Backpacking in Pakistan 2 weeks itinerary

There is one backpacker’s hostel named Youth Hostel. I stayed there for two nights, located in the E-6 area. It is not so good but I gave it a three-star rating. Youth Hostel cost for one night is about Rs 940 rupees from booking.com. while students can get in Rs 600 rupees by showing their student identity card.

Also, there is food served every time, but you have to pay extra. While breakfast is included in the price. You can park your car or bus on the roadside of the hostel, I had the bike I said, can I park just beside the hostel park inside it, they refused me. However, even I tick on booking.com for free parking.

If you don’t have your own vehicle, you can book an Uber. It is cheaper than normal taxis.

Islamabad is an expensive city compared to other cities like Karachi and Lahore. I stayed for two days, and I visited local markets, which is too expensive.

Must include Islamabad city, an interesting place to visit on Pakistan bucket list. If you want to skip it, that’s your wish. It could be fine.

Though, if you travel to northern areas (Gilgit-Baltistan) by public transportation, you must stop here in Islamabad to get the bus.

Buses depart after 06:00 pm, which means you can catch the bus if you travel to Islamabad from Lahore on the same day.

How to get from Lahore to Islamabad

Lahore and Islamabad are connected by pretty well transport services, the distance is about 380 km road (by Motorway) and the fastest way to reach Islamabad is by bus. The buses run all day.

Instead of buses, you can travel by train but it is often delayed and could be slower. But you can travel if you are doing backpacking because the train is cheaper than the bus. The bus will take 4 hours to reach Islamabad.

I travelled this distance through National Highway (N5) because bikes are not allowed to ride on Motorway. This journey took 8 hours to reach Islamabad. Read here the full guide of my ride from, Lahore to Islamabad Solo Bike Ride.

Day 7, 8 – Fairy Meadows

Now, you are travelling on Karakoram Highway (N35) which connects Pakistan and China through Khunjerab Pass (Pak-China Border). When you arrive at Raikot Bridge, after passing a plain, bumpy, turn-by-turn on the road. You can get off here to trek to Fairy Meadows. There are lots of Jeeps (4×4) that will take you to your destination. You can book the whole jeep, but it could be expensive. Jeeps are also available on sharing basis. Fairy Meadows is considered one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan with spectacular, lush green meadows. From there, you get magnificent views of Nanga Parbat Peak (a snow-covered mountain) with an altitude of 8,125 meters high in the Himalayan range.

There are plenty of private bus companies which run towards the north. There is also a government company named NATCO, daily 4 or 5 buses run from Islamabad to Gilgit approximately from 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm. Also, the available VIP bus, the only bus with AC, costs about Rs 4,200 (according to July 2023), other private buses are non – AC.

In fact, the journey takes 15 hours, but it can not be predictable because of often landslides and the buses’ constant breakdowns. In my case, I took a private bus and it was broken down in the middle of Now where (crossing Besham city), we waited for two hours on a dangerous roadside and a mechanic came to fix the problem and the whole journey took 18 hours.

Also, Transport can also be stopped for an hour due to Dam making near Karakoram Highway at Chilas.  I had seen Chinese workers exploding bombs to break mountains, there was a huge sound of the explosion.

I recommend you buy a ticket at the bus station on the morning of the day of departure. They usually already reserved the first-row seats. As a foreigner, if you insist they can give you a first-row seat, but if you are local they usually do not.

Remember to get off at Raikot Bridge for Fairy Meadows, which is about 50 km before Gilgit. Make sure to remember again and again to the conductor otherwise, they will take you to Gilgit. In my case, I slept on a bus and they took me to Gilgit

Day 9, 10 – Gilgit

Gilgit is the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan, located on the Karakoram Highway, china border is about 200 km away from here.

Gilgit is a good city to explore the valleys. There are lots of hotels and restaurants. Like other tourist places, things are expensive. You can directly take a flight from Islamabad to Gilgit. Gilgit International Airport, Gilgit is under construction and will host direct International flights soon.

A river is passing through the town, there are also beautiful bridges where you can click some nice photos.

A must tourist place I recommend you to visit is Kargah Buddha, a Buddha statue engraved in a mountain during the 7^th century.

