Karakoram Highway
The China–Pakistan Friendship Highway from Kashgar over Khunjerab Pass across the Karakoram to Islamabad, with the Hunza Valley as its crown jewel.
The Karakoram Highway (KKH, also known as the China–Pakistan Friendship Highway) starts in Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, passes through Tashkurgan and Khunjerab Pass (about 4,693 m, one of the highest paved international border crossings in the world), and heads south into Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan. It continues through the Hunza Valley and Gilgit, then follows the Indus Valley to Hasan Abdal near Islamabad. The total length is about 1,300 km, mostly within Pakistan. The route passes many peaks of the Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Himalaya ranges: Muztagh Ata and Karakul Lake; the Passu Glacier and the 'Cathedral Spires' of the Passu peaks; the turquoise waters of Attabad Lake; the Baltit and Altit forts in Karimabad, Hunza; a viewpoint for Rakaposhi; and side trips to the high-altitude lakes and cold desert of Skardu (Baltistan). The classic approach is to hire a car from Islamabad heading north (or from Kashgar heading south), taking 7 to 12 days, with at least 3 days in Hunza. International buses run between Tashkurgan and Sost, while travel inside Pakistan usually requires a tour group or hired car. Landslides are frequent and the elevation changes are large, so allow buffer days and follow current safety advisories for northern Pakistan.