Pakistan Expedition

What's Included

• Accommodation
  Hotel (11 nights), Guesthouse (3 nights)

• Islamabad - Faisal Mosque

• Islamabad - Taxila Museum & archeological sites

• Ghulmet - Rakaposhi View Point

• Gulmit - Ancient house visit

• Hunza Valley - Ondra Polygah hike

• Gulmit - Women-run carpet weaving center visit

• Hunza Valley - Passu Village visit

• Hunza Valley - Passu Glacier hike

• Hunza Valley - Hussaini Hanging Bridge

• Hunza Valley - Borith Lake hike

• Hunza Valley - Traditional music performance

• Shimshal - Village tour & optional hike

• Shimshal - Day hike

• Hunza Valley - Attabad Lake

• Hunza Valley - Sacred Rock of Hunza

• Karimabad - Market tour

• Hunza Valley - Ganish Village walking tour

• Karimabad - Baltit & Altit Forts

• Chatwal - Katas Raj Temples

• Lahore - Lahore Museum

• Lahore - Bagh-e-Jinnah (Lawrence Garden)

• Lahore - Anarkali & Liberty Markets

• Lahore - Tomb of Jahangir

• Lahore - Shalimar Gardens

• Lahore - Wagah Border ceremony

• Lahore - Walled City of Lahore

• Lahore - Shahi Hammam

• Lahore - Tomb of Allama Iqbal

• Lahore - Badshahi Mosque

• Lahore - Wazir Khan Mosque

• Lahore - Akbari Mandi & Azam Cloth Market

• Meals

  14 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 8 dinners

• Gilgit - Local markets

• Gilgit - Kargah Buddha

• Gilgit - China Yadgar (Chinese cemetery)

• Chakwal - Katas Raj Temples

Included Activities

• Islamabad - Faisal Mosque
• Islamabad - Taxila museum and ruins
• Gulmit - Rakaposhi viewpoint
• Karimabad - Local market
• Gulmit - Local musical performance
• Gulmit - Ondra Fort ruins
• Gulmit - Women-run carpet weaving center
• Ghulkin - Passu's famous apricot cake
• Ghulkin - Trek to Passu Glacier
• Ghulkin - Passu village walk
• Ghulkin - Trek to Borith Lake
• Ghulkin - Khunjerab Pass drive
• Shimshal - Village tour
• Shimshal - Shimshal day hike
• Karimabad - Hopar Glacier
• Karimabad - Ganish village walking tour
• Karimabad - Attabad Lake
• Karimabad - Sunset walk to Eagle's Nest
• Karimabad - Walk to Baltit & Altit Fort
• Karimabad - Women's Project Visit
• Rohtas Fort - Guided tour
• Lahore - Bagh-e-Jinnah (Lawrence Garden)
• Lahore - Lahore Museum
• Lahore - Tomb of Jahangir
• Lahore - Wagah Border ceremony
• Lahore - Shalimar Gardens
• Lahore - Rangeela rickshaw ride
• Lahore - Badshahi Mosque
• Lahore - Markets of Lahore
• Lahore - Wazir Khan Mosque
• Lahore - Walled City
• Lahore - Delhi Gate
• Lahore - Shahi Hammam

Transport

• TRANSPORT IN PAKISTAN:
• Main roads in Pakistan are usually very busy with an assortment of vehicles from the biggest trucks (who always have right of way) down to bikes (and animals!). Overtaking on blind corners at speed is common as is the total use of the horn as a form of communication. Our leaders have complete authority to remove groups from local transport if the driver is not driving safely. Drivers of our private vehicles are experienced and well trained. if you are uncomfortable with your driver, please always let your tour leader know immediately. Please ensure you wear your seat belt at all times.
• TRAVEL TIMES:
• Distances in Pakistan do not reflect the driving time and to cover 100km may take much longer than you would expect at home, even if much of the route is on a highway.
• AUTO RICKSHAWS:
• On this trip we travel on local style of transport called an auto rickshaw. These small, motorised three wheeled vehicles are a common form of transport in Pakistan and do not have seatbelts.
• FLIGHTS:
• International airports in Pakistan are becoming more modern (especially in the major and tourist cities). To enter the airport, you must have a copy of your flight ticket and passport. Schedule changes and delays do occur, especially when weather conditions make visibility poor.
• INTERNAL FLIGHTS:
• Flights between Islamabad and Gilgit are often delayed or canceled due to poor weather. Your local leader will give you the most up to date information regarding delays to flights. If your flight is cancelled we will endeavour to get your group on the next available flight. Failing that, we will follow our contingency plan by road using a private vehicle.

