Gilgit-Baltistan Grand Tour

Arrive at Islamabad International Airport. Transfer to hotel. Evening briefing on the tour itinerary, cultural background on Gilgit-Baltistan, and documentation check. Welcome dinner with the guide team. Overnight Islamabad.

After immigration and baggage collection, a Namla Expeditions representative meets the group in the arrivals area and coordinates the hotel transfer. At check-in, the team confirms delayed baggage, emergency contacts, insurance details, dietary information already supplied, and the next morning’s schedule. The first full briefing introduces the Gilgit-Baltistan Grand Tour route, transport and weather contingencies, luggage separation, communications, and outstanding equipment questions. The remainder of the day is intentionally unstructured for rest, hydration, and recovery after international travel.

Fly from Islamabad to Gilgit Airport (approximately 1 hour). Mountain-weather delays are common — allow flexibility in your schedule. On arrival, transfer to hotel. Afternoon orientation walk along the Gilgit River and through the old bazaar. Overnight Gilgit.

The operations team checks the latest airline and weather information before leaving the hotel and coordinates the airport transfer, tickets, and expedition baggage. Mountain flights remain weather-dependent; if a cancellation occurs, Namla Expeditions explains the available road contingency and revises later stages without compressing essential acclimatisation or safety time. After landing, the group collects all luggage before transferring to the hotel. A short arrival briefing covers meals, local timing, equipment access, and the next day’s plan.

Explore Gilgit: the administrative capital of Gilgit-Baltistan and a historic crossroads of Karakoram, Himalayan, and Hindu Kush cultures.

Visit the Kargah Buddha — a 7th-century CE rock carving of a standing Buddha figure on the cliffs above the Gilgit River, one of the earliest Buddhist monuments in the region. Browse the Saddar bazaar. See the Gilgit polo ground, where the modern game of polo is said to have its origins in the mountain kingdoms of Gilgit and Chitral. Afternoon free. Overnight Gilgit.

Drive north on the Karakoram Highway to Karimabad in the Hunza Valley (2–3 hours, 2,438 m). Karimabad was the seat of the Mir of Hunza until the abolition of the principality in 1974.

Visit Baltit Fort — a 900-year-old royal residence perched above the Hunza Valley, meticulously restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and open as a museum. Continue to Altit Fort (older than Baltit; the original seat of the Hunza rulers) in the village of Altit below Karimabad, with a walk through the traditional village lanes. Views of Rakaposhi (7,788 m) and the central Karakoram. Overnight Karimabad.

Morning drive up to Duikar (Eagle's Nest viewpoint) above Karimabad — a 45-minute walk or short drive above the treeline to one of the finest panoramic viewpoints in Hunza: the Hunza Valley, Rakaposhi (7,788 m), Ultar Sar (7,388 m), and the deep Karakoram ridgelines stretching toward Batura Sar.

Drive north into the Gojal Valley. Stop at the Hussaini Suspension Bridge — one of the world's most famous pedestrian crossings, a narrow roped-and-plank bridge swaying over the Hunza River between Hussaini and Zarabad villages. Continue to Passu (2,900 m): the Passu Cones (Tupopdan), a row of dramatic rock spires above the KKH, and Passu Glacier. Overnight Passu.

Take a boat across Attabad Lake — 22 km of brilliant turquoise water dammed by a massive 2010 landslide that buried the original KKH and several villages beneath it. The lake is one of the most striking natural features on the Karakoram Highway.

Explore Gulmit village (Gojal), one of the Silk Road caravanserai stops on the route between Kashgar and South Asia. Drive to Sost (2,700 m), the last Pakistani town before the Khunjerab Pass and the Chinese border. Overnight Sost.

Full-day excursion to the Khunjerab Pass — the world's highest paved international border crossing at 4,693 m, on the Pakistan–China (Xinjiang) frontier. The drive through the Khunjerab National Park (approximately 1.5–2 hours from Sost) passes through high-altitude meadows and valleys that are home to Marco Polo sheep, Himalayan ibex, snow leopard (rarely seen), and large marmot colonies.

Walk to the border marker on the Pakistani side. The pass is flanked by wide snow-covered plains at altitude. Return to Passu for overnight.

