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Seven days is possible for both Hunza and Skardu, but there is a gap. Hunza and Skardu are 6 to 8 hours apart on the Gilgit Rd by car. With 7 days, you're looking at 3 days of travel and 4 days of exploring. This means internal planning of your travel days to fit in with the driving schedule to bend and accommodate the itinerary.
Two possible itineraries with explanations of what each gives or takes, and deciding which to do based on your preferences.
Combined northern itineraries from HospitalityTours.com.pk are built out of Islamabad. They include domestic flights that avoid 2 days of driving, confirmed hotels, a private vehicle with a driver who has experience on the Gilgit road, and a time-based itinerary. Please send your dates and group size to our WhatsApp: +923411113777. We are here to help with your itinerary planning.
Driving from Islamabad to Hunza takes 14 to 18 hours on the first day and then the second day for the rest. The distance and time also apply from Islamabad to Skardu. The two valleys are not adjacent. Skardu to Karimabad on the Gilgit Rd is roughly 265 km and takes 6 to 8 hours to drive.
A ten-day trip allows one travel day between two destinations. A seven-day trip has this significant portion of the time. Every itinerary for this combination must make the structural decision of flying to avoid the long drives, or driving and staying fewer nights in the valleys.
This is the best overall shape for a seven-day trip. You eliminate both long drives and the days that come with those drives. The Islamabad to Gilgit flight takes around 45 minutes to an hour. The Skardu flight from Islamabad is also around an hour.
The important caveat: both flights also cancel due to weather, and far more frequently than the airlines choose to disclose when selling tickets. Take this structure and have a backup plan to drive each segment in case of flight cancellations. Also, do not connect directly to an international departure on the last day.
Day one. Fly from Islamabad to Gilgit, then drive the remainder to Karimabad in Hunza; it takes around two hours. Check in, afternoon bazaar, evening stroll.
Day two. Do an early morning visit to the Baltit Fort before the day-trip crowd arrives. Later in the day, visit the Altit Fort and the Royal Gardens. Check out the rock carvings at Ganish Village and Haldeikish along the way back to Karimabad.
Day three. Do an early morning visit to the Duikar viewpoint. Drive to Attabad Lake, do another early boat ride on the lake, and continue to Gulmit and Passu. Take the walk to the Passu glacier viewpoint. Stay in Gojal overnight or return to Karimabad.
Day four. Leave Hunza for the drive to Gilgit and then to Skardu. This is an approximately six- to eight-hour drive. The scenic drive is worth the travel time, with many beautiful valleys, to reach Skardu by the end of the day.
Day five. Kharpocho Fort in the cool of the early morning to avoid the heat of the day. The Katpana Cold Desert in the afternoon. Visit the Manthal Buddha Rock on Satpara Lake and return on the way back. Spend your evening stargazing at Katpana.
Day six. This is the day to visit the Deosai Plains in Skardu. The trip to Satpara Lake is worth the drive at 4,114m on the plateau. The views overlooking the beautiful Sheosar Lake make the drive to Skardu worth the visit. This day should not be coupled with other activities.
Day seven. Spend the morning at Shangrila and Lower Kachura Lake. Take the afternoon flight to Islamabad. You can move this around to a morning flight and afternoon Leisure time in Islamabad.
This itinerary sacrifices Khunjerab Pass, which takes a full day from Karimabad, and does not fit within a 3-night stay in Hunza. It leaves Deosai to make the drive worthwhile to Skardu.
Worried about Deosai? You can swap day six. Both can be done within the constraints of a 10-night trip.
If you would rather include Khunjerab Pass in this itinerary, you can take Babusar Pass to Skardu and combine this itinerary with a drive from Skardu to Hunza.
This structure uses the Babusar crossing to combine the drive with Naran Kaghan, and gets you to Skardu before combining this trip to Hunza by road.
This trip is only possible when Babusar Top is open, which is usually mid-June to mid-October.
Day one: Islamabad to Naran, 285 km, 5-6 hours. Stay the night in Naran.
Day two: Morning Jeep to Saif-ul-Malook Lake; afternoon drive to Babusar Top to Chilas. Evening drive/overnight stay in Chilas.
Day three: Chilas to Skardu. Sightseeing at Kharpocho Fort, Katpana Desert, and Manthal Buddha Rock.
Day four: Early departure to Deosai Plains and back to Skardu.
Day five: Skardu to Hunza via Gilgit, 6-8 hours. This is the second travel day.
Day six: Hunza. Sightseeing at Baltit Fort, Altit Fort, and Attabad Lake. One full day in the valley.
Day seven: Flight from Gilgit to Islamabad. Or drive from Hunza to Islamabad via Gilgit and Besham, which is another 14-16 hours and converts a 7-day trip into a 9-day trip.
Structure one: Significant time in Hunza. Structure one provides three nights and covers forts, Attabad, and Gojal.
Structure two: Naran Kaghan is included, which is a loss, but Hunza is covered.
Best for: people who prioritise Naran and Skardu and include Hunza.
Neither itinerary includes Khunjerab Pass, Shigar Fort, Khaplu, or the deepest valleys of Hunza. These should be part of a 10-12 day package.
