Grand North: Hunza & Skardu
Fourteen nights covering both great valleys properly
The complete northern circuit, and the trip we would take ourselves. Both valleys, Khunjerab, Deosai in season, and enough time that no day is spent only in a vehicle. Two weeks is what this country actually needs.
- Five nights in Hunza and four in Baltistan
- Khunjerab Pass at 4,693 metres
- The Deosai plateau in flower
- Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace
- The Karakoram Highway end to end
About 66 hours on the road across 14 nights. Northern Pakistan is big and the roads are mountain roads. We show the driving day by day below rather than burying it, because the commonest complaint in this business is a transfer nobody was warned about.
Elevation across the trip
Altitude is the thing that most often spoils a trip up here. This is the profile we actually follow, with the acclimatisation nights built in.
Day by day
Met and transferred.
What’s included
- All accommodation on a twin-share basis, in the tier shown
- Private vehicle with an experienced driver for the whole trip
- 4x4 jeeps where the road requires one
- An English-speaking guide throughout
- All meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner
- All entry tickets and site fees
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- Bottled water in the vehicle
- Restricted-zone permits and NOC paperwork where needed
- Visa invitation letter and hotel confirmations for your e-visa application
What’s not
- International flights
- Pakistan e-visa fee (typically USD 35–60, higher for some nationalities)
- Travel insurance — mandatory, and it must cover the altitudes on your itinerary
- Domestic flights unless listed in the itinerary
- Tips for your guide and driver (guidance provided, never expected)
- Personal expenses, laundry and telephone
- Anything not listed under what is included
Not quite right?
Add a few days in Skardu, drop the long transfer, travel a month earlier, upgrade where it matters and save where it does not. Start from this itinerary and change whatever you like — customisation is free, and you pay only for the trip you confirm.
Build my version of this tripAlso worth a look
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Grand North: Hunza & Skardu
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