Six peaks above 7,000 m, run from Skardu by our own Balti team. Permits, oxygen, insured high-altitude porters and a turnaround policy that is actually enforced.
Six peaks above 7,000 m, run from Skardu by our own Balti team. Permits, oxygen, insured high-altitude porters and a turnaround policy that is actually enforced.
The Karakoram Highway Tour: Islamabad to Khunjerab is a 12 days guided trip in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 4,693 m. It is graded Easy — long road days and one day at 4,693 m — short walks at stops. 4 fixed departures are open from $1,600 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
The Karakoram Highway leaves the plains near Islamabad at about 500 m and ends, for most travellers, at the Khunjerab Pass on the China border at 4,693 m. In between lie the Indus gorge, Nanga Parbat standing over the road at Chilas, the point near Jaglot where the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush meet, Rakaposhi from base to summit, the turquoise of Attabad Lake and the Passu Cones.
This is the whole road, driven north at a pace that lets you see it. Twelve days from Islamabad, two nights in Karimabad, three in Passu, the Khunjerab as a day out, and a flight home from Gilgit. Private vehicle, local driver, a Gilgit-Baltistan guide, hotels and all meals.
Want Skardu, Deosai and Fairy Meadows as well? Those belong to our North Pakistan Jeep Safari. This trip stays on the highway. Local hands, real safety, fair price.
Duration
12 days11 nights
Max altitude
4,693 mhighest point
Grade
Easy — long road days and one day at 4,693 m
Days on foot
short walks at stopsthe rest is travel
Group size
Max 1min age 8
Best season
May – Octoberopen May – October
Departures open
4next 8 May 2027
Karakoram Highway Tour Price
From $1,600 per person in a group of four to six. That covers a private vehicle and local driver for the whole route, a licensed Gilgit-Baltistan guide, 11 nights in hotels (twin share), all meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 12, the Gilgit to Islamabad flight, the Khunjerab National Park fee, fuel and tolls.
International flights, your Pakistan visa, travel insurance, drinks and tips are not included. A single room adds a supplement we quote at booking.
Fixed Departures
Fixed departures are scheduled dates you join as part of a group, rather than arranging your own trip. 4 dates are currently open, each capped at 10 people. Every date is the same price, $1,600 per person. A $300 deposit reserves a place. The availability column shows how many places are left on each date.
These are private departures, priced by the size of your party rather than by a set date. Pick the band that matches your group and the price per person is fixed at that rate, across 4 options. The more of you who travel, the less each person pays — from $3,500 for Solo (1 Person) down to $1,500/pp for 7-10 Persons. What each band covers is set out in the table.
Group size
Price
What it includes
Solo (1 Person)
$3,500
Private vehicle, driver and guide for one, on your dates.
(2-3 Persons)
$1,700/pp
One vehicle shared, ideal for couples and friends.
(4-6 Persons)
$1,600/pp
Our most popular group size and the best balance of cost and pace.
(7-10 Persons)
$1,500/pp
Best per-person rate for families and larger groups.
Is this trip right for you?
Yes — this is one of the easiest trips to say yes to.
Graded Easy — long road days and one day at 4,693 m.
short walks at stopsDays on footthe rest is travel
4,693 mhighest pointWe build in time to acclimatise.
8minimum age
Good to know
The highest point is 4,693 m, so altitude counts here. The itinerary is built around acclimatising and your guide sets a pace that gets you there comfortably.
You’re ready ifyou enjoy a full day out and do not mind some hours on the road.
Give yourself a little longer ifyou would like to feel fresher. A couple of walks beforehand makes the short strolls even easier.
This might not be your trip ifyou are after long days on foot and nights in a tent. Tell us and we will point you at one.
One thing we do insist on: travel insurance that covers helicopter evacuation.
Travel Plan
Itinerary — Karakoram Highway Tour
Twelve days north from Islamabad: the Indus gorge to Besham and Chilas, the three-ranges junction to Gilgit, two nights in Karimabad, three in Passu with the Khunjerab Pass as a day out, then Gilgit and the flight home.