Drive south along the KKH back through the Gojal and Hunza valleys. Stop at Eagle's Nest or the Hunza River bridge viewpoint as conditions permit. Afternoon in Karimabad — free time for the local market (dried apricots, embroidered fabrics, gemstones) and the old village lanes. Overnight Karimabad.

The group leaves after breakfast with personal bags and expedition loads secured in the assigned vehicles. Namla Expeditions drivers and field staff assess road, river, traffic, and weather conditions throughout the journey; stops are made for permits, meals, photography, and comfort only where parking is safe. Travel time can change after landslides or road works, so the day remains flexible. On arrival, rooms or tents are allocated, luggage is checked, and the guide gives a short briefing before dinner and rest.

Drive from Karimabad to Gilgit (2–3 hours), then continue east along the Gilgit and Indus rivers to Skardu (approximately 5–6 hours) — or take the 30-minute mountain flight from Gilgit to Skardu (weather permitting). Skardu (2,438 m) is the capital of Baltistan and the gateway to the Karakoram expedition zone. Overnight Skardu hotel.

The operations team checks the latest airline and weather information before leaving the hotel and coordinates the airport transfer, tickets, and expedition baggage. Mountain flights remain weather-dependent; if a cancellation occurs, Namla Expeditions explains the available road contingency and revises later stages without compressing essential acclimatisation or safety time. After landing, the group collects all luggage before transferring to the hotel. A short arrival briefing covers meals, local timing, equipment access, and the next day’s plan.

Visit Kharpocho Fort ('King of Forts') — a 16th-century fortification built by the Maqpon sultan Ali Sher Khan Anchan, perched on a dramatic rock spur above the confluence of the Indus and Shigar rivers with panoramic views of the Skardu Valley.

Drive to Satpara Lake (2,636 m), a natural deep-blue alpine lake below the Satpara Dam. Walk along the lakeshore. Evening in Skardu: browse the local market for handicrafts, gems, and Balti dried fruit. Overnight Skardu.

Drive east to the Shigar Valley (1 hour from Skardu). Visit Shigar Fort Palace — a 17th-century royal residence of the Amacha dynasty, one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in the Karakoram. Meticulously restored by the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan and now managed as a Serena heritage hotel. The fort's carved wooden balconies, inner courtyard, and royal audience rooms are extraordinary.

Walk through Shigar town: the Friday Mosque (one of the oldest in Baltistan), the old bazaar lanes, and the terraced apricot and cherry orchards that cascade down the valley walls. Overnight Shigar Fort Palace or Skardu hotel.

Full-day excursion to Deosai National Park — the second-highest plateau in the world at an average elevation of 4,114 m. Known as the 'Roof of Pakistan' or the 'Land of Giants', Deosai covers over 3,000 sq km of high-altitude steppe, alpine meadows, and glacial streams.

Visit Sheosar Lake (4,142 m) at the heart of the park — a pristine high-altitude lake ringed by rolling hills. The park is one of the last strongholds of the endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus); sightings are possible, especially in late summer. Also present: Tibetan wolves, golden marmots, red foxes, and diverse alpine flora in bloom (June–August). Return to Skardu. Overnight Skardu.

Drive to Lower Kachura Lake (Shangri-La Resort) — a serene alpine lake set among rocks and pines, immortalised in James Hilton's description of Shangri-La and the iconic Shangri-La Resort. Continue to Upper Kachura Lake (Kachura Skardu Lake), set higher among rocky hillsides with views of the surrounding ranges.

Free afternoon in Skardu for last-minute shopping — the local market stocks Balti embroidered textiles, carved walnut-wood items, and semi-precious stones (aquamarine, tourmaline, topaz) from the Gilgit-Baltistan mineral belt. Farewell dinner. Overnight Skardu.

Fly from Skardu to Islamabad (1 hour) or drive the Karakoram Highway. Mountain-weather delays are possible on the flight — build buffer into international connections. Transfer to Islamabad International Airport for departure.

The operations team checks the latest airline and weather information before leaving the hotel and coordinates the airport transfer, tickets, and expedition baggage. Mountain flights remain weather-dependent; if a cancellation occurs, Namla Expeditions explains the available road contingency and revises later stages without compressing essential acclimatisation or safety time. After landing, the group collects all luggage before transferring to the hotel. A short arrival briefing covers meals, local timing, equipment access, and the next day’s plan.