* This tour has happened and was so much fun! To see what we got up to see my Instagram story highlights here!.*
If you want to be the first to know about my future tours, email with the subject line ‘future tours’ to [email protected] *
RELATED POSTS:
What To Wear in Pakistan! Tourist Packing List & Dress Code!
Pakistan Travel Advice. Things To Know BEFORE You Go to Pakistan!
A 2 Week Pakistan Itinerary to Northern Pakistan & the Cities!
Yes! I’m going back to Pakistan and I want you to join me on a female group tour for 2 weeks of adventure-packed days seeing as much of Gilgit, Hunza and the Karakoram Highway as possible with days spent in the mountains and nights spent eating delicious Pakistani food in village homestays, plus guided tours around the cities of Lahore and Islamabad!
SUNDAY 1ST OCTOBER – SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2023
LAHORE – GILGIT – HUNZA – ISLAMABAD – LAHORE
With Ellie Quinn Belhaj & Ready For Road Adventures
Overview of the Tour
If you want to see the highlights of Pakistan with a focus on the mountains of Pakistan and you are up for 2 weeks of adventure and hiking, this is the trip for you!
I went to Pakistan in 2019, I visited quite a few places we are going to on this tour however some of the places like the Fairy Meadows, Eagles Nest, Attabad Lake and Naltar Valley I didn’t get to because travelling around Pakistan on your own really isn’t that easy and simple and you certainly can’t see this much of Pakistan on your own in 2 weeks!
We will be travelling North quite quickly. The North is our main focus because it is truly beautiful, so full of culture and hospitality, and pretty chilled out!
In October, Northern Pakistan will be full of yellow autumnal leaves and it is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime sight to be seen!
The expedition has a big focus on hiking and outdoor activities because this is the best way to see Pakistan. I’ll go into more detail below but you don’t need to be an experienced hiker to join this trip, you just need a good level of fitness and stamina to help you enjoy it and get the most out of the experience!
Ready for Road Adventures
I’m working with Ready for Road Adventures on this expedition! Will who runs the company has been travelling to and around Pakistan since 2016 and has spent the last few years running back-to-back group tours for bloggers and YouTubers.
The ease of travelling through Pakistan is all about the connections you have and Ready for Road Adventures has cultivated connections with local guides, drivers and accommodation owners as well as connections with Police, Army and Village Chiefs meaning there’s always someone to call for help if needed, like getting through road closures!
And, Will knows a few people I met in Pakistan which made a great connection for us too!
Highlights
- Northern Pakistan Autumn Colours!
- ‘Worlds Most Dangerous Road’
- Fairy Meadows Stay
- Nanga Parbat Basecamp Hike
- Attabad Lake Boat Trip
- Naltar Valley Lakes
- Ghulkin Homestay
- Black Glacier Hike
- Passu Hanging Bridge
- Lahore City Tour
- Wagha Border Ceremony
- Islamabad Mosque Visit
Itinerary
Here is our day-by-day itinerary of how we’ll spend our 2 weeks with information on our accommodation and transport below.
We can’t promise that our itinerary will be exactly the same as it is subject to change due to the weather and/or situations that arise in the country, but we can promise that it will be epic and memorable whatever we do!
Day 1 – Arrival in Lahore – Sunday 1st October
We’ll pick you up from Lahore Airport when you land. You can arrive any time this day most flights get in early so we’ll provide an optional shopping and social afternoon in Lahore city so you can jump right in, or you can rest at the hotel. We’ll have a briefing and dinner in the evening and an early night so we are full of energy to start the tour the next day!
Day 2 – Lahore City Tour & India Pakistan Border
After a local breakfast, we’ll take a city tour with a local guide around Lahore visiting the most famous Moghul wonders like Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort and Wazir Khan Mosque. Later in the afternoon, we’ll head to the Wagha Border which is the India-Pakistan Border and watch their daily ceremony. It’s busy and bustling but a lot of fun to see and of course, we’ll be cheering loudly for Pakistan!
Day 3 – Heading up North
We’ll depart Lahore and start our drive up North into Northern Pakistan. This is a long journey but we’ll be driving through the tallest mountain ranges in the world that all meet in Gilgit Baltistan! We’ll be taking stops when we need them and breaking up our journey by staying overnight at Gonar Farm, a traditional house and homestay.
