9 days
Easy
Hunza Valley and the Khunjerab Pass
Nine days from Islamabad: fly to Gilgit, stay in Karimabad and Passu, and drive the Karakoram Highway to the China border.
Quoted in USD on request
View itineraryFor travellers from abroad
Pakistan tours, arranged from arrival to departure
Private tours of the northern mountains and Pakistan's historic cities for visitors from overseas: airport pickup, hotels, an English-speaking guide, a private vehicle and permits, quoted in US dollars.
How booking works
From your first message to the airport
Explore Pakistan is a licensed Pakistani tour operator. You deal with one person, in English, from the first email until you fly home.
- 1
Send us your dates
Use the form on this page. Tell us who is travelling, when, and which tour you have in mind, or describe the trip you want.
- 2
Get a plan and a price
Within a day you get a day-by-day itinerary and one price per person in US dollars, with what is and is not included written out.
- 3
Adjust it until it fits
Longer, shorter, slower, a different hotel standard. We redraw it as often as you need. Nothing is charged at this stage.
- 4
Confirm with a deposit
A 30% deposit confirms the booking. You pay by Wise, Payoneer or international bank transfer to our US dollar account. The balance is due 14 days before you arrive.
- 5
Visa letter and arrival
We send a visa support letter for your Pakistan e-visa, then meet you at the airport. One person is your contact for the whole trip.
Tours
The northern mountains
Hunza, Skardu and Fairy Meadows by road and short walks, flying over the mountains to start.
8 days
Easy
Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu and the Deosai Plains
Eight days in Baltistan: fly to Skardu, visit the forts of Shigar and Khaplu, and cross the Deosai plateau by 4x4 to Sheosar Lake.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary7 days
Moderate
Fairy Meadows and the Nanga Parbat Viewpoint
Seven days to the meadow below the north face of Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), reached by local jeep and a forest walk from the Indus.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary13 days
Easy to moderate
Hunza and Skardu Grand Tour
Thirteen days across Gilgit-Baltistan: Hunza and the Khunjerab Pass, the Indus gorge road to Skardu, Deosai, Shigar and Khaplu.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary7 days
Easy
Autumn Colours in Hunza and Nagar
A seven-day late October trip to Hunza and Nagar, when the poplars and apricot orchards turn yellow, orange and red.
Quoted in USD on request
View itineraryTours
Treks
Multi-day walks to the base camps of K2, Nanga Parbat and Rakaposhi, with licensed mountain guides.
21 days
Strenuous
K2 Base Camp and Concordia Trek
Three weeks from Islamabad to the foot of K2: up the Baltoro Glacier from Askole to Concordia, with permit, guide and camp crew arranged.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary8 days
Moderate
Nanga Parbat Base Camp and Fairy Meadows Trek
Eight days from Islamabad to the Raikot face of Nanga Parbat: Fairy Meadows, Beyal Camp and base camp, reached over the Babusar Pass.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary8 days
Moderate
Rakaposhi Base Camp Trek and Hunza
Eight days in Hunza and Nagar with a three-day camping trek from Minapin to Rakaposhi Base Camp, reached by the Gilgit flight.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary9 days
Moderate
Passu and the Patundas Trek
Nine days in upper Hunza with a three-day trek to Patundas, the high pasture between the Passu and Batura glaciers.
Quoted in USD on request
View itineraryTours
Cities and heritage
Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and Karachi: Mughal forts, Sufi shrines, old bazaars and the food.
3 days
Easy
Lahore Heritage: the Walled City, the Mughal Monuments and Wagah
Three days in Lahore: the Walled City, the fort, Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques, Shalimar Gardens and the Wagah border ceremony.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary3 days
Easy
Islamabad and Taxila: the Capital and the Gandhara Sites
Three days in Pakistan's capital: Faisal Mosque, the Margalla Hills, Saidpur, Lok Virsa and a day at the Buddhist ruins of Taxila.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary10 days
Easy
Pakistan Highlights: Islamabad, Taxila, Lahore and Multan
Ten days from Islamabad to Multan by road: Taxila, Rohtas Fort, Mughal Lahore, Harappa and the Sufi shrines of Multan and Uch Sharif.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary5 days
Easy
Southern Punjab: Multan, Uch Sharif, Bahawalpur and Derawar Fort
Five days in southern Punjab: Multan's Sufi shrines, the tiled tombs of Uch Sharif, Bahawalpur's palaces and Derawar Fort in the desert.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary4 days
Easy
Karachi and the Coast, with the Chaukhandi Tombs, Makli and Thatta
Four days in Karachi: colonial Saddar, Mohatta Palace and Clifton, then a day out to the Chaukhandi tombs, Makli necropolis and Thatta.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary5 days
Easy
The Grand Trunk Road: Lahore to Islamabad
Five days on the Grand Trunk Road from Lahore to Islamabad: Gujranwala, Rohtas Fort, Khewra Salt Mine, Katas Raj and Taxila.
Quoted in USD on request
View itineraryTours
Culture and special interest
Routes built around one subject: Gandhara, Sikh heritage, the Indus Valley, the Mughals.
