| Karakuram Bike Tour |
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We will travel on the old Silk Road, which was also used by Marco Polo. The Karakuram Highway leads to China via Khunjerab Pass 4733 m, opened in 1982. It is the world’s highest paved boarder crossing. This program gives you a unique experience by sightseeing of ancient towns with different tribes and wonderful nature where the Himalayas, the Karakuram and the Hindu-Kush Ranges meet to-gather!
In this bike program, there are opportunities for off-road challenges for those who wating to extend themselves further, for example, from Gilgit to Bagort Valley, Karimabad to Hopar and Dukair and Borit Lake from Karakuram Highway.
Max. Altitude: 4733m
Suitable period: May to end of October
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| Day-01 |
Arrive to Islamabad, modern capital of Pakistan. After welcome at the airport you will transfer to the hotel. Overnight at hotel. |
| Day-02 |
You start your bike-ride from Islamabad 515m to Abbottabad 1222m (72 Km). En-route you may visit to Taxila Museum, housing some of the best collection of Gandharan Buddhist art in Pakistan and the world. The town’s historical heart is the cantonment, with its orderly streets, European architecture and grand parade ground. Overnight at hotel. |
| Day-03 |
Proceed mountain bike adventure on the amazing Karakuram Highway (KKH), which never gives feeling of a repeated travel experience. The landscape changes almost every kilometer as also road goes up and down. Until we reach the Indus River. The highway is modern wonder of the world, 900 kilometer in length, with its end tail into China, the Highway along these granite mountains was an incredible feat of engineering, also known as a friendship Highway between China and Pakistan. Overnight at hotel in Besham (148 km) with very nice terraces on the bench of Indus River. |
| Day-04 |
Karakuram Highway follows the great “Silk Route” further to Dassu-Barseen (115Km) at 884m. This is the state of Kohistan (Land of mountains) referring to the sub-6000 meter peaks. Another name for the region was Yaghistan (Land of the Ungoverned) for outlaws could hide here without fear of capture. Stone watchtowers and fertile houses can still be seen in the older villages. The road is sometimes broken at places. The mountainside is like stone wall but this is probably the most dramatic of all Pakistan’s mountain roads, and especially in the early morning its side-canyons and corduroy hillsides are magnificent. |
| Day-05 |
Bikes further along the Indus River. In places a small shelf cut into the steep mountainside hundreds of meters above Indus River. Most splendid scenery is as the road winds round the foot of Nanga Parbat (8125m), world’s 9th highest peak and last in the Himalayan Range. View the meeting of three of world’s greatest mountain ranges, the Himalayas, the Karakuram and the Hindu-Kush. After 124 km arrive to Chilas 1222m, overnight at hotel.
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| Day-06 |
Proceed to Gilgit through an arid and surrealistic landscape, we defeat the bumpy track to arrive in Gilgit (1454m) after 130 km.
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| Day-07 |
From Gilgit to Hunza (Karimabad 2500m), we pass Gilgit, the only market town for hundred of kilometers and is busy center for Pakistan’s north and trade with China. For all that it is still has slow, relaxed pace. The seventh century Kargah Buddha, a rock carving about 3-meters high, Gilgit claim to be the originating home of polo. Unlike the internationally known game, the local version knows vitally no rules. On our way to upper Hunza (99 km) we gradually climb the road and approximately every 10-km difference of 100m. We enjoy a spectacular view of Rakaposhi Peak (7788m) known as Mother Mountain for having so many habitants and villages around its foothills, with its snowy crown changing color with light. The route is abundant with terraced fields, particularly apricot, apple and walnut trees, at their most spectacular either in blossom or during autumn.
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| Day-08 |
In Karimabad, we may visit to Baltit Fort, is the former palace of Mirs (Rulers) of Hunza until 1960. Karimabad (2500m), the capital of Hunza is the only town in the world, where you may view five peaks above 7000m in all four directions. The monolith peaks of Mt. Rakaposhi (7788m), Diran Peak (7273m), Golden Peak / Spantik (7027m), Ultar I (7388m), Ultar II (7310m), and Princess Babulimuting reaches high as Hunza skyline. In Karimabad we explore the Hunza-valley and neighboring and see every day life of the hard-work people. We visit to Altit, in the next village, which has an old small fort perched on a large rocky outcrop high above the Hunza River. The First’s balcony overlooks a village of mud houses flat rooftops.
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| Day-09 |
Biking Karimabad to Sust (110 km), Behind the Karimabad we find the carvings on the Dondyas (Ganesh) rock with early inscriptions and drawings, including hunting scenes of ibex from early traders on the Silk Route. After only 25 km from Karimabad we will arrive to Gulmit 2500m where we enjoy our lunch. We biking further passing Passu Village and glacier and arrive in Sust 2700m, overnight at hotel. |
| Day-10 |
The ultimate mountain-bike-challenge furthers to the Pakistan-China border (82-km). The Khunjerab National Park is home to the snow leopard, Marco Polo Sheep, Yaks and several rare birds and deer. We drive the amazing friendship Highway between Pakistan and China up to the highest paved border in the world, the Khunjerab Pass (4733m). For overnight we bike back to Sust.
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| Day-11 |
From Sust we have a long decent back via Passu and Gulmit back to Karimabad. Within distance of 82 km, you have an altitude difference of 2200m. Overnight in hotel at Karimabad.
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| Day-12 |
On our way to Gilgit (125 km down), we are again amazing by the tunnel connected with a long suspense-bridge hanging several meters above the muddy river. |
| Day-13 |
Fly or drive to Islamabad |
| Day-14 |
Rest-day in Islamabad |
| Day-15 |
Transfer to airport (departure from Islamabad to homeland) |
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