Actually, if you are following this 2-week backpacking in Pakistan itinerary then don’t stay for a long time because the beauty of this area of Gilgit-Baltistan is in the surrounding valleys. Truly, if you have your own vehicle, then go straight to Minapin village. I had a bike, and I just stayed here only fixing my bike headlight.

Actually, there is no public transport but, you can get help from the Police post which is at the Raikot Bridge. The police will send you by car or by bus that passes to take to you to Gilgit for Free. Sometimes even if you don’t need to ask the police, the police will ask you:

• Sir! Do you need any help?
• Where are you from?
• Where are you going?
• They invite you for a cup of Tea.

This is our Pakistan. Always Welcome to Pakistan.

Rakaposhi Base Camp

Minapin is a small beautiful village on Karakoram Highway, it is approximately 80 km from Gilgit. You can find magnificent views of the mountains. That is a place to trek to the Rakaposhi base camp. This is one of the best treks. You can also get a tour of a trek to base camp.

Reach Minapin village in the evening, and stay at night. Wake up early on the next day and trek to base camp. You can do this trek in just one day and you won’t be disappointed.

If you are not travelling in your own vehicle, the easiest way is to get hitchhike, this is time-saving activity instead of going by public transportation. Literally, hitchhiking is easy in northern Pakistan.

Day 11, 12 – Karimabad Hunza

You are listening from Hunza all the way to your trip. Hunza is no place or city but it is a region which has some cities like Kariamabad, Aliabad, etc. When I came here, I am asking from people, and police along my journey, where is Hunza? But after reaching Aliabad, they told me there is no city at all Hunza but it’s an area name. Hunza is the most northern area of Pakistan.

You can walk here freely and talk to people either men or women, they may be invited you to drink some tea or something. You will see the beautiful Passu Cone Mountains straight on the Karakoram Highway.

There are high peak mountains around Karimabad with an elevation of 7,000 meters high, as well as there are two forts, Altit Fort and Baltit Fort, which are included in UNESCO World Heritage forts.

The must-visit attractions are Altit Fort, Baltit Fort and Eagle’s Nest, where you can get a 3600 view of Rakaposhi, Diran and Lady Finger peaks. If you like hiking then the best place is Karimabad.

I again say hitchhiking is the easiest way to reach Kariamabad. It is also located along the Karakoram Highway.

Day – 13, 14 Khunjerab Pass (Pak-China border)

Come to Sost after visiting Karimabad, it is the least populated area. After Sost city, there is a populated area and the distance from Sost to Khunjerab is about 70 km. The landscapes are stunning, the weather is freezing, and keep visiting the Khunjerab Pass in the daytime. Khunjerab Pass is the highest border crossing in the world between Pakistan and China with an elevation of 15,500 ft, with a freezing temperature all year. you can access this border from May to September. Here, the temperature is always cold, so, bring some warm clothes with you.

Hitchhike is the easiest way to reach Sost from Karimabad. It is also located on Karakoram Highway. You can see the longest tunnel, Attabad Lake (Green Water Lake) on Karakoram Highway.

Day 15 – back to Lahore or Islamabad or Karachi

Now, it’s time to get back. You can get the bus from Hunza and Gilgit. Make sure to book in advance (at least one day) if you are going back by public transportation because all buses departed for Islamabad/Rawalpindi early in the morning till 10 or 11 am. The bus journey takes up to 20 hours.

If you are not on a budget trip and want to save a whole day, take a flight to Islamabad which takes 1 hour. It should be a good thing if you book a return flight from Islamabad instead of Lahore to save more than half a day.

Southern Pakistan rare visited places

Often backpackers just travel to the northern areas of Pakistan but, Sindh and Punjab provinces are where the actual cultural heritage lies.

I actually had planned to travel to these two provinces but, when I decided in March 2021, one is summer is really harsh and the other thing COVID-19 restrictions on tourist attractions, so I cancelled the plan. But, I will explore the two most and less visited places in Sindh province. One is Gorakh Hill Station (5,700 ft altitude) and it is 94 km from the city of Dadu. Whereas the other is ‘Karoonjhar Mountain’ which is in Tharparkar, a less visited place and most Hindu peoples live there. I am planning to visit in late 2021. Follow on Instagram for live updates.

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