Join our October 2023 Discover the Hunza Valley Tour – only a few spots left.
Join our October 2023 Discover the Hunza Valley Tour – only a few spots left.
Epic Backpacker Tours was founded by adventure junkies looking to develop the sort of unique trips that we wanted to do ourselves, but could not find anywhere else.
We believe in immersive, active adventures that give you unique access to local people, culture, and incredible landscapes. The result is a travel experience unlike any other.
Our experienced guides focus on trip preparedness, group safety, and local knowledge to ensure trips run at the highest possible level. They’re always ready, no matter the situation.
We give you access to places other tour companies don’t go. Sorting out complex logistics in far flung lands in our speciality. We believe in showing you a side of a country previously inaccessible to tourism.
Our trips allow guests to focus 100% on the experience. We provide local healthy meals, transportation, professional guides, permit fees, accommodation, etc.
Our expert staff is extremely knowledgeable about the locations, culture, and terrain we work in. You will walk away from this travel experience having gained a wealth of knowledge about the country you travel to with us.
Our groups are small. We prioritize quality of experience and safety above quantity. On average, we have equal parts men and women who come from a wide variety of nationalities.
How do we ensure that you are 100% prepared for the journey before the trip starts? Our trip leaders offer one on one pre-trip support and coaching so that when the time comes to depart you are totally ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
We employ western and local trip leaders who have years of experience guiding in the regions we operate.
Since our start in 2017, we have become industry leaders in the countries where we operate – driven by two main goals: take our clients on comfortable life-changing journeys to some of the world’s last true adventure destinations while bringing income to local communities that have become like family to us.
The secret sauce of Epic Backpacker Tours is that we are deeply passionate about what we do and the sort of experiences we offer our clients.
Combine that mentality with the skills of our expert staff and our unique network of local contacts and you have the pillars that make a great foundation for authentic travel experiences.
Epic Backpacker Tours is deeply invested in the local communities we work with on a personal level and we strive to keep trip dollars local, while maximizing efforts to make our journeys as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible.
Pakistan
Iran
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Madeira
Don’t just take our word for it. Here is what our clients have to say about traveling with Epic Backpacker Tours.
Absolutely not. Without fail, we have at least a handful of vegetarians and vegans on every trip we run. There are typically a wide array of options available for folks with no meat/animal product diets.
This depends on the trip in question. Generally speaking, you DON’T need to have superhuman fitness to enjoy a trip. Because all of our journeys are active adventures, we do encourage our clients to have basic fitness and to generally enjoy spending some time outside.
We require all staff and trip participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you test positive for COVID before coming on one of our trips – no need to worry – we will issue trip credit so that you can join a future adventure. Read more about our Covid Policy here.
Despite what you hear on the mainstream news, Pakistan and Iran are safe for American, UK, European, etc, tourists. Part of the ethos of Epic Backpacker Tours is to smash negative stereotypes associated with these countries by showing you what the media never does. We have never had any of our clients be denied entry or a visa – regardless of nationality.
Part of what makes our trips so awesome is the kind of people attracted to our adventures. On average, our trips are made up of 5-8 different nationalities.
Over the years, we have had a nearly equal amount of men and women travel with us.
The average age of a trip participant is 35. The oldest person to join us was 70 and the youngest was 19.
Epic Backpacker Tours is an American licensed company, though we don’t have any physical offices. Welcome to the modern era! Our staff is international and spread out across four continents.
Didn’t find the answer you were looking for? Shoot us an email or give us a call – we love talking to our guests!
WORK WITH US
You have a large social media following and want to bring a select group from your audience on a tailor made one of a kind adventure. You are a guide or tour operator looking to launch a tour in a new destination on brand with Epic Backpacker Tours. You are a media company looking for logistics support and trip execution. We want to turn your idea into a reality. Let’s do this!
Chat with us now!
Chat with us now!
Adventure Guide
Our man in Nepal, Sandip is what we like to call a “Swiss Army Knife”. There is not much Sandip can’t do when it comes to helping Epic to run our expeditions smoothly in Nepal.
