Hunza, known as Heaven on Earth, is a beautiful mountainous valley located in the Gilgit- Baltistan region of Pakistan. Situated at the north/west of the Hunza River, it is surrounded by several high peaks including Rakaposhi, Hunza Peak, BojahagurDuanasir II, Darmyani Peak, Ghenta Sar, Ultar Sar, and Ladyfinger Peak.
The valley has different beautiful natural sights which are attractions for tourists. Among these attractions, the Baltit and Altit forts are also well known. The Baltit fort, after renovation, has recently been turned into a heritage museum.
Karimabad
As described above is the main bazaar of Hunza full of colorful shops with local dry fruits (Dried Apricots, Apricot Nut, Almonds, Walnuts Mulberry, etc.) At the end of the bazaar are the Baltit village and Baltit fort which are restored by the Aga Khan fund for Culture & heritage. The fort has been brought into a guided museum you can spend time by visiting different sections of the fort and viewing the slide show in the small hall of the fort.
Itinerary | 05 Nights 06 Days
Day 01
Pickup from Islamabad and departure for Naran (approx. 07 hrs. drive).
Overnight stay at a hotel in Naran.
Day 02
After breakfast departure for Hunza (approx. 10 hrs. drive). En-route stopover at Rakaposhi viewpoint.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 03
After breakfast visit Baltit Fort, and Altit Fort, later visit Ganish Village and the sacred rocks of Hunza.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 04
After breakfast depart to visit Khunjerab Pass via Attabad Lake and Passu Glacier.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hunza
Day 05
After breakfast departure for Naran (approx. 10 hrs. drive).
Overnight stay at a hotel in Naran.
Day 06
After breakfast departure for Islamabad (approx. 07 hrs. drive). On arrival drop at a designated location in Islamabad.
Hunza via KKH Tour | 06 Nights 07 Days
Itinerary
Day 01: Islamabad – Chilas
Pick up from Islamabad departure for Chilas (08 hrs drive). En-route Lunch at Besham continue the drive to Chilas.
Overnight Stay at a hotel in Chilas.
Day 02: Chilas – Hunza
After breakfast departure for Karimabad/Hunza (06 hour drive) with a stopover at Rakaposhi Viewpoint and the junction of the three Mightiest Mountain Ranges the place where the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush Meet.
Mount Rakaposhi is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range and means “shining wall” in the local language. It is ranked 27th highest in the world and 12th highest in Pakistan, but it is more popular for its beauty than its rank might suggest and is said to be one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. It is 7788 m high. Rakaposhi was first climbed in 1958 by Mike Banks and Tom Patey, members of a British-Pakistani expedition, via the Southwest Spur/Ridge route. The Minapin glacier sweeps down from the 16th km–long fluted snowy ridge that connects Rakaposhi (7788M) and Diran (7265 M).
Journey along the famous Karakoram Highway (KKH) with its breathtaking scenery and as you travel you will follow the path of the ancient southern Silk Road 60km from Gilgit you will pass the point at Chalt where the Indian Subcontinent plate collides with the Asian Plate.
On arrival at Karimabad check in at the hotel and rest of the day leisure.
Overnight at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 03: Hunza
After breakfast be transformed back 700 years and explore the royal seat of the ruler of Hunza – the Tibetan-influenced UNESCO award-winning Baltit Fort and walk the cobbled streets of the old settlement of Baltit.
Later visit Altit Fort – wander around the historical village of Altit & explore this beautifully restored fort.
Visit the oldest settlement in the Hunza valley – Ganish, some 1000 years old and the recipient of many UNESCO awards for the superb heritage conservation & development work completed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture through their Historic Cities Programme.
See the Sacred Rocks of Hunza – a famous archeological site recording 2000 years of travels along the Silk Road to and from China. The inscriptions are in Kharaoshti, Brahmi, Gupta, and Sogdian & Tibetan and depict many an Ibex.
Continue visit to Duiker for a Sunset view.
Overnight at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 04: Hunza
After breakfast, departure for Attabad Lake – created in 2010 by the devastating landslide and offering an amazing experience with breathtaking scenery (approximately 45 Mints drive) through the newly built tunnels. Later visit of Khunjerab Pass (approx 03 hrs. drive).
Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakoram Mountains in a strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan’s Gilgit–Baltistan Hunza – Nagar District on the southwest border of the Xinjiang region of China.
Overnight at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 05: Hunza
After breakfast Departure for Nagar Valley (Hooper Glacier) after that day free leisure in Hunza.
Overnight at Hotel in Hunza.
Day 06: Hunza – Gilgit – Chilas
After breakfast Departure for Chilas En-Route Visit of NLI Bazar of Gilgit and Kargah Buddha later continue the drive to Chilas.
Overnight at Hotel in Chilas.
