The most visited place in Pakistan. The valley is magnificently encircled in Karakoram and Himalaya mountain ranges. Allocated at a distance of 100 km from Gilgit-Baltistan. It spreads to 7900 square kilometers.
The weather remains moderate in summers about 31-degree Celsius. The Valley offers extremely different panoramas in various seasons. The summer is green, and spring is filled with beautiful flowers of white, pink, and purple colors, whereas, in autumn the whole valley turns red, yellow, and orange. The temperature of the Valley drops to 15-degree Celsius, as October reaches. A happy season is about to flinch. The days wane, illuminated by the weak rays of the sallow sun. The grounds of Valley are beautifully carpeted with gold and orange hues of leaves. The fall has arrived, behold the falling leaves and noise of crisp leaves under the foot give a pleasant experience to the tourists.
Autumn in Hunza valley is bursting with the fascinating spectrum of colors of fall. The shades of fall include golden, yellow, red, and green. However, the most dominating are gold and red. It is, however, consider the second-best fall in the world after William Town in the U.S.A. The general effect of these delicate hues of gold and red trees is reflected in the Hunza River. The bluish-green water of the river augments the picture of autumn. Discriminating between the real and the mirrored image is difficult.
Nonetheless, the fascinating insignia brings the glorious transfusion in the human body. Some vacationers went to Hunza valley for rehabilitation. October is the month when the autumn season hit the valley and scatter the colors of ecstasy. The flowers bloom and dance with the cold wind of a tranquil valley. The place needs to holiday every year.
The month of October bursts with fruits as well. It is the ripening season of Apricots, Mulberry, Apples, Peaches, and Plums. The fruits are the real gems of the valley. Orchids are bursting at the seams of the fruits.
In the mountains, one feels seclude; separated from depressions, isolated from everything but the friendly nature of people of northern areas, the loving and caring people that they are.
Nonetheless, this period is the one that nurtures the soul of a person with a serene environment. A perfect place to diminish the apprehensions and delight in the enchanting splendor of nature.
Itinerary
- Day 01: Islamabad: Arrival by flight at Islamabad International Airport. You will be received by the team of Hidden Paradise Tours at airport and transfer you to Hotel in Islamabad. If your flight is arriving in the morning then there is an ample time to see Islamabad and we will have half day city tour of Islamabad, includes Pakistan Monument, Faisal Masjid, Shakar Parian hills, Margala hills, Islamabad Market, syedpur old village and Rawalpindi.
- Day 02: Islamabad – Taxila – Besham: This morning, we will start our journey (5-6 hrs drive) toward the mountain kingdom of North Pakistan on the famous Karakorum Highway/ancient silk route. En route visit Taxila Museum (1 hour drive). The modern town of Taxila is 35 km from Islamabad. Most of the Archeological Sites at Taxila (600 B.C-500 A.D) are located around Taxila Museum. For over 1000years, Taxila remained famous of as a centre of learning in respect of Gandhara Art of Sculpture, education and Buddhism in the days of Buddhist glory. There are over 50 archeological sites scattered in a radius of 30 km around Taxila. Some of the most important sites include Dharmarajika, Stupa and Monastery (300 B.C – 200 A.D), Bhir Mound (600-200 B.C) Sirkap (200 B.C – 600 A.D, Jundial Temple (250 B.C), and Julian Monastery (200-600 A.D). After our visit we continue our drive, en route we will stop for a cup of Pakistani tea and toilet break. O/N stay at hotel.
- Day 03: Besham – Chilas – Gilgit: It is long day 12 hrs drive but the scenery en route more then makes up for it. Before reached to Gilgit en route we will face some interesting photogenic stops at the pre-historic rock carving inscription at Shatial, rocks with ancient graffiti’s at Chilas, view point of Nanga Parbat (9th highest peak of the world) offers breathtaking panorama on behind, the unique point where three mountain rages, Karakorum, Himalayas and Hindukush meet and our next stop will be at confluence of River Indus & Gilgit.
