Day 17: Trek to Hispar Village, 7,552ft/2,302m – 6-7 hours.

Before too long you will hit the newly-made jeep trail that descends to Hispar village. There you cross a suspension bridge above the boiling river of liquid mud. The inhabitants of Hispar are a colourful and friendly tribe who are followers of Prince Karim, the Aga Khan. You have now left the Hispar Glacier behind and the relief of seeing blossoming fruit orchards and multi-terraced fields will be quite a shock to the system as will be seeing houses and villagers! Your overnight camp will probably be an hour or so beyond the village and lower down by a spring next to the road. Overnight: Camp (Meals: BLD)

Day 18: Drive to Karimabad, 2,440m/8,005ft – 48km, 2 hours.

Visit Altit and Baltit forts. Today you will drive to Karimabad, the capital of the Hunza region. Depending on the state of the road to Hispar you may still have a 2½-3 hours walk to reach Hunza where the vehicles will meet you. The last 30 minutes are the sting in the tail! You can stop off to explore some of the many small hamlets of the Nagar Valley on your way to Karimabad. The drive to Karimabad takes about 2 hours. The small kingdom of Hunza remained isolated mainly because it is contained within unbelievably steep gorges. A legend exists, common to many parts of the western Himalaya, that the Hunzakuts (as the people of Hunza are known), are the descendants of the five lost soldiers of the army of Alexander the Great. The people are cheerful, friendly and are fair-skinned with blue or green eyes. The kingdom remained isolated until the British took over in 1891 and it became part of Pakistan and the same family has ruled Hunza’s 35,000 inhabitants since the 11th century. The people of Hunza were at one time a very war-like people and well known for plundering caravans, slave-trading and attacking their neighbours. It was the arrival of the Karakoram Highway which really linked them to the rest of the world. The people of Hunza are renowned for their longevity supposedly resulting from their mostly vegetarian diet of cereals and fruits, especially the apricots for which the region is famous. Almost the entire population belongs to the Ismaili Shia sect, headed by the Aga Khan. The women wear bright clothes, long skirts with baggy trousers and little embroidered pillbox hats over which they drape their shawls. Hunza is outstandingly beautiful and there is plenty to see before you leave Karimabad, such as the 400-yearold forts of Altit and Baltit. The latter fort is said to have been made by a princess who married the reigning Mir and brought with her from Baltistan the masons, carpenters and craftsmen who built the fort as part of her dowry. It is a curious rambling old palace with 53 rooms on 3 storeys. There is a museum here which is worth seeing. The Altit fort is even more impressive and is probably 100 years older. The bazaars are worth a look round and don’t forget to try the local apricots. There are also lovely walks above the town. From the Hunza valley there are panoramic views of Rakaposhi 7,788m/25,551ft, Diran Peak 7,266m/23,838ft, Spantik Peak 7,027m/23,054ft, Ultar 7,388m/24,238ft and Lady Finger 6,000m/19,685ft. Overnight: Camp (Meals: BLD)

Day 19: Drive to Duiker. Sightseeing.

This morning you will make the short drive from Karimabad to Duiker. Duiker is a charming hamlet above the village of Altit which is situated next to Baltit, One of the main attractions of Duikar is the viewpoint, 2,900 m/9,514ft. Here you have the best views during sunrise and sunset. After arriving you will be transferred to your hotel, and enjoy some refreshments. You will then walk up to Duiker Top (called haven of earth) here you will have a panoramic view of the entire Hunza Valley with several surrounding snowcapped mountains above 7,000m/22,966ft. Later you will hike to visit Holy Shrines near the Shahabad valley. Overnight: Eagles Nest Hotel or Similar, Duiker (Meals: BLD)

Day 20: Drive to Gilgit, 1,523m/5,000ft – 110km, 2 hours.

It is a beautiful drive to Gilgit, though the way can be bedevilled by landslides. On the way you will get great views of Rakaposhi. Gilgit is a thriving frontier town with a population of over 40,000. The small old town is quaint and has a cluster of interesting places to visit within a short radius. This includes a beautiful rock carving of Buddha, a 700-year-old monument to Taj Mughal and the longest suspension bridge in Asia, 600ft long. The favorite sport in Gilgit is polo, which the locals claim originated here. Also worth hunting for is the old colonial graveyard to see the grave of George Hayward who played an important part in the Great Game and early exploration of the area before being murdered by local tribesmen. Gilgit Bazaar is also famous for its handicrafts and you may find this a good place to do some shopping. Overnight: Serena Hotel or Similar, Gilgit (Meals: BLD)

Day 21: Fly to Islamabad.

You will transfer to the airport for the one hour flight to Islamabad with magnificent views of the Karakoram. This flight for instance takes you right past Nanga Parbat. On arrival in Islamabad you will be transferred back to your hotel. The rest of the day will be at leisure. Note: If the flight from Gilgit is cancelled you will drive back to Islamabad instead which takes two days – there is time to allow for this possibility. If you do drive the overnight stop would be at Besham, where you would stay at the Besham Continental or the PTDC Motel. Overnight: Hillview Hotel or Similar, Islamabad (Meals: B)

Day 22: At leisure in Islamabad or optional excursion to Taxila.

Evening group transfer to airport for flight home. Today you will have the option to explore Islamabad at your own pace, or you can choose to take a guided tour of Taxila. This optional excursion needs to be paid for directly to our agent when in Islamabad. Please contact our office for prices. Most of the archaeological sites of Taxila (600 BC to 500 AD) are located around Taxila Museum. For over one thousand years Taxila was famous as a centre of learning the Gandhara art of sculpture, architecture and Buddhism. There are over 50 archaeological sites scattered in a radius of 30km around Taxila. You can visit the archaeological sites of Jaulian, Mohra Moradu and Sirkap. There is also the option to visit Taxila Museum, housing the rich archaeological finds of Taxila. It is one of the best and well maintained site museums in Pakistan. If time permits you will also be able to visit Sirkap Sirkap, an archaeological site on the bank opposite the city of Taxila built by the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius and his son Stultus around 180 BC. After your visit to Taxila you will be transferred back to Islamabad in time for your international flight home Note: If your flight from Gilgit is cancelled due to bad weather, this day can be used to complete the drive back to Islamabad. Overnight: In flight (Meals: B)

Biafo Hisper Trek Gallery