His tireless work ethic, passion for all things trekking in the Himalayas, and smart decision-making mean that Sandip is a truly invaluable member of our team.
Sandip is passionate about showing visitors to his country an amazing time, and he goes above and beyond to make sure that happens.
His company Himalayan Masters is Epic’s trusted partner in Nepal and one of the country’s top new tour agencies.
“
We really enjoyed the entire journey, and I would like to say that Sandip is truly professional. He guided us and he is a hardworking person, providing us with the best service and taking care of each one of us. Plus, he is super funny! The kind of professionnal you always want to find on your path for your explorations!
– Alexandra Ruth
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Our flagship Pakistani adventure tour. Road trip with some hiking and cultural immersion.
A trekking-style tour that features some very remote locations, inlcuding a K2 viewpoint.
Adventure Guide
João has born in the mountains of Madeira Islands in Portugal. Nature lover, writer, musician, guide, for him, a day without contact with outdoor vibes is a nightmare.
With a degree in Cultural Studies in Portugal and a Master of Arts in Global Cultures and Creativity in the U.K.
João found out what really matters in life can be found on the trails, and in the contact with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Guiding, crazy trekking missions, and sharing observations about the natural world, – these are some of João’s passions.
After trekking to K2 Base Camp and exploring all over Northern Pakistan, he fell in love with the country and the local people. His experiences resulted in his desire to share these feelings with the world.
João is one of the most experienced guides at Epic and his skillset and positive mindset in the mountains is second to none
When not in Pakistan, João is guiding and exploring in the Madeira Islands trails – discovering some of the hidden treasures on his Portuguese Island.
“
João I can not thank you enough for the off the beaten paths and views you keep giving. Definitely one of the most challenging and amazing hikes we did 1200m meters all the way up to Fanal forest and circling back to the hidden village. Wow!
– Jeffery
Meet him during : Lost World of Europe | Discover the Hunza Valley | K2 Base Camp Trek
Adventure Guide
Sohail is the newest addition to the Epic Backpacker Tours team and we are beyond stoked to have him on board. As a veteran of the Karakoram and a native of Karimabad in Hunza, there is not much Sohail can’t do in the mountains.
Besides having the ability to speak more languages than we can count, Sohail has explored every corner of Gilgit Baltistan and logs more trekking miles
in a year than most people will do in a lifetime. As of the summer of 2022, Sohail has summited Gasherbrum 1, Gasherbrum 2, and K2 – three of Pakistan’s five 8000-meter peaks. Sohail guides several trips including our annual bespoke expeditions but specializes in Hunza Valley tours.
“
Chris and Sohail, and the team at Epic are FANTASTIC! Highly recommend anyone to do a tour with ‘Epic’. They have the perfect balance of fun, excitement and wild adventures, tied in with being super professional and ensuring your safety/health in a foreign environment. Don’t waste a moment and book a tour with these guys as the value for money is UNREAL!
– Borgan
Meet him during : Discover the Hunza Valley
Adventure Guide
Pedro’s been traveling all around the globe since 2009. His keen interests in documentary photography, rural life, and local people from different ethnic groups have been the focus of many of his professional projects.
Since 2012, he has developed his passion for travel and awesome shared experiences into a full-time adventure photography tour leader position.
Pedro has found himself continuously going back to the Middle East, with his likely favorite destination being Iran. Pedro will be leading his 11th tour in Iran with EBT this coming spring 2020
When Pedro’s not traveling the world with Epic Backpacker Tours, you’ll find him based in the western south of Portugal planning he’s next adventure missions, logistics and working out his photos in local exhibitions.
“
I loved the combination of hiking, camping around breathtaking scenery mixed with the cultural aspects. The guide (Pedro) is knowledgeable and work very hard to make the trip as memorable as possible. All in all an epic adventure with some extremely epic individuals! Go for it, you won’t regret it!