12 days
Pick-up from Islamabad airport and transfer to the hotel. Evening briefing with your guide: the route, the road, and what the altitude at the top will feel like. Night in Islamabad.
About 290 km. Off the motorway at Hassan Abdal and onto the KKH proper. Abbottabad and Mansehra pass early, then the road narrows and climbs into the Indus gorge. A long day, broken by tea stops. Night in Besham.
About 200 km. Karakoram country in earnest: the Indus cuts a huge trench below the road. Near Chilas, Nanga Parbat (8,126 m) begins to fill the skyline, and boulders beside the highway carry rock carvings left by traders and pilgrims over thousands of years. Night in Chilas.
About 110 km. A short driving day. Past Raikot Bridge, where the Fairy Meadows jeep track begins, and on to the viewpoint near Jaglot where the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush ranges meet. Afternoon in the Gilgit bazaar. Night in Gilgit.
About 100 km. Up into Nagar and Hunza. Stop at the Rakaposhi viewpoint, where the 7,788 m peak stands almost on top of the road, base to summit. Into Karimabad by afternoon. Night in Karimabad.
A day off the road. Baltit Fort above the town, Altit Fort and its Shikari tower of around 1,100 years by the river, and the evening at the Eagle’s Nest above Duikar for sunset on Rakaposhi and Ultar. Night in Karimabad.
Through the five Friendship Tunnels built after the 2010 landslide, with Attabad Lake below in that startling turquoise. Stop at Gulmit and walk out on the Hussaini suspension bridge if you have the nerve. The Passu Cones ahead. Night in Passu.
The big day. North through Sost, the last town, and into Khunjerab National Park, climbing hard to the pass and the China border at 4,693 m. Time at the top, then back down to Passu. The jump from Sost at about 2,800 m can bring on a headache; it passes on the way down. Oxygen rides in the vehicle. Night in Passu.
A slow day after the altitude. Walk to the Batura glacier snout above the highway and up to Borith Lake at about 2,600 m under the Passu Cones, or just sit with tea and the view. Night in Passu.
About 160 km. Back down the highway with the light from the other direction, stopping for the photos you missed on the way up. Night in Gilgit.
The morning flight to Islamabad follows the Indus, with Nanga Parbat off the wing on a clear day. It is weather-dependent: when it is cancelled we drive you south on the KKH instead, which takes two days. Night in Islamabad.
Transfer to the airport. If the Gilgit flight was cancelled and we drove, you reach Islamabad this evening instead, so book your flight home for day 13 if you can.
What’s included in the price
Every fixed departure is all-inclusive from Islamabad. This is exactly what your $1,600 per person covers, and the handful of things it does not — so there is nothing to settle at the trailhead.
Included in the price
Private vehicle with local driver for the whole route
Licensed Gilgit-Baltistan guide
11 nights in hotels (twin share)
All meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 12
The Gilgit to Islamabad flight
Khunjerab National Park fee
Fuel
Tolls and bottled water
Satellite phone with the guide and a real evacuation plan
The same safety system we run on our expeditions
Not included
International flights
Pakistan visa
Travel insurance (mandatory)
Single-room supplement
Drinks and tips
Why Karakoram Venture
Because the people who take you up this mountain are from it. Our guides grew up in these valleys, and they are our own team — not a booking desk handing you to whoever is cheapest that week. Every one of them is certified by the Alpine Club of Pakistan, holds Wilderness First Aid, and has between five and twenty years on high-altitude ground.
Because the safety is real, and we will name it rather than imply it. A satellite phone travels in every camp, we hold established helicopter-rescue contacts for this region, and we tell you exactly which travel insurance to carry. Budget operators cut precisely these things, because you cannot see them on a web page.
Because the price is honest. Local infrastructure is why $1,600 per person covers the trip from Islamabad rather than a stripped-down base rate. Exactly what it includes — and the handful of things it does not — is set out above.
