Hunza Valley

The 900-year-old seat of the Hunza Mirs, perched dramatically above Karimabad with Ultar Glacier directly behind it. Restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Walking through the fort at golden hour with Rakaposhi in the distance is one of Pakistan's defining travel experiences.

Older than Baltit by several centuries, Altit Fort sits on a sheer cliff above the Hunza River. Less visited than its more famous sibling, which means you often have the ancient rooms and terrace to yourself. The views downriver are vertiginous and spectacular.

Created in 2010 when a landslide dammed the Hunza River, Attabad is an accident of geology that has become one of Pakistan's most-photographed places. The water is an improbable shade of turquoise. The Karakoram Highway tunnels through the mountains at its far end.

At 3,100m, this viewpoint above Karimabad offers arguably the best panoramic view of the Hunza Valley: five separate mountain ranges visible on a clear day, including Rakaposhi (7,788m) and Ultar Sar (7,388m). The drive up is vertiginous and worth every metre.

The village of Minapin sits at the base of Rakaposhi's south face, giving one of the world's most dramatic mountain-at-close-range views. A short walk from the road leads to an even better angle. Accessible en route between Gilgit and Karimabad.

Hunza's apricot orchards blossom in April, turning the valley into a sea of white and pink flowers with snow-covered peaks in the background. This is one of South Asia's most famous spring spectacles and one of the best reasons to visit early in the season.

Cathedral-like rock spires rising from the valley floor above Passu village, 80km north of Karimabad. The most dramatic rock formation visible from the Karakoram Highway. The Hussaini Suspension Bridge crosses the Hunza River nearby. A half-day excursion from Karimabad that most upper Hunza itineraries combine.

The oldest surviving village in Hunza, a few kilometres south of Karimabad. A UNESCO-recognised heritage site with 15th-century watchtowers, carved wooden mosques, and narrow stone lanes unchanged for centuries. One of the finest examples of Karakoram vernacular architecture in existence. Easy to miss; worth seeking out.

A century-old rope suspension bridge across the Hunza River near Passu, with missing planks and a 30-metre drop to the river. Widely described as one of the world's most precarious crossings. Most people cross it once and find that sufficient. Equally impressive from the bank.

A half-day hike above Karimabad to high alpine meadows directly beneath the face of Ultar Sar (7,388m). The trail begins behind Baltit Fort and climbs to 3,050m. One of the finest close-range views of a 7,000m peak accessible without technical gear. Start early: afternoon cloud often fills the valley.

At 4,893m, the Khunjerab Pass is the highest paved international border crossing in the world and the northern end of the Karakoram Highway. The drive from Karimabad takes 3 to 4 hours through increasingly sparse, dramatic landscape. Most visitors do it as a day trip: the border marker, the Chinese customs post visible on the other side, and the altitude itself are the draw. Altitude awareness is important, most visitors feel the height on arrival.

A shallow lake near Gulmit village in upper Hunza, an easy 30-minute walk from the Karakoram Highway. The water is still and reed-fringed; flamingos and migratory waterfowl pass through in season. Usually combined with Passu Cones since both are in the same upper Hunza corridor, 85km north of Karimabad. Quiet, unhurried, and entirely without tourism infrastructure.

A glacier in the Nagar district south of Karimabad, accessible as a half-day excursion by 4x4. The jeep track ends at the snout: close enough to watch meltwater streams pour from crevices in the ice wall. Less visited than the Passu or Batura glaciers to the north, which means a quieter experience on the same quality of terrain.