Accommodation

• The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
• Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
• ACCOMMODATION:
• Some of the accommodation along the way is basic or simple, staying in local guesthouses and homestays. Some may have shared bathroom facilities with cold water only. We use a mixture of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms. Some areas of Pakistan experience daily load shedding. This is where the power may be turned off at certain times of the day and usually occurs for a few hours in early afternoon. Most hotel properties have a restaurant or cafe serving local meals.
• SHOWERS:
• Showers at some hotels only have hot water at peak times (usually morning and evening). Outside of these times you may need to speak to reception to obtain hot water.
• ROOM ISSUES:
• If you have any issues with your room, please speak to the hotel and your tour leader right away rather than your travel agent so that the problem can be addressed without delay.
• PAKISTAN HOMESTAYS
• As a responsible travel company, we believe in facilitating positive and meaningful exchanges between our travellers and locals at the places we visit. Homestays are a great vehicle for us to facilitate this!
• What will you do during a homestay? Well…it’s hard to tell. As you know a day in a family’s life varies from day to day. We don’t want this experience to feel forced (on you or on them) so we ask families to simply carry on with their lives and that, if there is anything that you may be interested in being part of, they ask you to join in. As such you may be invited to help cook dinner, or to go to the local market for groceries, or to join a soccer game! While your leader will give you some tools to interact with your family (such as some simple local words/phrases) big smiles and lots of sign language can go a long way!
• That said, it’s also important that you understand that you are not obliged to participate in these activities. We believe that the more you put in the more you get out of an experience, but we also understand that you may just want to chill out, grab a book or your camera and go for a wander – and that is fine too.
• Ultimately, we believe that by simply being there, observing family and friends dynamics is a step forward towards understanding the local way of life.
• In homestays we will sometimes share one common sleeping space, just how local people sleep. Plenty of blankets are provided. Ask for more if you are cold. Layering up with thin thermals and a fleece material will help during very cold nights too.
• Lastly, be aware that some homestays in Pakistan have shared drop toilets and no showers. So mind your step and bring your biodegradable wet-wipes!

Important Information

• 1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
• 2. A scanned copy of your passport is required at the time of booking to provide visa support and book domestic flights. The trip cannot be booked without a scanned passport copy. Please see the Essential Trip Information for more information.
• 3. We use Pakistan Airlines for the included internal flights.
• 4. Due to the demands of travelling at high altitudes a Passenger Self Assessment Form is required for this trip.

Mode of Transport

• TRANSPORT IN PAKISTAN:
• Main roads in Pakistan are usually very busy with an assortment of vehicles from the biggest trucks (who always have right of way) down to bikes (and animals!). Overtaking on blind corners at speed is common as is the total use of the horn as a form of communication. Our leaders have complete authority to remove groups from local transport if the driver is not driving safely. Drivers of our private vehicles are experienced and well trained. if you are uncomfortable with your driver, please always let your tour leader know immediately. Please ensure you wear your seat belt at all times.
• TRAVEL TIMES:
• Distances in Pakistan do not reflect the driving time and to cover 100km may take much longer than you would expect at home, even if much of the route is on a highway.
• AUTO RICKSHAWS:
• On this trip we travel on local style of transport called an auto rickshaw. These small, motorised three wheeled vehicles are a common form of transport in Pakistan and do not have seatbelts.
• FLIGHTS:
• International airports in Pakistan are becoming more modern (especially in the major and tourist cities). To enter the airport, you must have a copy of your flight ticket and passport. Schedule changes and delays do occur, especially when weather conditions make visibility poor.
• INTERNAL FLIGHTS:
• Flights between Islamabad and Gilgit are often delayed or canceled due to poor weather. Your local leader will give you the most up to date information regarding delays to flights. If your flight is cancelled we will endeavour to get your group on the next available flight. Failing that, we will follow our contingency plan by road using a private vehicle.

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