid farewell to the Hunza valley. After a 3-hour drive which includes crossing through the oasis valley of Normal and rallying through the off the beaten track, we will arrive at the Pine Forest Valley of Naltar. If you are visiting in Winter we will head to the ski resort operated by the Pakistan Air Force. Skiing is a popular sport in Naltar and the resort features a 2.5km ski slope with chairlifts, skiing gears, and changing rooms. This is a private ski resort and needs a special permit to access. All ski gears will be provisioned along with changing rooms. If you are visiting in summer we will explore the hidden gems the 3 glacial lakes of Naltar. and As we set out to explore the 3 lakes of Naltar our 4x4 will cut cross rivers and glacial streams. The first gem is the Satrangi lake - the 7-colored lake. If you are visiting here in Summer you will see blue, green, yellow and other prominent hues in the lake. Next is the much larger Pari Lake (fairy lake) with its deep blue glacial meltwater shades. Your campsite will be set here as you get on a local boat to drift through this lake. The final lake needs to be conquered on foot with an hour s trek. Called the Firoza lake this one is a pure turquoise. Return to the campsite and get treated with hot towels. Seafood is on the menu with the fresh Trout fish from the Naltar valley. Hot tea, campsite fire, warm sleeping bags, and the starry milky way visible at an altitude of 3,300m above sea level.

We continue our drive to Islamabad from Naltar. We will depart from the site at dawn with packed breakfast bags for the 12 hours long drive and the journey back is worth writing home about. Using a different route than the one we came from, you will catch glimpses of the Nanga Parbat from the distance and pass through the Lulusar park, and the wadis of Naran and Kaghan. A stopover at Taxila has been added to the itinerary so that you can truly experience the Buddhist influences of the region by visiting the Julian monastery as well as Sirkap. An archeological landmark dating back to 180 BE, Sirkap is a real treat for history enthusiasts. Next we head to the Taxila Museum that is home to scriptures and ancient collections from the Buddhist civilization. We continue our drive from another 50 minutes approximately to reach Islamabad and check-in at Serena Hotel. Rest at leisure and unwind after an adventurous day with a lavish meal prepared by the chefs at Serena. After dinner, call it a day or head to Maisha Spa at Serena Hotel for a free Himalaya Rock Salt Detoxifying Journey or a Hydrating Milk Bath to soothe and pamper your body.

After breakfast, guests will be transported to the airport where they would take their respective flights back home. Delicious food from the region, fancy hotels, awe-inspiring views and historical landmarks, our adventurous road trip across the Karakoram region ends here. Rejoice over this 9-day break that took you through treacherous valleys, adrenaline outdoor, and ancient civilizations all in one memorable journey. Time to pride on those great pictures you took and share them with the world. Chalo Pakistan! *This leisurely trip can be extended upon request. The itinerary can be added on and customized to your fit.