17-Day Pakistan Cultural and Hunza Tour with Khunjerab Pass

Main attractions include Faisal Mosque, Pakistan Monument, Daman-e-Koh, Margalla Hills, Lok Virsa Museum, and Golra Railway Station Museum.

• Faisal Mosque is the largest mosque in Pakistan. You will see its amazing and unique infrastructure, as the main body does not have any pillars.

• Pakistan Monument offers an amazing museum to explore.

• Daman-e-Koh is a scenic lookout point and landscape garden, best for photography.

• Margalla Hills/Shah Allah Ditta Caves is a centuries-old village and union council located at the foothills of the Margalla Hills in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

• Lok Virsa Museum lets you explore the culture of Pakistan.

• Golra Railway Station Museum is the site of a venerated railway museum housing relics and memorabilia associated with the railways dating back to the days of the British Raj.

Accommodation: Overnight in a hotel/guest house.

• Visit the UNESCO Buddhist sites of Taxila, more than 1,000 years old, and continue to Ayubia and Nathia Gali.

• Ayubia National Park is known for its natural beauty, birds, butterflies, and monkeys.

• Mushkpuri Top is a landmark mountain popular for hiking.

• Miranjani is a picturesque peak with a forested trail.

• Nathia Gali waterfall (Abshaar) offers a beautiful waterfall and view.

Accommodation: Overnight in a unique guest house.

• Visit the UNESCO Buddhist sites of Taxila, more than 1,000 years old, and continue to Ayubia and Nathia Gali.

• Ayubia National Park is known for its natural beauty, birds, butterflies, and monkeys.

• Mushkpuri Top is a landmark mountain popular for hiking.

• Miranjani is a picturesque peak with a forested trail.

• Nathia Gali waterfall (Abshaar) offers a beautiful waterfall and view.

Accommodation: Overnight in a unique guest house.

• Visit Seri Paya, Lake Saif-ul-Muluk, and Jalkhand.

• Shogran is a hill station on a green plateau in the Kaghan Valley.

• Visit Paye Lake, explore Siri Paye, and enjoy the mesmerizing weather.

• Kaghan Valley is a small town full of beauty. Reach Naran, enjoy a short stay, and move towards Lake Saif-ul-Muluk.

Accommodation: Overnight stay in Jalkhand.

• Visit Seri Paya, Lake Saif-ul-Muluk, and Jalkhand.

• Shogran is a hill station on a green plateau in the Kaghan Valley.

• Visit Paye Lake, explore Siri Paye, and enjoy the mesmerizing weather.

• Kaghan Valley is a small town full of beauty. Reach Naran, enjoy a short stay, and move towards Lake Saif-ul-Muluk.

Accommodation: Overnight stay in Jalkhand.

• Stop for a picnic lunch and chai whenever you feel like it. Babusar Pass is Pakistan's 3rd highest road pass.

• Enjoy sightseeing, cold weather, and breathtaking views at the Fairy Meadows junction point of the Karakoram, Hindukush, and Himalayan ranges.

• Stop for photos at the junction point of the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Himalaya mountain ranges.

Accommodation: Overnight stay in Gilgit.

• Stop for a picnic lunch and chai whenever you feel like it. Babusar Pass is Pakistan's 3rd highest road pass.

• Enjoy sightseeing, cold weather, and breathtaking views at the Fairy Meadows junction point of the Karakoram, Hindukush, and Himalayan ranges.

• Stop for photos at the junction point of the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Himalaya mountain ranges.

Accommodation: Overnight stay in Gilgit.

• Travel from Gilgit to Naltar Valley and the Sacred Rocks of Hunza to discover history.

• Visit the Sacred Rocks of Hunza and explore Naltar Valley, with its stunning lakes, jeep safari routes, pine forest, and skiing in winter.

• Visit the Indus-Gilgit confluence, discover NLI Market for cheap shopping, and see Kargha Nala Buddha.

Accommodation: Naltar.

• Enjoy lunch and a photo stop at Rakaposhi viewpoint.

• Visit Altit Fort, a 900+ year-old royal fort with a royal garden, several trees, and magnificent colours.

• Visit Baltit Fort, an 800+ year-old royal fort filled with history.

Accommodation: Karimabad.

• Spend the day in Karimabad and Altit in Central Hunza, with sunset at Eagle's Nest, visits to Baltit Fort and Altit Fort, lunch at a women-run cafe, and time with a local women's empowerment initiative.

• When Pakistanis tell you, "You must visit Hunza!" this is where they are talking about. By far the most popular place in Hunza, Karimabad and Altit are as close to touristy as it gets in Pakistan.

• We will divide our time between Karimabad, home to Baltit Fort, and Altit, where a fort of the same name is situated. Beautifully restored by the Aga Khan Foundation, the forts are some of the best-maintained historical sites in Pakistan.

