7-Day tour of Gilgit-Baltistan, Kaghan and Naran

7-Day tour of Gilgit-Baltistan, Kaghan and Naran

With over 7 years of international tourism experience and bases all over Gilgit-Baltistan, and partners all over Pakistan, we can safely claim to be nothing less than the best provider of tourism services from start to end.

Enjoy the beauty of Pakistan with mesmerizing high peaks of Karakoram to lush green fields of Astore and Hunza; historical forts of Baltis to 5000 years BC buddha statues, rock arts and inscriptions of this beautiful valley.

Itinerary

Day 1: Islamabad to Kaghan, Babusar Top (KPK) and finally to Astore in Gilgit

Stop At: Kaghan Valley, north-east of Mansehra District, Islamabad 44000 Pakistan
Babusar Pass or Babusar Top is a mountain pass at the north of the 150 km long Kaghan Valley connecting it with Chilas on the Karakoram Highway. It is the highest point in the babusar valley that can be easily accessed by cars.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Rama, Astore, Gilgit at Wazir Guesthouse.

(Lunch and dinner not included in Economy packages)

Day 2: Astore, Gilgit visit

Stop At: Rama Lake, Astore Pakistan
It is on the top of the beautiful Astore Valley that has a light covering of oak trees and other greenery.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Fairy Meadows, Chilas 14100 Pakistan
Chilas is a small town located in the Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan on the river Indus. It is part of the Silk Road connected by the Karakoram Highway and N-90 National Highway, which link it to Islamabad and Peshawar in the southwest, via Hazara and Malakand Divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

There are more than 50,000 pieces of Buddhist rock art (petroglyphs) and inscriptions all along the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan that are concentrated at ten major sites between Hunza and Shatial, more have been found in the area of Skardu and Shigar (in Shigar even the remains of a Buddhist monastery were found in 1984 by Jettmar and Thewalt). The carvings were left by various invaders, traders and pilgrims who passed along the trade route, as well as by locals. The earliest date back to between 5000 and 1000 BC, showing single animals, triangular men and hunting scenes in which, the animals sometimes are larger than the hunters. These carvings were pecked into the rocks with stone tools and are covered with a thick patina that proves their age. Later — mostly Buddhist carvings were sometimes executed with a sharp chisel.

The ethnologist Karl Jettmar has tried to piece together the history of the area from various inscriptions and recorded his findings in "Rockcarvings and Inscriptions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan" and the later released "Between Gandhara and the Silk Roads: Rock carvings along the Karakoram Highway".

The Kharoshthi term "Kaboa" (or Kamboa) appears in a short commemorative Kharosthi inscription found from Chilas as reported by the Archaeological Department of Pakistan. The inscription has been transcribed, translated and interpreted by Ahmad Hasan Dani, a Pakistani archaeologist, historian, and linguist, who was among the foremost authorities on South Asian archaeology and history. According to Dani, Kaboa or Kamboa of the inscription is a Kharoshthised form of Sanskrit Kamboja . Thus, it seems likely that Chilas also formed part of ancient Kamboja kingdom.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at Wazir Guesthouse, Astore, Gilgit.

(Lunch and dinner not included in Economy packages for all the days)

Day 3: Astore to Hunza valley

Stop At: Rakaposhi View Point, Rposhi hunza valley, Ghulmet 15650 Pakistan
It is about 30 kms from Hunza valley in the South West
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Attabad lake Hunza, Hunza 15600 Pakistan
In 2010, a landslide blocked the river and created Attabad Lake (also called Gojal Lake), which threatened 15,000 people in the valley below and has effectively blocked 27 km of the Karakoram Highway.[6] The new lake extends 30 kilometres (19 mi) and rose to a depth of 400 feet (120 m) when it was formed as the Hunza River backed up. The landslide completely covered sections of the Karakoram Highway.

Activities to do: boating in the lake.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Hunza Guesthouse.

(Lunch and dinner not included for Economy packages)

Day 4: Visit to different attractions of Hunza

Stop At: Baltit Fort, Karimabad Pakistan
Baltit Fort is a fort in the Hunza valley, near the town of Karimabad, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. Founded in the 8th CE, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Altit Fort, Hunza Valley Main Altit Valley, Hunza Pakistan
Altit Fort is an ancient fort at Altit town in the Hunza valley in Gilgit Baltistan. It was originally home to the hereditary rulers of the Hunza state who carried the title Mir, although they moved to the somewhat younger Baltit fort nearby three centuries later. It was restored in 2007.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Khunjerab Pass, Khunjerab Highway, Tashkurgan County China
It is about 180 kms from Hunza valley and it takes 4+ hours drive. It is the common border post between Pakistan and China.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Lunch and dinner not included in Economy packages.
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel in Hunza.

Day 5: Hunza to Skardu

Stop At: Upper Kachura Lake, Skardu Pakistan
After visiting Shangrila Lake, visit this Upper Kachura Lake, further 3 kms North.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Lunch & Dinner are not included in Economy packages.
Accommodation included: Overnight at Skardu hotel.

(Lunch & dinner not included in Economy packages.)

Day 6: Skardu valley

Stop At: Sadpara Skardu, College Road 1600, Gilgit Baltistan، Skardu
It is about 10 kms from Skardu town. Sadpara is the town of mountaineers. It has given us big achievers like Hassan Sadpara, Ali Sadpara, Muhammad Ali, Nazir Sabir and many more. Enjoy the natural beauty of Sadpara lake.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Deosai National Park, Deosai Park Rd, Skardu Pakistan
It is about 30 kms from Skardu city and it takes around 1 hour to reach there. Enjoy the park by trekking through the fields.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Sheosar Lake, Deosai National Park, Skardu Pakistan
It is situated within the Deosai National Park on the other (western side, about 15 kms). It is located at the height of 4,142 meters. Between the months of November to May the area of Deosai is snow bound. During spring, the surrounding area is covered with wide variety of flowers and butterflies. Most visitors come to the lake in summer between June to early September.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Lunch & dinner not included in Economy packages.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Skardu Hotel

Day 7: Skardu to Islamabad via Saiful Muluk Lake, Naran

Stop At: Saif-ul-Muluk Lake, Saif-Ul-Muluk National Park, Naran Pakistan
Saiful Muluk is a mountainous lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley, 9 kms north of the town of Naran in the Saiful Muluk National Park in the KPK. The lake is a source of the Kunhar river. At an elevation of 3,224 m above sea level, the lake is located above the tree line, and is one of the highest lakes in Pakistan. It is about 365 kms from Skardu town. It takes around 8+ hours to reach there.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Lunch & dinner not included in Economy packages
No accommodation included on this day.