Hunza Valley
Hunza Explorer
The classic first taste of the Karakoram, done properly
from $950 / person
- Duration
- 7 days
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Season
- April – October
- Group size
- 2-12 guests
If you have one week and one wish — to stand in the Karakoram without roughing it — this is the tour. You fly from Islamabad to Gilgit over Nanga Parbat, drive two and a half hours up the Karakoram Highway, and spend five full days based in and around Karimabad, the old capital of the Hunza kingdom.
The pacing is deliberately easy. Mornings are for the headline sights — the 700-year-old Baltit Fort, the turquoise water of Attabad Lake, the impossibly sharp Passu Cones — and afternoons leave room for orchard walks, bazaar browsing and long sunsets from Eagle's Nest. The big day out is the drive to the Khunjerab Pass, the 4,693 m border with China and the highest paved frontier crossing in the world.
Throughout, you stay in comfortable, well-located hotels, travel in a private vehicle and walk only as much as you choose. It is the itinerary we recommend to first-time visitors, families and anyone who wants maximum Hunza for minimum logistics.
Day-by-day itinerary
- 1
Fly Islamabad → Gilgit, drive to Karimabad
Board the spectacular one-hour mountain flight to Gilgit (weather-dependent, with a road backup plan), meet your guide and drive 2.5 hours up the Karakoram Highway past the Rakaposhi viewpoint to Karimabad. Evening orientation walk through the bazaar.
- 2
Karimabad, Baltit Fort & Altit Fort
A full day in old Hunza: tour the 700-year-old Baltit Fort and the even older Altit Fort with its Royal Garden, walk the stone lanes of Altit village and the channel paths above Karimabad, and finish with apricot cake and coffee overlooking the valley.
- 3
Attabad Lake, Gulmit & Hussaini Suspension Bridge
Drive through the Attabad tunnels to the landslide-born turquoise lake for an optional boat ride, continue to Gulmit's old village and carpet-weaving centre, then test your nerve on the famous Hussaini Suspension Bridge over the Hunza River.
- 4
Passu Cones, Borith Lake & glacier viewpoints
Morning beneath the cathedral spires of the Passu Cones, with an easy walk to the Passu Glacier viewpoint and a stop at quiet Borith Lake. Lunch at the legendary Glacier Breeze café before an unhurried return to Karimabad.
- 5
Khunjerab Pass day trip — the China border at 4,693 m
A full-day drive up the Karakoram Highway through Khunjerab National Park to the highest paved border crossing on earth. Watch for ibex and golden marmots near the road, photograph the border gate, and descend with a tea stop in Sost.
- 6
Eagle's Nest sunset & village time
A free morning for optional add-ons — the Hopper Glacier in Nagar or a walk on the Ultar meadow trail — then drive up to Duikar for the Eagle's Nest viewpoint, where sunset lights up Rakaposhi, Diran, Golden Peak and Ladyfinger in one panorama.
- 7
Drive to Gilgit, fly to Islamabad
An early descent to Gilgit for the morning flight to Islamabad. If weather grounds the plane, we drive the Karakoram Highway south with an overnight contingency built into your booking terms.
What’s included
- Islamabad–Gilgit return domestic flights (with road contingency plan)
- 6 nights in comfortable, well-located hotels with breakfast
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with experienced mountain driver
- English-speaking local guide from Hunza throughout
- All entrance fees: Baltit Fort, Altit Fort, Khunjerab National Park
- Attabad Lake boat ride
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- All road tolls, parking and checkpoint formalities
Not included
- International flights and Pakistan visa fees
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Lunches, drinks and personal snacks
- Tips for guide, driver and hotel staff
- Optional activities such as jet-ski at Attabad Lake
Hunza Explorer — frequently asked questions
Is the Hunza Explorer tour suitable for families with children?
Yes — this is our most family-friendly itinerary. Walking is optional and gentle, hotels are comfortable, and kids consistently love the boats at Attabad Lake and the suspension bridge. The Khunjerab Pass day involves high altitude, so we keep it short and carry oxygen in the vehicle.
What happens if the Gilgit flight is cancelled?
Mountain flights are weather-dependent and cancellations do happen. We monitor forecasts, hold flexible hotel bookings, and switch to a private overland transfer on the Karakoram Highway with an overnight stop if needed — your guide manages everything.
Do I need to be fit for this tour?
No special fitness is required. The longest walks are 1–2 easy hours and every one of them is optional. The only consideration is the Khunjerab Pass day at 4,693 m, where we limit time at the top and descend promptly.
What is the best month for the Hunza Explorer?
April brings cherry and apricot blossom, June–August give green valleys and reliably open passes, and late October sets the valley ablaze with autumn colour. The Khunjerab Pass is open roughly April–November, so all departure dates include it.
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
fort · 2,400 m
Altit Fort
The cradle of the Hunza kingdom, on a cliff above the river
valley · 2,850 m
Eagle's Nest (Duikar)
The viewpoint where all of Hunza's giants line up at golden hour