Pakistan is probably one of the most adventurous countries I have visited. I spent almost Rent a car Lahore to Islamabad month traveling around Pakistan independently, starting my journey in Lahore and traversing the entire Karakoram Highway all the way to the border of China and back.

In that month alone, I was able to witness Nanga Parbat, the 8th highest mountain in the world, have a close encounter with Himalayan wildlife, hanging for my dear life in a jeep as we zigzagged our ways around the mountain road of Pakistan, and hitchhike my way across the country all the way to the Chinese border in the north.

It was invigorating, to say the least, and for those who are looking to experience the same, you are in the right place. With this guide, you will find all the information you need to independently travel through Pakistan in one month, as I did, and see why Pakistan is nothing like what the media has painted it to be.

Day 1 - 3: Lahore (3 nights)

Lahore is the cultural capital of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the place to be if you are looking to learn about the history of Pakistan and enjoy exploring stunning architecture that was built during colonial times.

You can spend your first day exploring the old town by going to the Badshahi Mosque in the morning, and then spend the rest of the day exploring Lahore Fort, Wazir Khan Mosque, and many more.

You can also spend another day getting your local SIM card sorted out following the guide I wrote above or hop in a taxi in the evening and go to the Wagha border, a town bordering India, to witness a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony where soldiers from both countries participate in a rapid dance-like parade to symbolize the rivalry, brotherhood, and cooperation that the two countries share.

Day 4 - 5: Islamabad (2 nights)

Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan, and it is the blueprint city built according to the government's vision of what a modern Pakistani city should look like. It is also the greenest city in Pakistan, with plenty of parks and viewpoints for you to explore.

The Pakistan monument, the Daman-e-Koh viewpoint, and Faisal Mosque are a few things you can do during your time in Islamabad. If you are a photographer, the best time to visit the Faisal Mosque is during sunset when the sky turns purple and the artificial illumination enhances the beauty of the main building.

Day 6: Islamabad to Gilgit (1 night)

To travel from Islamabad to Gilgit, you will have to take an overnight bus that leaves at 9 PM from the NATCO terminal in Sector I-11.

The bus will take you 18 hours and it costs around 2,500 PKR. Additionally, you will need to prepare at least 10 copies of your passport because the bus will pass through at least 7 police checkpoints. To avoid the police waking you up every hour, you can give the copies to the bus driver before boarding the bus, and they will manage it for you.

One of the best things to do in Gilgit is to go hiking around Fairy Meadows, which begins at the Raikot Bridge, 80 km before arriving in Gilgit. However, since you are probably carrying a lot of stuff, I would recommend going directly to Gilgit first. Spend a night there and leave unimportant stuff at the guesthouse, so you don't have to carry everything up the mountain.

After spending a night in Gilgit, you can either take a bus heading towards Chilas or hire a taxi to drive you to the Raikot bridge and begin your journey up to Fairy Meadows.

Day 8 - 10: Fairy Meadows (3 nights)

In order to get to Fairy Meadows, you will have to take a local jeep up from the Raikot bridge, and from there, you will have to hike for 2 hours before arriving at Fairy Meadows.

Fairy Meadows is a great place to spend a day hiking to and sleeping at Behal camp and proceed to Nanga Parbat base camp the next day to witness the mighty mountain up close.

For the second day, you can spend some time exploring Fairy Meadows itself and hiking up to one of the many viewpoints around the area or simply enjoy a nice cup of coffee and mingle with the locals.

After a few days in the mountains, it is always nice to come back to a city and relax, enjoying a nice warm shower and a comfortable bed in Gilgit for a night before moving onward to Minapin for another hike.

Minapin is a base town for the Rakaposhi Base Camp trail, and that is what you are going to do for an entire day when you are there.

To get to Minapin, you can either take a bus or hitchhike from Gilgit. When you arrive, spend the day preparing a lunchbox, water, and snacks for the upcoming epic 7-hour hike you are about to embark on.

The next day, start the hike at 8:30 AM or earlier and walk towards the mountain. It should take you around 4 hours to reach the top of the ridge, where you will be able to see the psychedelic Minapin glacier and Rakaposhi mountain in their entirety.

Day 14 - 16: Karimabad (3 nights)

You are probably tired from all the hikes you just did, right? If so, then you are in luck as we will be taking it slow in Karimabad and spending most of the time relaxing in a cafe and walking around town.

Baltit and Altit forts are a must-see when you are in Karimabad. From the Baltit fort, you will also have a clear view of Rakaposhi, the mountain you hiked the day before. You can also go on a day hike to Ultar base camp if you are not exhausted from before.

Cafe de Hunza is a gathering place that serves Western-style coffee, has the best walnut cake, and, best of all, is the only place in Hunza to have reliable internet. This is your chance to reconnect with the outside world!

Day 17 - 18: Passu (2 nights)

Passu is another great stop before you reach the end of the Karakoram Highway. It is also a place where you can see the iconic jagged peaks of Passu peak and Hussaini bridge, the old suspension bridge that crosses the raging Hunza river. Spend the day walking around the valley or hike up to the ridge where you can see Passu glacier and Passu Sar.

Finally, you have reached the frontier town of Sost, the last big town before China. There isn't much to do in Sost itself, so I would recommend that you find a taxi to drive you through Khunjerab National Park and up the Khunjerab Pass, which is the highest point on the Karakoram Highway.

The taxi should cost you around 3,000 PKR, whereas if it snowed, you might need a jeep, which would set you back around 7,000 PKR.

If you are lucky, you might be able to spot some wildlife on your way to the pass. We saw hundreds of ibex and one blue sheep. Unfortunately, we didn't see any Marco Polo sheep.

Day 21 - 22: Skardu (2 nights)

From Sost, it's a long way to Skardu, but luckily, you can do it in one day by taking the bus from Sost to Gilgit at 5 AM. You should arrive in Gilgit by 9 AM, where you can take another bus to Skardu.

As of 2023, the road has been completed and it should take you around 4 hours to go from Gilgit to Skardu. It used to take me more than 7 hours to travel this route when much of the road were still under construction so consider yourself lucky not having to experience the pain of slow, dusty travel ??.

Spend your first day exploring Skardu and check out places like the Kharpocho Fort, the Buddha Rock Carvings, or, if you are into mountaineering, drop by the K2 museum to learn about the history of K2.

The next day, hire a jeep to drive you to Astore through the Deosai National Park. The Deosai National Park is home to the elusive brown bears, and since the area mostly consists of plains and snowy hills, it is unlike all the mountains we have