Day 4 – Jeeps & Hike to the Fairy Meadows
You might have heard about the Fairy Meadows in Northern Pakistan and this is where we’ll be staying tonight but first, we need to get up early, drive to Raikot Bridge and then take jeeps along ‘the world’s most treacherous road!’ but don’t fear, we have the best drivers who make it look easy! We’ll go as far as we can in jeeps and then we’ll need to walk 2 hours uphill to Fairy Meadows. Our end will be rewarded with a night around the fire and we’ll be spending the next 2 nights here sleeping in traditional log cabins.
Day 5 – Trek to Nanga Parbat Basecamp
Today is a hiking day! After breakfast at our accommodation in the Fairy Meadows, we’ll be trekking to Nanga Parbat Basecamp and back. Nanga Parbat is the 9th highest mountain in the world 2nd the highest in Pakistan. We’re only going to Basecamp so don’t worry but will be amazing to get so close to this incredible mountain! We’ll have multiple trekking guides with us who will help encourage us all and we’ll have lunch at Bayal Camp.
Day 6 – Karakoram Highway drive to Naltar Valley
We’ll hike 2 hours down from the Fairy Meadows, take jeeps back to the road and then start our way to Naltar Valley on the famous Karakoram Highway. Naltar Valley is in the Gilgit−Baltistan region. It’s a beautiful place with forests, mountains and lakes which we’ll see tomorrow!
Day 7 – Naltar Lakes and Karimabad
After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll take jeep rides and do some trekking to Naltar Lakes. You may have seen photos of bright emerald lakes in Pakistan and this is what we’ll see here! Afterwards, we’ll start the drive to Karimabad in Hunza which is a lovely town and one of the main tourist towns in Northern Pakistan. We’ll check in to our hotel where we’ll stay for 2 nights.
Day 8 – Day in and around Karimabad
Today will be a well-deserved slow day to take at your own pace. Karimabad is great for cafes, shopping and walking around as it’s only small in size with friendly locals and minimal traffic. Later on, we’ll go as a group to Eagles Nest which is a lovely viewpoint to watch the sunset and we’ll have a local evening with a BBQ, Fire and local music.
Day 9 – Attabad Lake Boat Trip
We’ll leave Karimabad and continue further into Hunza with our first stop being Attabad Lake. Attabad Lake was created in 2010 after a landslide and is now one of the top places to visit in Northern Pakistan because of its bright blue water. We’ll be taking a boat trip out onto the lake which will be a memorable activity for sure! Then, we’ll make our way to Ghulkin. Ghulkin is where a community of Imaili Muslims live and Ghulkin Homestay is where we’ll stay for 3 nights. This homestay is run by a lovely family who I stayed with and met back in 2019 so I can’t wait to see them again and for you to meet them too!
Day 10 – Black Glacier Trek & Passu Hanging Bridge
This area of Hunza is all about the glaciers, rivers and bridges so we’ll start the morning with a homemade breakfast by our hosts and then trek over the Black Glacier! Again, we’ll have multiple trekking guides with us who will watch, help and encourage the whole group. Then, we’ll head to Passu Hanging Bridge which is a huge and long (and kind of scary but fun) bridge over the Hunza River and see the incredible Passu Cone mountains!
Day 11 – Biscocho Trek & Village Orchard Walk
This area of Pakistan and Hunza is absolutely breathtaking and when we visit in early October all of the trees will be an incredible shade of yellow and orange. Autumn in Hunza is seriously a bucket list item for me! So today we’ll explore more of the area by doing the Biscocho Trek and taking a village walk around the Orchard.
Day 12 – Heading back down South
We’ll say goodbye to Hunza and the Northern Pakistan region and start our way back down South today and although we’ll spend a lot of the day on the bus, I’m sure we’ll look forward to resting and taking in the country from the bus once again. We’ll stop in Naran where we’ll spend the night. Naran is a small touristic outpost that connects Northern Pakistan. This will be your last place to pick up any goodies to bring back home so we’ll do some shopping when we arrive!
Day 13 – Islamabad Mosque
From Naran, in the morning we’ll start our way to Islamabad which is another long drive but when we arrive we’ll get to see some of this modern city which will feel very different to what we’ve seen so far in Pakistan. We’ll visit Islamabad’s (and Pakistan’s) biggest mosque Faisal Mosque for afternoon prayers and then drive onwards to Lahore where we started our tour.
