The Karakoram Highway Road Trip: Complete Itinerary

# The Karakoram Highway Road Trip: Complete Itinerary The Karakoram Highway — KKH — is the highest paved international road on Earth. Built over 20 years by Pakistani and Chinese engineers at enormous cost in human life (810 workers died in its construction), it stretches 1,300km from Hasan Abdal near Islamabad to Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Province. ## Islamabad to Besham (Day 1) Leave Islamabad before 7am to avoid city traffic. The road winds through Hazara hills. Stop at Tarbela Dam (one of the world's largest earth-filled dams). Reach Besham in the Indus gorge by afternoon. Night here. ## Besham to Chilas (Day 2) The KKH enters the dramatic Indus River gorge — sheer 2,000m rock walls on both sides. Stop at the ancient rock carvings at Chilas — thousands of Buddhist petroglyphs from the 1st century CE, carved by Silk Road travelers over 2,000 years. ## Chilas to Gilgit (Day 3) The most dramatic section — the road skirts the base of Nanga Parbat's Rupal Face. On clear mornings, the 8,126m peak fills your windscreen. Arrive Gilgit for rest. ## Gilgit to Karimabad (Day 4) The final KKH section to Hunza. Pass through the spectacular Hunza River canyon. Arrive Karimabad — the cultural heart of Hunza. ## Karimabad to Khunjerab Pass (Day 5) The grandest stretch — Attabad Lake, Passu Cones, Gojal Valley, and finally the 4,693m Khunjerab Pass at the China border. ## Road Conditions The KKH is generally good from Islamabad to Hunza. Beyond Hunza to the border, road quality varies. A 4x4 vehicle is recommended for the upper sections.