The advice: if you really want to see Hunza, don't go unless you have an extra 3 days; the rest of the time will be rushed. If Skardu is the main attraction for you, structure two requires less flexibility. If you want to see both valleys but don't care which comes first, then structure one is the best of the 7-day packages.
Structure one requires three nights in Hunza, three nights in Skardu.
In Hunza: Hunza Serena Hotel is the full-service option in Karimabad. Luxus Hunza Attabad Lake Resort is a day 3 option if you stay in Gojal. Hard Rock Hunza is the family-friendly option.
In Skardu: Avari Xpress Skardu has the brand standards and a central location. PC Legacy Skardu is near the airport and has corporate facilities. Mountain Lodge Resort has the best views of the valley.
Structure two requires one night in Naran, two nights in Skardu, and one night in Hunza.
In Naran: Pine Park Hotel or Arcadian Riverside are both on the river. You need to book 3-4 months early for this during the summer.
In Skardu: Same options as in Structure One.
In Hunza: Best Western Premier Karimabad, or Hunza Serena in Karimabad for one night.
Structure One includes Gilgit to Karimabad by road, Karimabad to Gojal, and Hunza to Skardu via Gilgit. These are all on good paved highways and can be done in a private SUV or 4x4.
Structure two includes the Babusar crossing from Naran to Chilas, which requires a good 4x4 and a driver who has done the pass this season. Ask about this one specifically. Using a saloon car on Babusar would not be a good idea.
Both structures have the option to drive to Katpana Desert in any car, but to get to Deosai you will have to drive the proper 4x4 from Satpara. If the package says Deosai and doesn't say 4x4, ask about it before you confirm.
Deosai also sits at around 4,100 meters elevation, so some travelers do feel the impact of driving from Skardu at 2,228 meters to Deosai, the first day of the Skardu stay. In both structures, day 5 places Skardu first and Deosai on day 6. This structure is better, since it gives one more night at a less extreme elevation.
Check with the operator what itinerary structure they have and if it corresponds to the above. Some packages that state Hunza and Skardu in 7 days only offer a single half day to one of the valleys.
Find out if the flights to Gilgit and Skardu are covered, and if there is a backup plan with road travel if either of the flights is canceled.
Confirm if Deosai is open during the days of your travel. The road is usually closed due to snow from late September to late June, although the dates vary.
Make sure you know what hotels you will be staying at along the way (by name).
See if the Deosai 4x4 is covered in the price of the package or if it is to be arranged at the destination.
Make sure you have the cancellation policy in written form.
Structure one suits honeymoon trips best. Three nights in Hunza includes Duikar at sunrise, a night at Luxus Hunza Attabad, and a slow day in Karimabad without needing to check out at nine. Three nights in Skardu consist of seeing the fort, the desert at night, and Deosai with no time pressure.
A Shigar Fort night converts Structure One into an eight-day honeymoon, and it is well worth the time and effort.
Structure One is fine with children, and both Hunza and Skardu work for families, but due to Deosai being at over 4,100 metres, it is a full day at very high altitude. Children who have not spent two nights at Skardu elevation may find it uncomfortable. So, Deosai should be done on day six or seven, not day five.
Structure two with children. Babusar Top at 4,173 metres on day two means altitude on day two after one night at Naran at 2,409 metres. Children who are affected by altitude should not have Babusar Top as the second day of the trip.
A seven-day corporate itinerary covering Hunza and Skardu needs a minimum of two vehicles for groups above eight and should use structure one with a flight at each end. Corporate schedules do not absorb flight cancellations well. So, keep a flight-out day at the end of the trip, which has no program, as a buffer rather than using the last event day.
Don't plan on booking a same-day international connecting flight out of Islamabad on the same day you fly to Skardu or Gilgit. Both of these flights have a tendency to get canceled due to bad weather.
Don't plan on visiting Deosai on the day you land in Skardu. Take your time and give yourself at least one night to adjust to the elevation of the city.
Do not plan on attempting Babusar Top on a day when the forecast calls for rain. The track becomes impassable and quite dangerous in wet conditions.
Make sure to book your hotel two to three months before arrival. Both Skardu and Hunza fill up before the start of the busy Eid weekend in July and August.
Make sure to bring enough cash. The last reliable ATM is in Gilgit before you get to Hunza, and Skardu's ATMs are unreliable.
Is a week enough to explore both Skardu and Hunza? Yes, but just barely. A week without flights means losing 7 days to travel, and would leave you with only 4 days to sightsee.
Which should come first, Hunza or Skardu? It really doesn't matter. Skardu to Gilgit means the last flight out from Skardu. Gilgit to Skardu is the last flight from Gilgit.
Is Deosai included in a week-long package? It usually is. It is the best reason to visit Skardu, so make sure it is included.
What is left out in a week-long Hunza and Skardu Tour? Khunjerab Pass, Shigar Fort, Khaplu, deep Gojal side valleys, and enough time in both valleys. All of these should extend your tour to at least 10 days.
Do I need permits for any of the sites? Permits are not required for the main sites. There is an entry fee for the Deosai National Park. You will need permits for treks to Baltoro Glacier through a licensed operator.
Send us which option you prefer (fly-in/fly-out or Babusar road), your preferred dates, the size of your group, and the sites that are most important to you. We will let you know the best options for a 7-day itinerary and which sites require more than 7 days, then confirm the flights, hotels, vehicle, and guide.
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