Pakistan

March – October

The weather in Pakistan can be highly variable depending on the season, geographic location, and altitude. We will be traversing through a number of different climatic zones so it is a good idea to know what to expect at each point.

*Note that our spring tours are always colder than our fall tours, especially at altitude.

Islamabad – Typically hot and humid with the potential for rain events. Average temperatures in April: High: 30°C / 87° F Low: 16°C / 61° F. / October: High: 30.5/87° F Low: 15°/59° F.

Lahore – Average temperatures in April: High: 33°C / 92° F Low: 16°C / /69° F. / October: High: 32.2/90° F Low: 19.4°/67° F.

Karimabad – Warm to cool during the day, but not humid. Colder in the spring. and potential for cloud and wind. Cooler to cold at night. Average temperatures in April: High: 15.5°C /60° F Low: 5.4°C /F /October: High: 17.5/63.5° F Low: 5°C/41° F.

Skardu – Warm to hot during the day, but not humid. Dusty, especially along the main bazaar road. Cooler and pleasant at night. Potential for wind and dust storms. July is the warmest month in Skardu. High: 23°C / 73.4° F Low: 10°C / 50° F. The sun is stronger in the mountains so temps. feel hotter than they actually are.

3,000 – 3,500 Meters – Hot, dusty, exposed during the day. Cooler at night, but not freezing typically. Potential for snow around 3500 meters, but very unlikely. Possible cloud cover developing at any elevation.

3,500 – 4,500 Meters – Daily temperatures remain warm, though mornings and evenings are cooler. Above 4000 meters temperatures can easily drop below freezing at night and in the early morning. Rain, snow, cloud cover are all possible at any time

4,500 – 5,350 Meters – Freezing temperatures at night and cool to cold temperatures during the day with periods of warm sunshine possible. Rain, snow, cloud cover are all possible at any time. Evenings at the high camps will be cold. Moses Peak can experience freezing temperatures even during the day. The coldest possible temperatures to expect hover around -10° C / 14° F. Those are extreme estimates and certainly are not the norm for this time of year.

We offer a variety of unique and comfortable accommodation options on our trips. From hotels and homestays to eco-cottages and rustic shared tents; we do our best to make sure where we sleep is part of the overall tour experience.

Here is a brief rundown of the different types of accommodation you can expect while on an adventure tour in Pakistan:

Islamabad – Nice hotel not far from the Faisal Mosque. Hot water, wifi, and an excellent buffet breakfast.

Aliabad/Mountain Story Lodge – Very cool eco-resort (the first of its kind in Pakistan). Private cottages (2 to a room). Wifi, hot water, great meals, and excellent views.

Ghulkin Village – Homestay. Hot water. No wifi/cell signal. Shared accommodation in a traditional Hunza-style communal room. Camping in tents is possible for those who snore. The best food of the trip!

Trekking – Shared, high-quality tents (2 per tent) provided by Epic. 

Fairy Meadows – Beautiful, but basic wooden cabins with wood burning stoves. Hot water possible. No wifi/cell signal.

There are several major networks in Pakistan: Zong, Telenor, and SCOM. SCOM seems to work the best in Gilgit-Baltistan (and does not work at all in Punjab). Foreigners can obtain SIM cards in Pakistan but the procedure is slightly complicated.

In our opinion, it’s not worth getting a SIM card as our hotels in Islamabad and some places in Hunza should have wifi. The wifi in Hunza however comes and goes sporadically as when it is around, it is slower than molasses.

SIM cards cost about 2000 PK rupees with a data plan.

All foreigners need to obtain SIM cards from the various company’s main offices. You will need your passport, visa, and to give your fingerprints in order to get a SIM.
Keep in mind that this trip is a chance for our guests to unplug and fully embrace a proper digital detox.

The internet situation in Pakistan is spotty at best, so please have realistic expectations regarding wifi and internet speeds/access.

Pakistan’s country dialing code is +92. It’s timezone is GMT+5 (check the current time there now).

Despite its poor reputation for safety in the Western media, Pakistan is a very safe place for foreign tourists to visit. Pakistani people are among the most welcoming people we have encountered in our years of travel. The odds of being a victim of any sort of crime or act of aggression are relatively low. 

Regardless, EBT vets its local partners and hotels thoroughly to ensure that all points of contact are as secure as possible. Since our first-ever organized adventure tour in Pakistan in 2016, we have built up an extensive network of trusted resources.

Our experienced team of guides provides support on challenging treks and prioritizes group safety, hazard awareness, and accident prevention as our standard operating procedure. In case of emergency, EBT trip leaders are equipped with a satellite communication device, which can contact outside emergency first responders from any place in Pakistan.

Being a part of an adventure or trekking tour in Pakistan requires a lot of energy output each day and a big part of our job is keeping everybody well-nourished, happy, and energized.

