Hunza, Pakistan
According to Condenast Traveller, Pakistan is the top holiday destination of 2020. I was both surprised by this news, and also not - Pakistan is diverse & beautiful - from the beaches of Karachi to the mountain peaks up north. As a Pakistani who grew up close to the mountains (Islamabad) and who travels to the country for work every other month, I am a big proponent of showcasing it in a positive light. But I was also surprised because as much as I agree that Pakistan is irrefutably gorgeous and Pakistanis are some of the most generous & hospitable humans on earth, it is also not the easiest place for a foreigner to travel to and navigate alone, especially if you decide to go up to the northern areas. Even if you are not a foreigner, figuring out where to go and what to do up north can still feel overwhelming.
I traveled to Gilgit-Baltistan (Hunza mainly) in July 2019 with my sister Leone, best friend Omar and our friend Shayan. You can spend a lot of time exploring this region, particularly if you decide to drive from Islamabad, but we only had four days so decided to fly into Gilgit and then drive two hours to Hunza, where we stayed for our trip. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, and the people were some of the loveliest I have ever met. I had last traveled via road to the Chinese border when I was in high school (not to age myself, but that was 20 years ago…ugh), and the most marked difference between 1998 and 2019 was the improved infrastructure of the region. Thanks to Chinese money, the Karakoram highway is well developed up here, making it very easy to travel via road. Also because of the domestic tourism boom, there are more places to stay and many more businesses catering to this growing industry. My friend Omar travels frequently up north, and was instrumental in ensuring our trip went smoothly. If you don’t have an Omar, then maybe this guide will be a good replacement (or at least a 101 intro).
In case you were curious on where this is ^.
But first, your Hunza 101…
Gilgit-Baltistan, aka G-B, fka the “northern areas,” is a pretty sweeping term to describe a huge and diverse northern region of the country, but it ultimately refers to the former Gilgit agency, the Baltistan district, and several smaller princely states - the largest of these being Hunza and Nagar. It is bordered by Azad Kashmir (to the south), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (to the west), Afghanistan (to the north), China (to the east and northeast), and Indian-administered Kashmir (to the southeast). The region has some of the highest mountain peaks in the world (50 that are above 23,000 feet) and some of the world’s longest glaciers.
Hunza is one of the largest areas in G-B (and the focus of this guide), and its people are mostly Ismaili Muslims. This may not mean much to you if you are not familiar with the nuances of the Muslim community, but to me this translates to a more liberal area, with lots of women in public space. There are a lot of women-run businesses in Hunza, and that fact stood out to me when I traveled there. As a woman, I also felt very comfortable moving around in this area. Thanks to the work of the Agha Khan Development Network (AKDN), the literacy rate is nearly 80%, a fact that locals proudly let you know when you speak to them (it is much higher than the national average).
As noted above, we flew from Islamabad to Gilgit and then drove to Hunza, but always have a contingency plan. There are many days planes may not fly (fog and the like), so while it may be nice to save time, it’s really important to have a plan B. In our case, Omar was organizing a car from Islamabad to drive the whole way should our flight have been canceled (we would have stopped and stayed in places like Naran on the way), and we ended up staying in Gilgit our last night to ensure we would make our flight back to Islamabad in time.
The altitude here is real, so prepare yourselves. Hunza is situated at around 8,000 feet and if you drive up to the Chinese border (aka, the Khunjerab pass) it is over 15,000 feet. At our bed & breakfast, I’d get winded walking up stairs, and walking at the border made me feel like I had run a marathon (and I exercise five times a week!). So, take it slow. Remember to stay hydrated and Fox’s sweets (or any lozenges) can be your best friends.
If you plan on seeing a lot, you will be in a car a lot. We rented a car and driver for our entire trip, and we spent most days on the road getting to different destinations (travel from Hunza to the Chinese border can take up to 4 hours, for instance). Plan for meals, make sure you can play music in the car (we traveled with a portable speaker), and get prepped for a LOT of time on the road with your travel buddies.
