Your holiday starts at the hotel in Islamabad. Transfers from Islamabad Airport are provided. The majority of international flights arrive in the early morning and you may want to rest before lunch. The first group get-together will be at lunch, during which the tour leader will provide a pre-trip briefing. If there is the opportunity to include a sightseeing tour today, either in the modern city of Islamabad or in nearby Rawalpindi, a city from the days of the British Raj, it will be optional and there will be a charge payable locally.

We take the early morning flight to Gilgit, capital of the newly re-named region of Gilgit-Baltistan. This short, but spectacular, flight skirts past the breath-taking Nanga Parbat (8126m), the 9th highest peak in the world, before descending into the valley of the Gilgit River. Arriving at our accommodation in Gilgit by late morning, we will settle in and enjoy our lunch there. Then, in the afternoon, the tour guide will take the group on a relaxed walking tour through the bazaars of this historic town, situated at the confluence of the Gilgit and Hunza rivers. Gilgit has always been an important regional trading post and its shops are stocked with spices, dried fruit, hand-woven rugs, gemstones and all manner of produce from nearby China. Our hotel has pleasant gardens shaded by chinar trees; a pleasant place to catch up on reading and relaxing before taking our dinner and turning in.

Today, we set off on the drive northwards into the Hunza Valley. It will take a couple of hours or so on the Karakoram Highway to reach Karimabad (2500m), the effective capital of the Hunza District, where we check in at our accommodation which looks across to the towering peak of Rakaposhi (7788m). Formerly known as Baltit, Karimabad occupies a dramatic location above the Hunza Valley and directly below the imposing Ultar (7388m). There are a couple of ancient and well-preserved historical forts on the outskirts of the town, and after lunch at our hotel we choose to take a stroll through the streets with our guide up to the impressive Baltit Fort which has been updated several times in its more than 700 years of history. The present-day fort, extensively rebuilt at the end of the 19th century (having been dismantled by the British Raj), is rather Tibetan in style with a whitewashed façade, wooden pillars and intricately carved wooden windows and balconies. If time allows, we can also visit the Altit Fort. We will return to our hotel for dinner with views from the restaurant across to the deep valley of the Sumayar River as our backdrop.

We will have an early start this morning and transfer on a switch-back road, climbing through poplar forest to the renowned Eagle's Nest Hotel (3000m) at Altit. Here, we will have breakfast on the terrace with an amazing 360 degree panorama across the Hunza Valley. Our guide will identify the big peaks: Ultar, Diran and Rakaposhi, to name only the most prominent. After a leisurely breakfast and taking in the vista, we will drive back down to the Karakoram Highway and continue up the valley to Attabad. Here, we will find the astonishing spectacle of the 20km-long Attabad Lake that formed as a result of a landslide in January 2010, completely blocked the Hunza Valley. Before the adjacent road tunnels were completed, reopening the Karakoram Highway, all traffic had to be carried across the lake by boat. This water-borne traffic is now much reduced, the only boats remaining serving visitors and travellers looking for a different experience. Sailing across the unusually azure-blue lake is an unforgettable experience, passing close to vertiginous cliffs plunging directly into the water and offering great views of the mountains beyond. We disembark close to Passu and check in at our hotel which is situated beneath the stunning Tupopdan peak (6106m), also known as Passu Cathedral. One of Passu's renowned highlights is the late-afternoon lightshow on this peak's steep rock walls and towers as the sun follows its downwards trajectory.