- Day 04: Gilgit City Tour – Phandar Valley: Following breakfast, we will drive to Gilgit city and will have quick tour of Gilgit Town, include suspension bridges, local bazaar and Karga Buddha. Later, we will continue our drive 6-7 hours to Phandar via Gacouch Village with some photography stops alogn the road. Check-in at hotel and dinner will be served.
- Day 05: Phandar Valley – Shandur Pass excursion – Phandar: Morning till afternoon we will have half day excursion to Shandur Pass and we will se world highest polo ground. Aruond noon till evening, we will visit Phandar Valley, walk in the village or walk around the phandar lake. Today, we will serve you trout fish in your dinner. Night stay at hotel.
- Day 06: Phandar – Gilgit – Karimabad: Morning for couple of hours we will walk around Phandar Lake and then we will drive 5-6 hours back to Gilgit and then 2-3 hours to Karimabad. From Gilgit – Karimabad, we will have photography stops will include collision point of River Erosian & Indian Plates, Silk Route and Rakaposhi View Points. We will reach Karimabad in the evening, check-in at hotel Serena Karimabad and dinner will be served.
- Day 07: Full day Hunza Valley & Nagir Valley Tour: Full day visits of central Hunza Valley include, morning we will drive 4×4 jeep to Hopar through Nagir Vlley, en route we will stops for photography. Around noon we will back to Karimabad, visit Baltit Fort, bazaar walk and drive to Duikar for Sunset Photography. In the evening we will back in Karimabad and dinner will be served.
- Day 08: Karimabad – Khunjerab Pass – Sost – Passu: Full day excursion to Khunjerab Pass. We will make less stops along the road because our priority will be reaching on top before 12 noon. Because from noon to onward weather change. We will spend half an hour on top and on the way back we will make several photo stops of high mountains and you will also get chance to see Ibex (mountain sheeps) along the road. We will back to Sost around late noon and we will have village & bazaar walk. Dinner will be served at hotel.
- Day 09: Passu – Atabad Lake – Rakaposhi – Gilgit: Following breakfast, we will drive back to Gilgit. Today we will have several interesting photo stops include Batura Glacier, Pass Cathedrals, Passu peak, walk on Hussani suspension bridge , 30 minutes boating at Atabad Lake and visit Rock Carving. After all these, we will continue 3 hours drive back to Gilgt. Remaining time we will visit Karga Buddha, Gilgit Bazaar Walk. Check-in at hotel and dinner will be served.
- Day 10: Gilgit – Shangri-la, Skardu: Following breakfast, we will drive 7-8 hours to Skardu Shangrila. En route we will make several photo stops. The photo stops will include canyon of River Indus, hanging bridges and village. We will reach Shangri-la around late noon and after check0in at hotel Shangri-la Resort, we will go for walk along the resort for photography. Dinner will be served and overnight stay hotel.
- Day 11: Shangri-la – Skardu – Khaplo: Following breakfast, we will drive for an hour to Skardu Town, 30 minutes walk in Skardu bazaar, visit Khapochu Fort, Satpara Lake and around noon we will drive 3 hours to Khaplo for night stay at hotel Khaplo. Dinner will be served at hotel.
- Day 12: Khaplo – Skardu – Shigar Valley: Half day we will explore Khaplo Town, the visit will include local bazaar and scenic drive to a bridge. In the afternoon we will drive to Shigar and en route we will visit Shigar Sand Dunes (Coldest desert of Karakorum Mountains). Check-in at hotel will be around evening, dinner & overnight stay at hotel in Shigar.
- Day 13: Skardu – Karakorum Highway – Chilas: We will drive 8-10 hours back to Chilas. En route we will stops for photography, tea and toilet break. We will reach around late noon and check-in at hotel in Chilas and dinner will be served.
- Day 14: Chilas – Islamabad: We will leave chilas around 05:00am and drive 10-12 hours to Islamabad. En route we will have some stops for cup of Pakistani Chai, toilet and for photography. We will reach Islamabad around evening and after check-in at hotel, dinner will be served.
- Day 15: Islamabad – Fly back ✈ From peace and serenity of Hunza to the hustle and bustles of “modern” trends, you say Khuda Hafiz, the typical farewell, as you depart after a tour into Shangri-La. End of the tour.
