Backpacking in Pakistan is a one of a kind adventure, this is a country which will raise many an eyebrow and steal many a heart… The only danger with backpacking Pakistan is not wanting to leave.
Before I went backpacking in Pakistan, I was unsure what to expect. Pakistan travel advice from my government is basically one gigantic red X. The media has painted the country in an unfortunate light, a fact most Pakistanis are painfully aware of. Wherever I went, I was greeted by friendly faces and incredibly helpful people. Combine that with relatively cheap travel costs, plentiful treks and truly stunning mountains and you have one hell of a great backpacking destination.
The security situation in Pakistan is currently under control and, with the exception of the Afghanistan border regions, most of the country is perfectly safe to visit. On some occasions, you will be assigned a free police escort – read about my experience trekking with mine – to keep an eye on you but these guys are almost alway super friendly and mean well.
Sometimes, when arriving into a new town or area, police will insist that you stay in a certain hotel. Hotels in Pakistan are relatively expensive and to be avoided if possible; I couchsurfed my way around the country, with the help of friends from The Karakoram Club, and had a blast. Please be aware that although The Karakoram Club is full of super helpful people it is a ‘free to join’ Facebook group which means that some tour groups, trying to sell shit to backpackers, are now in the group.
To connect with other backpackers travelling to Pakistan, join the Backpacking Pakistan facebook group. This group was very recently created, is moderated by me and a friend and is the place to find a travel buddy for Pakistan if you want to travel with an amigo. Pakistan Traveller is the most comprehensive travel guide book to Pakistan, recently published by my good friend Tim and well worth picking up before you go.
Check out this video from my first trip (in February 2016) backpacking Pakistan…
Sorry about the video quality; I filmed the whole thing on my phone!
The Pakistani people are very generous and you will be plied with ridiculous amounts of free food and chai. The friends I made in Pakistan remain some of the best I have made on this trip; Pakistanis have a great sense of humour and many of them are real adventure travel enthusiasts.