Hunza Valley · Baltistan & Skardu · Astore Valley · Fairy Meadows & Diamer
Grand Gilgit-Baltistan Circuit
One road trip, every face of the Karakoram and Himalaya
from $2,200 / person
- Duration
- 14 days
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Season
- June – September
- Group size
- 2-10 guests
This is the itinerary for travelers who want all of it: the full overland Karakoram Highway, Hunza's forts and turquoise lakes, the Khunjerab Pass, Skardu's deserts and palaces, the wildflower plateau of Deosai, the quiet valleys of Astore and the grand finale at Fairy Meadows beneath Nanga Parbat. Fourteen days, four regions, one continuous loop with no backtracking.
Travelling entirely by road is the point. You watch the landscape change from the Indus gorges of the lower KKH to Hunza's orchard terraces, cross the 4,000-metre Deosai plateau by jeep between Skardu and Astore, and finish where three of the world's great ranges — the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush — collide near Jaglot.
The grading is Moderate for the journey, not the walking: a few long drive days, one rough but glorious jeep crossing, and the 2–3 hour hike up to Fairy Meadows. In exchange you get the single most complete tour of northern Pakistan we run.
Day-by-day itinerary
- 1
Islamabad → Chilas on the Karakoram Highway
Set out early on the legendary KKH along the Indus gorge, passing Besham and ancient rock carvings near Shatial. Overnight in Chilas, with the first big peaks crowding the horizon.
- 2
Chilas → Karimabad, Hunza
Pass the Nanga Parbat viewpoint and the Three Mountain Ranges junction at Jaglot, photograph Rakaposhi rising 5,800 m above the road near Ghulmet, and arrive in Karimabad for a two-night stay in the heart of Hunza.
- 3
Karimabad, Baltit Fort & Eagle's Nest
Explore 700-year-old Baltit Fort and the lanes of old Karimabad, with the afternoon free for orchard walks and the bazaar. At golden hour, drive up to Eagle's Nest at Duikar for the classic sunset panorama over the entire valley.
- 4
Attabad Lake, Gulmit, Hussaini Bridge & Passu
Upper Hunza in one unhurried day: a boat on Attabad Lake's turquoise water, Gulmit's old village square, the swaying planks of the Hussaini Suspension Bridge and sunset beneath the Passu Cones. Overnight in Gulmit or Passu.
- 5
Khunjerab Pass — the China border
Drive through Khunjerab National Park to the 4,693 m pass, the highest paved border crossing in the world, watching for ibex on the slopes. Descend for a second night in upper Hunza.
- 6
Hunza → Skardu
Retrace the KKH to Jaglot and turn east onto the dramatic Skardu road above the Indus. It's a long, spectacular day of gorge scenery, ending in the wide-open Skardu basin. Two nights in Skardu.
- 7
Shigar Valley & Sarfaranga cold desert
Morning at the restored 17th-century Shigar Fort and Amburiq Mosque among apricot orchards, then golden-hour dunes at the Sarfaranga cold desert, where 4x4s and camels share the sand.
- 8
Kachura lakes & Skardu town
A gentler day at Upper Kachura Lake and the Shangrila Resort gardens, with time for Skardu bazaar, Kharpocho Fort viewpoint and gear sorting before the plateau crossing.
- 9
Across Deosai National Park to Astore
The crossing that makes this circuit famous: a full-day 4x4 traverse of the world's second-highest plateau, past Bara Pani and Sheosar Lake, scanning for Himalayan brown bear, then down via Chilim into the Astore Valley. Overnight in Astore village area.
- 10
Rama Lake & Rama Meadows
Jeep up through pine forest to Rama Meadows and walk the gentle trail to glacial Rama Lake, sitting beneath Chongra Peak on Nanga Parbat's eastern flank. Picnic by the water and return to Astore for the night.
- 11
Astore → Raikot Bridge → Fairy Meadows
Descend to the KKH and the Raikot Bridge, switch to local 4x4s for the world-famous cliffside jeep track to Tattu, then hike 2–3 hours (ponies available) through forest to the log cabins of Fairy Meadows, face to face with Nanga Parbat.
- 12
Fairy Meadows & Beyal Camp
A full day beneath the Raikot face: walk to Beyal Camp for closer glacier views, or simply settle in with the 8,126 m mountain filling the sky. Sunset alpenglow and Milky Way stargazing round off the trip's signature day.
- 13
Descend & drive to Besham or Naran
Morning light on Nanga Parbat, then hike down to Tattu, jeep to Raikot Bridge and begin the drive south — via the Babusar Pass and Naran when open (roughly June–September), otherwise down the KKH to Besham.
- 14
Arrive Islamabad
Complete the loop with the final drive into Islamabad by late afternoon, in time for evening international departures or an extra night in the capital.
What’s included
- 13 nights' accommodation: hotels, heritage-style stays and Fairy Meadows cabins
- Private vehicle for the full circuit, plus local 4x4s for Deosai, Rama and Raikot
- English-speaking guide for all 14 days
- All entrance and conservation fees: forts, Khunjerab and Deosai national parks
- Attabad Lake boat ride and Fairy Meadows jeep tickets
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- Porters or pony for one bag on the Fairy Meadows trail
- All checkpoint formalities, tolls and parking
Not included
- International flights and Pakistan visa fees
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Lunches, drinks and snacks on driving days
- Tips for guide, drivers, porters and hotel staff
- Pony hire beyond the included baggage allowance
- Single-room supplement
Grand Gilgit-Baltistan Circuit — frequently asked questions
How tough are the driving days on this circuit?
Three days are long: Islamabad–Chilas, Hunza–Skardu and the Deosai crossing each run 7–10 hours with stops. Roads on the KKH are good asphalt; Deosai and the Rama and Fairy Meadows tracks are rough 4x4 terrain. We break every long day with scenic stops and proper meal breaks.
Is 14 days overland better than flying to Gilgit or Skardu?
If you can spare the time, yes — the Karakoram Highway and the Deosai crossing are attractions in their own right, and overland travel removes the risk of weather-cancelled mountain flights. Travelers short on time should look at our 7-day Hunza Explorer or 8-day Skardu Discovery instead.
What fitness do I need for the Grand Circuit?
You need to handle the 2–3 hour, 600 m ascent to Fairy Meadows and short optional walks at Rama Lake and Beyal Camp — a reasonable, regular-walker level of fitness. Ponies can carry you up the Fairy Meadows trail if you prefer, and everything else is vehicle-based.
When is the Deosai crossing to Astore open?
The jeep track over Deosai generally opens from early July to mid-September, depending on snow. Outside that window we re-route between Skardu and Astore via the Indus valley roads, and the itinerary still includes a Deosai day trip from Skardu when the plateau itself is accessible.
Highlights on this route
town · 2,450 m
Karimabad
The old royal capital and the heart of every Hunza itinerary
fort · 2,500 m
Baltit Fort
Seven hundred years of Hunza history above the Karimabad bazaar
valley · 2,850 m
Eagle's Nest (Duikar)
The viewpoint where all of Hunza's giants line up at golden hour
lake · 2,550 m
Attabad Lake
A disaster that became one of Pakistan's most beautiful places