Hunza Apricot & Cherry Blossom Tour
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Hunza Autumn Colours Tour
An eight-day October tour of Hunza and Nagar timed for the autumn colour, with golden orchards, the harvest, clear mountain views and the road to the Khunjerab Pass.
- 8 Days
- Easy
- 4,693 m (Khunjerab Pass)
- October
At a glance
Duration8 Days
GradeEasy
Max altitude4,693 m (Khunjerab Pass)
Group size2–14
Best seasonOctober
Start / endIslamabad
TypeTour
RegionHunza
Group pricing
Per person in USD, full-board — the larger your group, the lower the per-person cost. We confirm your exact all-in figure in writing before any deposit.
| Group size | Per person |
|---|---|
| 7–10 people | $1,250 |
| 4–6 people | $1,450 |
| 1–3 people | $1,800 |
Excludes international flights, Pakistan visa, insurance, personal equipment and tips.
Fixed 2027 departures
Guaranteed small-group dates for the 2027 season. Prefer your own dates? Every trip can also run privately inside its season window.
| 28 Sept 2027 → 5 Oct 2027 | Book this date |
|---|---|
| 6 Oct 2027 → 13 Oct 2027 | Book this date |
| 14 Oct 2027 → 21 Oct 2027 | Book this date |
| 22 Oct 2027 → 29 Oct 2027 | Book this date |
Trip highlights
- Golden poplars and orchards in Karimabad and Altit
- Sunrise over Rakaposhi and Ladyfinger from Duikar
- Baltit and Altit forts in low autumn light
- The Hopar valley and glacier in Nagar
- Attabad Lake and the Passu Cones in clear October air
- The apple, walnut and potato harvest in the villages
- Khunjerab Pass (4,693 m) on the Chinese border
Overview
The Hunza Autumn Colours Tour is an easy eight-day trip to the Hunza and Nagar valleys in October, when the poplars and orchards turn gold, the harvest is in and the air is clear. It covers the valley's main sights at a gentle pace and suits photographers, couples and anyone who prefers cool, quiet days.
Hunza's terraced villages are planted with apricot, apple, walnut, mulberry and poplar, and in October these turn from yellow through orange to russet while the high peaks start to carry fresh snow. The monsoon is long over and the air is dry, so Rakaposhi (7,788 m), Ladyfinger, Diran and Ultar Sar stand out more sharply than in the hazier summer months. Families are bringing in the last apples, walnuts and potatoes, and rooftops are laid with fruit and fodder for the winter.
We use Karimabad as the base for the first three nights, with Duikar at dawn and Hopar in Nagar as day trips, then move up to Passu for Attabad Lake, the Passu Cones and the Khunjerab day. This is a road-and-air trip, not a trek — comfortable hotels, a private vehicle and driver, and a local guide throughout, with only short walks. Evenings are cold and the Khunjerab day can bring snow, so bring proper layers.
When to come
This trip runs in October only. The colour builds through the month and shifts a little from year to year with the first frosts, so tell us whether you would rather have warmer days or the fullest colour.
- Early October: the colour is building, the days are at their warmest and the apple and potato harvest is under way.
- Mid to late October: usually the strongest colour in Karimabad and Nagar, with the clearest skies and frost at night.
- Early November: most leaves are down and snow can close the Khunjerab road, so we do not run the trip after October.
Itinerary
8 stages over 8 days, starting and finishing in Islamabad. Routes can be shortened, extended or privately dated.
An early flight to Gilgit, weather permitting, then the drive up the Karakoram Highway to Karimabad with the first colour showing along the Hunza river. If the flight is grounded we drive the highway with a night at Chilas and reach Karimabad a day later, trimming the Hunza programme to fit. In the evening we walk among the orchards below the village at golden hour.
Before dawn we drive up to Duikar, the Eagle's Nest viewpoint, for sunrise on Rakaposhi, Diran and Ladyfinger. After breakfast we visit Baltit Fort above Karimabad and the older Altit Fort, then walk through Altit's lanes, where the apricot and walnut trees are in colour. The afternoon is free.
Across the river into Nagar for the Hopar valley, where orchards and fields run up towards the Hopar glacier, with Rakaposhi (7,788 m) in view along the way. Nagar and Hunza were rival princely states facing each other across the river, and the stone villages of Nagar have a character of their own. We walk a short distance towards the glacier and return to Karimabad for the night.
Up the valley into Gojal: a boat on the turquoise Attabad Lake, the Hussaini suspension bridge and the Passu Cones, whose upper slopes may already be white with the first snow. We stay at Passu, so the cones can be seen at sunset and at first light.
From Passu we drive through the checkpoint at Sost and into Khunjerab National Park to the Pakistan-China border at 4,693 m, then return to Passu for the night. October can bring early snow and a hard wind at the top, so dress warmly and expect a short stop. If the road is closed we spend the day in Gojal at Gulmit, Ghulkin and the Ghulkin Glacier instead.
A slow drive back down the valley, with stops at Gulmit and Karimabad to buy dried apricots and walnuts in the bazaar and to see the harvest being brought in. Overnight in Gilgit, ready for the morning flight.
A morning flight of about an hour to Islamabad, weather permitting. If it is grounded we drive south on the Karakoram Highway with a night at Chilas or Besham, and Day 8 becomes the arrival day in Islamabad.
Free time in Islamabad or Rawalpindi until your transfer to the airport. Faisal Mosque and the Daman-e-Koh viewpoint in the Margalla Hills are the easy options.
What’s included
Included
- All ground transport in Pakistan as per itinerary
- Experienced native English-speaking guide
- Hotel accommodation on the road sections
- Full camping equipment and kitchen crew on trek
- All meals during the trekking / climbing period
- Porters for group and personal equipment (within weight limit)
- Trekking / climbing permits and national park fees
- Government liaison officer where required
Not included
- International flights to and from Pakistan
- Pakistan visa fee
- Personal travel and high-altitude rescue insurance
- Personal climbing and trekking equipment
- Tips for guides, cooks and porters
- Any expenses of a personal nature
These are the standard inclusions for our tour programmes and are confirmed in writing on your final itinerary before any payment is taken.
Questions about this trip
The colour usually builds through October and is most often at or near its peak from the middle of the month, but the timing shifts from year to year with the first frosts. For the strongest gold aim for the second half of October; for warmer days, the first half.
Days in Karimabad are usually cool and bright, and nights are close to freezing by the end of the month. At the Khunjerab Pass it is colder still, often below freezing with a hard wind and a chance of snow, so bring a warm jacket, hat and gloves.
Usually yes: the pass normally stays open to visitors until late November, snow permitting. Early snow can close the road for a day or more, so we keep the day flexible, and if it is shut we spend it in Gojal at Gulmit and Ghulkin instead.
We fly to Gilgit and back, about an hour each way, and drive the two hours between Gilgit and Karimabad. October skies are often clearer than in summer, but flights are weather-dependent, so the Karakoram Highway is the backup, with a night at Chilas on the way up.
This is graded easy. You should be comfortable walking for several hours a day, on rough ground, across 8 Days. Porters carry the main loads; you carry a light daypack. If you tell us your recent hill days we will give you an honest answer.
The reliable window is October. Outside that, conditions on the route make it either unsafe or not worth the money. We can run private departures on any dates inside that window.
2–14. Smaller and private groups are available and often cost less per head than you would expect — ask us for a quote on your own dates.
The headline is the per-person rate for a standard group of 7–10; smaller groups pay a little more per head because fixed costs — guide, permits, liaison officer and transport — are shared across fewer people. Prices are full-board, and we confirm your exact all-in total in writing before any deposit.
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