Pakistan’s Karakoram Highway – ups and downs of a trip on ‘8th wonder of the world’: stunning views, welcoming people, but landslides, altitude sickness are hazards

The 1,300km-long road connects China and Pakistan via the heavenly Hunza Valley, where women’s rights are protected and literacy is high – as is nearby peak K2

Dizzying scenery abounds, but, as the road’s name – meaning ‘crumbling rock’ – suggests, landslides are common. Then there’s Pakistan’s political instability

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A section of the Karakoram Highway in the Passu Valley with views of the Hunza River and Karakoram mountain range. A trip along the 1,300km-long road is a feast for the eyes, but there are some downsides. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 12:41pm, 8 Mar 2024Updated: 9:02am, 16 Mar 2024

Often portrayed in the media as a politically volatile nuclear power, Pakistan is home to some of the most genuinely hospitable people on Earth.

It’s a country of parched, dusty landscapes that give way to a beautiful land of snow-capped mountains, massive glaciers and azure lakes that few outsiders could find on a map.

From the capital, Islamabad, there are two ways to reach the Hunza Valley. Flying to the city of Gilgit, then switching to a bus or taxi, will have you there in about four hours. An infinitely more rewarding alternative is to travel the length of the 1,300km (810-mile) Karakoram Highway (KKH), a spur of the ancient Silk Road traversed by traders for centuries.

The KKH is best experienced in spring or autumn, when the weather is obliging and visibility is excellent.

A dusty unpaved section of the Karakoram Highway. Photo: Getty Images

A Sino-Pakistan joint venture, the road was blasted out of mountains where in many places only donkey tracks had existed. Dubbed the eighth wonder of the world, the engineering marvel is known as the Friendship Highway in China.