Itinerary
- Day 1
Islamabad
You'll arrive in Islamabad and head to your hotel to settle in. After that, the afternoon is yours to explore the twin cities of Pindi and Islamabad. Later, you'll take an evening stroll through the narrow streets of Raja Bazaar to get a feel for the local atmosphere and street life.
Optional Activities
- Afternoon city tour of Pindi and Islamabad
- Evening stroll through Raja Bazaar
Landmarks/POIs Raja Bazaar - Day 2
Islamabad to Taxila to Karakoram Highway
The drive takes you to Taxila, once the capital of Gandhara Buddhist civilization. You'll walk through the ruins of Sirkup and the Julian monastery perched on a hilltop, then check out the site museum where you can see coins from Alexander the Great and other artifacts. From there, you'll head towards the Karakoram Highway, driving through lush green valleys around Mansehra before reaching a motel for the night.
Included Activities
- Visit Sirkup ruins
- Visit Julian monastery
- Visit Taxila site museum with artifacts from excavations
Landmarks/POIs Sirkup Julian Monastery Taxila Site Museum - Day 3
Karakoram Highway to Gilgit
An early morning drive gets you to Gilgit. You'll cross the Chinese-made bridge at Thakot to enter the Indus River gorge, and there's a stop at Thalichi where you can see Nanga Parbat and other major peaks. As you continue along the Gilgit River, you'll reach the point where the Karakoram, Himalayas, and Hindukush mountain ranges meet, which is something quite remarkable from a geographical standpoint.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in Chilas)
Included Activities
- Visit Spatial rock carving sites at Thakot
- Viewpoint stop at Thalichi for Nanga Parbat views
Optional Activities
- Lunch in Chilas
Landmarks/POIs Thakot Bridge Indus River Gorge Spatial Rock Carving Thalichi Viewpoint Nanga Parbat Rakaposhi Haramosh Range - Day 4
Gilgit to Hunza Valley (Karimabad)
You'll head back into Gilgit using the historic suspension bridge route. On the way, you'll visit the 7th-century rock-carved Buddha at Kargah, then wander through Gilgit's colorful bazaars to pick up supplies or just browse. After that, you'll drive through scenic routes heading towards the Hunza Valley, with a stop at Rakaposhi viewpoint before arriving in Karimabad for the night.
Included Activities
- Visit Kargah rock-carved Buddha from 7th century AD
- Bazaar stroll in Gilgit
Landmarks/POIs Kargah Valley Kargah Buddha Gilgit Bazaar Hunza Valley Rakaposhi Viewpoint Karimabad - Day 5
Karimabad (Hunza Valley)
This is a free day in Karimabad, so you can move at your own pace. Short walks take you to both Altit and Baltit Forts, and you can explore the surrounding valleys at leisure. In the afternoon, you have options: walk to Ultar glacier, follow irrigation channels through villages, or wander through the single-lane bazaar. It's a good day to rest and explore on your own schedule.
Optional Activities
- Short walks to Altit Fort
- Short walks to Baltit Fort
- Walk to Ultar Glacier
- Follow irrigation channel through village
- Stroll through single-lane bazaar
Landmarks/POIs Altit Fort Baltit Fort Ultar Glacier Rakaposhi Diran Peak Ultar Peak Golden Peak Nagar Valley - Day 6
Karimabad to Passu
A short drive takes you through the heart of Karakoram. You'll stop at Gulmit village to walk through the fields and visit the Polo ground and old houses. From there, you'll trek to Gulkin Glaciers and Borit Lake before transferring to Passu. Once there, you can explore this charming village that sits in the shadow of the Passu Cones with glaciers nearby.
