12 Days Holiday at Lesser-Travelled Areas of South Asian Islamic Nation
Highlights
Hunza, Islamabad, Lahore, Besham, Gilgit, Swāt
Locations Covered
Hunza, Islamabad, Lahore, Besham, Gilgit, Swāt
gastronomical, nature, cultural, photography, historical, Glaciers
Tour Type
gastronomical, nature, cultural, photography, historical, Glaciers
Group Tour
12 Days
Easy
English, French, Urdu
Description
Journey along the picturesque Karakoram Highway to the Hunza Valley and the Khunjerab Pass and then pass by the scenic Shangla Pass to the fertile Swat valley. See the Baâdshahi mosque, Shalimar garden, Daman-e-Koh, Passu Lake and learn about Gandhara Buddhist heritage and Pathan cultures.
Itinerary
-
Arrive in Lahore
Transfer to the hotel and take rest in the morning,
Drive to the Tomb of Mogul Emperor - Jehangir and his beloved Queen Noor Jehan adjoining the Caravan Sarai (resting place) of Emperor Akbar.
Enjoy welcome dinner at a typical Punjabi restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel.
-
Lahore
Pay homage at the shrine of the learned Sufi Saint who came here in the 11th century: Daâta Hajveri.
Witness the landmark of Lahore- the historic Baâdshahi mosque.
Enter the Lahore Fort, a mosaic of Moghul architecture, with it's Palace of Million Mirrors.
Choose the Delhi gate to enter the old walled city of Lahore.
Take a walk through the crowded bazaar and enter the Wazir Khan Mosque.
Visit the historic Shalimar Garden in the evening with its 414 fountains.
Overnight at the hotel.
-
Islamabad
Have breakfast and drive to Islamabad.
Visit salt mines on the way and arrive in Islamabad
Go on an afternoon sightseeing tour of the twin cities of Islamabad and Pindi.
Enter Faisal Mosque - the landmark of Islamabad.
Visit Daman-e-Koh on top of a hill for panoramic views of Islamabad.
Drive on Constitution Avenue and see the President House, Parliament, Supreme Court and other state buildings.
Visit Pindi’s colourful Raja Bazaar for bargain shopping.
Overnight at the hotel.
-
Islamabad – Besham (Meet The Indus)
Drive to Besham and 28 km to Taxila, the capital of Buddhist Gandhara civilization.
Visit the ruins of a former city (Sirkup), a former monastery (Julian) that is built on top of a hill and the splendid site museum that contains artefacts from the sites.
Have lunch and drive through the beautiful, lush green valleys of the Mansehra District towards the Karakoram Highway (KKH).
Take a 4-5 hour drive and stop for the night at Besham.
-
Besham - Gilgit - Hunza Karimabad (Indus Journey)
Drive to Gilgit, the capital of Pakistan’s Northern Areas.
Cross a Chinese-made bridge at Thakot/ Babusar Pass and enter the Indus River gorge.
Have lunch in Chilas and stop at Thalichi, which is the best viewpoint for Nanga Parbat (8,125 m) - also known as the Killer Mountain and is the 9th highest peak in the world and the second highest in Pakistan after K2.
Get a view of Rakaposhi (7,788 m) and the Haramosh range from here.
Stop at the point where the world’s three highest mountain ranges - Karakoram, Himalayas and Hindukush – meet.
Follow the Gilgit River to Gilgit city.
Cross a suspension bridge over the river to reach Kargah to visit the Buddha carved into the rocks during the 7th century AD.
Drive on to the breathtaking Hunza Valley again following the old Silk Route used by Buddhist monks and traders.
Make a short stop at the Rakaposhi (7,788 m) viewpoint.
Overnight at Hunza View Hotel in Karimabad.
-
Hunza Karimabad (Full-day excursion enjoy Chari Blossom )
Take a short walk to the Altit and Baltit forts and other parts of the valley, which is ringed with majestic peaks - Rakaposhi 7,788 m, Diran 7,266 m, Ultar 7,400 m and Golden 7,027 m.
Get the glimpses of the beautiful Nagar Valley on the other side of the river. The friendly long-lived people of Hunza are mostly self sufficient, growing wheat, maize, apricots and walnuts, making their own clothes, shoes, along with wooden and stone bowls.
Take an afternoon walk to the Ultar Glacier via the village irrigation channel.
Stroll through the single-lane bazaar for better views of the soaring peaks around you.
Overnight at Hunza View Hotel.
-
Karimabad - Passu (Gojal Upper Gojal Chari Blossom)
Travel further north into the Gojal Valley to Passu. About 70 years ago Passu used to be the second largest settlement in Hunza after Karimabad.
Take a morning walk to the Passu Glacier and Passu Lake (45 minutes one-way).
Enjoy the stunning views of Shispar (7,611 m) and Passu Peak (7,478 m).
Have lunch at the lodge and visit the (800 ft) suspension bridges of Passu/ Hussani that are still used by the local people.
Overnight at lodge.
-
Passu /Gulmit – Khunjerab Pass (Full-day excursion to Khunjerab Pass)
Drive overland to the highest border crossing in the world at 4,733 m – the Khunjerab Pass between Pakistan and China. The pass also marks the end of the Karakoram mountain range and the beginning of the Pamir Range.
Make a stop at Sost, which is the last check post in Pakistan for customs and immigration formalities.
Continue along the Karakoram Highway beside the Khunjerab River.
Visit the Khunjerab National Park where sometimes one can see ibex, Marco Polo sheep and snow leopards.
Drive back to Passu.
Overnight at Lodge.
-
Passu/Gulmit - Besham
Drive back down the Hunza River valley on the Karakoram Highway.
Enjoy new views of the amazing array of mountain peaks.
Overnight at Besham on the banks of the Indus River.
-
Besham – Swat Mingora
Leave the KKH at Besham to drive towards Swat through the Shangla Pass. The valley of Swat (surrounded by the mighty Hindu Kush and Karakoram ranges) is a land rich with fruit-laden orchards, flower-filled slopes, meandering rivers and tumbling streams.
Visit the towns of Saidu Sharif and Mingora.
Overnight in a Mingora hotel.
-
Swat Mingora (Excursion to Upper Swat Valley)
Head to Kalam (2000 m above sea-level) in the Upper Swat Valley.
Visit Bahria on the way, which is a town beside the Swat River where trout fishing is a favourite pastime.
Drive back to Mingora to stay overnight at the hotel.
-
Swat – Lahore – Departure
Begin early morning from swat to Lahore.
Travel along the Grand Trunk Road, which was first constructed by the Pathan Emperor of the United Indian Empire, Sher Shah Suri.
Make a stop where the road crosses the Indus River at Attock to take a photograph of the meeting point of Indus and Kabul rivers.
Reach Lahore by evening.
Transfer to Lahore Airport for Departure.
What's Included
What's Excluded
Know Before You Go
What To Bring
Cancellation Policy
-
For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -
Refund of 80% of the tour price.