Destination Guide

Gojal
& Upper Hunza

Beyond Karimabad: Wakhi villages, the remotest road in Pakistan to Shimshal, the last settlement before the Chinese border at Misgar, and the world's highest wildlife reserve.

📍 Upper Hunza, GB
⛰ 2,480–4,735m range
🚗 80–200km from Karimabad
🌿 Best: May – Oct
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Explore Gojal & Upper Hunza

From Gulmit to Misgar — the final 150km of Pakistan before the Chinese border

Overview

Upper Hunza —
The Road Continues

Most visitors to Hunza stop at Karimabad and turn back south. That's understandable — Karimabad is extraordinary. But the KKH continues north for another 150km through Gojal, the upper sub-region of Hunza inhabited by the Wakhi people, a distinct cultural group with their own language, music, and customs, more closely related to Tajik and Afghan Wakhan than to the Burusho culture of lower Hunza.

Gulmit (2,480m) is the cultural capital of Gojal — it has a small but excellent museum of Wakhi culture and is the best base for glacier walks. Passu, 10km north, is famous for the Cones and the Hussaini Bridge. Sost is the last Pakistani town before China. And then there's Shimshal — accessible only by a 60km jeep track along a cliff edge, home to one of the most extraordinary mountain communities in Asia at 3,100m.

The entire Gojal region is also the core zone of Khunjerab National Park — the world's highest protected wildlife reserve, with Marco Polo sheep, snow leopard, brown bear, and blue sheep throughout the high terrain.

3,100m
Shimshal village altitude
4,735m
Shimshal Pass
4,693m
Khunjerab Pass
60km
Shimshal jeep track length
Key Destinations

Where to Go
in Upper Hunza

2,480m · Wakhi museum · glacier walk
Gulmit
Upper Hunza's cultural centre. The Gojal Heritage Museum houses Wakhi artefacts, instruments, and clothing that document a culture largely invisible to outsiders. The Gulmit Glacier is accessible on foot in 1.5–2h from the village — a good alternative to the more crowded Passu glacier walk.
3,100m · NOC required · 3–4h from Passu
Shimshal Valley
The most remote permanently inhabited valley accessible by road in Pakistan. 60km of single-lane cliff-edge track from the KKH. The Wakhi community here practises transhumance — moving yak herds to 5,000m+ summer pastures each year. Shimshal Pass (4,735m) is a major trekking objective. The village hospitality is extraordinary.
4,693m · Khunjerab NP · Marco Polo sheep
Khunjerab Pass & NP
The pass itself (covered in the Hunza guide) is just the entry to Khunjerab National Park — a 2,200 km² reserve covering the high terrain north of Sost. Marco Polo sheep are regularly seen from the road between Sost and the pass. Snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, and ibex also present but rarely visible.
Last Pakistani village on Silk Road · ancient
Misgar
The last Wakhi settlement before the Khunjerab range. Misgar was a major Silk Road waypoint — merchants rested here before or after crossing the passes to Central Asia. The Kilik and Mintaka passes above Misgar are now closed border crossings; they were historically busier than Khunjerab. Almost no tourists reach Misgar.
Walk from Ghulkin · easier than Passu
Ghulkin Glacier
The glacier at Ghulkin village (between Gulmit and Passu) is arguably the easiest glacier walk in the entire KKH corridor — 45 minutes from the road to active ice with clear crevasses and moraines. Far fewer visitors than Passu Glacier. The village of Ghulkin itself is small and traditional.
2,790m · customs & trade post
Sost Dry Port
Sost is the Pakistan–China border customs facility — the last Pakistani town before you enter Chinese territory. The weekly cross-border market (when operating) draws Uyghur and Tajik traders from Xinjiang. The town itself is functional rather than scenic, but the surrounding mountains are wild, and the Karakul Lake (Chinese side) is visible from the pass.
Wakhi Culture

The People of
Upper Hunza

The Wakhi of Gojal are culturally distinct from the Burusho of Karimabad. Understanding the difference makes the journey more meaningful.