6 days
Easy
The Gandhara Buddhist Trail
Six days from Islamabad to Lahore: the stupas, monasteries and museum of Taxila, the Mankiala stupa and the Fasting Buddha.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary7 days
Easy
Sikh Heritage Pilgrimage in Punjab
Seven days from Lahore to Islamabad: Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur, Dera Sahib, Rori Sahib at Eminabad and Panja Sahib.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary7 days
Easy
Indus Valley Civilisation: Harappa and Mohenjo-daro
Seven days from Lahore to Karachi: Harappa and its museum, Multan, the Priest-King in Karachi and a fly-in visit to Mohenjo-daro.
Quoted in USD on request
View itinerary6 days
Easy
Mughal Pakistan: Lahore, Rohtas Fort and Thatta
Six days from Lahore to Islamabad: the fort, mosques, gardens and tombs of Mughal Lahore, Hiran Minar and Rohtas Fort.
Quoted in USD on request
View itineraryThe detail
What your quote covers
Included in every tour
- Airport pickup and drop-off in Pakistan
- A private vehicle with an experienced driver
- An English-speaking guide for the whole trip
- Hotels and guesthouses on a twin-share basis, with breakfast
- Entry tickets, park fees and permits named in your itinerary
- A visa support letter for your Pakistan e-visa
Not included
- International flights
- The Pakistan visa fee
- Travel insurance, which every traveller must carry
- Domestic flights, quoted separately with your itinerary
- Lunches and dinners unless your itinerary says otherwise
- Tips and personal spending
On request only
Places we arrange case by case
Some of Pakistan's most interesting regions are under foreign government travel warnings. We do not sell them as catalogue tours, because your travel insurance is unlikely to cover them. If you still want to go, ask us and we will tell you honestly what is possible.
- The Kalash valleys and their festivals
- A visit to Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir, the three valleys near Chitral where the Kalash people keep their own religion and hold seasonal festivals. As of October 2026 the UK advises against all travel on the N45 road from Mardan to the edge of Chitral city, including the Kalash valleys, and within 10 miles of the Afghan border, and travel insurance usually excludes places under that advice.
- Peshawar's old city
- A walk through the bazaars, mosques and old merchant houses of Peshawar, one of the oldest living cities in South Asia. As of October 2026 the UK advises against all travel to Peshawar district, including the city, and travel insurance usually excludes places under that advice.
- The Buddhist sites of Swat
- The Gandharan stupas, rock carvings and museum of the Swat valley around Mingora and Saidu Sharif. As of October 2026 the UK advises against all travel to Swat district, where a suicide bombing at the Kabal police station killed 17 people on 2 August 2026, and travel insurance usually excludes places under that advice.
- Takht-i-Bahi monastery
- A day trip to the hilltop Buddhist monastery of Takht-i-Bahi, a World Heritage Site about 15 km from Mardan. As of October 2026 the UK advises against all but essential travel to Mardan district, and travel insurance usually excludes travel against that advice.
- Chitral and the Shandur Pass
- A journey to Chitral town and over the Shandur Pass into Gilgit-Baltistan, where a polo festival is held on the pass in summer. As of October 2026 the UK advises against all travel on the N45 road to Chitral through Dir and within 10 miles of the Afghan border, and Canada advises against non-essential travel to Chitral district, so travel insurance usually excludes it.
- The Makran coast and Hingol National Park
- A road trip west of Karachi along the Makran Coastal Highway to the beaches, rock formations and mud volcanoes of Hingol National Park in Balochistan. As of October 2026 the UK advises against all travel to the whole of Balochistan province, and travel insurance usually excludes places under that advice.
Questions from travellers abroad
Do I need a visa for Pakistan?
Most visitors do. You apply online through Pakistan's official e-visa portal, visa.nadra.gov.pk. The rules and fees depend on your nationality and they change, so check the portal for your passport. Once your booking is confirmed we send a visa support letter to upload with your application.
How do I pay from abroad?
You pay in US dollars by Wise, Payoneer or international bank transfer to our US dollar account. PayPal and Stripe do not operate in Pakistan, so we do not use them. Payment details come with your confirmed quote, never before.
Is it safe to travel in Pakistan?
Many parts of the country receive foreign visitors every year, and some regions carry government travel warnings. Our catalogue tours are routed to stay outside the areas the UK government advised against as of October 2026, and a tour page says so plainly where part of a route is affected. Read your own government's current advice before you book, because it decides what your travel insurance covers.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes. Every traveller must carry insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation, and for treks it must cover the altitude you will reach. We ask for your policy details before departure.
Can I travel alone or do I have to join a group?
Every tour here can run as a private trip for one person, a couple, a family or your own group. The price per person falls as the group grows, which is why we quote each trip separately.
What happens if a flight is cancelled or a pass is closed?
Flights to Gilgit and Skardu depend on the weather and mountain passes close in winter. Each itinerary says what the alternative is, and we build spare time into the mountain routes for this reason.
What are the cancellation terms?
They are in our terms. In short: if you cancel, we refund what you paid less any costs already committed on your behalf, and if we cancel for reasons within our control you get a full refund.