014.9 ★
Hunza · Skardu · 10 days
Hunza & Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan
Our signature crossing of Gilgit-Baltistan: the Karakoram Highway to Khunjerab, the orchards of Hunza, then east over the Indus into Baltistan.
Est. 2019 — Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Go north, beyond the ordinary
Private tours, treks, 4×4 rentals and mountain stays across Hunza, Skardu, Astore and Deosai — planned, driven and guided by the family who grew up in these valleys.
Plan your journey→Passu Cones · Hunza Valley · 36.4°NScroll
Plan your journeyThe premise
We do not sell packages. We take a small number of people into the highest place on earth that a road can reach, and we do it properly.
Go North Pakistan was founded in Gilgit by Abdul Hadi, born in Chorit, Astore and raised in the shadow of Nanga Parbat. Every driver, guide and cook on our roster is from the valleys we travel.
That means the permits are already arranged, the jeeps are the right jeeps, and the family whose roof you sleep under is someone we have known for twenty years.
Depth is the point
Ranges stack behind one another for two hundred kilometres. Scroll, and the layers move at different speeds — exactly as they do from the passenger seat.
Signature journeys
All 11 journeys →025.0 ★
Skardu · Astore · Deosai · 9 days
9 Days Skardu & Astore
Baltistan and the Astore valley linked by a full crossing of the Deosai plateau — the wildest drive in Pakistan.
034.9 ★
Diamer · 6 days
Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat Base Camp
044.8 ★
Hunza · Ghizer · Chitral · 12 days
Hunza & Shandur Festival Tour
055.0 ★
Karakoram · 18 days
K2 Base Camp & Concordia Trek
- Travellers guided
- 0+
- Average review score
- 0
- Valleys and passes covered
- 0
- Locally owned and led
- 0%
Chapters of the drive north
01 · Gilgit-Baltistan · 2,438 m
Hunza Valley
Orchard terraces beneath Rakaposhi
02 · Upper Hunza · 2,540 m
Attabad Lake
The turquoise that swallowed a road
03 · Gojal · 6,106 m
Passu Cones
The Cathedral of the Karakoram
04 · Diamer · 3,300 m
Fairy Meadows
Nanga Parbat's front lawn
The north, indexed
Eight places we return to constantly, with the altitude and the season that actually works for each one.
- 01Hunza ValleyOrchard terraces beneath Rakaposhi2,438 m
April – November - 02Attabad LakeThe turquoise that swallowed a road2,540 m
All year - 03Passu ConesThe Cathedral of the Karakoram6,106 m
All year - 04Fairy MeadowsNanga Parbat's front lawn3,300 m
May – October - 05Deosai PlainsLand of giants at 4,114 m4,114 m
July – mid-September - 06Skardu & BaltistanCold deserts and heart-shaped lakes2,228 m
April – October - 07Khunjerab PassThe highest paved border on earth4,693 m
May – November - 08Baltoro & K2The throne room of the mountain gods5,150 m
Late June – August
What travelling with us includes
01
Expert local guides
Guides born in these valleys, with decades of combined experience across the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush.
02
Remote destinations
Access to valleys, passes and camps well off the standard tourist line — permits, jeeps and local relationships included.
03
Professional photography
Photographers travelling with the group, so you go home with a proper archive rather than phone snapshots.
04
Drone cinematography
Licensed drone operators and cleared airspace for aerial footage of glaciers, lakes and the highway itself.
05
All-inclusive planning
Transport, stays, meals, permits and park fees handled end-to-end. Nothing left to sort out on the road.
06
Private 4×4 fleet
Land Cruisers, Prados and high-clearance jeeps with tested drivers for Deosai, Shandur and the Askole road.
Sideways, by altitude
Six valleys, gaining height
Scroll and the rail moves west along the Karakoram Highway, ranges drifting behind it at their own speed.
Hunza Valley
2,438 m · April – November
Orchard terraces beneath Rakaposhi
Attabad Lake
2,540 m · All year
The turquoise that swallowed a road
Passu Cones
6,106 m · All year
The Cathedral of the Karakoram
Fairy Meadows
3,300 m · May – October
Nanga Parbat's front lawn
Deosai Plains
4,114 m · July – mid-September
Land of giants at 4,114 m
Skardu & Baltistan
2,228 m · April – October
Cold deserts and heart-shaped lakes
The itineraries
Journeys, laid out end to end
Every route below runs privately, at your pace, with a driver and guide from the valley you're crossing.
Hunza & Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan
10 days · 9 nights · Small group · max 12
Our signature crossing of Gilgit-Baltistan: the Karakoram Highway to Khunjerab, the orchards of Hunza, then east over the Indus into Baltistan.