Day 07: Chilas – Islamabad
After breakfast departure for Islamabad (approx. 08 hrs. drive). En-Route Lunch at Besham.
Continue driving to Islamabad. Drop at a designated location or Airport.
Naran, Hunza and Skardu Tour (09 Nights 10 Days)
Itinerary
Day 01: Islamabad-Naran
Pick up from Islamabad airport and departure for Naran (Approx.06 hrs. Drive).
Overnight stay at a hotel in Naran.
Day 02: Naran-Hunza
After Breakfast departure for Hunza (approx. 07 hrs drive) en route visit Rakaposhi viewpoint on arrival in Hunza.
Overnight Stay at a hotel in Hunza
Day 03: Hunza
After Breakfast visit Ganesh Village and the sacred rock of Hunza Altit Fort and Baltit Fort in the evening sunset view at eagle nest point.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 04: Hunza
After breakfast departure for (approx. 04 hrs), Khunjrab Pass China border en-route visit of Attabad Lake, Passu Cones, Passu Glacier and Batura Lake.
Overnight Stay at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 05: Hunza-Skradu
After breakfast departure for Skardu (approx. 06hrs) on arrival visit upper Kachura Lake and Lower Kachura Lake.
Overnight Stay at a hotel in Skardu.
Day 06: Skardu
After breakfast visit Katpana Desert and Sarfaranga Desert. Later visit Khilingrong Mosque and Ambruiq Mosque in Shiger Valley.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Shiger Valley.
Day 07: Skardu
After breakfast departure for Deosai plains (approx. 03 ½ hrs.) en-route visit Sadpara Lake and Bara Pani bridge Sheosar Lake.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Shiger Valley.
Day 08: Shiger-Khaplu
After breakfast Departure for Khaplu valley Skardu (approx. 03 hrs.) on arrival Visit Chaqchan Mosque.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Khaplu Valley.
Day 09: Khaplu
After Breakfast visit Trek Thoqskhar Fort and Khaplu Valley Saling Fish foam and Machulo viewpoint for Masherbrum Peak.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Khaplu Valley.
Day 10: Khaplu – Shiger
After Breakfast Departure for Shiger Valley en-route visit Khamosh Waterfall and Manthoka Waterfall.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Shiger Valley.
Day 11: Skardu-Islamabad
After breakfast drop by Skardu Airport.
Lahore – Islamabad – Naran – Hunza (9 Nights 10 Days)
Itinerary
Day 01: Lahore
Pick up from Lahore airport and transfer to the hotel Continue visiting the Tomb of Jahangir the mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir who ruled from 1605 to 1627. His son Shah Jahan built the mausoleum 10 years after his father’s death. It is sited in an attractive walled garden and has four 30-meter-high minarets. The interior is embellished with frescoes and pietra dura inlay and colored marble.
Later proceed to visit Badshahi Mosque, or the ‘Emperor’s Mosque’, which was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore. It is one of the city’s best-known landmarks, and a major tourist attraction epitomizing the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era. Capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshipers, it is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid are closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb’s father and predecessor, Emperor Shah Jahan.
Continue for the Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila, located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore. The trapezoidal composition is spread over 20 hectares. Origins of the fort go as far back as antiquity; however, the existing base structure was built during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar (1556- 1605), and was regularly upgraded by subsequent rulers. Thus the fort manifests the rich traditions of the entire Mughal architecture. Some of the famous sites inside the fort include Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha Pavilion, and Moti Masjid. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Shalimar Gardens (Lahore).
Overnight stay at a hotel in Lahore.
Day 02: Lahore
After breakfast visit Old City, Shahi Hamam, Wazir khan Mosque, Golden Mosque or Sunehri Masjid a relative latecomer to Lahore’s traditional cityscape, having been built in 1753 during the waning years of the Mughal empire by Nawab Bhikari Khan, the Deputy of Lahore during the tenure of Governor Mir Mu’in al-Mulk Mir Munoo. It stands on a small plot of land where one street diverges into two. When Nawab Bhikari Khan acquired the property, it was a vacant parcel of land at the chowk (square) of Kashmiri Bazaar. He was required to obtain a special fatwa from Muslim scholars to construct the mosque, as the local authority has been concerned that the construction of a building in the square would interrupt the flow of traffic and visit many old Streets in the Old City.
After lunch visit of Wahga (Pak-India) border to watch the Flag-Lowering Ceremony between Pakistan and India Wagah, the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Amritsar, India and Lahore. Wagah itself is a village where the controversial Radcliffe Line was drawn. The village was unified before partition in 1947. Today, the eastern half of the village remains in India whilst the other half is in Pakistan. The Wagah border is a ceremonial border where each evening, there is a ceremony called the ‘lowering of the flags’. At that time there is a very energetic and thrilling parade done by Border Security Force (B.S.F), Indian and Pakistan Rangers soldiers.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Lahore.
