9 Day Hunza Cherry Blossom Tour

Welcome to Pakistan, the land of the pure. Today, you’ll have just enough time to enjoy some traditional Pakistani cuisine, shop for any essentials, and head to your hotel for some rest.

Your North Pakistan adventure officially begins today! Brace yourself for some amazing views as you take an early morning flight to Skardu. From there, we will head towards Hunza via the Jaglot- Skardu road. We’ll stop along the way to stretch our legs and take in the sights at the junction of the three great mountain ranges; the Himalaya, Hindu Kush, and Karakoram; as well as at the iconic Rakaposhi Viewpoint.

Tonight, we settle in Gulmit village.

We wake up and have breakfast at a women-run eatery before setting out to explore Gulmit, the most progressive village in the region. We’ll walk and explore the area on foot, visit its oldest house, and stop by a women-run carpet weaving centre.

Later, we make our way to the Hussaini Suspension Bridge (sometimes referred to as one of the most dangerous bridges in the world) before heading toward Borith Lake. There, we’ll have just the right amount of time to complete the short but scenic Passu Glacier trek and return before sunset to enjoy a cup of tea by the lake.

This morning, we head toward our personal favorite valley in the entire region: Shimshal. But first, we’ll stop at the Passu Cones viewpoint and Glacier Breeze Restaurant for their famous apricot cake before settling into our jeeps for a thrilling three-hour journey along what is arguably one of the world’s most dangerous roads. The road to Shimshal is a 56-kilometer jeep track built over 18 years by the locals of the village. Until 2003, there was no road access to the village.

Shimshal is truly the land of the pure. Often called the Valley of the Mountaineers, it has produced some of the country’s top climbers. It is a pristine valley, surrounded by towering peaks in every direction, with traditional stone houses and animals grazing in open fields.

Tonight, we sleep in Shimshal Valley.

Put your hiking shoes on and get ready for an epic adventure as we set off for a trek to Yazghil Glacier, a 8-hour long day. Yazghil is a stunning white glacier stretching about 20 km and serves as a major water source for the valley. Afterwards, we head back toward Karimabad, with an optional stop at Yak Grill for their famous yak burgers.

We stay the night in the bustling town of Karimabad.

It is a mesmerizing sight to wake up to the view of a 7,000er, let alone the Queen of the Karakoram, Rakaposhi. Today, we play tourist and spend the day visiting the popular Altit and Baltit forts, dining at a women-owned café, and roaming around the Karimabad Bazaar for some souvenir shopping. At sunset, we head to Duiker to catch a panoramic view of the surrounding peaks, including Rakaposhi, Ultar and Lady Finger.

We’ll be back in time for dinner in Karimabad town once again.

Today we have a late breakfast and leave for Skardu, our home for the next two days. Skardu is the gateway to K2, and is often the base for some of the regions most challenging treks. 

We settle into the city and rest tonight.

Today, we head out to visit the ancient Kharpocho Fort and the Organic Village. We then make our way to Sarfaranga, the world’s highest desert. Afterwards, we continue to Blind Lake to spend the evening before heading back to Skardu city.

Catch an early morning flight back to Lahore.

Today will be a rest day, followed by a traditional dinner overlooking the famous Badshahi Mosque to mark the perfect end to our journey.

All good things must come to an end! Today, we say our goodbyes and fly back home.