• In between fort visits, we will hit the town for local food and shopping, and meet a local women's empowerment organization - with the view from Baltit Fort in Karimabad adding to the experience.

• To finish the day off right, we will watch the sunset at a place called the Eagle's Nest, then drive down south to a town called Danyor to rest our weary heads at a local home.

Accommodation: Karimabad.

• Our first day in Gulmit is about wandering around and getting a feel for this idyllic Hunzai village. Old stone and mud houses, winding dirt paths lined with trees, and men and women out on the streets always ready with a smile and greeting - what better introduction to Pakistan's north could you ask for?

• We will visit a women-run carpet center, a great place for authentic souvenir shopping that directly supports local women, and a women-run cafe serving all kinds of local Hunza food.

• Time to burn off some calories by trekking up a dirt road to the mysterious ruins of Ondra Fort. Even locals do not know exactly how old it is, but the views from the top are spectacular - you can see Gulmit, Attabad Lake, and the Passu Cones from the top - and it is not every day you can have an entire ancient fortress to yourself.

Accommodation: Gulmit traditional homestay.

Village walk in Passu and trek from Hussaini Bridge to Passu Bridge (8 km/5 mi, 3-5 hours). Sleeping: Gulmit traditional homestay.

• Venture into one of Hunza's oldest and most picturesque villages: Passu. Situated riverside near the feet of the famous Passu Cones, the village is a collection of cute stone houses, farm fields, and fruit trees.

• After a filling lunch, we will head out for an afternoon trek between two suspension bridges: the Passu and Hussaini bridges. Perilous and nerve-wracking even for the most confident adventurers, the bridges are a sight and make for excellent bragging and/or Indiana Jones references for friends and family at home. The trek between the two bridges is not too steep nor difficult by local standards, but it includes a gradual uphill.

Khunjerab Pass - Borith Lake & Glacier Trek (Upper Hunza)

• As far as border crossings go, it does not get much cooler than Khunjerab - literally and figuratively. The Khunjerab Pass between Pakistan and China is the highest paved border crossing in the world. It is so high that oxygen machines are in the border waiting area. Obviously, we will not be able to cross the border - unless you have a Chinese visa and want to run away from us - but we can drive through Khunjerab National Park to the border gate with China. It is a long drive, but the road is good and the views are epic. Pakistan has more glacier coverage than any other country, so it is time to see one up close.

• We will first walk up a series of dirt switchbacks to Borith Lake (2,600 m), about 1.5 km or a little less than 1 mile from the Karakoram Highway. Bold souls can go for a dip in its chilly waters - alas, you will have to keep all your clothes on because #modest life - and we can all have chai at one of the guesthouses overlooking the little lake. We will carry on with the relatively easy walk to the vantage point above the glacier, about one hour beyond Borith Lake. It is sometimes possible to walk on the glacier. However, we only recommend this for the fittest participants, as the way down is extremely steep and loose.

Accommodation: Gulmit traditional homestay.

• Head from Gulmit towards Chilas and continue to Naran Valley.

Accommodation: Naran Valley.

• Walk through the old city of Rawalpindi. Lunch at Food Street Rawalpindi restaurant, which is safer for the stomach than street food.

• Visit the Mughal-era Shalimar Gardens on the outskirts of Lahore, along with offbeat sites in Lahore such as Bibi Pak Daman shrine, Mian Mir shrine, and more. Spend the night in a Lahore hotel. They say if you have not seen Lahore, you have not lived. We agree. Lahore is Pakistan's cultural capital, brimming with things to do, both historical and modern. Of course, we will still be weary from the drive down, so there is no need to rush to do everything on our first day here. We will take our time checking out some of the city's lesser-known sights, with a healthy dose of culinary exploration in between.

• Dine to Sufi music at one of the city's coolest cafes. Never fear, this is no awkward touristy music night - this is live music you will not be able to resist dancing to.

• Enjoy a traditional breakfast, a historical walk around the Walled City, and visits to Lahore Fort, Shahi Hamam, Wazir Khan Mosque, Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Food Street, and the Wagah Border ceremony.

• We will dive deeply into Lahore's Walled City on our final full tour day. We will begin with a typical desi nashta, a local breakfast, right next to the fort. Lahoris go big with breakfasts, so afterwards we will need to walk it all off as we roam through the old city. We will see centuries-old mosques, an intricate Persian bathhouse, busy markets overflowing with colours and sounds, and then some.

• After another delectable Lahori lunch - food is everything here - we will head towards the bizarre but bumpin' Wagah Border ceremony. Cheer on as Pakistani and Indian border guards strut their stuff for the daily closing ceremony of the India-Pakistan border.

• Enjoy a final family dinner with a view of Badshahi Mosque on Lahore's most famous food street. The food will be delicious and the view delectable.

• End of Pakistan tour.