Here’s what you can expect from daily meals:

Breakfast – Typically includes omelet/fried eggs, fried Pakistani bread (paratha), jam, butter, and chai/coffee. Sometimes we have a delicious hot porridge as well. Want to win the heart of your guide? Bring a pound of your favorite coffee from your country to share with the group.

Let your guide know if you are able/keen to bring some coffee 🙂

Lunch – We typically provide a hearty lunch. Usually a mix of daal, mixed vegetables, a meat dish, salad, chapati, rice, etc.

Dinner – Is always the main event of the day and will be a mix of vegetables, rice, noodle dishes, daal, meat (mutton or chicken), chapati, and local specialties depending on where we are.

Technically, alcohol is illegal in Pakistan. In 99.9% of the country, alcohol is not available or sold anywhere. However, for non-muslims and foreigners especially it is legal to buy and drink alcohol.  Your EBT guide can advise you on the proper way to import and consume alcohol in Pakistan if needed.

All individuals who intend to travel to Pakistan trip MUST apply for a Pakistani tourist visa or a trekking and mountaineering visa, depending on the trip you are doing. Nowadays, most nationalities can apply for a visa under the new Evisa scheme.

Epic Backpacker Tours will issue every guest a Letter of Invitation (LOI) to Pakistan and other supporting documents (Pakistani guide licenses, accommodation reservation documents, NIC numbers (Pakistani tax id #), etc needed to apply for the visa.

The Evisa process is much quicker than applying directly at a Pakistani consulate/embassy. However, you can still apply at an embassy if need be.

Once all the required paperwork is submitted online, the Evisa is typically granted within 1 – 6 weeks depending on the type of visa being applied for. Our Discover the Hunza Valley and Trekking Amongst Giants tours require only a Pakistani standard tourist visa. Visiting K2 Base Camp will require a Trekking and Mountaineering sub-visa though, which usually takes more time to process.

We recommend to all clients to apply for their Pakistani visas around 3 months in advance. 

The official currency of Pakistan is the Pakistani rupee. It usually fluctuates around 200-250 to the USD but has in recent years weakened considerably (check the current exchange rate here).

ATMs are common in Islamabad and Lahore but less common (or nonexistent) once we head to Gilgit-Baltistan. We have experienced issues finding working ATMs once we leave the cities and we recommend that you change/withdraw your money before we head up into the mountains.

We also recommend that instead of relying on your ATM card, bring foreign cash and change it at the airport or in the city (if the money changer is open at the airport). USD, Euro, and British Pounds are all fine. Make sure to bring notes that are free from any defects. The money changers like PERFECT bank notes. 

Pakistan is a cash-based economy and you will not be able to use your debit/credit card to purchase things.

The following plug types can be found in Pakistan: 

• Type A/B (commonly found in North America)
• Type C (commonly found in Europe & South America)
• Type G (commonly found in the UK)

In our experience, Type C plugs are the most common in Pakistan.

Voltage is 230 at 50 hertz.

Note that power outages are common in the more mountainous communities, including in Hunza and Skardu. Whilst on a trekking tour in Pakistan, you can charge your gear using the camp generator at the end of the night. While Epic does provide a generator, we highly recommend that everyone invest in a good portable solar panel while trekking in Pakistan as they are usually more convenient.

• Pakistan is an Islamic country but it is not a theocracy. This means that state and religion are institutionally separated and Pakistani law is based on British common law, rather than Sharia (Islamic) Law (in theory anyway).
• Whilst socially conservative, most of the population consider themselves to be moderate and secular Muslims tolerant of other religions. Hijabs are not obligatory, and burkas are very rare (at least in the areas of the country we are visiting).
• In general, it is best not to discuss politics or religion with locals, at least not as a topic of conversation when you first meet them. If appropriate and if you have gotten to know an individual on a deeper level, it is fine to discuss those topics.
• Local people will be genuinely curious about your life, what you do for work, your family (if you are male they will almost certainly ask if you’re married and how many kids you have), and about life in the west. Taking the time to connect with locals and share life experiences will only add to the overall experience of your journey around Pakistan.
• Pakistan is a beautiful and diverse country which will richly reward explorers. However, it is a developing country with a challenging modern history; as such, tourism infrastructure is still in its infancy. This can sometimes mean low sanitation standards, police checkpoints to deal with, poor road conditions, all kinds of delays, and things not always going to plan!
• Guests will note that there is limited mixing of the sexes in Pakistan. Men tend to hang out with other men and women with women. You will also note that when locals approach foreigners, they tend to separate themselves on gender grounds; Pakistani men want pictures with the guys (and foreign women) in our groups and the women with the girls in the group!
• Some local porters (who may or may not speak any English) may not make conversation and or eye contact with foreign females. This is nothing against all you ladies, it is more of a cultural thing common across Pakistan.