Day 14 – Departure Day from Lahore – Saturday 14th October
The tour finishes this day and you are free to leave when you want. Breakfast will be on offer at our hotel but if you have a flight early morning, it’s fine to leave as early as you wish. If you book a later flight, you can relax at the hotel after check out or the hotel can store your bags whilst you see more of Lahore until you are ready to leave.
Accommodation
We’ll be staying in a blend of hotels, guesthouses, homestays and log cabins during our trip.
The rooms will mainly be twin-sharing however in some places we may share rooms with more than 2 ladies in.
Whilst our accommodation will be of good quality and Ready for Road Adventures who are helping me organise this tour have vetted and stayed in all of the properties before with many other groups, tourism in Northern Pakistan is still fairly new and standards of accommodation and facilities offered are different from what many of us will be familiar with at home and on travels to Western countries.
Below, you’ll see a section on ‘what to expect from this tour’ where I’ll explain more about what to expect around facilities, hot water etc.
Transport
We will have a private bus throughout the tour which will take us on all of our longer journeys. At times, like on days 4, 6 & 7, we will need to take jeeps to get us to our destination due to the conditions of the roads.
Cost
Aside from small personal expenses, this is an all-inclusive tour package!
Inclusions
- 13 Nights Accommodation
- 13 Breakfasts
- 13 Lunches
- 13 Dinners
- Beverages with all meals
- All Transport
- Airport Pick Up & Drop Off
- Local English Speaking Guides
- Translator
- Historical site and Access fees
- Local Entertainment when available
- Letter of Invitation for visa application
Exclusions
- Tips for local guides and restaurants
- Snacks and Drinking Water
- Personal Expenses such as shopping, laundry, alcohol, sim cards,
- Flights to and from Lahore (check prices on Skyscanner here)
- Travel Insurance
- Tourist Visa Fees and Application Fees (more on that below)
- Any applicable Medical Vaccinations
- Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, landslides, road conditions and any other circumstances beyond our control.
Total Cost & Deposit
TOTAL COST: £1990.00
DEPOSIT REQUIRED TO SECURE PLACE: £300.00
The final balance of £1690.00 will be required in 2 more instalments:
£845.00 to be paid by 1st June 2023
£845.00 to be paid by 1st August 2023
What to Expect
Ok, I hope you are super excited about this tour! I know many of you have been wanting to visit Pakistan for a long time and I know I’m so excited to go back as a group of women to experience so much of Pakistan in 2 weeks!
Before I tell you how to book, I do want to give you some information on the reality of travelling Pakistan that I experienced and Ready for Road Adventures who have run over 50 group tours to Pakistan have experienced. I don’t say this to worry you or put you off, I’m telling you because I want to ensure we have a group of women who know what to expect when they arrive, or even better come with NO EXPECTATIONS so we all enjoy the tour without complaints and any negative issues.
VISA
A tourist visa is needed for Pakistan and it is your responsibility to pay the visa fees, apply for this in advance and get the visa granted in time.
The visa process differs between nationalities. Many nationalities (including the UK) require a Letter of Invitation from the tour company which we will provide you with and you can submit this with your application.
We will also provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a visa for Pakistan to make it easier.
Click here to check if your country is eligible for a tourist visa for Pakistan and click here for the official tourist E-Visa website.
This tour is not available for Indian Nationals due to visa restrictions.
FITNESS AND HIKING
As you can tell from the itinerary, we are doing a lot of hiking/trekking on this tour because this is the best way to see the mountains of Pakistan! The expedition has treks that can be demanding treks with some having rather steep climbs, while others are short and rather easy.
Although we will spend a fair amount of time on the bus driving, this is NOT an on-off bus tour of Pakistan, we will spend a lot of time off the bus, walking and doing physical activities.
Therefore, to book on to this tour you should have a relatively good level of fitness. You do not need to be super fit and a really experienced hiker but I ask that you arrive with the fitness and ability to hike and ensure you do some hillwalking/hikes/gym cardio sessions before you come on the tour (you’ll want your walking boots to be worn in too!).
Overall, the better your fitness, stamina and walking mentality are, the more you will enjoy the expedition!