To the west of Passu, several immense glaciers grind and scour their way down from the range of peaks known as the Batura Mustagh. Today we will experience this spectacular area as we trek up above Passu. After 20 minutes we arrive at Passu Lake, situated at the snout of the Passu Glacier. From the shore of the lake, we can see the glacier terminus and the towering summits of Passu Sar, Shispare Sar and Ultar. Continuing beside the lake, and then up onto the ridge to the south, we have increasingly impressive views of the Passu Glacier, Passu Sar and back towards the village and the green Hunza Valley beyond. The further we go up the ridge towards the west, the better these views are. We drop down towards the south into a hidden bowl where we soon come across a rough jeep road, irrigated fields and the scattered dwellings of the upper part of the village of Borit. A little further on, we reach Borit Lake, a bucolic small pool surrounded by greenery and home to ducks and other birdlife. We can have our picnic lunch beside the lake before continuing our exploration up onto the moraine ridge on the north side of the Ghulkin Glacier. This is a super viewpoint for the peaks of the Batura Mustagh and we can also look down from here to Attabad Lake. Returning to Lake Borit, we walk down the rough jeep road to the village of Hussaini, located on the Karakoram Highway, and from there transfer back to our hotel in Passu.

After an early breakfast, we'll drive up to the village of Shimshal, often described as a vision of Shangri-La. This used to be a journey that could only be made on foot over three days, but now the valley is connected with a jeep track that means it now takes 3 hours to drive. Shimshal is a traditional village and home to people of the Wakhi ethnic group. Set amongst irrigated fields of barley, wheat and peas and abundant groves of apricot, walnut and poplar trees; Shimshal is a remote and pretty spot. The Shimshalis keep large herds of sheep and yaks on pastures high above the village, notably at Shuwert on the Shimshal Pass. Whilst we won't climb that high on this visit, we will appreciate a better perspective on the way of life here by taking an enjoyable return hike up the valley. Following the Shimshal River as far as the tributary Pamir-e-Tang, we cross this stream on a bridge and then ascend a steep spur to the viewpoint at Gar-e-Sar (3500m), a name which means 'top of the rock'. 3 hours after setting off, we will reach the outstanding panorama of the Yazhgil Glacier and the rarely-seen peaks of Yukshin Gardan Sar (7530m) and Kunyang Chhish (7852m). We retrace our steps to Shimshal where we overnight at a basic guesthouse.

Today, we'll drive out to the Karakoram Highway and then back down the Hunza Valley through the Attabad Lake tunnels. Constructed to reconnect the Karakorum Highway with the Chinese border, the five tunnels together stretch for 7 kilometres. We then take a spur road into the Nagar Valley and follow the Hunza River, flowing parallel to the road. We continue for 20 kilometres to the collection of small hamlets known as Hopar (2750m); each of them set amongst a pretty patchwork of fields. Surrounded by lush, green fields, the village is overlooked by distant snow-capped mountains. It will take around 6 hours including a lunch stop to reach the Hopar Inn, overlooking the moraine of the Bualtar Glacier which we will cross tomorrow at the start of our trek up to Rush Lake.

The first leg of our trek takes us across the Bualtar Glacier, which is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world (at a rate of 20cm a day!). After leaving the village of Hopar, we soon drop down onto the glacier via a steep zig-zag path. A cairned trail leads across the glacier surface, strewn with moraine and boulders, and after an hour or so we climb across a spur between the Bualtar and Barpu glaciers. Dropping down onto the Barpu we now cross this next glacier over moraine rubble and ice for a further hour to finally reach the ablation valley beyond. An easy further hour of walking along this natural feature takes us to our wild campsite amongst sparse woods at a place known as Barpu Giram (3250m), where there is also a ruined shepherd's hut.

Our route up towards Rush Lake now heads away from the glacier, climbing steeply on a scant trail up to the long ridge that separates the Barpu Glacier from the lower Hispar Valley. We pass tiny seasonal dwellings and observe a traditional way of life that has existed here in Pakistan for centuries, untouched by modernity. After 3 hours steady climbing, we reach a slightly more level section of ridge which takes us, after a further hour or so, to our camping place at Hura (4150m.) There are excellent views out over a wild and glaciated landscape.

We will spend day based at our camp at Hura (4150m), exploring the mountainside with some gentle walks and enjoying the superlative views that extend down to the village Hopar and the valleys of Hunza and Hispar. Spending a second night at Hura is important for our programme of acclimatisation before heading further up to the objective of our trek: Rush Lake.

