Passu Cones and the Hussaini Bridge: Upper Hunza in One Day

The Passu Cones, officially called the Passu Cathedral Peaks, are a cluster of sharp granite spires rising directly from the floor of the upper Hunza Valley near Gulmit. They are among the most photographed mountains in Pakistan and the most immediately striking thing you see on the drive north from Karimabad toward Khunjerab. The spires look artificial: too sheer, too symmetrical, too close to the road. They are not. They are simply some of the most dramatically formed rock in the Karakoram.

Two kilometres from the Cones viewpoint, a suspension bridge crosses the Hunza River to the village of Hussaini. The bridge is famous for the wrong reasons, it looks dangerous, and crossing it is, in the popular imagination, a test of nerve. In reality it is safe and short. But the view back to the Cones from the far bank is genuinely excellent, and the walk across gives you a specific angle on the valley that no photograph from the road replicates.

Getting there from Karimabad

Passu village is approximately 80 kilometres north of Karimabad on the Karakoram Highway, through Gulmit, roughly 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes by private vehicle on the well-maintained KKH. The road passes through Attabad Lake (45 minutes from Karimabad) en route, which most people visit on the same day trip. The natural structure for an upper Hunza day is: Karimabad to Attabad Lake for the morning boat ride, then continue to Passu for the Cones and Hussaini Bridge in the afternoon, and return by evening.

The Cones themselves

The Passu Cones are best seen from the road approximately 2 kilometres south of Passu village, where the valley opens and the full cluster of spires becomes visible against the sky. There is an informal viewpoint at this bend: most drivers stop here automatically. The spires rise to between 5,800 and 6,100 metres above sea level, not 8,000-metre-class giants, but significantly more visually dramatic at close range because of the steepness and the proximity to the road.

Early morning and late afternoon give the best light. Midday flattens the texture of the spires. The valley here runs roughly north-south, so morning light hits the eastern faces and evening light hits the western sides. For the most commonly photographed angle, the Cones reflected in the Hussaini Bridge cable lines, you want the late afternoon with the sun to the west.

The Hussaini Bridge

The Hussaini suspension bridge is a footbridge across the Hunza River, about 2 kilometres north of the Cones viewpoint. The bridge is approximately 280 metres long and crosses about 20 metres above the river. It is made from wire cables and wooden planks; some planks have gaps between them; the bridge sways when walked. None of this is actually alarming once you are on it, the structure is maintained and the height above the river is not extreme. But it is an unusual experience, and the view back toward the Passu Cones from the far bank, looking south down the valley, is one of the better angles on the spires available without hiking.

Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the bridge crossing: 10 minutes each way on the bridge itself, plus time for photographs and the short walk on the far bank. Children cross it routinely; it is a functional connection to the Hussaini village. Most visitors cross once and return.

Combining with Khunjerab Pass

Passu sits approximately 90 kilometres south of Khunjerab Pass (4,693m). If you are already driving to Passu from Karimabad, extending the day to Khunjerab and back is logistically straightforward but demanding: the round trip from Karimabad to the pass and back is 8 to 10 hours of driving with stops. Most travellers doing a full Khunjerab Pass day trip pass through Passu on the way and stop for 30 to 45 minutes at the Cones viewpoint and bridge rather than doing a separate visit.

The Khunjerab day trip guide covers the full pass itinerary. If you have limited days in Hunza, combining Attabad Lake, Passu Cones, and the Hussaini Bridge in a single day (without continuing to the pass) is the more manageable version that covers the visual highlights of upper Hunza without a full-day drive.

What else is in Passu

Passu village has basic guesthouses that work as a one-night base for travellers wanting to spend early morning or late evening light on the Cones without driving back to Karimabad. The Batura Glacier tongue is accessible from the village, a 45-minute walk to the glacier edge gives you a close-range view of an active glacier in a way that few other Hunza-area sites offer. The village is in the Gojal Valley, which is culturally and linguistically distinct from central Hunza: the people here speak Wakhi rather than Burushaski.

Passu Cones and the Hussaini Bridge are included in all Raahi itineraries that cover upper Hunza. Our tour listings show which packages include a dedicated upper Hunza day. Our Hunza destination guide covers the full valley context. For a day-by-day structure, see the 5-day Hunza itinerary. Get in touch to plan your Hunza trip.