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.
Choosing a tour operator is no easy decision – so why should you travel with Epic Backpacker Tours?
When you choose us, you not only have the authentic journey of a lifetime, but you will also become part of our community. Our guides and staff have the experience, skills, and local knowledge to bring you meaningful and authentic trips, with adventure-packed itineraries you simply will not find with another tour company. We believe in doing things the right way and in all of the little details that add up to make a trip special.
Each one of our handcrafted itineraries offers something uniquely Epic – whether it is staying with a family in a remote mountain village, trekking with nomads, or photographing foxes in Siberia – once you become part of the Epic community – you are left with a lifetime of good memories, new experiences, and a full heart.
One of the founding principles of Epic Backpacker Tours was to give back to the local communities that make our trips so special.
Every trip we run is designed to keep as much as our trip dollars local as possible. We never stay in big chain hotels, eat at international fast-food restaurants, or hire local guides from outside the region/village/area where we work.
Over the last few years, a percentage of every trip we run is used to fund local community projects that empower local people to use sustainable tourism initiatives for the benefit of their community and their families.
Whenever possible we seek out comfortable and unique accommodation options.
We aim to turn the simple act of falling asleep in a bed or tent each night into an experience in itself.
From staying in a yurt in the Central Asian Steppe to sharing a camp with nomadic herders in Iran to recharging the body in a chic eco-lodge in Pakistan – we always find the best places to sleep.
We understand the seriousness and impact on the whole world presented by the Coronavirus pandemic.
If you have already booked or plan to book a trip, check out our policy here
We do not sugarcoat things either. While traveling right now is becoming easier by the day as more and more governments ease travel restrictions and the global Covid numbers continue to decline, the idea of planning a holiday right now is stressful and complex – full stop.
For much of the pandemic, travel has been unpredictable and travel logistics have been complicated. That’s exactly why as of March 2020 we have been offering some of the most flexible booking policies in the adventure travel industry.
We want to remove the anxiety associated with international travel by giving you our Covid Promise; when it comes to your holiday booking; we believe that there should be no uncertainty or anxiety or questions left unanswered.
There are no grey areas in our policy: your booking dollars are 100% covered in the event that Covid-related issues prevent you from coming on the trip OR if we have to cancel a guaranteed trip due to Covid complications, border closures, etc.
We will also never collect a full trip payment from you unless a trip is guaranteed.
Environmental stewardship is one of our core founding principles. We want to protect the beautiful destinations we visit from the effects of large-scale tourism by not contributing to the global plastic problem.
For example, we do our best to eliminate single-use plastic from our trips by encouraging every client to bring a water purifier bottle – thus we never need to buy plastic bottles.
We also organize annual campsite clean-ups in multiple areas of Northern Pakistan.
What is one of the main reasons why we humans love to travel?
FOOD. GOOD FOOD.
We believe that bodies should not just be nourished with healthy food, but so should our taste buds; we actively seek out and explore different cultures’ culinary traditions.
Part of what makes each trip so special is trying all of the local food dishes, street meats, and fried pastries we can get our hands-on.
From Lahori street food to Persian camel burgers to mountain household soup recipes, our clients get to try it all.
We also do our best to cater to those with special diets – vegetarians and vegans fear not; you will eat well on our trips too!
When you book with us, there are no hidden fees or surprise extra costs. Our all-inclusive trips allow our clients to focus 100% on the experience. We provide :
Everything you need to have an awesome trip.
We are lucky enough to employ some of the best guides in the business.
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.
We go above and beyond for our clients before, during, and after every trip we run.
We started this company because we were unable to find the kind of tours to the kind of places we wanted to go.
Even in an age of mass tourism, finding a company that can deliver affordable, professional, quality, unique adventures to the edge of Siberia or a remote mountain pass in Pakistan is not easy to come by.
Epic Backpacker Tours offers EPIC trips because we are masters at solving complex logistics in off the beaten path destinations, and we have a whole hell of a lot of fun doing it.
Active people are happy people – Which is exactly why each trip we run has an element of physical activity involved.
Arriving on foot is how we like to roll.
Whether you are an experienced trekker looking for an epic multi-day challenge or you are relatively new to hiking, we offer a variety of trips geared towards different fitness levels and hiking intensity.
For many of our clients, traveling with Epic Backpacker Tours is their first-ever group trip.
As former solo world travelers ourselves, we know that joining a group trip can be intimating if you are use to planning your own trips.
But since day one, our goal and mindset has been to offer group trips “for people who don’t normally do group trips”.
We want you to feel like you are traveling with like minded people who are just as interested in unique,
authentic travel experience as you are.
Communication is key to getting you prepared for your next EPIC adventure.
Every client who books with us gets one on one trip preparation phone calls, custom advice, detailed gear recommendations, and more so that when the time comes to start your trip, you are fully ready.
Our staff are there for you every step of the way in the trip planning process.
Our trip participants come from diverse backgrounds.
On average we might have 7 different nationalities on a trip of 12 people – which makes our expeditions a truly international affair!
We also have an equal number of men and women joining out trips.
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