Included Activities
- Walk through Gulmit village fields
- Visit Gulmit Polo ground
- Trek to Gulkin Glaciers
- Trek to Borit Lake
- Walk through Passu village
Landmarks/POIs Gulmit Tower Gulkin Glaciers Borit Lake Passu Cones Passu Glacier Batura Glacier - Day 7
Passu (Day Excursion)
The morning starts with a walk to Passu Glacier and Passu Lake, where you'll have views of Shispar and Passu Peak. After returning for lunch, the afternoon brings you to the famous 800-foot-long suspension bridges over the Hunza River. These bridges are still in active use by locals, so you get a sense of how integral they are to daily life here.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Walk to Passu Glacier
- Walk to Passu Lake
- Visit Passu suspension bridges
Landmarks/POIs Passu Glacier Passu Lake Shispar Peak Passu Peak Passu Suspension Bridges Hunza River - Day 8
Passu to Minapin Trek to Tagafuri Camp
You'll drive along the Karakoram Highway to Minapin, located in the shadow of Rakaposhi and Diran mountains. Then comes a moderate trek to Tagafuri that takes you through juniper and rose-covered hills, passing barley and potato fields. Lunch happens at a summer settlement, and you'll reach the campsite between the lateral moraine and the foot of Rakaposhi by evening.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at summer settlement)
Included Activities
- Trek from Minapin to Tagafuri
- Pass through juniper, thorn and rose bush hills
- Lunch at summer settlement
Landmarks/POIs Minapin Rakaposhi Diran Peak Diran Glacier Tagafuri - Day 9
Tagafuri to Minapin
You'll walk down from the Tagafuri campsite back to Minapin village, then camp overnight there. It's a chance to recover from yesterday's trek while staying in the village itself rather than at an altitude.
Included Activities
- Walk down from Tagafuri to Minapin
Landmarks/POIs Tagafuri Minapin - Day 10
Minapin to Fairy Meadow (Nanga Parbat)
After returning to the Karakoram Highway, you'll drive to Raikot Bridge over the Indus River. From there, you'll enter the narrow gorge by jeep and reach Tatto village where you'll leave the vehicles behind to start trekking. The trek takes you to Fairy Meadow at the foot of Nanga Parbat, where you'll have superb views of the mountain, its glacier, and the surrounding pine forests.
Included Activities
- Jeep drive to Tatto village
- Trek to Fairy Meadow
Landmarks/POIs Raikot Bridge Indus River Tatto Village Fairy Meadow Nanga Parbat - Day 11
Fairy Meadow (Base Camp Option)
You'll spend the full day at Fairy Meadow with the option to trek to the base camp of Nanga Parbat if conditions permit. You'll need to cross the glacier and should carry a pack lunch from camp. Return to camp or the huts for the night after exploring.
- Meals
- Lunch (Pack lunch from camp at Fairy Meadow to be consumed at base camp)
Optional Activities
- Trek to Nanga Parbat base camp (crossing glacier)
Landmarks/POIs Fairy Meadow Nanga Parbat Base Camp Nanga Parbat - Day 12
Fairy Meadow to Gilgit
About three hours of walking takes you from Fairy Meadow back down to Tatto to meet the jeeps. From there, you'll drive down to Raikot Bridge and continue on the Karakoram Highway back to Gilgit. The evening is free for resting and exploring the town on your own.
Included Activities
- Walk from Fairy Meadow to Tatto
Landmarks/POIs Fairy Meadow Tatto Village Raikot Bridge Gilgit - Day 13
Gilgit to Phander
A jeep drive takes you to Phander with occasional stops for short walks along the way. You'll leave the Karakoram range behind and enter the Hindukush range. The landscape here is wild with nomads passing through looking for higher pastures for their goats, especially snow-covered during winter months. You'll camp overnight at Phander.
Included Activities
- Jeep drive to Phander with short walks
Landmarks/POIs Gilgit Karakoram Range Hindukush Range Phander - Day 14
Phander to Mastuj (Shandur Pass)
From Phander, you'll take a zigzag jeep track towards Mastuj. At Shandur Pass, you'll leave the jeeps to walk over this mountain pass. You'll visit the highest polo ground in the world, where an annual grand polo festival happens and teams from across Pakistan camp for days to compete. After that, you'll drive on to Mastuj for the night.
