Hunza Valley Cycling Tour

The stretch of Karakoram Highway from Gilgit through Hunza to Khunjerab Pass is widely considered the finest cycle touring road in Asia — a claim supported by the thousands of cyclists who have ridden it since the highway opened to tourists in 1986. The 300 km section from Karimabad to Khunjerab compresses an astonishing range of scenery into a format accessible to fit recreational cyclists: from the apricot terraces and fortresses of the Hunza heartland, through the vivid blue of Attabad Lake (created by a landslide dam in 2010), past the surreal spires of the Passu Cones (6,106 m), to the high-altitude tundra of Khunjerab National Park and the borderline at 4,693 m.

The cycling is predominantly uphill in the north-bound direction (Karimabad sits at 2,438 m; Khunjerab at 4,693 m), but the gradient is usually manageable — the KKH engineers kept slopes gentle enough for heavy trucks, which means cyclists rarely face grades exceeding 5–8%. The road surface on the Pakistan side ranges from smooth to rough tarmac; the section through Attabad Lake's tunnels (built after the 2010 landslide) is a unique cycling experience — long, dark, and echoing. Daily distances of 40–60 km allow ample time for photography, cultural stops, and acclimatization.

Our Hunza cycling tour starts with a rest day in Karimabad for acclimatization and visits to Baltit Fort and Eagle's Nest. We then cycle north in stages, with the support vehicle handling luggage and providing a rest option on difficult days. The final two days are the most dramatic: the Passu-to-Sost stretch along the Hunza River gorge, and the climb through Khunjerab National Park to the border.