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If we had to name my favorite country in the world, that would be Pakistan.
Home to staggering and unspoiled landscapes, Pakistan is the only country where you find the three highest mountain ranges in the world, the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush.
From trekking to glaciers and reaching the Nanga Parbat base camp to simply relaxing in villages with mind-blowing views, this tour will take you through the most stunning valleys and villages of northern Pakistan.
Nevertheless, Pakistan is also known for its beautiful, welcoming, and charming people, some of the most hospitable people I have ever met during my travels, so this tour will also have a strong focus on learning about the local community.
September 17th to 27th, 2026
€2390
11 days
Tour leader to be confirmed
Note that we always keep the itinerary flexible, and it may be subject to change, depending on the political situation.
1 – Sept 17th: Arrival in Islamabad
2 – Sept 18th: Driving the Karakoram Highway to Chilas
3 – Sept 19th: Driving to Tarishing
4 – Sept 20th: Trekking to Nanga Parbat base camp
5 – Sept 21st: Drive to Passu.
6 – Sept 22nd: Hussaini suspension bridge, Borith lake and Passu glacier.
7 – Sept 23rd: Gulmit village, and Ondra Polygah
8 – Sept 24th: Baltit fort and Karimabad
9 – Sept 25th: Flight from Gilgit to Islamabad
10 – Sept 26th: Rawalpindi and aroud
11 – Sept 27th: Departure
Day 1 is the arrival day in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
We will spend the day picking you up from the airport and checking in at the hotel.
We will visit Faisal Mosque and then, in the evening, we will invite you for a welcome dinner at Monal Restaurant, one of the most popular restaurants in town, serving high-quality Pakistani food.
Overnight in Islamabad.
The drive between Islamabad and Gilgit Baltistan is a 600-kilometer ride over an entangled road, not feasible to do it in one day, so we will stop and spend the night in Chilas, a small town along the Karakoram, where we will get our first glimpse of the local life in this part of Pakistan.
The drive is very scenic, and adventurous, with plenty of worldwide famous Pakistani trucks.
The whole journey from Islamabad to Chilas takes around 12 hours, with breaks, unexpected events and checkpoints included.
Overnight in Chilas.
This is the most beautiful and epic drive of the whole trip, where we will try to reach Tarishing, a small settlement located at the base of Nanga Parbat, an 8,100-meter peak that belongs to the Himalayan range.
Overnight in Tarishing.
Have you ever watched the Brad Pitt-starred movie 7 Years in Tibet? Well, the mountain they try to climb at the beginning of the movie is Nanga Parbat itself and on day 10, we will reach the base camp.
Translating into Killer Mountain, Nanga Parbat is one of the most difficult mountains to climb in the world, but the base camp is quite accessible and can be reached in a few hours.
Picnic lunch in Nanga Parbat base camp before heading back to Tarishing.
Overnight in Tarishing.
Scenic drive to one of the most beautiful villages in Pakistan – Passu – along the most beautiful stretch of the Karakoram Highway.
We’ll arrive in Passu in the afternoon, just in time to relax, while enjoying the outstanding views from this part of the world.
Overnight in Passu.
In the morning, we will hike from Hussaini Bridge – a vertiginous, suspension bridge to the village of Passu, passing over an even more jaw-dropping bridge.
Then, we’ll go to Passu Glacier, a magnificent glacier that decends from the peaks of the Karakoram, including Passu Sar (7,478 m). It’s known for its striking, heavily crevassed surface and proximity to the iconic Passu Cones.
If we have time, we’ll also visit Attabad Lake.
Overnight in Passu.
We will spend the day exploring Gulmit and its surroundings, focusing on the local culture, including visiting a women-run carpet workshop and having lunch in a local house.
Then, we’ll hike up to Ondra Polygah for the best views of the valley.
Overnight in Karimabad.
Home to some of the best accommodations in the Northern Areas, after several days in the mountains, Karimabad feels like a dream.
Karimabad is a proper touristic town with some pretty cool forts surrounded by amazing scenery and a local market filled with souvenir shops.
Overnight in Karimabad.
On day 9 in the afternoon, we’ll take one of the most scenic flights in the world, from Gilgit to Islamabad, flying over the Himalayas and the Karakoram range.
Note: If the flight gets canceled, we’ll come back to Islamabad by bus. That’s why we added an extra day before departure (day 10), where we’ll be exploring some interesting places around Islamabad.