Included Activities
- Walk over Shandur Pass
- Visit highest polo ground in the world
Optional Activities
- Observe Shandur Polo Festival (seasonal - annual event)
Landmarks/POIs Shandur Pass Shandur Polo Ground Mastuj - Day 15
Mastuj to Chitral
The morning drive from Mastuj takes you along the Chitral River through the main valley bed. The Hindukush landscape here is arid and dry because the area sits outside the monsoon reach. You'll stop at a small village for lunch and continue north enjoying views of snow-clad peaks that reach 4,500 meters.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at small village), Dinner
Included Activities
- Drive along Chitral River
Optional Activities
- Lunch stop at small village
Landmarks/POIs Mastuj Chitral River Hindukush Range Chitral - Day 16
Chitral to Bumburet Valley
You'll start early for a trek over a steep 3,000-meter ridge that separates the Bumburet and Birir valleys. Bring adequate water since springs on the route aren't reliable. Trekking in the early cool hours lets you experience the unique landscape of Kalash valleys and meet local people in their daily life. You'll arrive at Bumburet, the largest Kalash village, then return to Chitral for overnight.
Included Activities
- Trek over 3,000-meter ridge between Bumburet and Birir valleys
- Experience unique Kalash valley landscape
Optional Activities
- Meet local Kalash population during daily activities
Landmarks/POIs Bumburet Valley Birir Valley Bumburet Village Chitral - Day 17
Chitral to Swat via Lowari Pass
The morning drive heads to Swat via the Lowari Pass at 3,200 meters. You'll encounter approximately 96 hairpin turns to reach the summit, then descend through Dir, Chakdara, and Malakand Pass. Swat sits at 3,250 feet above sea level and is surrounded by fruit-laden orchards, flower-filled slopes, and meandering rivers with the Hindu Kush and Karakoram ranges as backdrop. You'll transfer to a hotel in Mingora for the night.
Included Activities
- Drive over Lowari Pass
Landmarks/POIs Lowari Pass Dir Chakdara Malakand Pass Swat Valley Saidu Sharif Mingora - Day 18
Swat Valley Sightseeing
After breakfast, you'll spend the full day sightseeing in the valley. You'll visit the museum, the White Palace, and rock carvings from the Buddhist period. Then you'll head to Upper Swat to see Malam Jaba and Kalam. Drive back to Mingora for the night after exploring these sites.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Swat Museum
- Visit White Palace
- Visit Buddhist period rock carvings
- Visit Malam Jaba
- Visit Kalam
Landmarks/POIs Swat Museum White Palace Buddhist Rock Carvings Malam Jaba Kalam - Day 19
Peshawar
You'll travel to Peshawar, a city that's been important throughout sub-continental history due to its location at the Khyber Pass and connection to Gandhara civilization. Now it's known more for its frontier town character. You'll visit Kissa Khawani Bazaar (the street of storytellers), Kasera Bazaar (the street of gold), Karavan Serai, and Mahabat Khan Mosque. There's also the Museum of Peshawar with its Gandhara artifacts to explore.
Included Activities
- Visit Kissa Khawani Bazaar (street of storytellers)
- Visit Kasera Bazaar (street of gold)
- Visit Karavan Serai
- Visit Mahabat Khan Mosque
- Visit Museum of Peshawar with Gandhara artifacts
Landmarks/POIs Kissa Khawani Bazaar Kasera Bazaar Karavan Serai Mahabat Khan Mosque Museum of Peshawar - Day 20
Khyber Pass Excursion
A morning excursion takes you to Khyber Pass, the most important land route leading to the Indian subcontinent. Historic invaders, including Alexander the Great, used this route. You may be allowed to visit Michni Post which offers panoramic views of the Pak-Afghan border. The evening is free, and you'll stay overnight in a hotel.
Included Activities
- Visit Khyber Pass
Optional Activities
- Visit Michni Post for Pak-Afghan border views
Landmarks/POIs Khyber Pass Michni Post - Day 21
Peshawar to Islamabad via Grand Trunk Road
You'll drive to Islamabad on the Grand Trunk Road, built by Sher Shah Suri. Along the way, you'll cross the Indus River at Attock with a photo stop at the meeting point of the Indus and Kabul rivers beyond the bridge. You'll pass the archaeological site of Taxila by evening and arrive in Islamabad. There's an afternoon visit to explore the federal capital before your overnight stay.
Included Activities
- Drive Grand Trunk Road
- Cross Attock bridge over Indus River
- Visit Islamabad city
Optional Activities
- Photo stop at Indus and Kabul rivers meeting point
Landmarks/POIs Grand Trunk Road Attock Bridge Indus River Kabul River Taxila Islamabad - Day 22
Departure
You'll transfer to the airport for your departure flight home, ending your journey through Pakistan.