The tour will be a great way to keep your fitness up in the few Summer months leading up to it and we can keep each other motivated and reminded in the Whatsapp group beforehand.
If you have old injuries or issues affecting your mobility, please look into these before booking onto the tour to ensure you will be capable to do these mountain and glacier treks before the tour starts.
With that said, the trekking guides are used to people with different fitness levels and there will always be a guide at the back of the group so no one gets left on their own, and for example with the Nanga Parbat hike, if you struggle due to fitness, sickness or altitude, there are places to stop and you don’t need to do the full trek so we can be flexible if unexpected issues arrive but it will help if your general fitness level is good to start with.
ACCOMMODATION
As mentioned above, we will stay in a range of accommodations on this tour like wooden log cabins in the Fairy Meadows, hotels in Lahore and guesthouses in the North.
All of our accommodation is used regularly by people doing this expedition so everything has been vetted to ensure we get the best experience but this is Pakistan and facilities will differ and be limited to what you might be used to.
Not all of our accommodations will have hot water. The itinerary has been planned where if we stay somewhere that doesn’t have hot water, the next hotel will have it, however, power outages are common, especially in Northern Pakistan so even though we expect a hotel to have hot water, it may not or may go off during our stay.
Because we are travelling in Autumn, we will benefit from comfortable daytime temperatures and beautiful golden colours, but the temperature will drop at night and hotels in this region do not have the full radiator power we are used to in Western countries so you will need to wear thicker PJ’s and embrace having some big blankets when needed.
TRANSPORT
There are 2 main things to be aware of with transport in Pakistan. Firstly, this expedition does have some long travel days to get up North and back down South. We have chosen to drive rather than get flights as flights can be unpredictable and if we get a cancellation it’s unlikely we will be able to book our whole group on another flight which will result in delays and need to travel by bus anyway.
The next thing is that road closures etc may affect our travel times and delay us. This is out of our control but our experienced and well-connected guides will do their best to minimise delays and get us there on time.
WIFI & INTERNET ACCESS
We will be relying on Wi-Fi when travelling around Pakistan and although it will be pretty good in our Lahore Hotel at the start and end of the expedition, the Wi-Fi in Homestays and Hotels up North may not be great and we will not have Wi-Fi on travel days.
I ask that you only book if you are aware of this and don’t need constant connection back home or for any other reason.
I’ll be taking it as a chance to disconnect a little and enjoy living in the moment which we don’t get enough of these days!
SICKNESS
Tummy issues are the main sickness that we’re likely to experience with some diarrhoea and possible sickness being the outcome.
We will ensure we only drink bottled drinking water and we will only eat in restaurants and cafes that have been used by tours before us and have been checked but we cannot guarantee that your body won’t have some kind of reaction from the food.
I will give you tips on pro and prebiotics to take before the tour to help strengthen your gut and if you experience sickness or diarrhoea we can get you over-the-counter medication to help ease the symptoms.. and plan as many bathroom breaks as possible!
GUIDES
All of our guides and drivers will be local males who have been trained by Ready for Road Adventures and adhere to a strict code of conduct. I know they will be excellent guides who will help us as much as they can and make our trip the best it can be.
We will be with the guides pretty much the whole time throughout the tour and with the drivers a lot too. I would have loved to have had some female guides for our female group but it is just no the culture for this, especially in the North.
If you are Muslim please ensure you will be happy in this situation with male guides and drivers with us throughout.
How to Book
Now you know what to expect 😉 here is how to book your place!
*Please do not book any flights until you have received the confirmation letter from me via email.*
Refunds & Cancellations
Please note that all payments including the deposit and the final 2 payments once paid are non-refundable which is industry standard.
However, if you have to cancel, because I want to help you out as much as possible, I will try my best to resell your place. If and once I have resold your place, I will refund you the money paid so far minus £50.00 for the admin fee. Of course, I am going to be more likely to resell your place if you cancel further out than if you cancel just before the trip so keep this in mind.
For information on refunds if the whole tour has to cancel, please scroll down the Terms and Conditions.
Your Questions Answered
Flights into Lahore?
I suggest looking into flights on Skyscanner here to check rates and availability.
You will need to arrive in Lahore on Sunday 1st October. Most flights arrive early so you might need to look for flights leaving on 30th September however you can arrive anytime on 1st.