Day 03: Lahore – Islamabad
After breakfast departure for Khewra Salt Mines; (approx. 03 ½ hrs. drive).
Visit Khewra Salt Mines (approx. 01 hr drive) a salt mine located in Khewra. It attracts up to 40,000 visitors per year and is the second-largest salt mine in the world. Situated in the foothills of the Salt Range, the Khewra Salt Mines are the oldest in the sub-continent.
Salt has been mined at Khewra since 320 BC, in an underground area of about 110 sq. km. Khewra salt mine has an estimated total of 220 million tons of rock salt deposits. The current production from the mine is 325,000 tons of salt per annum.
The mine-head buildings have 17 stories, with 11 below ground. The salt mine is 945 feet above sea level and extends around 2,400 feet inside the earth from the mine mouth. There are 17 working levels and the cumulative length of all tunnels is more than 40 km.
Salt occurs in the form of an irregular dome-like structure. There are seven thick salt seams with a cumulative thickness of about 150 meters. In places, the rock salt is 99% pure and the Salt is transparent, white, pink, and reddish to beef-color red. There are beautiful alternate bands of red and white color salt.
Later visit of Katas Raj (approx. 1 hr. drive), is a Hindu Mandir or temple complex situated in Katas village near Choa Saidan Shah in the Chakwal district of Punjab. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has existed since the days of Mahābhārata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site. The Pakistan Government is considering nominating the temple complex for World Heritage Site status. In 2007, it also proposed to restore the temple complex. In 2012, the temple pond is drying up due to the heavy use of groundwater for industrial purposes. Continue driver to Islamabad (approx. 03 hrs. drive).
In the evening suggested dinner at Pir Sohawa.
Overnight stay at Hotel in Islamabad.
Day 04: Islamabad – Naran
Pick up from Islamabad and departure for Naran (approx. 07 hrs. drive) En-route lunch.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Naran.
Day 05: Naran
After breakfast visit Lake Saif-ul-Muluk (by jeep) (01 ½ hours stay at Lake) Lake Saif ul Muluk at an altitude of 3,224 m (10,578 feet) above sea level is amongst one of the highest lakes in Pakistan.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Naran.
Day 06: Naran – Hunza
Early morning at 0600 hrs departure for Karimabad / Hunza via Babusar pass (10-hour drive) with a stopover at Rakaposhi Viewpoint Mount Rakaposhi is a mountain in the Karakoram Mountain range and means “shining wall” in the local language. It is ranked 27th highest in the world and 12th highest in Pakistan, but it is more popular for its beauty than its rank might suggest and is said to be one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. It is 7788 m high. Rakaposhi was first climbed in 1958 by Mike Banks and Tom Patey, members of a British-Pakistani expedition, via the Southwest Spur/Ridge route. The Minapin glacier sweeps down from the 16th km–long fluted snowy ridge that connects Rakaposhi (7788M) and Diran (7265 M). Journey along the famous Karakoram Highway (KKH) with its breathtaking scenery and as you travel you will follow the path of the ancient southern Silk Road 60km from Gilgit you will pass the point at Chalt where the Indian Subcontinent plate collides with the Asian Plate.
On arrival at Karimabad check in at the hotel and rest of the day leisure.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 07: Hunza
After breakfast be transformed back 700 years and explore the royal seat of the ruler of Hunza – the Tibetan-influenced UNESCO award-winning Baltit Fort and walk the cobbled streets of the old settlement of Baltit. Later visit Altit Fort – wander around the historical village of Altit & explore this beautifully restored fort. Visit the oldest settlement in the Hunza valley – Ganish, some 1000 years old and the recipient of many UNESCO awards for the superb heritage conservation & development work completed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture through their Historic Cities Programme. See the Sacred Rocks of Hunza – a famous archeological site recording 2000 years of travels along the Silk Road to and from China. The inscriptions are in Kharaoshti, Brahmi, Gupta, and Sogdian & Tibetan and depict many an Ibex.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 08: Hunza
After breakfast, departure for Attabad Lake – created in 2010 by the devastating landslide and offering an amazing experience with breathtaking scenery (approximately 2 hrs. drive) through the newly built tunnels to Gulmit (approximately 01 ½ hrs. drive) En-route view the amazing Passu Glacier and Passu Cones later departure for Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakoram Mountains in a strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan’s Gilgit–Baltistan Hunza – Nagar District on the southwest border of the Xinjiang region of China.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hunza.
Day 09: Hunza – Naran
After breakfast departure for Naran (approx. 08 hrs drive). En route suggested lunch at Shangrila Hotel Chilas.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Naran.
Day 10: Naran – Islamabad
After breakfast departure for Islamabad (approx. 07 hrs. drive).
On arrival drop at a designated location in Islamabad.