Hunza Valley

Hunza is a valley in Gilgit-Baltistan on the Karakoram Highway, which continues north to the Khunjerab Pass on the China border. Our tours stay in Karimabad, at 2,438 m, where Baltit Fort and Altit Fort stand above the town.

From Karimabad, the road up the valley passes Attabad Lake, formed by a landslide in 2010, then the Hussaini suspension bridge and the Passu Cones, before climbing to the Khunjerab Pass at 4,693 m. The pass is open roughly April to November. For sunrise over Rakaposhi and Ultar, the viewpoint is Eagle's Nest (Duikar), above Karimabad.

By road, Karimabad is approx. 18–20 hours from Islamabad, split over two days with a night in Chilas or Naran. The drive in from Chilas stops at the Nanga Parbat viewpoint at Raikot and the Rakaposhi viewpoint.

The valley is visited from late March to early November: apricot and cherry blossom in late March and April, summer from May to September, and golden poplars with cold nights in October and early November. From December to February there is snow and the days are short, though the KKH keeps Hunza reachable. Hunza Escape (5 days) and Grand Karakoram (9 days) both stay in Karimabad.