THE BEGINNING OF THE ADVENTURE - GILGIT
Trip plan for 10 days. Motorcycle trip
Normal standard
Day 1. Transfer from Islamabad airport to the hotel, short rest after the trip. After lunch, start the journey to Gilgit - Baltistan province, drive to Naran or Batakundi. Overnight stay at a hotel.
Day 2. Travel by car from Naran (Batakundi) to Gilgit through the high Babusar Top pass (4,173 m above sea level), an extraordinary road where you can experience ADVENTURE from the very beginning . On the way, a stop at the picturesque Lulusar Lake. After reaching Gilgit, motorbike rental, short trip to see Kargah Buddha Rock, dinner at a traditional Pakistani restaurant, overnight stay at the hotel
Lulusar is a lake in the Naran Valley. It borrowed its name from the surrounding Lulusar Mountains. The word "sar" in Pashto means "top or pinnacle". The lake is the main source of the Kunhar River, which flows through the entire Kaghan Valley, Naran Valley until it joins the Jhelum River. It is a historic site where 55 participants of the Revolutionary War in 1857 were arrested.
Kargah Buddha is an archaeological site located approximately 9.5 km from Gilgit. It is a bas-relief image of a large standing Buddha, about 15 meters high, on a cliff at Kargah Nala. The sculpture, which is in a style also found in Baltistan, dates to the 7th century. The sculpture is surrounded by holes for a wooden structure that protected it from bad weather, but according to local legend, this figure is actually a cannibal giantess or witch (yakhshini or ya-chaani or yacheni) who terrorized the local inhabitants and was nailed to a cliff by a saint as punishment human. The Kargah Buddha is located at the confluence of two streams, Kargah and Shukogah, The carving is estimated to have been completed in the 7th century. It was discovered in 1938-39, after the Gilgit manuscripts were found in 1931.
The ancient name of the city of Gilgit was Sargin, later it was known as Gilit and is still called Gilit or Sargin-Gilit by the local people. From the 3rd century to the 11th century, Gilgit was an important city on the Silk Road along which Buddhism spread from South Asia north and west. At this time, many powers competed for control of the region, including the Tibetan Empire, the Karkota dynasty of Kashmir, and the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. Nearby, about 400 meters upstream, a Buddhist monastery and three stupas containing Sanskrit manuscripts were excavated in 1931, considered by researchers to be among the earliest manuscripts in the world and the oldest collection of manuscripts preserved in Pakistan, of great importance in the field of Buddhist studies and evolution of Asian and Sanskrit literature. The manuscripts are believed to have been written in the 5th-6th centuries AD, although more manuscripts were discovered in the following centuries and were also classified as Gilgit manuscripts. In the 11th century, Gilgit grew into the autonomous kingdom of Dardistan before largely adopting Islam. Today it serves as a major junction on the famous Karakoram Highway, with road connections to China as well as the Pakistani cities of Skardu, Chitral, Peshawar and Islamabad. It also serves as a border station for local tribal areas. The city's economic activity is mainly focused on agriculture, where the main crops are wheat, corn and barley.
Day 3. Transfer from Gilgit to Karimabad in the Hunza Valley, visiting a traditional market where you can admire handicrafts typical of the Hunza Valley, visiting the famous Baltit Fort and visit to Altit Fort. Hotel accommodation.
The Hunza Valley is very attractive due to its wonderful mountain panoramas overlooking the famous peaks: Ultar, Hunza Dome, Bublimating, Spantik (7,027 m above sea level), Diran and Rakaposhi (7,788 m a.s.l.) dominating the panorama.
The old forts Altit and Baltit are must-see places in the Hunza Valley. Both are wonderful examples of traditional construction in these areas. Despite their several hundred years of history, the traditional structure still protects both buildings against the effects of earthquakes, which occur quite often here, and the materials from which they were made are still used by the residents. In the forts you can also see the mixing of many cultural influences in the former kingdom of Hunza. Buddhist, Kashmiri, Ladakhi and Balti elements mix here into a harmonious whole, and interesting stories about ancient customs make a visit to the forts a time well spent.
Near the forts and in the traditional bazaar, you can also admire the skills of Karakoram semi-precious stone cutters or weavers, or buy local organic dried fruits, various types of local oils and traditional handicrafts typical of the Hunza Valley, or taste traditional dishes.
Day 4. Drive from Karimabad to Passu. Along the way, catch a glimpse of Attabad Lake, the jagged Passo ridge and the famous Husaini Suspension Bridge, as well as Lake Borit and the Passu Glacier.
Attabad Lake was created as a result of an earthquake and a powerful landslide in the Hunza Valley in 2010. Today, it is a tourist attraction for both Pakistanis and visiting foreigners. The amazing turquoise color of the water makes Lake Attabad stay in your memory for a long time. Many people consider it one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
The Passu Glacier, located south of the town of Passu, is the fastest moving glacier in the world. The road to it leads past the post-glacial Lake Borit, located in a charming, peaceful mountain valley. It is worth paying attention to the characteristic rock formations related to the time when the majestic Karakoram chain was just being created. The view of the glacier and the majestic, fairy-tale Passu Ridge is incredibly impressive. Both the sunlit and cloud-covered peaks constitute one of the most magnificent mountain panoramas.
