Valleys of Jade & Silk – A Northern Odyssey

An early transfer to the airport for the spectacular one-hour flight to Skardu, passing close to Nanga Parbat on a clear day. After check-in we visit Shangrila Resort and its heart-shaped Lower Kachura Lake, then walk down to the deep-blue Upper Kachura Lake, ringed by orchards and mountains, before returning to Skardu for dinner.

We follow the Indus and then the Shyok River east into the Ghanche valley. On the way we stop at Manthoka Waterfall, one of the tallest in Baltistan, before reaching Khaplu, once the seat of a Balti kingdom. In the afternoon we explore the beautifully restored Khaplu Fort (Yabgo Khar) and the 14th-century wooden Chaqchan Mosque.

Back towards Skardu along the Shyok, we head into the Shigar valley to visit the 17th-century Shigar Fort, the gateway on the road to K2. In the afternoon we walk out onto the golden dunes of the Sarfaranga Cold Desert, high-altitude sand dunes framed by snow peaks, before returning to Skardu for the night.

A long, scenic drive along the Indus gorge to the Karakoram Highway, with stops at the Junction of Three Mountain Ranges, where the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush meet, and the Rakaposhi viewpoint as we enter the Hunza Valley. We arrive in Karimabad in time to walk through the bazaar before dinner.

In the morning we cross into Nagar to Hopar Village, where the Hopar Glacier flows right down beside the fields. We then drive north through the Pak-China Friendship Tunnels along the turquoise Attabad Lake, with time for photos or an optional boat ride, and continue to Passu to walk out onto the Hussaini Suspension Bridge beneath the jagged Passu Cones.

Today we drive to the top of the Karakoram Highway. Past Sost, the road climbs through Khunjerab National Park, home to ibex, marmots and grazing yaks, to Khunjerab Pass at 4,693m, the highest paved international border crossing in the world, with the world’s highest ATM. After photos at the border gate we return to Passu for a bonfire and BBQ evening.

A long driving day back down the Karakoram Highway and along the Indus gorge to Skardu, with regular tea and photo stops on the way. We arrive in the evening for dinner and a last night in Baltistan.

We fly from Skardu back to Islamabad. After check-in we head out to see the capital: Faisal Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, the Pakistan Monument and the Daman-e-Koh viewpoint over the city at sunset, followed by a farewell dinner with the group.

A relaxed last day. After breakfast and check-out we visit Lok Virsa Heritage Museum and the old bazaars of Rawalpindi, with time for souvenir shopping at Centaurus Mall and Jinnah Super Market. In the evening we drop you at Islamabad International Airport for your flight home.