Upper Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan
Upper Hunza packs in three icons: the jagged Passu Cones, the vivid turquoise of Attabad Lake, and the famous swaying Hussaini suspension bridge. Together they make the most photogenic stretch of the Karakoram Highway.
North of Karimabad, the Karakoram Highway enters upper Hunza, one of the most scenic road corridors in Pakistan. Three sights define it, and all three sit within a short drive of each other. You can see them comfortably in a day, but the villages here reward an overnight stay.
Attabad Lake was formed in 2010 when a massive landslide dammed the Hunza River and submerged part of the old highway. What began as a disaster is now a striking turquoise lake, crossed today by a series of tunnels. Boats run trips on the water, and lakeside cafes make an easy stop.
A little further on stand the Passu Cones, also called the Cathedral Peaks, a row of impossibly sharp spires above Passu village. They are one of the most photographed skylines in the country. Nearby, the Passu and Batura glaciers come close to the road, and short walks lead toward their snouts.
Then there is the Hussaini suspension bridge, a rope-and-plank footbridge strung across the Hunza River with famously wide gaps between the boards. It is safe enough to cross with care and has become a rite of passage for visitors. The nerves are part of the fun.
All three sights are on the KKH between Hunza and Sost, so they fit neatly into a Hunza tour or a Khunjerab Pass road trip. We arrange transport, boat rides, and short guided walks, and can add a night in Passu to catch the Cones at sunrise.
Upper Hunza's highlights are the Passu Cones, turquoise Attabad Lake, and the Hussaini suspension bridge. All three sit along the Karakoram Highway between Karimabad and Sost.
Attabad Lake formed in 2010 when a large landslide dammed the Hunza River and flooded part of the old highway. Today it is a vivid turquoise lake crossed by tunnels and boats.
Yes, the Hussaini suspension bridge is safe to cross with care, despite its wide plank gaps and swaying. It is crossed daily by locals and visitors, and crossing it is a popular experience.
The best time is April to October, when the highway is clear and the weather is mild. Attabad Lake looks its most vivid turquoise under summer sun.
Both lie on the Karakoram Highway in upper Hunza, a short drive north of Karimabad toward Sost. They fit easily into a Hunza tour or a Khunjerab Pass road trip.
The Hunza Valley is the friendliest introduction to northern Pakistan: ancient forts, turquoise Attabad Lake, the Passu Cones and the Karakoram Highway to the China border, all at a gentle, scenic pace.
This tour pairs the orchards and forts of Hunza with the alpine meadows below Nanga Parbat (8,126 m). It is the most popular way to see the highlights of northern Pakistan in a single journey.
The Rakaposhi base camp trek climbs from Minapin to the meadow of Hapakun and the base camp beneath Rakaposhi (7,788 m) and Diran, one of the best short treks in northern Pakistan.
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