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Highlights of the Karakoram
Prices From: $2175 AUD
Tour Code: PAKM
Countries Visited: China, Pakistan
Arrive in Islamabad and transfer to hotel. Our pre-departure meeting takes place this evening.
Day 2: Islamabad
Islamabad is located against the backdrop of the Margalla Hills at the north edge of Potohar. We explore this purpose-built capital city with sightseeing that includes the impressive Shah Faisal Mosque (Asia's largest mosque, with space for 100,000 worshippers), Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage) and Daman-e-Kok, a hill overlooking the city and offering panoramic views of Islamabad and its surroundings. We also visit nearby Rawalpindi, the older city that developed as a British garrison town in 1849. Here we are introduced to the more traditional aspects of Pakistani life on a walk through the busy Rajah Bazaar.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
We have an early start to cover as much distance as possible along the Karakoram Highway. Although it is called a highway, most of the road is unpaved and landslides are a frequent occurrence. Passing colourful and intricately decorated local trucks, we wind our way through the regions of Hazara and Kohistan, with the road clinging to the increasingly vertical sides of the Indus Gorge. As the road twists and turns, we pass numerous small settlements tucked into the more protected valleys that adjoin the mighty Indus Valley itself. On reaching this valley, even Alexander the Great was forced to concede the strength of the river and turn his troops back. Along the way we pass ancient stone petroglyphs (rock carvings) and other monuments to invaders, traders, pilgrims and local inhabitants. We overnight at Besham. The following day we continue on to Chilas. These are long days of travelling so be prepared for many hours of travelling, as we try to cover as much distance as possible. We make frequent stops to stretch our legs and our ultimate reward is that upon reaching the stunning mountain scenery further north, we will have plenty of time to relax.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
From our overnight stop at Chilas we continue to Gilgit. En route, we pass the mighty peak of Nanga Parbat (8125m) - the second highest mountain in Pakistan and ninth highest in the world. Nanga Parbat is the final pillar of the western Himalaya and the point where this range joins up with the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush. Depending on our time of arrival in Gilgit we may have time to visit the local bazaar and get a feel for this Silk Road town. Ancient caravans travelling to and from China would often break their journey in Gilgit and there are records of Buddhism being widely practiced here during the 5th Century, before it was taken over by Hinduism in the 10th Century. This is best exemplified by the Kargah Buddha image. Carved into the cliff face above a tranquil waterfall and stream, this Tibetan-style monument dates from the 7th Century. Gilgit is also famous for polo and locals claim that the sport was invented here. Although we will be travelling outside the traditional polo season we may be fortunate enough to see a local tournament or practice match.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
With time this morning to complete any remaining sightseeing and shopping (this will be our last big town before we reach Kashgar), before we continue driving for 2-3 hours to Karimabad, in the Hunza Valley. We climb approx 100m for every 10kms of road, enjoying spectacular views of Mount Rakaposhi (7788m) along the way. The route is abundant with terraced fields, with apricot, walnut and apple being popular crops and providing beautiful colours in the spring and autumn. We stop at a point where the Eurasian and Indo-Pak continental plates collided 60-70 million years ago, forming the Karakoram and Himalaya ranges that are home to the youngest and tallest mountains in the world. We arrive in Karimabad, the main town of the Hunza Valley, and the only town in the world where you are surrounded by five peaks all over 7000m in height! We admire Rakaposhi (7788m), Diran (7256m), Golden Peak (7027m), Ultar-1 (7388m) and Ultar-2 (7310m) and the stunning valleys they create around us. There is time to explore this charming small town and its enticing bazaars.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
We have a full day in the beautiful and charming spot, with plenty of time to hunt for local souvenirs or relax and enjoy the impressive scenery. We visit Baltit Fort - the palace of the local mir (ruler) until 1960 and recently restored to its former glory. We also walk to nearby Altit village, which has its own fort that was built by the Baltistani people. When their queen married a prince of Hunza, they built the fort, set high up on a cliff of ruby marble, as a tribute to the couple. This fort is currently being restored, so we continue our walk through the irrigation channels of the village. This is the perfect way to meet local people, as they tend their crops and go about their daily business. We walk at a leisurely pace for several hours, perhaps stopping to try the famous local apricots, before returning to our hotel in Karimabad.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Today's excursion requires us to take small jeeps and tackle narrow 4-wheel drive tracks through the Hopar-Nagar Valley. We take the winding route past villages and farms, with more spectacular mountain scenery revealing itself around each corner. We head to the Hopar Glacier, where a viewpoint affords us a fantastic panorama. For those who are feeling energetic it is possible to walk down to the glacier itself - but be warned that the only way back up is also on foot! From Hopar we head back towards Karimabad, but take an even steeper and exhilarating route to the tiny village of Duikar. This is the highest point of the valley and, from our accommodation at the 3000m Eagles Nest, we enjoy majestic views of the surrounding mountains at sunset.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
