16 days. Exact dates will be confirmed about 6 months before the trip; start and end dates are planned around direct flights to Islamabad.
Celebrate the spring festival of Chilam Joshi, where ancient rituals and dances hope to secure a good harvest and bring balance, amid feasting and weddings in the Kalash Valleys. The Kalash are an ancient indigenous people, possibly descended from a lost army of Alexander the Great, some of whom still practise their ancient animist religion; sacrifices are offered and festivals held to give thanks for the abundant resources of their three valleys.
Day 1 – 04/05/2028 – Islamabad
Arrive at Islamabad airport and transfer to the hotel.
Day 2 – 05/05/2028 – Islamabad to Chilas
An early start for the long drive (approx. 9–11 hours) on the Karakoram Highway, the fabled Silk Road, a marvel of modern engineering. Stop at the FWO monument to those who lost their lives building it, pass Pattan, the administrative centre of Kohistan, and the dam sites at Dassu and Diamer-Bhasha, with a picnic lunch on the way. At Chilas see the world-famous petroglyphs left by Buddhist monks on their way to China. Overnight at a hotel in Chilas.
Day 3 – 06/05/2028 – Chilas to Altit, Hunza
A 5–6 hour journey bypassing Gilgit, with glimpses of Nanga Parbat (8,126m), the “killer mountain”, and a stop where the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush meet. Pause at the Rakaposhi viewpoint at Ghulmet, with an optional hike towards the Japanese base camp (about 3 hours return). On to Altit. Hunza is known for its tradition of shaman healers, the bitan, said to communicate with the spirits and fairies of these mountains through trances induced by juniper smoke, music and dance. Over the next days we will be able to watch a shaman “evoke the spirits” (shaman dance cost not included). Overnight at a hotel in Altit.
Day 4 – 07/05/2028 – Altit, Baltit, Duiker
The restored Altit Fort and the women’s workshop for wooden furniture and handicrafts; the 800-year-old Baltit Fort, once the stronghold of the Ayasho dynasty, now an award-winning museum; Hunza cuisine at the Altit Café, run by a women’s village organisation. Late afternoon, drive to Duiker (3,000m) and climb to the Hoshat viewpoint for sunset over the Ultar range. Overnight at a hotel in Altit.
Day 5 – 08/05/2028 – Nagar Valley
A mountain walk from Minapin to the Hapakun meadow (2,800m, up to 3 hours), with views of the Hachindar and Maiun peaks. Overnight at a hotel in Altit.
Day 6 – 09/05/2028 – Haldeikish, Gulmit, Passu
The Haldeikish petroglyphs; Attabad Lake (boating cost not included); Gulmit, former winter capital of the Hunza kingdom, where women weave carpets; Passu, with views of peaks over 7,000m and the Passu Glacier; and the “Indiana Jones Bridge” at Hussaini. Overnight at a hotel in Altit.
Day 7 – 10/05/2028 – Karimabad to Gupis
250km, 6–7 hours. Gilgit Bazaar and one of the area’s longest suspension bridges; after lunch, by 4×4 along the Ghizer River, stopping at the 7th-century Kargah Buddha. Late-afternoon walk to Khalti Lake, time permitting. Overnight at a hotel in Gupis.
Day 8 – 11/05/2028 – Gupis to Parwak
150km, 7–8 hours. Perhaps the most spectacular drive of the tour, across the Phander and Laspur valleys and over the Shandur Pass (3,800m), home of the world’s highest polo ground, and past Shandur Lake. Overnight at a guest house in Parwak.
Day 9 – 12/05/2028 – Parwak to Chitral
100km, 4–5 hours, past the peaks of Booni, Tirich Mir and Buni Zom. Chitral shares its history with the Hindu Kush region sometimes called “Peristan” for its fairies. Evening visit to Gol National Park to look for the markhor, Pakistan’s national animal. Overnight at a hotel in Chitral.
Day 10 – 13/05/2028 – Chitral to Rumbur, Kalash Valley
Chitral Fort (if open), the Shahi Mosque and the bazaar, then about 2 hours to Rumbur, camping on the lawns of a simple guest house. The Kalash are Pakistan’s smallest ethno-religious community. Over the next days we take part in the spring festival of Chilam Joshi, with prayers for the livestock invoking the deity Goshidai, song and dance, new clothes, and community-wide dances welcoming the spring. Overnight in tents.
Days 11–12 – 14–15/05/2028 – Bumburet and Rumbur, Kalash Valleys
Exploring the three Kalash settlements: houses, temple, graveyard, and the festival. Overnight in tents.
Day 13 – 16/05/2028 – Rumbur to Peshawar
350km, 8–9 hours, through the Lowari tunnel to Malakand, scene of the 1897 battles described by Winston Churchill, and Chakdara. Overnight at a hotel in Peshawar.
Day 14 – 17/05/2028 – Peshawar
Peshawar Museum (including wooden Kalash effigies), Qissa Khwani Bazaar (the “street of storytellers”), the 17th-century Mahabat Khan Mosque and the Cunningham Clock Tower; if permitted, a meal at Namak Mandi. Overnight at a hotel in Peshawar.
Day 15 – 18/05/2028 – Peshawar, Taxila, Islamabad
Nicholson’s Obelisk and the old Grand Trunk Road; Taxila’s museum, Bhir Mound, the Dharmarajika Stupa and Sirkap; then Islamabad’s Faisal Mosque and the Pakistan Monument, and a farewell dinner in the Margalla Hills. Transfer to the airport.
Day 16 – 19/05/2028 – Departure
Depart Islamabad for home.
£2,950 per person, excluding flights