Language & Origins
Wakhi People
The Wakhi speak Wakhi (Wakhani), an Eastern Iranian language related to the dialects of the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. They are the same ethnic group as the Wakhi of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, separated by modern borders. Ismaili Muslim, like the Burusho of lower Hunza, they follow the Aga Khan's guidance — which has historically driven high literacy rates and progressive gender norms throughout Gojal.
Transhumance · yak culture
Shimshal Pamir
The Shimshal community practises one of the last remaining large-scale transhumance cycles in South Asia. Each May–June, the community moves their yak herds up to the Pamir-i-Wakhan summer pastures at 4,500–5,000m — a tradition that has continued for centuries. Women manage the high pastures through summer while men work in the village. The return migration in September–October is a community event. If you visit Shimshal in May, you may witness the departure.
Music & Dance
Wakhi Performing Arts
Wakhi music uses instruments not found in lower Hunza — the tanbur (long-necked lute), daf (frame drum), and ghichak (bowed instrument). The Gojal Heritage Museum in Gulmit has examples of all three. Traditional dances are performed at weddings and festivals, particularly the autumn harvest festivals in September–October. If you're in Gulmit during a wedding season, asking a local if visitors may observe is usually welcomed.
Food · Wakhi kitchen
What to Eat in Gojal
Wakhi cuisine is distinct from Hunzai cooking. Key dishes: Qurut — dried yogurt balls preserved for winter, eaten with bread; Kishk — a fermented grain and yogurt porridge eaten hot; Yak butter tea — richer and more pungent than the Baltistani version; Tarkhineh — a sour soup made from fermented grains. In Shimshal, home-produced yak cheese and dried yak meat are staples. Accept any food offered at a Wakhi home — refusal is a significant slight.
Getting There

How to Reach
Upper Hunza

Shimshal NOC: An NOC from the Deputy Commissioner's office in Aliabad (Hunza HQ) is required for Shimshal Valley. Allow 1–2 days to arrange it. Without it, the checkpoint before the Shimshal junction will turn you back. The NOC is a formality — it is issued readily to foreign and domestic tourists but cannot be skipped.
Karimabad to GulmitShared jeep PKR 300–500 (1h). Private jeep PKR 2,500–4,000. The KKH is fully paved throughout.
Karimabad to PassuShared jeep PKR 400–700 (1.5h). Private jeep PKR 3,000–5,000.
Karimabad to SostShared jeep PKR 600–900 (2.5h). Private jeep PKR 5,000–8,000.
To ShimshalPrivate jeep only — no shared transport. PKR 8,000–14,000 return from Passu. The 60km track takes 2.5–3h. 4WD essential. NOC required (see above).
To MisgarFrom Sost: private jeep PKR 3,000–5,000 return (1.5h). Almost no shared transport. A very rough road beyond the Sost checkpoint.
Khunjerab PassFrom Sost: shared van PKR 600–900 return. Private jeep PKR 4,000–7,000. CNIC/Passport required at checkpost. Pass open May–October.
Accommodation

Where to Stay
in Gojal

Budget
PKR 1,000 – 3,000
per night · guesthouse or homestay
  • Gulmit family guesthouses — PKR 1,500–2,500 including meals; Wakhi food served
  • Passu local lodges — PKR 1,000–2,000; basic but well-placed for Cones and bridge
  • Shimshal homestays — PKR 1,500–3,000 including meals; community-run; the only option in the valley
  • Sost guesthouses — PKR 1,200–2,500; functional; useful if crossing to/from China
Mid-Range
PKR 4,000 – 10,000
per night · en-suite
  • Gulmit Tourist Inn — most established mid-range in Gojal; glacier views from upper rooms
  • Passu Inn — directly below the Cones; reliable and friendly
  • Sost guesthouses (upper tier) — PKR 3,000–6,000; some with en-suite and heating
Camping
PKR 500 – 1,500
per pitch or free
  • Borith Lake shore — camp with Passu Cones directly above; bring own tent; no facilities
  • Ghulkin Glacier moraine — wild camping; accessible and surreal
  • Shimshal Pamir approaches — expedition camping above Shimshal; guide essential
Trekking

Treks from
Upper Hunza

Shimshal Pass (4,735m)

The classic multi-day trek from Shimshal village to the high summer pastures and over the pass. 4–6 days return. Guide and camping gear essential. Best in July–August when the yak herds are at the summer pastures. NOC required for Shimshal. One of the truly wild treks in GB — no huts, no infrastructure above the village.

Lupghar Sar Approach

A multi-day trek from Shimshal toward the base of Lupghar Sar (7,200m). Only for experienced trekkers with full equipment. Permit required from Ministry of Tourism for peaks above 6,000m.

Passu Glacier Trek

1–2 days from Passu village across the Passu Glacier. Day 1: walk to the glacier tongue (2h). Day 2: traverse across the moraine to a viewpoint above. Guide recommended: PKR 2,000–3,500/day from Passu village. No technical equipment needed but glacier terrain requires caution.

When to Go

Season Guide

April – MayKKH open. Khunjerab Pass opens late April/May. Shimshal community begins yak drive to summer pastures. Wildflowers early in Gulmit orchards.
June – JulyAll roads open. Khunjerab National Park active with wildlife. Shimshal trek season begins. Best for Borith Lake birdwatching.
AugustPeak. Warm days (20–25°C Gulmit). Shimshal Pamir summer pastures fully occupied — most interesting time to visit the village.
SeptemberBest month overall. Autumn light. Shimshal yak migration returning (September–October). Khunjerab still open. Quietest and most beautiful.
October – NovemberKhunjerab closes October. Shimshal track icy by November. Gulmit and Passu remain open year-round but infrastructure reduces.