Hunza Apricot & Cherry Blossom Tour
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Winter Hunza Tour
A six-day winter tour of central Hunza in the snow season, with the forts of Karimabad, Attabad Lake and Rakaposhi in cold, clear air, easy walking and no trekking.
- 6 Days
- Easy
- 2,850 m (Duikar viewpoint)
- December – February
At a glance
Duration6 Days
GradeEasy
Max altitude2,850 m (Duikar viewpoint)
Group size2–14
Best seasonDecember – February
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 | $1,100 |
| 4–6 people | $1,300 |
| 1–3 people | $1,600 |
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.
| 20 Jan 2027 → 25 Jan 2027 | Book this date |
|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2027 → 15 Feb 2027 | Book this date |
| 12 Dec 2027 → 17 Dec 2027 | Book this date |
| 27 Dec 2027 → 1 Jan 2028 | Book this date |
Trip highlights
- Baltit and Altit forts with snow on the roofs and bare orchards below
- Rakaposhi (7,788 m) from the Duikar viewpoint in low winter light
- The conserved old quarter of Ganish and the village lanes of Altit
- Attabad Lake, which can freeze in part or whole in the cold months
- Gulmit and lower Gojal in the quiet season
- Dried apricots, walnuts and mulberries in the winter bazaar
- A quiet valley with few other visitors
Overview
This is a six-day winter tour of Hunza, in northern Pakistan, for travellers who would like to see the valley under snow: Karimabad and its forts, Attabad Lake and Rakaposhi in cold, clear air. It is easy and hotel-based, with only short walks, and suits anyone who accepts the cold and a real chance of delays.
Hunza is the valley of the Hunza river, which the Karakoram Highway follows north from Gilgit, with terraced villages that look across the river to Rakaposhi (7,788 m). From December to February the orchards are bare and the fields lie under snow or frost, and on settled days the air is dry and clear, with the peaks standing sharply above the valley. It is also the quiet season, with few visitors and the villages at a slower pace.
We stay in Karimabad and explore central Hunza at a gentle pace: Baltit and Altit forts, the old quarter of Ganish, the Duikar viewpoint above the valley, and a day north to lower Gojal for Attabad Lake and Gulmit. Winter is when the summer harvest is put to use. Fruit dried on the rooftops in summer is eaten and sold now, and in the bazaar you can find dried apricots, walnuts and mulberries, chapshuro (a meat-filled pie) and the local walnut cake, if the shops are open.
Winter is not an easy time to travel here, and we would rather say so plainly. Days are cold and nights fall well below freezing, some hotels and restaurants close for the season, and rooms are usually heated by stoves or heaters rather than central heating. Power cuts can be frequent, and snow can close side roads such as the one up to Duikar for a day or two. Upper Hunza and the Khunjerab Pass are normally closed by snow in deep winter, so the trip stays in central Hunza and lower Gojal, and Skardu is not part of the six days.
When to come
The trip runs from December to February, when the valley is under snow or frost and the high roads are shut. Snow on the valley floor is likely in January and February but not certain in December, when only the higher ground may be white, while the peaks are white throughout. Outside these months this programme does not run, but we have Hunza trips for blossom, summer and autumn.
- December: short days and cold nights, with the first snow; snow in the villages is possible rather than certain.
- January: usually the coldest month, with a good chance of snow lying in the villages and of ice on Attabad Lake.
- February: still cold, with the days lengthening and snow often lying in the lanes; the orchards are bare.
- March to November: not run in this form; our blossom, summer and autumn tours cover those months.
Itinerary
6 stages over 6 days, starting and finishing in Islamabad. Routes can be shortened, extended or privately dated.
The first leg is the early flight to Gilgit, weather permitting, followed by about two hours on the Karakoram Highway to Karimabad, the valley's main town, at about 2,500 m. Winter flights are cancelled fairly often; if ours is, we go by road instead with a night at Chilas, reach Karimabad a day later and trim the Hunza programme to fit. The evening is free to settle into a warm room.
We spend the day in old Hunza, starting at Baltit Fort above the bazaar and going on to the older Altit Fort and the village lanes below it, where snow often lies on the flat roofs and the orchards stand bare. Both forts have been restored and are run as museums, and we check their winter hours beforehand. Late in the day there is time in the bazaar for dried apricots, walnuts and mulberries, if the shops are open.
A slow morning, then Ganish, the conserved old quarter of stone-and-timber houses that is reputed to be the oldest settlement in Hunza, and a walk through the bare orchards between the villages. Later we go up to Duikar, the Eagle's Nest viewpoint, for the view across the valley to Rakaposhi, Diran and Ladyfinger in the low winter light. The road is steep and can be icy; if the vehicle cannot manage it we walk part of the way, or go on another day.
North along the Karakoram Highway to Attabad Lake, which a landslide created in January 2010 by damming the Hunza river; the highway now passes it through tunnels, and in winter the lake can freeze in part or whole, depending on the year. We walk beside the water, but boat trips depend on the ice, so we do not count on one. From there we go on to Gulmit, the main settlement of Gojal, for tea, and return to Karimabad before dark.
A late start, with tea in a village home if a family is willing to host, then the two-hour drive down the Karakoram Highway to Gilgit, with Rakaposhi in view from the road on a clear day. In Gilgit there is time, light permitting, for the rock-cut Buddha at Kargah on the edge of the town, and for the bazaar. We sleep in Gilgit so that we are at the airport for the morning flight.
The morning flight to Islamabad takes about an hour, when the weather allows. Grounded flights are common in winter; if ours is, we drive south on the Karakoram Highway, stopping the night at Chilas or Besham, and reach Islamabad a day later. We advise leaving at least a day in hand, and preferably two, before an international flight.
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
Karimabad is at about 2,500 m. Days are cold, though the sun can feel mild when the sky is clear, and nights fall well below freezing, especially in January. Bring thermal layers, a down jacket, a hat and gloves, and waterproof boots with a good grip.
No. Snow on the valley floor is likely in January and February and less certain in December, and in a dry spell the villages can look brown and bare. The peaks are white throughout the winter, and the mountains show up crisply on clear days after a snowfall.
Winter flights are cancelled fairly often, sometimes for several days. We then drive the Karakoram Highway, which adds a night at Chilas, and trim the Hunza programme to fit; the same applies on the way back. Please leave at least a day in hand before an international flight.
Not on this six-day plan. Snow normally closes the Khunjerab Pass and upper Hunza in deep winter, and Skardu would need several more days because its flights and the Skardu Road are also weather-dependent. If you want either in the cold season, tell us and we will plan a longer trip.
This is graded easy. Most days are easy and hotel-based, with a private vehicle and only short, optional walks rather than trekking; the main demands are the long mountain drives and the thin air on any high pass or plateau. If you tell us a little about yourself we will give you an honest answer.
The season is December – February. We can also arrange a private departure on your own dates within it.
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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