7 Days Hunza Trip

The much renowned Hunza Valley is often referred to as heaven on earth. Enveloped by the grand Himalaya and the Karakoram mountain ranges, this area has been and continues to be a major tourist attraction. Hunza is located at a distance of 100 kilometres from Gilgit and a once hardscrabble Himalayan town where residents barely had enough to eat, known as Karimabad. Hunza is now one of Pakistan’s most idyllic spots – an oasis of tolerance, security and high educational standards. This standard of living can be traced to the residents’ moderate interpretation of Islam as well as the considerable support it receives from one of the world’s largest charities. The Hunza Valley is the centrepiece of the Karakorum Highway. The flow of its river, the Hunza River, through mighty grey-brown scree slopes and up to snowy peaks, including 7788m Rakaposhi, is a reminder of the river’s deep impact across the Karakoram. In spring, the famous fruit trees erupt with white blossoms whereas in autumn a riot of yellow poplars and bright red orchards dominate the landscape. If one takes a look at the houses in the villages, it is easy to spot the golden maize drying on the rooftops. Irrigation sustains the numerous orchards of Hunza’s famous apricots, peaches, plums, apples, grapes, cherries and walnuts. The irrigation system also sustains the fields of maize wheat, and the ever present poplars, a fast growing source of fodder, firewood and timber. The word ‘Hunza’ is commonly used to categorise the entire broad valley. In fact, two former princely states, Hunza and Nagyr (nah-gr), which once shared a language and ancestry, now stand on opposite banks of the river. Hunza refers to the villages on the northern bank from Khizerabad to Ghareghat (or sometimes as far as Nazimabad). Gojal is sometimes described as part of Hunza too. Smaller but more populous Nagyr occupies the entire southern side of the valley and the northern side around Chalt, which includes Rakaposhi and the lower Hispar Glacier. Although it enjoys less media fame, Nagyr is home to some of the best trekking paths in the Karakoram