Why Pakistan, why now
For Polish travellers used to the Alps and the Caucasus, the northern areas of Pakistan are the next obvious step. Here's why we think this is the decade to go.
Polish travellers have always been good at sniffing out the underrated. Kyrgyzstan in 2018, Albania in 2020, Georgia in 2022. The Karakoram is next.
Here’s the honest pitch: Pakistan’s northern areas have more 7,000m+ peaks than the rest of the world combined, infrastructure has been quietly upgraded since the Karakoram Highway expansion finished, and visa rules for Polish citizens dropped to e-visa in 2024.
The valleys themselves haven’t changed in a thousand years. That’s the whole point.
What’s better than ever
The Karakoram Highway is now fully paved Islamabad → Hunza, dropping the drive to two days instead of four. A new airport in Skardu means we can fly one direction instead of busing both ways. Mobile coverage actually works in Karimabad now (don’t worry, it doesn’t reach the meadows).
What hasn’t changed
Apricot blossom in April. The way every guesthouse owner offers you tea before you’ve sat down. The specific colour of Attabad Lake at 3pm in October. The hospitality. The food.
If you’ve been waiting for the conditions to improve before going, the conditions have improved.