The Karakoram,
on two wheels.
An 11-day supported motorcycle route from Islamabad up the Karakoram Highway through Hunza, Passu, and Khunjerab. The road is the trip.
Northern Pakistan is built for motorcycle travel. The Karakoram Highway carries you through the country's strongest mountain corridor, and the bike is the right way to feel it.
The route opens in Islamabad with a briefing, a gear check, and an early start the next morning. From there, the ride moves north along the mountain approach toward Gilgit, then into Hunza. Karimabad as the first real base. A lighter local riding day to reset before pushing higher.
Then the trip shifts into Upper Hunza. Attabad, Gulmit, Ghulkin, and the corridor up to Passu, where the granite walls and the cones become the backdrop. From Passu, the high-altitude run toward Khunjerab Pass, weather permitting, with one of the highest paved border crossings on the route.
The return runs south through the same corridor in reverse, with the overnight stops set by conditions rather than the calendar. We run this trip with full road support, a backup vehicle, and pacing built around the ride itself: distance, surface, altitude, and time to stop properly. It adapts to confident beginners, experienced riders, and pillion guests on the same route.
Three stretches
of the ride.
The northern approach
Out of Islamabad, north toward Gilgit, and into the corridor where the highway becomes a mountain road. Long days in the saddle, the country opening as you push north, and the slow build into proper Karakoram terrain.
Attabad, Gulmit, Passu
The Upper Hunza stretch is the signature riding day. Turquoise water at Attabad, the road through Gulmit and Ghulkin, and the granite of Passu standing over the corridor. The kind of ride people remember the road for.
The ride to Khunjerab
From Passu, the route climbs to one of the highest paved border crossings in the world. Open high country, changing weather, and a different sense of scale. Reaching the pass depends on conditions. The ride up earns the day either way.
Wide road,
narrow margins.
The Karakoram Highway is paved for most of its length, but “paved” covers a lot of ground in this part of the world. Some sections are smooth, recent tarmac. Others are washboard, patched, or under active maintenance. There are stretches where landslide debris narrows the road to one and a half lanes for a hundred metres at a time. The bike is the right vehicle for it. You can read the surface ahead and adjust.
Traffic is mostly local. Cargo trucks move freight north and south, some painted to within an inch of their lives, all of them slow on climbs and unpredictable on descents. Painted buses connect villages and occasionally block your line through a corner. Foreign vehicles are rare outside spring and autumn.
The road is wide. The margins are narrow. The bike is the right vehicle for it.
The corridor has its own weather. The road can be sun-blasted at one end of a valley and rainy a kilometre later. Weather above 3,500m moves fast and decides things. We carry rain gear, plan for delays, and don’t push the schedule when the sky says not to. Reaching Khunjerab on any given day depends on conditions.
The riding itself rewards experience but doesn’t demand it. Mountain corners, long climbs, river-side runs, and a few high-altitude sustained stretches near the Babusar and Khunjerab ends. Daily distances are paced to leave time for actual stops, not just photo pauses. We run with a backup vehicle behind the group and a guide watching conditions ahead.
It suits confident riders, but also riders who want to do a trip like this with the support that lets them focus on the road instead of the logistics. Pillion guests work on the same itinerary. We’ve had couples where one rode and the other watched the country go by from the back, and both came home talking about the same trip.
How the journey
moves.
Islamabad north along the mountain approach to Gilgit, then into Hunza for Karimabad and a local riding day. Up through Attabad, Gulmit, and Passu into Upper Hunza, then the high-altitude run toward Khunjerab. Return south through the corridor to close.
The full route,
day by day.
Arrive in Islamabad
Arrive in Islamabad, transfer to the hotel, and meet the team for a route briefing, safety overview, and gear check before the first riding day.
Ride north out of the city
The first riding day. Out of Islamabad and onto the northern approach toward the mountains. The exact overnight point depends on season, road access, and weather.
Onward into the Karakoram
A full road day toward Gilgit through changing mountain terrain. Planned stops, river valleys, and the stronger northern scenery starting to take over.
Ride into Hunza
Ride from Gilgit into Hunza with stops around the Rakaposhi viewpoints before reaching Karimabad and settling into the valley for the first time.
A lighter day in central Hunza
Use the day for shorter local rides, Hunza viewpoints, and time around Karimabad and Altit. A built-in reset between the long approach north and Upper Hunza.
The signature riding day
Ride north through Attabad Lake, Gulmit, and Ghulkin before reaching the granite setting around Passu. The stretch most riders come for.
The high-altitude run
Ride toward Khunjerab Pass, the highest point of the trip. Reaching the pass depends on weather, road conditions, and seasonal access, but the ride up is the day either way.
Flexible Upper Hunza day
A flexible day for local riding around Upper Hunza. Depending on conditions, the route may include Passu, Hussaini, Borith, Gulmit, or nearby side roads.
Begin the southbound ride
Start the return through the Karakoram corridor. The final overnight point is chosen based on road conditions, timing, and how the riding has gone.
Final ride to Islamabad
Complete the return ride to Islamabad. The team handles pacing, stops, and arrival timing on the final road day.
Depart Islamabad
Depart from Islamabad, or add extra time in the city, Hunza, Skardu, or another northern region as an extension.
What to know,
practically.
Pacing
A road-focused trip with several long riding days. The route is paced to balance distance, scenery, road conditions, and the time it takes to stop properly. The local riding day in central Hunza and the flexible Upper Hunza day are the built-in resets.
Rider level and tailoring
We tailor the route to rider experience, from confident beginners to experienced motorcyclists, and the trip works for pillion guests as well. Daily distances, road choices, support intensity, and pacing all flex so the riding feels challenging but manageable.
Road and weather flexibility
Mountain roads in northern Pakistan shift with weather, traffic, maintenance, and seasonal access. The route is built with flexibility, especially around Babusar, Khunjerab, and the longer return days. Reaching Khunjerab in particular depends on conditions on the day.
Who this suits
Riders who want a supported motorcycle route through real mountain country without managing every detail alone. Also works for pillion guests and adventurous couples where one half rides and the other rides along.
What the journey costs.
Every trip is private to your party. If it's ever a scheduled group departure, we'll say so up front.
- All meals from arrival dinner to departure breakfast
- Mid-range adventure motorcycle and all fuel
- Support vehicle and roadside backup throughout
- Hotels and guesthouses along the route, twin share
- English-speaking lead guide and support team
- All permits, NOCs, national park fees, and fort entries
Ready to
ride the Karakoram?
We can adapt the route, riding pace, support level, accommodation style, and daily distances to suit your experience, including options for newer riders and pillion guests.
Plan this journey