Solo and on a budget: I backpacked to Hunza by public coach

I did Hunza solo on a tight budget last summer, and I want to prove it does not need to be expensive. You do not need a tour package or a private jeep to see one of the most beautiful valleys on earth.

Getting up north cheaply

I took a NATCO coach from Pir Wadhai in Rawalpindi heading toward Gilgit. It is a long haul — around 18 hours with stops — but it cost a fraction of flying or hiring a vehicle, and the scenery on the Karakoram Highway is the journey, not just the means to it. From Gilgit I caught a local Hiace van onward to Aliabad, then a short ride up to Karimabad.

Sleeping cheap

I stayed in budget guesthouses in Karimabad for around PKR 4,000 a night, sometimes less off-peak. The rooms were simple but clean, and the owners treated me like family — one even invited me to share dinner with them. That kind of hospitality is the real luxury of Hunza.

Eating well for little

Chapshuro and daal with local bread kept me full for very little. A hearty meal rarely cost me more than PKR 600–800. The dried apricots and walnuts sold in the bazaar doubled as cheap, healthy trail snacks for day hikes.

How I spent my days

• Hiked up to Eagle's Nest on foot instead of paying for a car.
• Walked the orchards and lanes of Karimabad for hours, just absorbing it.
• Shared a hired car to Attabad Lake and Passu with three other backpackers I met at the guesthouse, splitting the cost.

What the week cost

All in — coach fares both ways, seven nights of guesthouses, all my food, and shared day trips — I spent roughly PKR 55,000–60,000 for the whole week. That is genuinely affordable for what you get.

Tips for fellow solo travellers

• Carry enough cash from Gilgit; ATMs up the valley are unreliable.
• Get a SCOM SIM for the best signal in the north.
• Meet people at guesthouses to share jeep costs — it is how I halved my transport spend.
• Keep a buffer day for landslides or a cancelled onward ride.

Hunza solo on a budget is not just possible, it is one of the most rewarding trips you can take in Pakistan. Go simple, go open, and let the valley do the rest.