Karimabad Hunza Valley, karimabad was the capital of Hunza (the princely state). Now the Karimabad is a famous destination for tourists. That would not be wrong to say Karimabad is the real Shangri – La. Karimabad is the paradise on earth. Karimabad is a small but cultural city with traditional culture and unique language. This traditional city stood at 2,435 above sea – level. It is the best place to take a break after all the hikes you did in Fairy Meadows and Rakaposhi. Karimabad is full of great cafes and distinguishes places to explore. I am quite sure; you’ll have a great time in Karimabad.
Here are some specific things to do in Karimabad.
When you should have to go to Karimabad, Hunza Valley
If you don’t like crowds, you should not visit this heaven on earth from June to August. In these two months, the beginning of mid-summer, that’s why the local and Chinese tourists flock to the place when the temperature is nice and warm. I recommend visiting this heaven from April to May. Because in this period, you will not see so much crowd. You will explore the beauty of this valley in a distinguished manner.
Point to be noted, why I stopped you from visiting this place in June to August. Because I visited this place in September and the temperature hovers around 15 degrees while the nights go a bit below.
The temperature was moderate and manageable, but I was not able to deal with the crowds.
Where you should have to stay in Karimabad
Old Hunza inn – 13 USD Per Night (Double Room)
This inn is the right budget place in this beautiful valley. Rooms were basic, but the view of Diran and Rakaposhi peaks was killer.
Daily Budget
This place is cheap compare to some other places in Pakistan or other countries. If you plan to trip here, you can pay around 25 – 45 USD per day per person. In this budget accommodation and three meals are included.
Internet Facility in the Hunza Valley
Just forget the proper internet facility. In this valley, internet availability is unreliable. Even if you get a local sim card, sometimes you’ll get low internet speed that often does not work. Even if your accommodations have WIFI, it might not work all the time.
The only one place in Hunza valley, the Café de Hunza, where I found the fast and reliable internet. Suppose you want to use the internet and want to stay connected with friends and family. Buy a cup of coffee there and ask for their WIFI.
What to pack for Karimabad visit, Pakistan?
As I am a light traveler and I like light packing for a trip, this is an art in itself. Here are few tips for packing for the Karimabad trip, Pakistan:
- Hiking Shoes: I love to explore cities or go on a small hike, so I prefer to take comfortable shoes with you on this trip. I wore mostly shoes of Timberland shoes, in most situations.
- Breathable shirts & outer shell jacket: You have to take multiple breathable shirts with you when the sun is out it is quite hot. If you go to the north, you need some hoodies to cover yourself.
- Microfibre Towel: This is the perfect towel you have in your Backpack as it’s light, easy to dry and can be easy to compress to save place.
- Fleece jacket: You have to take a fleece jacket with you when it’s cold there. I prefer layers which you should have a fleece jacket I recommend Bata jackets.
- Camera: The camera is one of the most important items when you go out with your Backpack. The camera is one thing that captures your memorable and amazes moments. I recommend the Sony a6600 camera with the Sony 16-55mm F2.8 lens.
- Power bank: I recommend taking a 20,000+ mAh power bank with you t keep your electronic charge.
- Water Bottle: As water is the necessity of life, you need to take a life straw bottle with you, as you are not sure how much water is clean during hiking trails and running around different cities.
- Universal adapter: The universal adapter is the most important thing while you travel, you always need to plug in your electronics wherever you are in the world.
- Packing cubes: Packing cubes are helpful in space savior and it also makes your belongings organized.
- Daypack: Herschel Little America Backpack is one of my favorite go-to daypacks. It’s large enough to carry all your belongings in an organized way. The thing I like about this daypack it comes in many colors and it’s damn stylish!
- Large Backpack: you will need a large backpack to carry all your belongings while you are traveling. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack is lightweight and has a lifetime guarantee you will always find perfection in osprey.
How you can get the Karimabad
No direct transport you will get for Karimabad. It depends on you, and you can take a flight from Islamabad to Gilgit, Lahore, or Karachi, or take a bus service of 20+ hours from these cities.
Once you reach Gilgit, you can get a van directly to Karimabad from the bus stop in the city’s outskirts. That should take around 3 – 4 hours, depending on how long he will be driving around, picking more people up.