The suspension bridge in Husaini village is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Pakistan. The bridge suspended over the Hunza River is 164 m long and has a structure typical of pedestrian footbridges in Pakistan. The boards from which it is built do not touch each other, but are placed with gaps of about 30 cm so that when we cross the bridge below we see a flowing river. The steel cables that make up the bridge structure are set in motion by people passing by and cause the entire structure to wave. In windy weather, crossing the bridge may pose a real danger of falling into the river. After the accident in 2022, you can only overcome it if you wear a life jacket. Despite this, every season many tourists take up the challenge of crossing the bridge, although many give up after crossing a small part of it...
Day 5. Trip from Passo to the Hopar Valley. Visit to the Hopar Glacier, transfer to Aliabad for an overnight stay.
The Hopar Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in Pakistan. It is used by Pakistani climbers and guides to practice ice climbing. The viewpoint located near the place where access is possible allows you to admire it without having to go down to the glacier tongue, but the old glacier cut by thousands of crevasses creating a labyrinth where you can set your foot is an extraordinary destination for a short trip and is worth the effort.
Day 6. Transfer from Aliabad to Skardu. On the way, a short stop at viewpoints on Rakaposhi, Nanga Parbat and where the Gilgit River flows into the Indus. It is also a unique point where three huge mountain ranges meet: the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush.
Skardu is located in the Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan. The Skardu Valley is approximately 10 km wide and 40 km long. It is located at the confluence of the Shigar River and the Indus River. It is surrounded by the vast Karakoram range. Together with the nearby lakes and mountains, it is an important tourist point in Pakistan. Skardu is the main city of Baltistan and the largest district of the Northern Areas. It is the starting point for mountain expeditions and mountain lovers who hike to the Baltoro Glacier, the K2 base camp and Concordia, Baltistan is an area where some of the highest peaks in the world are located in the Karakoram range.
Day 7. Full-day trip. Drive through the Deosai Plateau, the second highest plateau after the Tibetan Plateau. Return to the hotel in Skardu for overnight stay.
Deosai National Park was established on December 4, 1993 to protect the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) and its habitats. Because of the protective measures taken, the number of these bears in the park increased from 20 individuals in 1993 to 43 in 2006. Deosai Park is located about 30 km from Skardu city. It has an area of 3,626 km2. The park area includes a high mountain plateau, lying at an altitude of 3,500 to 5,200 m above sea level. Average temperatures range from 9°C in summer to -20°C in winter. In 2016, Deosai National Park was included in the UNESCO Tentative List.
Day 8. Trip from Skardu to Shigar. The attractions of this day include: a stop in the Sarfaranga Desert, visiting Shigar Fort, Amburik Masjid and a visit to Blide Lake. Return to the hotel in Skardu for the night, return the motorcycles, and prepare to return to Islamabad.
Shigar Fort (Fong-Khar) meaning "Fort of the Rock" is an old Baltistan-Pakistani fort located in the city of Shigar. It was built in the 17th century by the Raja of the Amacha dynasty of Shigar. The fort was restored by the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP-P), the Pakistani branch of the Aga Khan Historic Cities Program. The original Fong-Khar was founded on top of a platform that rises 5 meters above the ground and partially surrounds a giant cone-shaped rock (hence the name Fong-Khar, or "Palace on the Rock").
Although the Old Fort-Palace, as it is now restored, appears to be one structure, upon closer inspection it is actually a collection of three separate buildings, built side by side at different times and with different engineering and workmanship. During site renovation, these three structures were identified as modules I, II and III. The public Rajah Mosque known as is a beautiful and ornate building adjacent to the entrance of the complex and is of considerable ancient and artistic value. It is similar in form and decoration to other mosques in the Shigar area: one four-bay room with a central column support and a verandah on the eastern side.
Amburiq Masjid is a small mosque located in Shigar, one of the oldest mosques in Baltistan. It was built by Sayed Ali Hamdani and is one of the most famous monuments of Baltistan. It is often visited by tourists, both Pakistani and foreigners. A small museum has been established inside the mosque to help raise awareness of the site's historical significance among the local community. It also allows you to get to know a beautifully decorated object of religious significance, which is still important to the inhabitants. It also teaches the local community the importance of a conservation approach to similar objects and their protection. The renovation of the mosque, the costs of which were covered by the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad and the local community, was completed in 1998–2000. AKCSP provided technical assistance and supervised the project. In 2005, UNESCO awarded the mosque the Asia-Pacific Heritage Award
Day 9. Drive from Skardu to Naran
Day 10. Transfer from Naran to Islamabad, day to prepare for the journey
Day 11. Islamabad: transfer to the airport before departure and end of the trip...