Highlights & Inclusions

The Roof of the World

Highlights

Trip highlights

Karakoram Highway — the world's highest paved international road
Hunza Valley — ancient Baltit Fort above orchards and glacier peaks
Attabad turquoise lake boat crossing — created by a 2010 landslide
Passu Cones — the most dramatic rock formations on the planet
Khunjerab Pass — China border crossing at 4,693 metres
Rakaposhi Viewpoint — 7,788m giant reflected in glacial river
Lahore old city — Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, food street at night

Inclusions

What's included

Fourteen nights accommodation throughout (hotels and guesthouses)
All meals — breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout
Private vehicle with expert mountain driver throughout KKH
English-speaking guide with 15+ years KKH experience
Lahore and Islamabad city tours
All national park entry fees and permits
Emergency satellite communication device

Days 1–2

Lahore — Mughal Capital

Arrive Lahore. Two days in Pakistan's cultural heart — Badshahi Mosque at sunset, Lahore Fort and Sheesh Mahal, the old walled city, and the legendary Food Street. Pakistan's hospitality begins immediately.

Days 3–4

Islamabad & North Begins

Fly to Islamabad, transfer to Abbottabad, begin the drive north. The Karakoram Highway starts here. The mountains grow larger with every kilometre. First night in Chilas under 8,000m peaks.

Days 5–9

Hunza Valley — The Jewel

Five days in Hunza — the valley that inspired Shangri-La. Baltit Fort, Altit Fort, Rakaposhi views, local family visits, cherry and apricot orchards in season, and the most extraordinary hospitality you will receive anywhere on Earth.

Days 10–11

Passu & Khunjerab Pass

North to Passu — the Cones rise from the valley floor like cathedral spires. Then Khunjerab at 4,693m: China on one side, Pakistan on the other, and nothing but cold clear air and mountains.

Days 12–14

Return South & Departure

The return journey sees the mountains differently. Stop at Attabad Lake — the turquoise so intense it looks artificial. Boat across. Return to Islamabad. Fly home changed.

Where You'll Stay

Your Accommodations

2 nights

Pearl Continental Lahore

5★ · Lahore

Lahore's finest hotel. Central, safe, impeccably run. The base from which to explore Pakistan's most culturally rich city.

5 nights

Serena Hotel Hunza

4★ · Karimabad

The best-appointed hotel in Hunza Valley, with mountain views and a garden terrace. Warm, well-staffed, and genuinely comfortable after days on the highway.

2 nights

Rakaposhi View Hotel

Boutique · Nagar

A simple but excellent family-run guesthouse with a direct view of Rakaposhi (7,788m). The owner's family has lived in this valley for generations.

Pakistan Reviews

Researcher — 11 visits

"This highway made me start Luxe Isles."

I drove the Karakoram Highway for the first time in 2013 and could not find anyone to help me plan it properly. So I learned everything myself, then started teaching others. This is the route that began it all.

Omar Khalid

Karachi, Pakistan

Solo · August 2025

"The most beautiful place I have ever been. By far."

I have travelled to 40 countries. The Karakoram Highway, specifically the stretch between Gilgit and the Chinese border, is incomparably the most beautiful landscape I have experienced. Nothing else comes close.

Mark T.

London, UK

Couple · July 2026

"Pakistan changed how I see the world."

I am Pakistani and had never been north. Hunza Valley was a revelation — the people, the food, the mountains, the warmth with which strangers received us. Every Pakistani should do this journey.

Bilal & Rani

Karachi, Pakistan

Common Questions

Tour FAQs

The Karakoram Highway and Hunza Valley are among Pakistan's safest regions and have been popular with international trekkers and tourists for decades. Our founder Omar has driven this route eleven times. We take all safety precautions, carry satellite communication, and maintain relationships with local authorities along the entire route.

Most nationalities can obtain a Pakistan e-Visa online in advance. UK, US, EU, and Australian citizens are all eligible. The process takes 5–7 business days. We guide you through the application as part of the booking process.

The KKH drive itself requires no particular fitness — it is a road journey. The optional walks (Passu glacier, Baltit Fort, valley hikes) are moderate. You should be comfortable at altitude up to 4,693m. If you have heart or lung conditions, please inform us and we will advise.

Exceptional — genuinely one of the highlights of the trip. Hunza specialises in dried apricots, mulberry bread, locally grown vegetables, and dumplings. Lahore is one of the greatest food cities in Asia. All meals are included and we eat where the locals eat, not at tourist restaurants.

Pakistan Karakoram Highway