A good place to get up early to enjoy the sunrise and more stunning views, as this spot is truly at the top of the world! We stroll back down to Altit and Karimabad, before rejoining our main vehicle and luggage and continuing to Gulmit (approx 1hr). Along the way there are more rock carvings and relics from the ancient Silk Road for us to discover. We visit the Gulmit Museum and take a walk in this peaceful and friendly village. By now we ought to be adjusted to the relaxed pace of the mountain life. Along the way, we see traditional homes and scenes that have changed little in centuries.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Our final destination before we cross into China is the village of Passu. We stop en route at Borit Lake and also visit a very basic suspension bridge. We don't need to cross here, but we gain respect for those who have to use this route regularly in order to cross the Hunza River. The surrounding mountains are known as the Passu Cathedrals, a range so jagged and imposing that the local villagers claim that nobody has ever climbed their peaks. On our second day in Passu we enjoy a full day's hike on the local glacier. This gives us a true sense of the scale of these mountains and the incredible beauty of the region.
Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunchs, 2 dinners
With regret we farewell our Pakistani friends and hosts and travel to the border town of Sost, where we make arrangements with the official 'border drivers' to cross the Khunjerab Pass. According to local regulations our driver and guide cannot accompany us to the Chinese checkpoints, so after clearing customs formalities we transfer to an authorised border vehicle and say our goodbyes. We then enter the Khunjerab National Park and cross 250kms of 'no-man's land'. Here, we may see ibex and other local fauna as this is a protected area. At the Khunjerab Pass itself, we stop at the marker points for pictures and to celebrate our journey. Once we reach the Chinese border point we should be prepared for a more formal set of regulations and follow all instructions carefully. Photography and stops will not be permitted until we reach Tashkurgan, 2.5 hours away. It is a long day of travelling, as we skirt around a breathtakingly beautiful mountain called Muztagh Ata and reach our overnight stop at Tashkurgan.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
From Tashkurgan we travel to Kara Kul Lake. It's time to explore our surroundings and we have a few hours to wander along the lakeshore and visit the local settlements. The people here at Kara-Kul are ethnic Kyrgyz and their homes reflect the colourful traditions of these nomadic people. Brightly coloured rugs called 'shardyks' decorate the walls of their simple dwellings, while nearby camels, sheep and goats roam freely. The drive to Kashgar takes several hours as we enjoy the desert scenery, the vast open plains and hills and mountains in many hues of red and terracotta. We pass by several lakes as we draw closer to our first major city since Islamabad. These are the final stages of our 1000km journey.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch
Situated at an altitude of 1289 metres, Kashgar is still an important trading centre. It first fell into Chinese hands nearly 1000 years ago when extensions to the Great Wall and explorations along the Silk Road opened the area to trade. When the Han Dynasty collapsed, an interregnum followed until the town was captured briefly for the Tang Dynasty before falling again, this time into Arab hands. The great Genghis Khan occupied the city in 1219 and Marco Polo was reputedly a visitor here in 1265. With the downfall of the Mongols, the town was incorporated into Tamerlane’s empire before entering another period of instability, this time lasting 350 years. We enjoy a city tour that includes the old town, Abakh Hoja's Tomb and the Id Kah Mosque. On the final day of the tour we visit the Sundat Markets. These famous markets arte a step back in time as you witness animal traders, boot-makers, spice merchants and cloth dealers all touting their wares. The tour finishes after the visit to the Sunday markets.
For those booking the Peregrine 'Beijing Extension' package, please note that we cannot guarantee local flight schedules and therefore recommend that you spend Sunday night in Kashgar and fly out on Monday. You can book additional post-tour accommodation in Kashgar at the same time you book this tour.
Meals included: 2 breakfasts
Tour Grade:
| Start Date | End Date | Price |
| 31 May 2009 | 14 Jun 2009 | $2175 |
| 21 Jun 2009 | 05 Jul 2009 | $2175 |
| 12 Jul 2009 | 26 Jul 2009 | $2175 |
| 02 Aug 2009 | 16 Aug 2009 | $2175 |
| 23 Aug 2009 | 06 Sep 2009 | $2175 |
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