G Adventures has introduced its first-ever trips to Pakistan, offering travellers the opportunity to discover the country’s landscapes, trails and villages.
The new trips focus on giving travellers new and immersive experiences, while supporting the local communities in an often-overlooked country.
Two of the new trips sit within G Adventures Active travel style and centre 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 and today is used by only a handful of hikers every year, leaving many communities cut off and unable to access sustainable income.
G Adventures has worked with local villagers in the Thallay Valley (pictured) to bring the route back to life, helping them to earn supplemental income through work as porters, chefs and guides.
Travellers, meanwhile, gain an insight into local life, spending time with local communities and porters and celebrating the ancient significance of the route, while appreciating staggering scenery, hiking through mountain passes, past glaciers and through meadows where goats and yaks graze.
Beyond the hike, travellers 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.
For young travellers, the new 18-to-thirtysomethings trip also explores undiscovered regions, without the longer more challenging hiking days on the Thallay La Trail.
“Every G Adventures trip gives travellers the chance to share and learn from locals about life in their community,” said Yves Marceau, Vice President of Product at G Adventures.
“Pakistan is a beautiful country and there’s so much to learn from the people who live here. We’re excited to help travellers explore more of it.”
The 11-day Pakistan: Lahore & Hiking the Karakoram Mountains, takes travellers on a journey from Islamabad to Lahore via the rugged Baltistan mountains and the hidden path of the Thallay La trail, with several “active days” with treks to mountain villages.
The holiday also includes a night in the Shigar fort, now a luxury hotel, meeting local artists in Islamabad’s truck art workshops and time exploring the walled city of Lahore.
Prices start from £2,149pp, with departures from July 1, 2025.
