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Shimshal Yak Safari Camp

Shimshal Yak Safari Camp

8–10 Days | High-Altitude Nomadic Camping

Photo Gallery

Camp with Yak Herders on the Pamir Plateau

Shimshal is one of the most remote and highest permanently inhabited villages in Pakistan, sitting at approximately 3,100 metres in the upper Hunza region of Gilgit-Baltistan. The Shimshali people are legendary across Pakistan as exceptional mountaineers and high-altitude herders, maintaining a centuries-old tradition of driving their yak herds to the vast Shimshal Pamir — a high-altitude plateau above 4,700 metres — each summer for grazing. This tour invites you to join that ancient migration and camp alongside the herders in one of the most spectacular and least-visited corners of the Karakoram.

The journey to the Pamir passes through the dramatic Shimshal Gorge, climbing steadily from the village through increasingly stark and beautiful terrain. Beyond the Shimshal Pass (4,735m), the landscape opens onto an immense windswept plateau surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the Karakoram, including Distighil Sar (7,885m) and Kunyang Chhish (7,852m). Yaks graze across the grasslands while herders live in traditional stone shelters, maintaining a way of life unchanged for centuries.

Our camping safari provides an authentic encounter with a remarkable mountain community. You will camp in expedition tents alongside the herders, share meals of salt tea and fresh bread, help with yak herding, and experience a silence broken only by wind and the distant rumble of glaciers. This is not a tourist circuit — it is a genuine immersion into one of Central Asia's last nomadic pastoral traditions.

Quick Facts

8–10 Days

Duration (Islamabad to Islamabad)

Jul–Sep

Best Season

Moderate-Strenuous

Difficulty Level

~4,735m

Max Elevation (Shimshal Pass)

Shimshal Village

Starting Point

4–10 Campers

Group Size

Yak Safari Itinerary

Day 1
Islamabad to Karimabad
Fly to Gilgit or drive the KKH. Continue to Karimabad in the Hunza Valley.
Day 2
Karimabad to Shimshal Village
Drive via Passu to Shimshal village on the spectacular Shimshal road. Meet your Shimshali hosts, visit the village, and prepare for the trek.
Day 3
Shimshal to Ziarat
Begin the trek up the Shimshal gorge. Cross rivers and narrow trails to Ziarat camp alongside the herders and their yak caravan.
Day 4
Ziarat to Furzeen
Continue through the gorge to Furzeen settlement (~3,500m), a seasonal herding camp. Views of glaciers and high peaks emerge.
Day 5
Furzeen to Shuwert
Trek through barren, dramatic terrain toward the pass. Camp at Shuwert (~4,100m). Afternoon acclimatization walk.
Day 6
Shuwert to Shimshal Pamir
Cross the Shimshal Pass (4,735m) with stunning 360-degree views. Descend to the Pamir plateau and camp among the yak herds.
Day 7
Pamir Yak Safari
Full day on the Pamir. Help with yak herding, visit herder shelters, photograph the stark landscape and its wildlife. Evening campfire with herders.
Day 8
Return over Shimshal Pass
Cross back over the pass and descend to Furzeen or Ziarat camp.
Day 9
Descent to Shimshal & Karimabad
Complete descent to Shimshal village. Celebration with community. Drive to Karimabad.
Day 10
Return to Islamabad
Drive or fly back to Islamabad. Tour ends.

What's Included

All camping equipment and expedition tents
Experienced Shimshali guide and porter team
All meals during the trek (local cuisine)
Homestay experience in Shimshal village
Transport: Islamabad–Hunza–Shimshal and return
Trekking permits and fees

Tour Logistics

Camping
Expedition tents; stone shelter visits on Pamir
🦬
Yaks
Camp alongside yak herds on summer pastures
🍽️
Meals
Local cuisine — salt tea, chapati, dal, yak butter
📅
Best Season
July–September (summer pasture season)
🏔️
Max Altitude
Shimshal Pass 4,735m
Difficulty
Moderate-Strenuous — high altitude and remote
👥
Group Size
4–10 campers

Join a Centuries-Old Mountain Migration

The Shimshal Yak Safari is one of the last opportunities on Earth to share the seasonal migration of a nomadic herding community in a high-altitude Karakoram setting. Book your place today.

Book This Tour — $2,400/person Ask a Question