– Saisun
“
Touring Iran with EBT in May 2022 was way above our expectation: itineraries well planned and carefully executed, perfect mix of sights and trekking, delicious food, nice accommodation, great guides and wonderful fellow travellers. Trekking can be handled by anyone physically fit. Highly recommended for those who want to experience the real Iran.
– Sumera
Meet him during : The Ultimate Iran Adventure
Adventure Admin / Marketing
After fleeing from the corporate fashion world in Paris towards the start of 2020, Diane has been working as a web developer and graphic designer remotely from various bases across the globe
She brings all of her incredible design and organizational power to Epic Backpacker Tours and is responsible for many of the beautiful behind-the-scenes design elements.
Diane has been to Iran and to Pakistan twice including all over Gilgit Baltistan and KPK.
Head of Operations | Guide
A veteran of Pakistan travel, Ralph is an experienced guide, photographer and writer who specializes in documenting remote locations.
Not one to simply go where everyone else does, he insists on exploring new and lesser-known areas.
Together with Epic Backpacker Tours, he shows people parts of Pakistan that most other operators don’t even know about. He is particularly fond of the village of Barah, which he believes will become just as famous as Hunza one day.
“
Just got back from EBT’s Trekking Amongst Giants 15 day tour. The experience was first class. Ralph, our head guide, ensured that the entire trip ran smoothly and relatively on time (a bonus for anyone travelling in Pakistan). We had so many unforgettable days on the tour and the trekking was well-planned, safe but also a rewarding challenge.
– Calvin
“
Traveling to a non-tourist destination can be a little intimidating but EBT takes all of the worry and trepidation away. From the pre-trip call to meeting the wonderful staff in person you can tell that you are dealing with a company that has a passion for what they do each and every day. Ralph, Zahid, and Khan were supportive, kind, and always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that everyone on the trip was getting what they wanted out of the experience.
– Katrina
Meet him during : Trekking Amongst Giants | Discover the Celestial Mountains | K2 Base Camp Trek
Founder | Adventure Guide | Director
For the last eleven years, Chris has been seeking out every shade of adventure in various parts of the globe and had visited more than 65 countries along the way.
Since 2011, Chris has logged more than 6300 trail miles across five continents and climbed multiple 6000 + 7000 meter peaks in Pakistan and Nepal.
In 2017, a distant dream and a deep passion for the mountains and people of Pakistan led Chris to found Epic Backpacker Tours at a time when foreign adventure tourism in Pakistan was almost nonexistent. Since then, Chris has guided more than 15 expeditions to various parts of Northern Pakistan.
Chris believes in using photography and powerful adventure experiences to dismantle negative stereotypes regarding what mainstream media considers “dangerous” countries while facilitating unique and meaningful memories in the mountains for countless people from around the globe.
Long-distance hiking, learning languages, meaningful conversations, all things Turkish food, mountaineering, and making tasty coffee above 6,000 meters rank among his favorite things in life.
For him, an ideal start to the day begins with a steaming cup of good coffee, the beam of a headlamp, alpine boots, and a camera in hand.
When he is not leading or planning tours, Chris works as a writer and photographer on his blog Off the Atlas – an adventure travel blog all about Pakistan.
Read this interview our staff did with Chris to learn more about him!
“
Chris believes in Pakistan and its people, and he believes in the value of journeys shared with others and family cultivated on the road. Honesty and integrity are at the heart of what he does, and this really shines through in his work as a guide. He also makes great coffee – whether at 5am in an empty guesthouse or half way up a Himalayan peak.”
– Will De Villers
“
Pakistan is a magical country! Had 3 of the best weeks of my life thanks to Epic Backpacking Tours with owner, and one of our awesome guides, Chris. From detailed itinerary, preparation with an equipment list, and visa assistance. To amazing food, great porters, helpful guides, and great accommodations. Epic really hit home run after home run. […]
Their desire for adventure and amazing trip is just as high as yours. Bring a good pound of coffee for the trip. French press coffee every morning and no average tin coffee, plus you’ll be in your guides good books.
– Clark Tyler
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