If you don’t have a friend like Omar (aka a friend to plan your logistics and itinerary and knows a thing or two about the region), I’d advise booking via a travel/adventure company. There are a number of travel companies that have come up in the past few years in Pakistan (FindMyAdventure acts as a good aggregator platform), and I will shamelessly plug the Madhatters because it’s a startup I’ve worked with and it’s run by an awesome female founder Aneeqa (they are dedicated to making all travelers - male & female & otherwise - feel safe & included). Madhatters is also a proponent of home stays and doing things hyperlocally, so if you’re that kind of traveler (they customize based on your preference), try them out & say I sent you. Travel companies should take care of much of your logistical headaches on the road, so you can just enjoy the adventure.
If you are a foreigner looking to visit Pakistan and travel to the northern areas, there are a lot of foreign travel “influencers” that have made it all appear quite effortless in the past two years. While it may all seem glam & glossy on their Instagram feeds, there are some realities you can’t ignore, and I truly think it’s irresponsible to pretend otherwise. I think the best travel blogger to visit Pakistan is Alex from Lost With Purpose (she keeps it real about what I mentioned above in this video), and her blog posts on her site are great as a 101 for anyone looking to travel to the country. Pakistan now has an online visa portal, and citizens from about 50 countries can apply for a visa on arrival (though I would recommend securing your visa before!). But even if you have a visa, do your research on what areas you can travel to without an NOC (No Objection Certificate) - I.e., a permit for traveling in some areas. The travel company you book with should be able to facilitate this — while I know NOCs are no longer required for Hunza, I recently traveled to Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir and know foreigners were not allowed beyond a certain point - so do your research!
The best time to travel up north is between May and October, i.e., when it’s not winter. As I noted earlier, we traveled in July, and while it was cool in the evenings and the higher up we went, it was pretty warm during the days. Summer months and the Eid holidays in Pakistan are peak travel times for domestic tourists especially, so be sure to book places to stay in advance.
Phone signals are 2G at best in parts of the northern areas. Be ready for your phones in the area, and for wi-fi, even if advertised, to be spotty at best. You should be enjoying what’s in front and around you anyway, but be prepared!
Where we stayed…
There are many places to stay in Hunza - but we decided to stay at a bed & breakfast in Aliabad called Mountain Story, not only because it was cute and cozy, but also because two of their partners are from Hunza and you truly feel the place has invested in the local community (one of the owners even raised money to create a local soccer team from Aliabad that won the Hunza cup, which is displayed proudly in the cafe!). Mountain Story is not fancy - guests stay in little cement huts (definitely glamping) - but within a few days we got to know the owners and staff and chatted to the other guests. The food at the cafe was some of the best we ate on our trip, and it became a little home for us in just a few short days. I highly highly recommend a place like Mountain Story over a spot like the new Luxus resort that sits on Attabad lake. Luxus, while luxury, to me represents the opposite of mindful or sustainable tourism. I would rather support a small locally-owned business any day.
Here’s my guide of what to do when you travel to Hunza…
Visit the Baltit & Altit forts. Both of these forts have different histories, and are truly something to marvel at. We visited Baltit Fort, near Karimabad, on our first day in Hunza. The fort, which apparently dates back to the 8th century, was properly restored in the 1990s thanks to the Agha Khan (and the Norweigens and the French!). We visited Altit Fort on our last day. It is around 1100 years old (!) and is the oldest monument in the region; it’s only been restored & open to the public since 2007. Both forts are very different and are a testament to the diverse history of the region - you must get a tour guide to see these forts, and we got very lucky with both of ours, who had lots of great anecdotes and had tremendous pride when showing us around.
After Baltit fort, spend sunset or sunrise at the aptly named “Sunset Peak”. Drive over & park next to Eagle’s Nest Hotel in Karimabad, and walk up for some of the best views at this golden hour (I’d imagine if you go at sunrise, it’ll be less crowded). After you’re done taking in the views of the peaks from that angle, walk back down to Eagle’s Nest for tea and food - the hotel itself is pretty dilapidated, but we had one of our best meals at the restaurant there.
