13 Days Rush Lake Trek With Hunza Sight Seeing Tour

Arrival and a warm welcome at Islamabad International Airport. Transfer to the hotel. The rest of the morning will be spent at leisure but the tour of the capital, Islamabad will begin in the afternoon. The day will be spent exploring the attractions the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad have to offer e.g Faisal Mosque, Lok Virsa, Pakistan National Monument and Museum, Shakar Parian, Daman-e-Koh, Monal, Rawalpindi Old Bazaar etc. Home to the lesser Himalayas, many of the attractions listed offer a bird’s eye view of the capital. Altitude/Elevation: 540 meters

Departure from Islamabad will be in the morning after breakfast. The day will be spent traveling for about 8-9 hours to reach Chilas in district Diamer of Gilgit Baltistan. The night will be spent in the hotel in Chilas. Chilas is also home to the seventh highest mountain – more famously known as the Killer-Mountain owing to the high number of climber fatalities, Nanga Parbat and the accompanying beautiful Fairy Meadows. In this region (and in those ahead), ancient Buddhist petroglyphs can be seen on the rocks and mountainsides. Altitude: 1265 meters

After having a hearty breakfast, we shall be on our way to Karimabad (also known as Baltit) which is the old capital of the former kingdom of Hunza where the Mir (king) used to reside and hold court. The refreshing walk in Karimabad is a trek in itself with its steep but lively and colourful path winding up across the village. Many cafes, shops of souvenirs, local handicrafts and precious jewels line the pathway and add liveliness to the scene but the view that crowns the top gives a magnificent vista of the valley laid out below with the Hunza River flowing down the middle. We shall also visit the nearby Aliabad village which is a very green and thriving area which offers the best view of the white beauty, Rakaposhi. Overnight stay at hotel. Accommodation: Hotel Elevation: 2500 meters

Breakfast at the hotel in Karimabad. We will then proceed towards Hopper which is a popular place in Nagar. A short ride on the jeep will take us to the neighbouring Nagar valley. Legend has it that Nagar and Hunza were formerly one kingdom but a king divided the two valleys amongst his two sons, the elder getting Hunza and the other Nagar. The two states have been separate ever since but share the same language and ethnicity – that of the Burusho people. Nagar, due to relatively less tourism has the advantage of being ore serene and hold the beauty of an untouched pristine land with its many blossoming fruit orchards, spectacular terraced fields and stone walls. Wild flowers bloom on the mountainside. The view it offers is of the mountains in Hunza – particularly the majestic Ultar Sar and classic Bubulimuting (Lady Finger Peak). From Hopper, we will begin our trek and it will take us 5-6 hours to reach Barichokor. Overnight stay in tent. Accommodation: Camp Altitude: 3300 meters

After breakfast in Bari Chakor, we will trek towards Rush Lake. This will be a longer trek as we will be moving higher in altitude. We will reach camp in 4 hours and complete the trek by crossing the ridge that divides the two glaciers: Barpu and Hispar glaciers and a final ascent that will take us to the beautiful Rush Lake surrounded by a stunning panorama of the surrounding high mountains towering above with their snowy peaks. The temperature will be low, and the scenery will be breathtakingly beautiful. Depending on the season, the lake may be either clear or frozen – often covered with ice and snow as to create a tear-drop in the water. Return to camp setup. Overnight in tent. Accommodation: Camp Altitude: 4694 meters

Breakfast in camp. The day will be spent enjoying the magnificent views and taking them all in fully. For the particularly avid trekkers, a summit of Rush Peak will also be conducted. Rush Peak or Rush Pari Peak is 5560 meters high. The last part of the ascent is steep and rocky and requires care. The views get even more beautiful as the viewer gets a glimpse of K2 ( meters) as well as other peaks such as Broad peak ( meters), Miar peak (6824 meters), Phuparash Peak (6574 meters) as well as Miar glacier. Accommodation: Camo Altitude: 5560 meters

After breakfast, we shall begin trekking towards Phahiphar It will take us 4-5 hours to reach it and make camp. We shall spend the night in camp. Accommodation: Camp Altitude: 3450 meters

After breakfast trek to Hamdar. It will take us 4-5 hours to arrive at the camp. We shall spend the night there. Accommodation: Camp Altitude: 3300 meters

After breakfasting in the camp, we shall begin our trek back to Hoper village. From there, the jeeps shall take us over the bridge spanning across the Hunza River to the opposite side on KKH. We shall make our way to Karimabad, Hunza. We shall spend the rest of the day enjoying the sights and sounds of Baltit with the famous 800 year old royal Baltit fort overlooking the entire valley above. We shall stay at a hotel in Karimabad. Accommodation: Hotel Altitude: 2500 meters

This day will be devoted to Central Hunza, mainly Baltit and the surrounding villages. One may hike from Karimabad to Haiderabad (the neighbouring village). This walk will take us first to the ridge along the water channel(known as the ‘Burber’ in the local language) high up in Baltit and then along this glacial channel towards Haiderabad (also spelled Hyderabad). We shall then descend to the smaller villages of Chumarkand (literally: Iron Fort). This whole trek shall last 3-4 hours depending on our pace and will also serve as a ‘Photo Walk’ with sights of excellent natural retreats, cosy woody shelters, babbling brooks, green pastures, rocky cliffs and even a waterfall or two coming down from the mountains. The chirping of the birds, whispering of the wood and even snatches of the local music called Hareep playing at a wedding in the distance will add to the atmosphere and allow the travelers to experience the beautiful culture and atmosphere that is possessed by Hunza alone. With the famous Karakoram mountains of Ultar Sar, LadyFinger, Rakposhi, Dumani, Diran and Golden peaks, the day shall be a wonderful experience for the trekker. The night shall be spent in the hotel in Karimabad. Accommodation: Hotel Altitude: 2500 meters

After breakfast in Karimabad, we will say goodbye to the beautiful Hunza and Nagar valleys and leave their utopian climates to drive on the KKH – which is also sometimes referred to as the 8th wonder of the world. En route, we shall stop at a hotel in Chilas and spend the night there. It will take us 8-9 hours to reach Chilas – a place in the Diamer district of Gilgit – Baltistan which is home to the Killer Mountain – Nanga Parbat and the beautiful Fairy Meadows. Accommodation: Hotel Altitude: 1265 meters

After a hearty breakfast to keep us energized for the rest of the traveling, we shall continue our journey on the road and will be on our way to Islamabad, going through Besham. Transfer to hotel after reaching Islamabad. Altitude: 540 meters