The ground steepens as soon as we leave camp, the track climbing through a boulder field for half an hour or so to reach a more level ridge-top trail. We gain height steadily and after around an hour of walking we reach Rush Lake (4694m) and set up camp. The lake is unusual in its ridge-top location and attracts a number of migrating bird species. We will also spot one or two yaks or dzos (yak-cow crossbreeds) grazing on the lakeside pasture. This is a lovely and rarely-visited Karakoram gem and we have the afternoon free to enjoy the far-reaching breath-taking views, notably across to Malubiting (7458m) and down into the Hispar Valley almost 2000 metres below. After lunch, there is the option to hike further up the ridge to the viewpoint known as Rush Phari Peak (5098m) which includes a steep and quite rocky final approach. From the summit, there is an incredible 360-degree mountain panorama. All the high peaks of Hunza can be seen; from Ultar to Diran and Rakaposhi, while to the south, the 'Golden Pillar' of Spantik (7027m) catches the eye. On a clear day, we will be rewarded with views towards the Baltoro giants of K2 (8611m) and Broad Peak (8047m). This optional and extremely rewarding afternoon hike will add 3 to 4 hours to the day's trek.

After breakfast at our lakeside camp, we drop down directly southwards to the Sumaiyar Bar Glacier. It is 1100 metres of descent to the grazing ground, known as Phahi Phari, and this takes around 2 hours, depending on our fitness. From here, we follow a trail beside the glacier for an hour or so until we are beyond its confluence with the Barpu Glacier. We then drop down onto the ice to make the one and a half hour glacier crossing. Here, we are well above the crossing point that we used at the beginning of our trek and we encounter different conditions. The central part of the glacier is easy going on level white ice, which is not at all slippery on account of the gravel that is melted into its surface. The edges of the glacier, in contrast, are more broken up and we have to take care to find the best route. Reaching the west side of the glacier, we climb up to the seasonally inhabited settlement of Hapa Kund (3400m), where there is a collection of stone-built houses and an area of cultivated land surrounded by extensive pasture. From our camp here, there are brilliant views back across the Barpu Glacier to the Golden Pillar of Spantik at the head of the valley. In the evening, if we are lucky, our porters and the local herdsmen will get together for a session of singing and dancing.

After a leisurely breakfast at camp, we set out to gradually descend the western margin of the Barpu Glacier on a good trail used by the people of Hopar, as they travel between the main village and their summer shepherding and farming camps. Taking our time and enjoying this final day of trekking, it will take us the remainder of the morning to reach the Bualtar Glacier and we may stop for lunch before crossing to Hopar. At the village, after saying farewell to our porters and crew, we drive back to Gilgit where we check in at our hotel.

It's just a short transfer to Gilgit Airport where we board our plane for the 1-hour flight back to Islamabad. Arriving in the Pakistani capital, after a period in the mountains, is always a strange experience and it takes a little time to get used to the hustle and bustle and especially the traffic. Our private bus will be waiting at the airport to transfer us to the group hotel and once we have settled in it will be time to take lunch (unless we have experienced unusual flight delays). After lunch, the rest of the day is free for independent sightseeing or to relax at the hotel. Your trip leader will advise you on the possibilities for sightseeing. Shopping for hand-made rugs is a usually popular option. This evening, we come together again for a celebratory meal at the hotel or in a local restaurant.

Gilgit is a 'weather dependent' airport which means the planes will only fly here if the weather isn't hampering the visibility of the runway. Fortunately, the weather is mostly clear in the Karakoram but local weather conditions can bring cloud and rain from time to time. The drive down the Indus River to Islamabad will take up most of one day, so this is an important contingency day to allow for this. If we have flown to Islamabad yesterday, this will be a further day for sightseeing in the capital and your leader will advise the group on the options available for today.

Your holiday ends after breakfast. Transfers to Islamabad Airport are provided.