Our tour ends on Saturday 13th October, you can fly anytime this day.
What clothing is required for this expedition?
Pakistan will be in Autumn in October and whilst Lahore and Islamabad will still be quite warm, Lahore will actually be quite hot, Northern Pakistan where we are spending most of our time will be slightly warm/cool in the daytime and get colder at night. It will get colder in the daytime when we are higher up.
As we are doing a lot of trekking, I advise that most of what you pack is trekking and outdoor-appropriate wear as we will spend a lot of time in this clothing. On days when we don’t have long treks, you can wear other clothes like jeans, joggers, leggings, trainers etc.
We will send you a full packing list plenty of time before the tour. But so you know now, you will need items such as hiking boots (that have been worn in!), hiking socks, a day pack, a dry pack, a head torch, a waterproof jacket, thicker padded jacket, a fleece or two, thermals for night time, personal first aid kit. Please ensure you have these items or can purchase them ready for the tour.
What is the food like on this expedition?
Pakistani food is insanely tasty and can come in a variety of spice levels. Meat is an important part of Pakistani diet but we can cater for vegetarians (I was vegetarian when I went to Pakistan in 2019). There won’t be an extensive veggie menu and you will eat a lot of Daal and Naan! But it’s possible.
Can you cater for my dietary restriction?
We will try our best to cater for those with dietary restrictions. If you have a dietary restriction, please inform us. There is of course a limit to what we can cater for due to the remote places we will be eating.
Dairy, Gluten, and Nuts are common in the Pakistani diet but let me know when you book and we can advise you.
Is the tour for Muslim women only?
No, not at all. In 2022 I co-hosted some retreats for Muslim women in Spain and England but this trip is not like those and there will be no specific religious activities.
Just like on my Morocco Tour in March 2023, I really hope a range of women will book this trip from all over the world and with all different backgrounds as this will be a lovely mix for us all to enjoy.
What happens in bad weather?
In the event of a sudden change in weather conditions, the expedition leader will assess the situation and make an informed decision on what to do. Participant safety is always the priority in the decision-making process. The itinerary is designed taking into consideration possible bad weather. Alternative routes and contingency plans are always in place in case of adverse weather conditions.
Are there cultural norms to be aware of?
Pakistan is a Muslim country which means that certain things are considered not allowed, however, this shouldn’t have an impact on us as a foreign female group. The main thing to consider is dressing more covered and modest. However up North, the temperature will require us to be mostly covered, it will not be the weather for summer clothes so this isn’t something to over-think and you will only need to cover your head when we enter a mosque, mainly in Lahore and Islamabad.
Terms & Conditions
1. If you need to cancel after paying your deposit or final payment, please note that as per industry standards, all payments including the deposit and final payment once paid are non-refundable.
However, I want to help you out as much as possible so I will try my best to resell your place. If and once I have sold your place, I will refund you the money paid so far minus £50.00 for the admin fee. Please note that I am going to be more likely to resell your place if you cancel further out than if you cancel just before the trip.
2. You must take out travel insurance prior to the tour, as explained below, I suggest doing this as soon as the deposit has been paid. I will ask you for your travel insurance details just before the tour starts so if anything happens I can call your insurance company and know your policy details.
3. Neither I (Ellie Quinn) nor any of the team at Ready for Road Adventures are responsible for any accidents or losses you may have before, on, or after the tour. You join this tour with responsibility for yourself and if something happens, you have your travel insurance to claim on.
4. If the tour gets cancelled due to covid, a natural disaster or another type of event where we have to completely cancel. We will need to pay suppliers on the ground still so the payment paid is not refundable. However, I will try my best to refund you what is available after paying local guides, accommodation etc but I not guarantee anything.
If a total cancellation happens, we (Ellie and Ready for Road Adventures) will try our best to reschedule and move deposits but this is not guaranteed.
If you are concerned about this happening, I advise you to take out travel insurance straight after paying your deposit. Travel insurance is mandatory on this tour (I will ask you for your details before you arrive) and as soon as you take travel insurance out you will be covered for certain cancellations. It is much safer to buy insurance once the deposit is paid than plan to buy it a week before leaving and something happens between then as you will have no insurance to cover you.
Any other questions?
Tour Photos
