The most common mistakes on a northern areas trip are packing too many places into too few days, driving after dark on mountain roads, running out of cash away from a bank, and ignoring the weather until it changes the plan. None of these ruin a trip on their own, but they compound: a late start becomes a night drive, a night drive on a road you don't know becomes a genuinely stressful few hours.
This is a list of the mistakes we see most often, not a full planning guide. For the basics of putting an itinerary together, see our travel guide.
Trying to see too much in too little time
The single biggest mistake is an itinerary built around a map rather than actual drive times. Distances in the north look short on a screen and take far longer on the ground: the roads are narrow, mountainous and shared with trucks, and a "quick" side trip to a lake or meadow can easily eat half a day once you add the jeep track at the end of it.
A common result is a week that tries to cover Hunza, Skardu, Fairy Meadows and Naran, with a full day lost to driving between each. Pick two or three base areas and go deeper into each, rather than trying to tick off every name on the map.
Driving after dark
Mountain roads in the north are unlit, share space with animals and slow-moving trucks, and have drop-offs that are hard to judge at night. Landslides and washouts, which are common on parts of the Karakoram Highway especially during the summer monsoon, are also far harder to spot in headlights than in daylight. Build in a real buffer so a late start, a puncture or a long lunch does not turn into a night drive on a road you have never seen.
The stretch of the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas is one the UK government currently advises against travelling on at all. Foreign passport holders should check their own government's advice before using it, since ignoring it can affect travel insurance. The Babusar Pass route avoids this stretch entirely when it is open, from roughly late June to October.
Not carrying enough cash
Card payments and functioning ATMs are limited once you are past the larger towns, and network coverage that a card machine needs can drop out for hours. Carry more cash than you think you need, in smaller notes, and don't assume you can withdraw more once you're in a smaller village. Our guide to ATMs in the northern areas covers where machines are and are not reliable.
Ignoring the weather and road status
Snow can close a high pass with little warning even in the travel season, and heavy rain can close a stretch of road for a day or more while debris is cleared. Checking the forecast and recent road updates the evening before a big drive, rather than assuming the road will be open because it usually is, avoids a wasted early start and a change of plan at a checkpoint.
Skipping acclimatisation on high-altitude days
Trips that include Deosai, Khunjerab Pass or Babusar Top involve gaining well over a thousand metres of altitude in a few hours by car, often with no time built in to adjust. Most people feel this as breathlessness or a mild headache rather than anything serious, but pushing on with a longer stay at altitude when someone is clearly unwell is a mistake worth avoiding. Keep visits to these high points short, and read up on the numbers before you go.
Assuming the wrong sim card or no signal at all
Coverage in much of the north depends on which network you use, and it is patchy or absent in some valleys regardless of provider. Sort this out before you leave the last major town rather than discovering it on arrival, particularly if you need to reach anyone at home. This is worth checking against a current source, since coverage changes as new towers go up.
Booking too late in peak season
Around Eid holidays and the main summer weeks, hotels and jeeps in popular spots like Hunza, Skardu and Naran fill up well in advance, and prices rise accordingly. Travellers who arrive without a booking in the last week of a public holiday often end up paying more for a worse room, or driving further than planned to find one.
Underestimating the cold, even in summer
A sunny afternoon in a valley town does not mean the same at altitude. Visitors regularly turn up to Khunjerab Pass, Deosai or Babusar Top in the clothes they wore in Karimabad and find themselves shivering within minutes of stepping out of the car. Pack a proper jacket for any day that includes a high pass or plateau, whatever the season.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common mistake first-time visitors make?
Overpacking the itinerary. People try to see too many places in too few days and end up spending more time driving than actually seeing anywhere.
Is it dangerous to drive at night in the northern areas?
It is best avoided. Roads are narrow, unlit and shared with animals and trucks, and hazards like landslides are much harder to see after dark. Build enough buffer into each day to avoid it.
Should I carry cash or rely on cards in the northern areas?
Carry cash. ATMs and card machines exist in the main towns but are unreliable or absent in smaller villages, and network drops can stop card payments working even where a machine exists.
Do I need to worry about altitude sickness on a normal northern areas trip?
Only really on the day trips that reach over 4,000 metres, such as Khunjerab Pass, Babusar Top or Deosai. Most towns people stay in are low enough that altitude is not a concern.