9 Days Skardu & Astore
9 days · 8 nights · Small group · max 10
Baltistan and the Astore valley linked by a full crossing of the Deosai plateau — the wildest drive in Pakistan.
Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat Base Camp
6 days · 5 nights · Small group · max 12
Jeep track, pine forest, meadow — then a day hike to Beyal and the Nanga Parbat base camp glacier viewpoint.
Hunza & Shandur Festival Tour
12 days · 11 nights · Small group · max 12
Hunza, the Ghizer lakes and the highest polo ground on earth at Shandur, timed to the July festival.
K2 Base Camp & Concordia Trek
18 days · 17 nights · Expedition · max 8
The great trek: Askole, the Baltoro Glacier, Concordia, K2 base camp, with the Gondogoro La as an option.
Karakoram Photography Expedition
14 days · 13 nights · Max 6 · photographer-led
Built entirely around light: blue hours, drone windows and autumn colour, led by our own photographers.
The fleet
Four vehicles, each chosen for a specific kind of road. Every rental includes a driver who grew up on it.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado J120
5 guests · Full-time 4WDOur default car on the Karakoram Highway — the white Prado you will see waiting at Gilgit or Skardu airport. Quiet at 3,000 metres, unbothered by broken tarmac, and comfortable enough to doze through the long Deosai crossing.
- Engine
- 3.0 L turbodiesel
- Ground clearance
- 220 mm
- Altitude tested
- 4,733 m — Khunjerab
- Driver
- Included, local
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado J90
6 guests · Low-range 4WDThe red-and-white 90-series, the one our drivers ask for by name. Short wheelbase, proper low range and a diff lock — it goes up the Naltar and Fairy Meadows tracks where longer cars have to turn around.
- Engine
- 3.0 L turbodiesel
- Ground clearance
- 215 mm
- Extras
- Roof rack, diff lock
- Driver
- Included, off-road
Toyota Hilux Vigo Champ 4×4
5 guests · Low-range 4WDThe double-cab Vigo Champ, Gilgit-plated and still the most trusted thing on a Baltistan riverbed. Body-on-frame, low range, and an open bed that swallows trekking duffels, camp kitchens and jerry cans.
- Engine
- 3.0 L D-4D turbodiesel
- Wading depth
- 700 mm
- Recovery kit
- Winch, tracks, spares
- Driver
- Included, off-road
Two valleys, one road between them
Hunza in blossom and Baltistan in granite — the Karakoram Highway threads both, and we drive it in daylight, slowly, with the windows down.
Where you sleep
Stays & hotels →Karimabad, Hunza4.6 ★
Hunza Story · Standard
Cosy interiors and quiet surroundings for solo travellers and small families — the essentials, with the valley in every window.
Karimabad, HunzaReserve
Karimabad, Hunza4.8 ★
Hunza Story · Deluxe
Spacious rooms, scenic glazing and modern comforts — where couples go for a touch of mountain luxury.
Karimabad, HunzaReserve
Mountain stays
Rooms with the valley in the window
Three tiers in Karimabad, all of them ours to book — and all of them facing the Rakaposhi wall.
Hunza Story · Standard
Karimabad, Hunza · 4.6★
Cosy interiors and quiet surroundings for solo travellers and small families — the essentials, with the valley in every window.
Hunza Story · Deluxe
Karimabad, Hunza · 4.8★
Spacious rooms, scenic glazing and modern comforts — where couples go for a touch of mountain luxury.
Traveller reviews
4.95 average · 312 reviews5.0 ★“Our trip to Hunza Valley was unforgettable. The mountains, the food and the local hospitality were far beyond expectations.”
4.9 ★“Loved every moment in Skardu. Well organised, safe, and full of views I still can't quite believe were real.”
5.0 ★“Exploring Fairy Meadows was like a dream. Everything from transport to accommodation was perfectly managed.”
4.9 ★“A wonderful crossing of Deosai and Astore. Highly recommended for anyone who cares about wild places.”
Before you ask
Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the safest regions in Pakistan for travellers, including solo women. We travel with local drivers and guides, register groups where required, and stay in constant contact with our office in Gilgit.
April to June for blossom and green valleys, July to August for Deosai, Shandur and the K2 trek window, and late September to October for the famous Hunza autumn colour. Winter tours to Hunza run December to February.
Most nationalities can obtain a Pakistan e-visa online. Open valleys need no permit; restricted zones such as Baltoro, Khunjerab and some border areas do — we arrange all of them, including the liaison officer for expeditions.
Yes. Around half our travellers book privately. Send us your dates, interests and pace and we return a costed day-by-day itinerary, usually within 24 hours.
Transport with driver, accommodation, listed meals, guides, permits and park fees. International flights, personal gear, insurance and tips are not included.
