the amazing north (2 weeks)
Pakistan’s northern region is blessed with sky rising mountains and in their laps lays the fascinating mountainous valleys with exotic cultures whose people are warm-hearted, with smiling faces and friendly attitude. Settled in mountain gorges along mighty rivers these valleys’ landscape is equally alluring with thrilling road drives. With mesmerizing mountain scenery, awe-inspiring adventurous road along the mighty rivers and exotic cultures, this magical journey has been designed to thrill you, charm you. We embark on this spectacular cultural voyage at Islamabad, the political and administrative city of Pakistan. Driving towards north, we stop at Taxila to visit ancient Buddhist Civilization’s remains, one of the alluring archaeological sites in the world. We drive through the beautiful Naran valley to Gilgit, the administrative town of Gilgit Baltistan. The smiling, welcoming and friendly inhabitants of Hunza truly make your stay at home. Views from fairy tale like Baltit Fort, the old residence of Mirs of Hunza standing atop Karimabad, the former capital of Hunza Valley are incredibly beautiful. A walk along Barbar irrigation channel with striking views of Karakoram Mountains adds more essence to your journey. The beautiful Attabad Lake with its unique blue colour, Gulmit valley surrounded by high mountains and glaciers, and the most scenic Phander valley and its mesmerizing Phander Lake is an experience of lifetime.
Itinerary
| Day | Program |
| 1 | Arrival Islamabad, after short rest sightseeing of Rawalpindi/Islamabad |
| 2 | Drive to Besham (6 hours) or Naran (5 hours) via Taxila |
| 3 | Drive to Gilgit (from Besham 8-9 hours & Naran 6-7 hours). |
| 4 | In the morning visit Gilgit Bazar then drive to Karimabad Hunza. In the afternoon visit Baltit Fort & Karimabad Bazaar. |
| 5 | In the morning take a short walk along Babar Water Channel from Karimabad to Hyderabad. In the afternoon visit Altit Fort and Duiker, enjoy the panoramic view of sunset from the Eagle’s Nest. |
| 6 | Drive to Khunjerab Pass (4 hours) and drive back to Gulmit (3 hours) |
| 7 | Drive to Phunder via Gilgit (8 hours). En-route visit Kargah Buddha. |
| 8 | Drive to Chitral via Shandur Pass (8 hours) |
| 9 | In the morning visit Chitral Town, after lunch drive to Bumburet Kailash |
| 10 | Full day exploration of Kailash valley |
| 11 | Drive to Mingora Swat (6-7 hours). |
| 12 | In the morning visit Buddha Kara and Swat Museum and later drive to Peshawar via Takht-e-Bhai |
| 13 | Half day city tour of Peshawar, in the afternoon drive back to Islamabad |
| 14 | Transfer to airport for homebound flight |