Pillar guide
June 2026 · 13 min · By Zain Karim
The 14-Day Pakistan Grand Loop
Two weeks is the right shape for a first, complete trip, Mughal Lahore, the capital, and a proper run through both Hunza and Skardu with breathing room.
Fourteen days is the trip we recommend when a traveller wants Pakistan properly, not just the mountains, not just the cities, but the full arc from Mughal Lahore to the Karakoram. This is the pakistan 14 day itinerary we run for couples and small private groups who can give the country two weeks.
The shape
Two nights Lahore. One Islamabad. Six in Hunza and upper Hunza. Four in Skardu, Shigar and Khaplu. Internal flights wherever possible to spend days on valleys, not on transit roads.
Day by day
Day 1-2, Lahore
Arrive Lahore. Walled City at dawn with our heritage guide, Wazir Khan Mosque, Shahi Hammam, lunch at Andaaz over the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, Sheesh Mahal. Evening at the Wagah border ceremony. Second day: Anarkali, Liberty Market, a long Punjabi lunch, sunset at Cooco's Den.
Day 3, Lahore to Islamabad
Morning Pakistan Railways Green Line or a 4-hour Motorway drive. Afternoon Faisal Mosque and Margalla. Overnight Serena Islamabad.
Day 4, Fly to Hunza via Gilgit
Morning flight to Gilgit, 2.5-hour drive up the KKH to Karimabad. Sunset Eagle's Nest.
Day 5, Karimabad
Baltit, Altit, Ganish, Café de Hunza. Light day, altitude settles.
Day 6, Hopper Glacier
Cross to Nagar, walk to the glacier viewpoint, lunch with a local family.
Day 7, Upper Hunza
Move to Gulmit or Passu via Attabad Lake. Passu Cathedral, suspension bridge, Borith Lake.
Day 8, Khunjerab Pass
May to October. Up to 4,733 m and back. Off-season we swap Shimshal.
Day 9, Hunza to Skardu
Eight hours on the rebuilt Skardu road, junction-point lunch. Overnight Serena Shigar Fort.
Day 10, Shigar and Skardu
Shigar Fort, Chinpa walk, Upper Kachura, Sarfaranga desert sunset.
Day 11, Deosai
Full day on the plateau, 4,100 m, Sheosar Lake. July to September only.
Day 12, Khaplu
Drive 2.5 hours east to Khaplu, overnight Serena Khaplu Palace.
Day 13, Fly Skardu to Islamabad
Morning flight. Farewell dinner Des Pardes.
Day 14, Depart
Transfer to Islamabad airport.
Logistics
- Best months: late April-early October. Deosai is July-September.
- Three internal flights: ISB-LHE (or train), ISB-GIL, SKZ-ISB. We book road backups for each.
- Two drivers in rotation across the mountain block.
- Hotels: Pearl-Continental Lahore, Serena Islamabad, Hunza Serena, Luxus Attabad, Serena Shigar Fort, Serena Khaplu Palace.
What it costs
Our 2026 private 14-day grand loop sits in the USD 6,800-9,500 per person range for a couple, depending on hotel tier and whether the helicopter Deosai option is added. See the cost breakdown article for what's in and what's not.
Q. Can it be done in less than 14 days?
Yes but you lose either Lahore or Skardu. The 10-day itinerary skips Lahore and one Skardu day.
Q. Is the order reversible?
We can run it north-first or south-first. North-first is better in shoulder seasons because Lahore stays warm into November.
Q. How fit do we need to be?
Moderately. No trekking required beyond short walks. Long road days and one 4,100 m plateau day are the demands.
Written by
Zain Karim
Head of mountain operations
Zain has run private trips through Hunza, Skardu and the Karakoram since 2019. He spends about 120 nights a year above 2,500 m and writes about the routes he guides.
Has guided the Hunza-Skardu loop more than forty times.
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