Pakistan Highlights

Day 1. Arrival to Islamabad airport. Transfer to hotel. Two hours rest. Excursion to Taxila archeological sight which is 30 min drive from Islamabad. Taxila was one of the spiritual places of Gandhara - the Buddhist kingdom which existed in 6 c. BC till 8 c. AD on the territory of modern Northern India and Pakistan, part of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Taxila is considered as one the eight holy sights in Buddhism, as at the foundation of Taxila stupa is a tooth of Buddha according to the legend. We will spend few hours walking around the stupa, the ruins of ancient Buddhist monastery, and if time permits we will also visit Taxila museum. In the afternoon we will get back to Islamabad and have our welcoming dinner at Monal restaurant, a view point in Margalla Hills from which we can see the whole city below.\

 

 

Day 2. Today we must wake up early and start driving North along the famous Karakorum highway. On the way we will enjoy the peaks of Hindukush and Karakorum and we will pass the province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. By evening we will reach Chilas, a city of the province Gilgit Baltistan, the city is laying at the foot of Nanga Parbat, the 9th highest mountain in the world in theWestern Himalayan range. Overnight in Chilas.

 

Day 3. We continue our driving along Karakorum highway and by noon we will arrive to Gilgit for lunch. On the way we stop at Junction Point where three mountain ranges meet - Himalaya, Karakorum and Hindukush.There we will also see the conflux of Indus and Gilgit rivers. From Gilgit another hour up North and we will reach the legendary Hunza valley. Museum of local culture in Baltit fort where the royal family of Hunza had been residing till 1970s. Overnight in Hunza.

 

Day 4. Full day in fantastic Upper Hunza: Attabat lake, Husseini suspension bridge, photographing at Passu cones, lunch with traditional Hunza cuisine, and depending on the fitness of the group we will walk to see Passu glacier.

 

Day 5. Today we drive to Khunjerab National Park where Pakistan-China border is operating in summer. In winter we have a chance to see snow leopard and ibex. In the evening we walk around souvenir shops of Karimabad. (Optional day)

 

Day 6. Full day drive back from Hunza to Islamabad. Overnight in Islamabad.

 

Day 7. In the morning we start driving towards Lahore, a cultural capital of Pakistan. In the afternoon we reach Lahore, have a lunch , and then we visit the famous closure ceremony at the Indian border which is 30 min drive from Lahore. In the evening we visit a music studio

 

Day 8. Today we visit the Medieval Lahore fort with the famous Badshahi mosque and Mirror palace, built by the emperors of Maughol dinasty. In the afternoon we will enjoy the best collection of Buddhist and Indus civilisation art of Lahore museum founded in British time.

 

Day 9 . Departure from Lahore airport