After Altit fort, have lunch next door at Kha Basi Cafe. This restaurant is women-run with incredible views. While service was slow, we really enjoyed the food - especially their Hoi Garma, a local pasta cooked in spinach. We also ordered the french fries here (s/o to Asad for that recommendation!) and their chicken with apricot sauce, which were very yummy. Hunza cuisine is not very spicy, but I actually appreciated the more delicate flavors in the food. When in Hunza, try to eat as the Hunzans do (you can get your chicken karahi when you get back home!).
Make the drive to see the Passu Cones. This range of mountains (Cathedral Range) are located on the Karakoram Highway and are part of “Upper Hunza.” You can combine this trip with Attabad Lake or Gulmit. While in this area, pay a visit to the Glacier Breeze restaurant for some tea and cake - it’s a very scenic view, though it is a hike to get to the restaurant itself. (I would not eat a meal here personally, I didn’t find it to be very good; but the cake was fine.) Bottom line: come for the views, not the food.
The biggest tourist destination in Hunza is Attabad Lake, but it didn’t exist until a few years ago. Attabad Lake, located in Gojal Valley, is one of the most gorgeous lakes I’ve ever seen, with turquoise water so clear you can see the reflection of the mountains on its edge. However, the lake is the product of an enormous tragedy — in 2010, a massive landslide occurred, subsequently damming the Hunza River, causing villages to be flooded (20 people according to reports died), and thousands of people to be displaced. Around 25,000 people were affected by this disaster. As a result, glacial water began filling the area, and the resulting lake is what stands today. Given water levels, the lake won’t be around forever, but for now, it has become a popular spot for tourists to boat, jet ski, and fish. I note the disaster because while Attabad Lake was the highlight of our trip (we rented a boat for an hour and it was incredible), it’s important to name and be aware of the tragedy that allows it to stand today (this is also why I find the new Luxus resort, which sits on the water’s edge and is slated to fully open this spring, slightly sacrilegious).
The Khunjerab Pass trip can take most of the day, so leave early! As I noted above, it can take upwards of four hours to get from Aliabad to the Pakistan-China border. The border itself is a bit anti-climatic and crowded with tourists on both sides (Pakistanis taking photos of the Chinese side, Chinese tourists taking photos of the Pakistan side!), but the trip itself was unreal because of the journey and the views. We stopped by the Passu cones, Glacier Breeze, and made other stops along the way for photos. Again, it is very high altitude, so stay hydrated! And just in case you feel sick from the altitude, there are oxygen masks on hand there to help.
Spend the morning/afternoon at the Gulmit Carpet Center, Hussaini Bridge & Borith Lake. All are in upper Hunza, so not too far from one another. The Gulmit Carpet Center is a women-run cooperative in the area that employs about 12 women; on any given day, there are several women artisans who are working on different carpets. You can stay for awhile and ask them questions, and, of course, buy a carpet (or two!). I ended up buying a small soumak carpet, which was not a technique I had seen before. After the carpet center (you can also opt to visit a women-run music school nearby, though it is not open on Sundays), drive over to Hussaini Bridge, a suspension (or hanging) bridge not for the faint of heart. According to National Geographic, this is apparently the most dangerous bridge in the world (!), and I believe it — it’s a little scary. Luckily when we went, part of it was closed for maintenance, so I only was allowed to traverse a few steps (phew!). Hussaini Bridge hangs over Borith Lake, another attraction you should visit in upper Hunza. There is a glacier on the edge of the lake that you can hike/walk on, if you so desire.
If you’re into glaciers, make time to visit Hoper Glacier. You can park nearby, and then hike up to a point that overlooks the entirety of the glacier (there is likely someone at the base willing to guide you up there). Hoper Glacier is supposed to be the fastest moving glacier in the world, and it’s a pretty cool sight to behold. For the more adventurous, you can hike down to the actual glacier and walk on top of it (we were not the more adventurous, in this case!).
I hope this guide is useful for you, and do let me know if I missed anything! Enjoy Hunza - it was one of my favorite places I’ve ever been to.
