Destination Deep Dive: First trips in Pakistan for G Adventures

The new adventures explore the ancient Thallay La Trail and support local communities in this unsung country

 

February 11, 2025 – With Pakistan enjoying time in the spotlight as one of 2025’s hottest destinations, adventure travel and community tourism pioneer, G Adventures, is offering travelers the opportunity to explore the landscapes, trails and villages of Pakistan, with the launch of its first trips in the destination. 

 

The groundbreaking new trips embody what G Adventures strives to achieve with its innovative tourism development in emerging destinations, focusing on giving travelers new and immersive experiences, while supporting local communities.

 

Two of the new trips are part of G Adventures’ Active travel style and center around a hike in a remote and untouched region that stretches across the Thallay La Trail, a historic route that was the only link between the ancient kingdoms of Khaplu and Shigar for centuries. The trail was vital for trading and survival of these communities throughout history, but the introduction of modern roads made the route increasingly redundant. Today, the route is only used by a handful of hikers every year, leaving many communities cut off and unable to access sustainable income. 

 

The new trips will be revolutionary for communities in this region, who have previously never had access to the tourism chain. G Adventures has worked with local villagers in the Thallay Valley to bring the route back to life, helping them to earn supplemental income through work as porters, chefs and guides. Travelers, meanwhile, will get an insight into local life here, spending time with local communities and porters and learning about the ancient significance of the route, all while appreciating staggering scenery, hiking through mountain passes, past glaciers and through meadows where goats and yaks graze. 

 

Beyond the hike, travelers will stay in the original forts and castles of Khaplu and Shigar, which have both been converted into hotels as part of an existing initiative to bring economic development to the towns. Trekkers will have a comfortable start and end to the trek, but also have the kind of experience that traders would have had in the centuries when the trail was active.

 

Yves Marceau, vice president of product at G Adventures, is excited to help G Adventures’ travelers see a new country and beautiful regions within the destination that have long been cut off from the income benefits of sustainable tourism.

 

“While tourism to Pakistan is increasing, we saw that many locations and communities are still being overlooked. When launching in a new destination, we always have communities at the heart of our product development, and wanted to look at ways we could bring tourism income to the local people of Pakistan, offering cultural and social interactions with locals in a way that is sustainable and beneficial to these communities,” he says. “This particular region of Pakistan is close to the border with Laddak in India and is quite isolated, seeing very few foreign tourists aside from K2 climbers. The season is short here, and the G Adventures trips are designed to have the maximum impact on the local communities and economy over these months.”

 

“Pakistan remains one of the most beautiful destinations I’ve had the honor of exploring, and one I’m sure will grow in popularity quickly, so now really is the time to visit,” Marceau concludes. 

 

For young travelers, the new 18-to-Thirtysomethings trip also explores undiscovered regions, without the longer, more challenging hiking days on the Thallay La Trail. Working hand-in-hand with local communities, G Adventures has crafted an itinerary that will see travelers feasting on street food at women-owned stalls in Lahore, hiking the Miranjani Peak, traversing glacial valleys and settling into lunch with a local family in Hunza village.

 

“Every G Adventures trip gives travelers the chance to share and learn from locals about life in their community,” adds Marceau, in reference to the 18-to-Thirtysomethings trip. “Pakistan is a beautiful country and there’s so much to learn from the people who live here. We’re excited to help travelers explore more of it.”

 

The three new trips, which are available to book now, include:

• Pakistan: Lahore & Hiking the Karakoram Mountains

This 11-day adventure takes travelers on a journey from Islamabad to Lahore via the rugged Baltistan mountains and the hidden path of the Thallay La trail. The nature of the trip means there are plenty of active days, with pulse-quickening treks to mountain villages, but it’s also a trip for peaceful moments and quiet reflection – appreciating the scene of grazing animals, glittering glaciers and crystalline streams, meeting locals and shepherds along the way. A night in the Shigar fort, now a luxury hotel, provides the perfect end stop, before meeting local artists in Islamabad’s truck art workshops and time exploring the walled city of Lahore.

Priced from $2,879* pp with departures from 1 July 2025.

• Pakistan: Hike the Karakoram Mountains

This slightly shorter nine-day trip skips the sites of Lahore and instead focuses on time in the capital of Islamabad and the ancient Thallay La Trail that’s located deep within the Baltistan mountains. There’ll be steep ascents, spellbinding vistas and tranquil moments, as the group strolls amongst meadows of grazing yaks and goats. There’ll be a sunrise summit of Thallay La Mountain and a celebratory moment with the group, and the local Thallay Valley porters, chefs and guides who helped the group reach this crescendo. After several days of camping, a night in the historic Shigar Fort, now a luxury hotel, is the ultimate treat, before it’s off to Islamabad to learn about truck art and tuck into tasty Pakistani street food.

Priced from $2,499* pp with departures from 1 July 2025.

• Pakistan: Karakoram Highway, Local Eats & Village Life

Aimed at travelers aged 18 to 39, this 13-day trip is a thorough journey through the hidden gem of Pakistan. The trip takes travelers from Lahore to Islamabad, with gentle mountain hikes, pauses in mountain towns and delicious lunches with families along the way. The trip blends active adventures – like traversing the Passu Glacier – with opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, including the female founders of the Korgah Carpet Center who aimed to empower women in Hunza through traditional carpet weaving.

Priced from $1,499* pp with departures from 21 June 2025.

 

G Adventures’ brand-new trips to Pakistan are ready to book now. For more information please visit www.gadventures.com.

 

*Prices exclude international flights.

 

About G Adventures

 

Founded in 1990 by social entrepreneur Bruce Poon Tip, G Adventures is a pioneer in community tourism and small group travel, offering more than 800 trips in 100 countries, on all seven continents. G Adventures’ award-winning trips support local communities, giving travelers meaningful experiences with people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife, while offering them the freedom and flexibility to explore on their own. G Adventures’ responsible approach to travel is demonstrated through its ‘G for Good’ social impact commitments, which include travel guidelines for children, wildlife and Indigenous people, community-based Planeterra projects travelers can experience on their trips, and the industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’ assessment which measures how many traveler dollars stay in the local economy. G Adventures offers life-changing tours for people of all ages, interests and budgets, because our world deserves more you. For more information please visit www.gadventures.com