• An experienced KE Western leader

• Islamabad Airport transfers for international flights on Day 1 and Day 14

• The flight to Skardu and associated airport transfers

• All land transport involved in the itinerary

• All accommodation as described in the trip dossier

• All meals throughout the holiday

• Full trekking service including food and all equipment (excluding personal equipment)

• Travel insurance

• Pakistan Visa

• Tips for local guides and support staff

• Guided Islamabad sightseeing

• Miscellaneous expenses - drinks and souvenirs etc

• PLEASE NOTE: an airport departure tax of Rs500 is sometimes payable

Travel on the Karakoram Highway

We encourage you to read the up to date Travel Advice on the FCDO website. Currently, the FCDO warns against travel on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) between Mansehra and Chilas.

Flying from Islamabad to Skardu and driving back to Islamabad by way of the N-15 National Highway across the Babusar Pass, we avoid travelling on the proscribed section of the KKH.

Only in the rare case of a flight being cancelled and/or the Babusar Pass road being closed, would we be obliged to travel on the above-mentioned section of the KKH. In this event your insurance cover may be compromised.

We have been taking groups to Pakistan for 40 years and have never had any problems on this road. In actuality, the journey along the Karakoram Highway is spectacularly scenic and an epic experience which has been enjoyed by hundreds of KE clients.

All clients arriving on Day 1 will be met at Islamabad Airport by the trip leader or a KE representative who will arrange the transfer to the group hotel. Similarly, transfers will be provided back to Islamabad Airport on the final day of the holiday. Clients booking a Land Only Package should let us know if Islamabad Airport transfers are not required. Land Only clients MUST provide the KE office with full details of their flights. Full joining instructions together with hotel contact details and an emergency number will be provided with your booking confirmation.

Drinking Water

It is not recommended to drink untreated water from the taps. If you are on a trekking or cycling holiday, water is supplied to fill up your individual bottles. This will be boiled, filtered or provided in large jerry cans or 5 litre bottles. Additionally you should take purification tablets or a filter bottle (such as a Water-To-Go bottle) to treat your water when in towns or where water is not supplied. We do not encourage the purchasing of single use plastic bottles.

Whether staying in tourist cabin accommodation on the Fairy Meadows side of the mountain or camping below the Rupal Face, a mix of local and Western dishes will be provided by our trained trek cooks. Breakfasts consist of cereal, muesli or porridge, eggs, bread or chapatti, tea and coffee. Lunch is generally a picnic consisting of a choice of canned fish, tinned meats, cheese, pickles, pate, and crackers or chapattis, sometimes accompanied by hot soup and noodles, and finished off with tea or coffee. Dinner is a three course meal; soup, main course, dessert. It is not unusual at several of the hotels we use that dinner is provided in the form of a buffet with a choice of meals.

During this trip the group will spend two nights in Islamabad at a good standard hotel. There will also be one night in a tourist class hotel in Gilgit and one night in Karimabad. On the first of the short treks, above Fairy Meadows, we will stay in simple wooden tourist cabins. On the Rupal side of the mountain we will stay in lodge accommodation at Tarshing and we will also be camping for a couple of nights. All accommodation is based on twin-share and if you are travelling by yourself you will be paired with another single client of the same sex. At the hotels there are usually en-suite facilities, whilst at the tourist cabins there is more likely to be a central toilet block. For the hotel nights, single rooms are available at supplementary cost. Additional hotel nights in Islamabad can also be pre-booked. Hotels are subject to availability and prices may vary.

Skardu Flights

Skardu is a weather-dependent airport. Since the valley is completely surrounded by high mountains, planes can only land here in good visibility and this means flights to and from Skardu are never guaranteed. The planes fly more often than not, but cancellations can occur and in these circumstances we will travel by road. If we were not prepared to do this, our groups would risk being stranded in Islamabad. See our 'Important Notice' about travel on the Karakoram Highway for more details.

The group will be led by an experienced KE Western leader assisted by a local guide. During the trekking the group will be accompanied by a support crew, including a team of porters who will carry all equipment and personal trek bags. When camping there will also be a cook and assistant. Our local crews are made up of local villagers who depend on working for trekking groups to supplement their subsistence income. Most of the crew will have worked with KE groups before. Travelling with these friendly and hardy people is a major part of the experience of Karakoram trekking.

Approximately £200 (or equivalent in US dollars, Euros etc.) changed into local currency should be allowed for miscellaneous expenses, including porter and trek crew tips. You will also pay directly for guided sightseeing in in Islamabad if this works out for your group and you choose to take part in the tour. The cost of this will be approximately 2000 rupees for a half-day tour. Note that money for tips should be changed into local currency (denominations of 500 rupees or smaller only) before you leave Islamabad. It is not necessary to purchase local currency (Pakistan rupees) before your trip. Money can be changed at a reasonable rate at the airport or at authorised money changers. Since you will be changing the majority of your spending money into local currency soon after your arrival, we recommend that you take it in cash. US dollars, Sterling and Euros can readily be exchanged at the airport. US dollars will give you more flexibility to exchange in smaller towns or in an emergency. Credit cards can be used to purchase many goods in Islamabad or Gilgit and are particularly useful for more expensive items such as carpets. It is possible to withdraw cash (rupees only) from cash machines in Islamabad using credit and debit cards.

It is usual to tip the members of your trek crew, including your local guide, if you are happy with the services provided. We estimate that £80 (in local currency equivalent) will cover this aspect of your trip expenditure. Towards the end of the trek, the trip leader will help the group to determine an appropriate level of tipping for each crew member, and this is most usually done as a group ‘thank-you’ with ceremony on the final day of trekking.

For this holiday you should take one piece of luggage (a robust holdall works well) and a daypack. Your baggage will be carried in the support vehicle and by porters or ponies during the trekking. The packed weight of your bag whilst trekking including your sleeping bag and camping mattress should be no more than 12.5 kgs. You should note that this allowance which is governed by maximum porter loads, is slightly less than allowances for treks in India and Nepal and is quite strictly adhered to. It is possible to leave travel clothes and any other items not required on trek at the group hotel in Islamabad.

All meals are included in the holiday price from arrival on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 14.