If you are somewhere along the Karakoram Highway, the fastest option is to walk to the Karakoram Highway and hitchhike directly to Karimabad. Folks are amiable, and they are willing to help you without any means. Suppose you don’t want to do Hitchhiking. You can wait for the bus or van.
How to Get Around Karimabad, Hunza Valley
You can easily access Karimabad on foot. The town is hilly and most of the walk’s attraction that you can miss when you take the taxi. So, I’ll recommend do not to get a taxi.
Awesome Things to do in Karimabad
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Don’t skip Altit Fort and Village
This ancient fort lies below at the bottom of the valley, which is worth visiting as well. You can reach this fort, follow the Sultan Abad road across the river and down the Ahmedabad road before you arrive at the fort.
There are many things to see inside of this fort, but the exterior is ancient and quite interesting in itself.
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Baltit Fort
This fort was built in the 8th Century BC on top of the hill overlooking Karimabad. This is the most incredible and distinguished landmarks in Hunza Valley. The moment, I can’t write in words, when I gazed my eyes on the fort. The distinguish location, being surrounded by the snowy mountains. This fort was one of the photogenic spots in Pakistan.
If you want to go to the fort, you’ll have to climb a steep road for 15 – 20 minutes, through a local village. When you arrive at the fort, you will see the incredible view of this heaven, Karimabad, and the valleys around. If you are lucky and get the day clear, you’ll be able to see Rakaposhi and Diran Peaks from the Fort.
The local village is also not a place that you can ignore. The village is also worth exploring and spending some time and walking around the village.
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Don’t Forget to Visit Ganish Village
This village is the first settlement of Hunza Valley, dated back a thousand years. The people of this village came around different areas and settled here, grew, and expanded their families into different Hunza Valley areas. You’ll find several ancient mosques, one of which is 400 years old. If you are a history worm like me, then you must visit the Ganish village. You will find a lot of historical things that own speaks their stories.
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Hike to The Ultra Base Camp
If you did not get enough hiking in Pakistan, then you can do hike here in Karimabad. The hiking adventure starts at the Baltit Fort. It will take you up to Ultra Base Camp, where you can please yourself with ultra-peaks and Glacier. The hiking trail will take you around 4 – 5 hours to reach the ridge, where you will be rewarded with a distinct view of Glacier and the incredible jagged peaks. You will find a hut at the base camp where they serve food and tea during the summer months. You can also camp here if you have your camping gear or return in one day to Karimabad.
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Give some comfort to yourself at Café De Hunza
Last but not least, take a cup of coffee with their famous walnut cakes and give some rest to yourself at café de Hunza. They have outstanding service. They serve the coffee to their customers in a western-style along with their famous and juicy cakes. If you are a coffee lover and especially if you have been traveling in Pakistan for a while, I’ll recommend coming by café de Hunza and please yourself with their juicy cakes and coffee selections.
One more thing is that I wrote before if you have been disconnected for a while and would like to talk with your families and friends. Then it would be best if you had to come to café de Hunza and take advantage of their free WIFI facility.
In the end …
I covered all the information that we need. Now it’s time to plan your trip to Karimabad, Pakistan.
Here, you can see some resources to help you get your trip going:
Resources
Now we have all the necessary information that we need. It’s time to jump in and plan your trip to Lahore, Pakistan! Here are some resources to help your journey to start:
What to pack: Help you get started packing; here are 47 essential travel items that I took with me on my trip to Lahore, Pakistan.
Flights: TripAdvisor Flights, Skyscanner, and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.
Accommodation: Hostelworld and Booking.com are the definitive access platforms to find amazing hostels and hotels at an affordable price.
Homestay: Airbnb is the best platform for a more local experience when staying in Lahore, Pakistan. In this way, I can meet a local first-hand and access local information that I would not otherwise have.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads will provide you with a wealth of insurance options to cover your trip.
Transportation: Bookme. pk is a great place to look up the bus schedule and buy tickets online in Lahore, Pakistan, that would not otherwise be available online.
Car rental: Rentalcars.com, a trusted platform to find rental cars in Lahore, Pakistan.
Day Tours and Excursions: Get Your Guide or TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for things to do in Lahore, Pakistan.
Thank you for being with me.