Overnight in Islamabad.
(Note: Day 10 serves as a backup in case the flight from Gilgit to Islamabad is cancelled.)
We’ll kick off the day by visiting the ancient ruins of Taxila, one of the most important archaeological sites in Pakistan. Once a major hub on the Silk Road, Taxila was where Buddhist philosophy, Persian culture, and Greek aesthetics collided — you’ll even find Buddhas carved in a distinctly Hellenistic style, a remnant of Alexander the Great’s conquest of the region.
In the afternoon, we dive into the chaos of Rawalpindi — the gritty, messy, and infinitely more soulful counterpart to Islamabad. While the capital is neat and soulless, Rawalpindi is a proper Pakistani city with buzzing bazaars, noisy rickshaws, and street vendors yelling over each other, where you can get a taste of what real Punjab feels like.
Overnight in Islamabad.
After breakfast, we will take care of your transfer to Islamabad airport.
Domestic flight as mentioned
Airport transfers in Islamabad
10 nights of accommodation (twin shared)
Private coaster and Jeeps (when needed) with experienced driver across Pakistan
All meals, including dinner in a fancy restaurant on arrival day + breakfast on departure day
Clearance for all checkpoints
Pakistani local guide
International tour leader
Entrance fees, cultural activities and guided tours to all places listed in the itinerary
International flights to Islamabad
Alcoholic drinks or any extra drink
Single supplement. Having your own private room costs €375
Travel insurance (from €58)
September 17th to 27th, 2026
€2390
11 days
Tour leader to be confirmed
For security reasons, the name of the hotels we stay will only be shared upon booking your spot.
The price of the tour includes accommodation in a twin room.
If you are a solo traveler, you will share the room with another like-minded traveler from the group.
If you want a single room, you will have to pay an additional €375.
You can apply for an online visa here.
As of September 2024, the visa process has been simplified. There are no visa fees, no need for a Letter of Invitation, and your visa is issued within hours after applying.
The visa is valid for 90 days, and it’s multiple entry.
Pretty much all nationalities.
The minimum number of participants for this tour to run is 4 people.
Note: The International Tour Leader of this tour will only join with a minimum group of 8 people. If less than 8 people, you’ll be traveling with our English-speaking local guide from Pakistan.
We will do 2 day hikes but nothing particularly challenging, no camping and stuff like that.
This means that both hikes are optional and that alternatively, you can hang out in the villages. Passu and Tarishing are so rural and awesome that you won’t feel you missed something.
Islamabad has an international airport, with some common connections being Dubai, Doha, Istanbul or Jeddah.
If you want to visit the cultural capital of Lahore, we recommend flying there, yes, and then you can take a bus to Islamabad (around 5 hours).
We limit our tours to a maximum of 12-13 people.
To secure your spot on the tour, we require a deposit.
We accept payments in both Euros and US dollars. All details will be shared upon booking your spot.
Information about the risks and dangers of the trip:
The traveler is expressly informed that the activities included in the travel itinerary are adventurous and/or take place in conflict zones, which entail dangers and imply the risk of physical, and psychological injuries, and/or death for the traveler.
Due to the characteristics of the destination and/or activities, the specific risks and dangers of the trip are, by way of example but not limited to, those listed below:
War; terrorism; political instability; arbitrary detentions, gunfire in the activity area; and/or violent crime.
Regarding the potential dangers of the destination, travelers are advised to consult the travel recommendations for the destination country provided by their country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For example, in the case of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), these recommendations can be accessed on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/pakistan
FCDO advises against all travel to certain parts of Pakistan, including: Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Balochistan Province, Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Sindh Province.
In Against the Compass, we don’t visit any of these areas but remember that on our way to Gilgit Baltistan, we’ll drive through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
Yes, if you want to join any of our expeditions, you must purchase travel insurance, this is non-negotiable, and it must be with IATI.
Why do we have to book it with IATI?
Against the Compass has been a partner with IATI for a very long time. We know their CEO, the marketing team and we do a lot of collaborations together so in the unlikely case something happened, we’d know what to do.
Moreover, IATI Insurance covers all the countries where the FCDO advises against all travel.
You may also benefit from a 5% discount if purchasing it from the below link.
Get a quote here to claim your discount
Please check our General Conditions.
However, specific conditions might apply depending on the destination. Example: when the trip includes airfare.
Full details will be shared upon booking your spot.