How to book this trip
Four steps from here to the mountains
1Pick your dateA fixed departure above, or private dates you choose.
2Send the requestThe form on this page, or WhatsApp. Name, party size, date.
3Pay $300 per personThat holds your place. We reply within 24 hours.
4Balance 30 days beforeThen we take over: flights, hotels, permits, crew.
No card details on this page. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
More About the Karakoram Highway Tour
Booking & Payment
A deposit of $300 per person confirms your place. Balance is due 30 days before departure
Book through our website or directly on WhatsApp. We confirm within the hour in season
Cancellation Policy
Cancel 60+ days before departure for a full refund of the deposit. 30-59 days: half the deposit. Under 30 days: the deposit is forfeit
If we cancel a departure
You receive a full refund or a transfer to another date
Your choice
Permits & Documentation
A standard Pakistan tourist visa covers the whole trip
Including the Khunjerab National Park
Pass viewpoint. Carry your passport and visa for the checkpoints along the highway
Plus photocopies. Crossing into China is not part of this trip and needs a Chinese visa arranged in advance
Health & Fitness
Easy on the body: you sit in a vehicle
Walks at stops are short. The hard parts are long road days
Narrow sections with no barrier
One day at 4,693 m. If you have a serious heart or lung condition
Talk to your doctor about the Khunjerab day. Minimum age 8
Travel insurance is mandatory and arranged by you
Important Notes
Carry at least 2 recent passport-size photos for verification and documentation.
A valid passport (foreign nationals) or CNIC (Pakistani nationals) is mandatory for booking and travel.
Keep your original passport or CNIC with you throughout the tour for security checks and hotel check-ins.
Foreign nationals need a valid passport and the correct visa; any NOC and trekking/restricted-area permits are arranged by Karakoram Venture.
Special Information
Professional and experienced Tour Manager available from start to end of the trip.
Delicious and fresh daily meals included from Day 1 until departure.
No complimentary meals provided on flights or during transit stops.
Follow updated state travel policies carefully for a hassle-free journey.
Transportation Details
Comfortable and spacious A/C Coaches for long trips and intercity travel.
Sturdy 4x4 jeeps for mountain roads and sightseeing (up to 7 pax per vehicle).
Reliable 4x4 vehicles (Land Cruiser / Prado) for off-road and high-altitude excursions.
Arrival & Departure Guidelines
Day 1: Report at the designated airport on time as per schedule.
Final Day: Depart after successfully completing the full itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need for the Karakoram Highway?
Five to seven days one way is the practical minimum with real overnight stops. This tour takes twelve: five days driving north, time in Hunza and Passu, the Khunjerab as a day trip, and a flight back from Gilgit so you do not drive the whole road twice.
How high is the Khunjerab Pass?
About 4,693 m; some sources give up to 4,714 m. It is the highest paved border crossing on earth and the high point of this tour. The border is open from 1 May to 31 December, which is why we run from May to October.
Do I need a special permit for the Karakoram Highway?
No. A standard Pakistan tourist visa covers the road trip, including the Khunjerab National Park and the pass viewpoint. You show your passport at checkpoints along the way. Only crossing into China needs more: a Chinese visa arranged before you travel.
How is this different from your North Pakistan Jeep Safari?
The jeep safari starts in Skardu and adds Deosai and Fairy Meadows on long jeep tracks. This tour is the highway itself, north from Islamabad: the lower Indus gorge, Chilas, the three-ranges junction, Hunza, Passu and the pass, with a flight home and all meals included. Same team, different road.
Is the Karakoram Highway safe?
The real risks are landslides and rockfall, worst in July and August on the lower Indus stretches, narrow sections with no barrier, and the altitude at Khunjerab. We drive with local drivers who know which stretches to pass at which hour, keep slack in the plan for road closures, and carry a satellite phone.
Top-Notch Service, Excellent Reviews
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