A Vietnamese Traveller Spent 10 Days Offline in Hunza — This Is What He Found
A Vietnamese visitor arrived in Hunza full of doubts, then spent 10 days offline meeting guides, musicians and families. Here is his journey, in his spirit.
Patundas Trek from Passu: Meadows Above the Glaciers
Last updated: 30 October 2026 Short Answer Patundas is a broad summer grazing plateau above Passu in Gojal, Upper Hunza, reached by crossing the Passu Glacier and climbing to meadows at about 4,200 m. The trek takes about 3 days of walking (or 6–8 days as a full supported trip from Islamabad), and it delivers […]
Shimshal Valley Trekking: Pass, Minglik Sar and the Road In
Last updated: 30 October 2026 Short Answer Shimshal Valley, in Upper Hunza (Gojal), is one of the Karakoram’s most remote trekking valleys: a Wakhi village at about 3,100 m, reached by a rough jeep road from Passu, and a trail that climbs through a narrow river gorge to Shimshal Pass at 4,735 m. The standard […]
Spring Blossom in Gilgit-Baltistan: Cherry and Apricot Bloom, Valley by Valley
Short Answer Gilgit-Baltistan’s spring blossom runs roughly from mid-March to late April, with lower valleys blooming first and higher valleys following weeks later. Hunza is the headline act — cherry, apricot and almond trees beneath snow-covered Karakoram peaks — but the same wave rolls through Nagar, Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu, Ghizer and Gilgit. Plan late March […]
Gilgit-Baltistan Festival Calendar: Polo, Harvest and Shandur Dates
Short Answer Gilgit-Baltistan’s festivals follow the farming year, not a fixed tourist calendar. The bookable anchors are Nauroz on 21 March, spring blossom from mid-March to late April, the Ginani harvest thanksgiving around 21 June, and Shandur Polo in June or July. Shandur is the date you must never assume: it traditionally ran from 7 […]
Karakoram Highway Road Trip Guide: Islamabad to Hunza
Short Answer The Karakoram Highway (KKH, the N-35) from Islamabad to Hunza’s main town, Karimabad, is roughly 700 km and takes 16–19 hours of driving in normal conditions — a journey to split over two days, not one. The reliable all-year route runs via the Hazara Motorway to Mansehra, then Besham, Chilas and Gilgit before […]
Winter in Gilgit-Baltistan: Snow, Frozen Valleys and Real Travel Conditions
Last updated: 28 October 2026 Short Answer Yes, you can visit Gilgit-Baltistan in winter, but plan it as a winter trip, not as a quieter version of summer. From December to February, expect snow in the valleys, short days, fewer open hotels and restaurants, and plans that may change at short notice. The Karakoram Highway […]
7-Day Hunza Valley Itinerary: Karimabad to Khunjerab Without Rushing
Short Answer This 7-day Hunza itinerary runs in one direction — up the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and back — so you never retrace a valley you have already seen. Two nights in Karimabad for the forts and the bazaar, one night on Attabad Lake, two nights in Passu and Gulmit for the glaciers and bridges, […]
Karimabad: A Traveller’s Guide to Hunza’s Old Capital
Short Answer Karimabad — formerly Baltit — is Hunza’s old capital and the valley’s best base: two restored forts, a walkable bazaar, and the Eagle’s Nest sunrise viewpoint at Duikar above it all. Give it two full days: one for Baltit Fort, Altit Fort and the bazaar, and one for Duikar at dawn plus a […]
Passu & Gojal: Cones, Glaciers and Upper Hunza’s Wild End
Short Answer Gojal is Upper Hunza — the Wakhi-speaking stretch of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) north of Attabad Lake — and Passu is its showpiece village. Come for the Passu Cones (Tupopdan, 6,106 m), a short walk to the Passu Glacier snout, Borith Lake above Hussaini village, the Hussaini Suspension Bridge, and the onward road […]
Best Hotels in Hunza Valley: Where to Stay in Karimabad, Aliabad, and Passu
Hunza’s best hotels are not lined up on one strip. They are scattered across a valley that climbs from Aliabad’s bazaar crossroads to Karimabad’s old stone lanes, up to Duikar’s sunset ridge, and on to the lake and the cones of Upper Hunza. Pick the wrong base and you spend your trip in taxis; pick […]
How to Get to Hunza Valley: Flights, Road, and Bus Compared
Getting to Hunza Valley is half the adventure — and the half most first-timers get wrong. I have watched travellers land in Islamabad with three days for the whole trip and no idea that the valley sits a full day’s drive up the Karakoram Highway, and I have watched others book a “quick flight” to […]
Hunza Valley Trip Cost: What a Week Actually Costs in 2026
The first time I priced a Hunza trip, I got two completely different answers. One blog told me a week in Hunza Valley costs next to nothing; another made it sound like a luxury expedition. Both were wrong, because both hid the choice that decides everything: how you get there, and whether you share the […]
Best Time to Visit Hunza Valley: Blossom, Summer Gold, and the Autumn That Changed My Mind
Last updated: October 2026 The first time I visited Hunza, I went in May. Everyone talks about the cherry blossom, so of course I missed it by about three weeks. The trees had already leafed out, the valley was green, and I still thought it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. Then […]
Hunza Marcopolo Inn Gulmit
Welcome to Hunza Marcopolo Inn Gulmit, where your ideal breather has pride of place. Imagine a setting where the most wide-ranging mountain perspectives meet unmatched luxury resorts like no other. Located in the heart of Gilgit-Baltistan, more than a stay greets you at our Inn gateway to a world of serenity and adventure. At Hunza […]