PAKISTAN
The soft glow of morning light streamed into the car and I was gently woken up by the fresh breeze of mountain air blowing through the cracks of the window. Dust flickered in the sun rays, the musty smell of the rickety car tickled my nose, and the muted Pakistani sounds on the radio fluttered past my ears. It was one of those fleeting moments -- nothing of significance, yet one that filled my heart of gratitude.
Pakistan is one of those places full of natural beauty, culture, and the hearts of so many wonderful people that will leave you coming back for more. I’m excited to share an eight day itinerary through the northern mountains of Pakistan!
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
The most important thing is the visa; you can apply for an e-visa through their official website. It’s quite a lengthy process but everything is fairly straight-forward. I had to provide a hotel booking but they emailed me saying it wasn’t enough and that I needed an actual letter of invitation. I recommend using Caravanistan to get the letter of invitation and they’ll provide everything you need very quickly. I was able to get my e-visa back fast after submitting everything!
Getting Around & Guides/Drivers
Of course public transportation is an option, but it takes a long time. Unless you have the time and patience, I highly recommend looking into getting a driver. Yes, there are tours out there but they will cost a lot of money. Fortunately I highly recommend a good friend of mine (I call him Captain Khan) and he’ll take care of everything — take you to all the best photo spots and guest houses. He’s really one of the best drivers and guides I’ve ever had and I recommend him to everybody who asks me about Pakistan.
You can contact him at Whatsapp at +923078824566 or find him on Instagram here!
money & atm’s
Going to these countries it’s important to bring emergency cash with you, and cash to exchange just in case. Most ATM’s don’t work with international cards and we only found one that worked in Islamabad: Standard Chartered.
Staying connected: Sim Cards
One of my first orders of business when I arrive in a country is finding a sim card to stay connected. In general, Zong has the best 4G coverage in Pakistan but if you’re going to be sticking to the north, find a Telenor sim.
When to Visit
If you’re planning on visiting the north (pretty much all of this itinerary), the best time of year to visit is late spring to early autumn because otherwise the mountains are inaccessible. Winter is a good time to visit the south to avoid the crazy heat.
What to Wear
Pakistan is a conservative country, so it helps to respect local customs and traditions. I find it fun to dress in local clothing so you can find little shops to dress you up in shalwar kameez.
Anyways, now that we got the important details out of the way let’s get back to the Pakistan itinerary!
Day 1: Islamabad
I was surprised upon arrival I was expecting absolute chaos, but Islamabad is actually quite nice and relaxed! Of course, when you visit monuments and such you’ll be bombarded by people asking to take your photo. My favorite spot for sunset was the Pakistan Monument and watching the evening glow and prayer at Shah Faisal Masjid. Photography tip, you can get a perfect sunburst poking through the monument at sunset!
Day 2: Islamabad to batakundi
Today you begin making your way north! You’ll see a lot of beautiful viewpoints, but not too many points of interest — it’s all about getting up into the mountains.
Day 3: Batakundi to fairy meadows
If you’re going with Captain Khan, he’ll drop you off at the trailhead where all the classic Jeeps line up. It’s really such an experience getting to go up one of the most dangerous roads in the world! Once you arrive at the next trailhead, you’ll hike the rest of the way to Fairy Meadows. There’s a lot of guesthouses, so make sure you remember the name of where you’re staying because you won’t have service to look it up later. A guard will escort you up the mountain and be your guide.
Day 4: Fairy Meadows
Spend the day hiking around, soaking in the views of Nanga Parbat — the 9th largest mountain in the world. Catching the reflection of the pond at sunrise was my favorite, but I spent most of the time relaxing admiring the views. Remember to bring warm clothes — it’s still really cold and there’s no heat in the cabins. The electricity is also quite unstable and I managed to blow up one of the outlets… hahaha whoops.
Day 5: Fairy meadows to karimabad
We hiked down early in the morning back to the trailhead where Captain Khan was waiting and drove north to Karimabad — home of the stunning Hunza Valley and Eagle’s Nest. On the way there’s lots of opportunities to stop and try yak, even a delicious yak burger!
Day 6: Karimabad to the China Border
This is a beautiful drive and quirky stop if you’re into interesting geographical borders. Plus the highest ATM in the world in located here (not that it works but it’s still fun to check out)!
Day 7: Hunza Valley
A lot of beauty to see and take in. You can check out the glacier at the base of K2 and if you’re into gemstones this is a great place to get a little keepsake! Unfortunately it was a cloudy day so we couldn’t see K2 itself, but still a fun stop. Hussaini Hanging Bridge was probably one of my highlights in the Hunza Valley as well, and the views were stunning! It’s deemed as the “most dangerous bridge in the world,” but I think there’s another hanging bridge nearby that truly takes that name. Eagle’s Nest is the best way to spend sunset in the Hunza Valley so be sure to check it out!
Day 8: attabad lake
We passed Attabad Lake on the way earlier, but now that we were making our way back towards Gilgit we wanted to stop during the daytime to photograph the beautiful colors of turquoise. Captain Khan knows all the best photo spots so I’ll just let you book a tour with him and he can show you where I took this photo :)
We would’ve driven with Captain Khan back to Islamabad but we were tight on time as we were trying to make a flight to Kabul the next morning. I wouldn’t rely on flights from Gilgit to Islamabad because I looked up the percentage in which they get cancelled and it’s 90%. Ours ended up getting cancelled and we had to pay a taxi driver a hefty price to get back — so it’s best to be on the safe side and take the 12 hours to drive.
Anyways, I hope this guide helps anyone out there trying to visit Pakistan! Again, if you’re looking for a fantastic guide / driver feel free to reach out to Captain Khan on Whatsapp at +923078824566 or find him on Instagram here!
