Gojal Itinerary: 3 Days From Gulmit to Sost

Gojal, or upper Hunza, is the stretch of the Karakoram Highway from Gulmit to Sost, and three days is enough to see it properly if you base yourself in Gulmit and Passu instead of racing through. This plan covers Ghulkin, the Hussaini bridge, Borith Lake, Passu and a day at Khunjerab, with Gulmit as the first night and Passu or Sost as the second.

It is written for people who already have Karimabad behind them, or who are reaching Gojal directly from Gilgit. If you are starting from Karimabad, our 4-day Hunza itinerary covers the lower valley first. The wider picture of the region is in our guide to Gojal valley.

Before you start: how the three days fit together

Gojal is a strip along one road, so the route is simple: you move north a little each day and come back south on the same highway. The only decision is where the Khunjerab day goes. The pass is the biggest single day, about 8 to 10 hours with stops from Karimabad, and a bit less if you start from Passu or Sost.

This plan does it on day 3, from a night in Passu, and ends back at Passu or Sost. You gain a good deal of altitude at the top, so putting the lake and glacier walks on the first two days gives your body time to adjust. Our guide to Hunza's altitude explains what to expect.

If the Khunjerab road is shut, as it is outside the season and sometimes for a day or two inside it, keep day 3 for the Passu glacier walk, Chipursan or a slow day in Sost. That is why the plan keeps the pass as a day that can move.

Day 1: Gulmit, Ghulkin and the museum

Reach Gulmit by midday if you can. It is under two hours from Karimabad on the highway, with the Attabad Lake and tunnels on the way if you are coming from the south. Gulmit is the administrative centre of Gojal, a village of terraced fields, apricot trees and old wooden houses, and a gentler place to start than the high ground ahead.

1. Settle in at a guesthouse in Gulmit. See our guide to hotels in Gulmit.
2. The Gulmit museum, a small collection about Wakhi life. Our guide to the Gulmit cultural museum says what to look for.
3. Walk the old village lanes in the late afternoon. This is also a good time to eat, as the light on the Passu side of the valley is soft in the evening.
4. Ghulkin, the next village north, is a short drive or a walk. The Ghulkin glacier is reached on foot from the village and is short, but it is a real glacier and the surface is uneven.

Keep the first evening quiet. Most people arrive tired, and the altitude, around 2,400 m, is already enough to notice.

Day 2: Hussaini, Borith Lake and Passu

This is the best walking day in Gojal and it can be done at your own pace.

1. Drive to Hussaini in the morning, a short run from Gulmit. The Hussaini suspension bridge is an old rope-and-plank crossing over the Hunza River, and it is a place to look rather than a thrill ride. Cross only as far as you feel steady.
2. Walk or drive to Borith Lake. It lies about 2 km north of Hussaini on a paved road, at roughly 2,600 m. You can also trek in from Gulmit across the end of the Ghulkin glacier, which takes about 2 to 3 hours. The lake is quiet. Wikipedia notes that migrating ducks arrive between March and June, so spring is a good time for birds. See Borith Lake.
3. Go on to Passu for the afternoon. The Passu Cones are the jagged ridge that appears on every Hunza postcard, and the Passu glacier is a short walk from the highway.
4. Overnight in Passu. See hotels in Passu, and the things to do in Passu if you have an extra evening.

If you prefer a longer walk, the track from Borith to Passu is a half-day on foot that links the lake, the Hussaini glacier and the Passu side of the valley. Ask at your guesthouse about the current condition of the route before you set off, because glacier paths shift from year to year.

Day 3: Sost and Khunjerab

Leave Passu early, by 7 or 8 am. Sost is the last proper town before the border, with the customs and immigration post and a dry port for trade with China. If you are driving, fill the tank here.

1. Passu to Sost takes about half an hour to an hour.
2. Register at the checkpoint. Pakistanis show their CNIC and foreign nationals show their passport and visa. Our guide to Sost covers the town.
3. Drive to the pass. It is about 80 to 85 km from Sost and takes around 1.5 hours. You pass through Khunjerab National Park and a park fee is collected on the way; amounts have changed several times, so bring cash and pay what is posted.
4. At the top, at 4,693 m, an hour is plenty. Walk slowly and drink water, and go down at once if anyone has a bad headache or nausea.
5. Return to Sost or Passu for the night.

Our Khunjerab Pass guide has the opening season, the checkpoint rules and what to carry.

Where to sleep

• Gulmit suits night 1: a good bazaar, a museum and the quiet end of Gojal.
• Passu suits night 2: the Cones are right outside your window, and it puts you under an hour from Sost.
• Sost suits night 3 if you do not want to drive back, though it is a working border town rather than a pretty one. See hotels in Sost.

Book ahead for July and August and for the Eid holidays. The guesthouses here are small.

What to carry

• Warm layers for the pass, even in July
• Sunscreen and sunglasses for the glaciers
• Cash, because there are few working ATMs beyond Karimabad
• Water and snacks for the lake walk
• Your CNIC, or your passport and visa if you hold a foreign passport

Is three days in Gojal enough?

For most travellers it is the right amount, and more rewarding than rushing the same sights in a single day from Karimabad. If your time is short, drop the Khunjerab day and spend it walking at Passu. If you have a fourth day, add the Chipursan valley or Shimshal, which are long jeep days and not casual detours.

Our own nine-day Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour builds the same upper valley into a longer trip.

Is it safe?

Gojal sits in Gilgit-Baltistan, which is not on the UK's list of places it advises against visiting. The road you take to get here may be. The UK advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, so people driving from the south often use the Babusar route in summer. Pakistani visitors still travel both. Check local news and police advice before you leave, and if you hold a foreign passport, check your own government's advice, because it can affect your insurance.

Frequently asked questions