List of Restricted Treks That Require Trekking Permit
Pakistan’s northern areas is home world’s three great mountain ranges. These include the incredible Karakoram, the grand Himalayas and last but not the least the amazing Hindukush. The rich natural environment is made of mountains, glaciers, rivers, streams, lakes and pastures etc. The rugged and yet beautiful landscape of northern areas makes it a perfect destination for trekking in Pakistan. For an idea, some of the famous trekking trails in Pakistan are given in the table below.
| S. No. | Trekking Route | Route Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltoro – Gondogoro – Hushe | Concordia, K2 Base Camp, Gasherbrum Base Camp; return by the same route or cross Gondogoro Pass or Vigne Pass, K7 Base Camp, Hushe, Skardu, or vice versa. |
| 2 | Baltoro – Masherbrum Pass – Hushe | Skardu, Askole, Concordia, K2 Base Camp, Gasherbrum Pass, K7 Base Camp, Hushe, Skardu, or vice versa. |
| 3 | Panmah Glacier – Sim Pass | Skardu, Panmah Glacier, Chining Glacier, Drenmang Glacier, Nobande Sobande Glacier, Simgeng Glacier, Chaktoi Glacier, Sim Pass, Simgang Glacier, Snow Lake; down to Askole via Biafo Glacier or to Nagar via Hispar Glacier, or vice versa. |
| 4 | Lukpe La Pass | Skardu, Askole, Biafo Glacier, Snow Lake, Simgang Glacier, Lukpo Pass, Braldu Glacier, Shimshal Pass, Shimshal Village, Gilgit, or vice versa. |
| 5 | Hushe Valley | Skardu, Hushe, Masherbrum Base Camp, Shaicho, Gondogoro Base Camp, K7 Base Camp, Hushe, Skardu, or vice versa. |
| 6 | Chapursan Satura | Gilgit, Sost, Yashkuk by jeep; then on foot to Kukijerab Glacier, across Lupghar Pass to Raminji or across a 5,200 m pass to Lupdor and Batura Glacier, Passu, or vice versa. |
| 7 | Chupursan Valley | Gilgit, Hunza, Sost, Chillinji Pass, Iskhomen, Gilgit, or vice versa. |
| 8 | Shimshal – Chapching Pass | Gilgit, Passu, Shimshal, Boesam Pir Pass, Mundi Kushlag, Chapehingal Pass, Karakoram Highway, Gilgit, or vice versa. |
| 9 | Shimshal – Braldu Glacier – Snow Lake | Gilgit, Passu, Shimshal Village, Shuijerab, Braldu Glacier, Lukpo La, Snow Lake; to Nagar via Hispar La & Hispar Glacier or to Askole & Skardu via Biafo Glacier, or vice versa. |
| 10 | Ishkoman & Darkut Passes | Gilgit, Ishkoman, Ishkoman Pass, Darkot, Darkot Pass, Baroghil, Mastuj, and return to Gilgit. |
| 11 | Khot Pass | Chitral, Turkhow, Khot Pass, Ochall, Ishkarwaz, Karambar Pass, Ishkoman Valley, Gilgit, or vice versa. |
| 12 | Shah – Jinali – Chillinji Pass | Chitral, Rua, Shah Junali, Lasht, Ishkarwarz, Karambar Pass, Chillinji Pass, Chapursan Valley, Gilgit, or vice versa. |
| 13 | Zindigram Pass Trek | Chitral, Shah Junali, Paur, Gazin, Lasht, Kishmanja, Ishkarwarz to Darkot Pass or Karambar Pass, Zindikharam Pass, Ishkoman, Gilgit, or vice versa. |
| 14 | Arkari Trek | Chitral, Shugur Biyasan, Babu Camp, Arkari, Garam Chashma, Shahgram, Chitral, or vice versa. |
| 15 | Darkot Pass | Chitral, Mastuj, Lasht, Darkot Pass, Ishkoman, Gilgit, or vice versa. |
| 16 | Chillinji Trek | Chitral, Ishkarwarz, Karambar Pass, Chillinji Pass, Chapursan Valley, Gilgit, or vice versa. |
The following areas are restricted/prohibited/border areas for Foreign Nationals in Pakistan. Visiting these areas requires special permissions including permits, No-Objection Certificates from different state institutions. For more information, contact your local Pakistani tour operator (e.g. Apricot Tours) to guide you more on this subject.
1. Some Areas of Azad Kashmir
- A belt of 10 miles all along the Line of Control (LOC)
2. Areas of Baluchistan
- Quetta, Sibi and Kalat Division excluding
- Quetta City
- Quetta Chaman Road
- Quetta-Ziarat Road including Ziarat
- Quetta-Zahidan Road
- Quetta Zhob Jacobabad-Sukkur Road
- Zahidan-Quetta-(Loralai Dera Ghazi Khan Road)
- Industrial area of Hub-Chowki and Uthal in the District of Lesbela
3. Cantonments/Prohibited Areas
- Prohibited places falling in or out cantonments as defined in section 2(8) of Official Act, 1923
- Isolated cantonments such as Kharian, Gujranwala, Shorkot, etc.
- Cantonments merging with civil areas such as Peshawar, Nowshera, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, etc. excluding the roads, market areas, civil areas, parks, hotels, and airports, etc.
- All important installations which have been specifically signposted as prohibited areas.
4. Few regions of Northern Areas
- A belt of 10 miles all along the Line of Control
- A belt of 30 miles along the border with Wakhan Province of Afghanistan. Northern Areas except the portion of Karakoram Highway running through the area from Gircha to Bara Khun.
- Border Areas linking to Karakoram Highway (KKH)
- KKH from Thakot to Khunjerab Pass i.e. Pakistan-China border is now open for travel for foreigners. Movement of foreigners on either side of the road within the 30 miles specified above is prohibited and no cross country movement shall be allowed.
- Indo-Pakistan Border:
- A belt of 10 miles along Indo-Pakistan border except the highway to India via Wagah check post or any other authorized check post.
- Main Channel and PIDC Channel North of Nine Green Buoy but excluding Yari Creek.
- Pak Afghan Border
- A belt of 10 miles all along Pak-Afghan border, except Wakhan (Afghanistan) where it should be 30 miles, along the district of Chitral from the border.
- Pakistan China Border:
- A belt of 10 miles all along the border.
5. Tribal Areas (North West)
-
- Kurram Agency
- North and South Waziristan
- Areas are known as Bajour, Kot and Agra in Malakand Division.
- Nagdara and Usheri Darra in Dir District.
- Mohmand Agency (except Warsak Dam and Power House)
- Khyber Agency (except Peshawar-Torkham Road)
- Tribal Areas attached to Kohat District and Dara Adam Khel including Gun Factories except for Peshawar-Kohat Road.
- Special Areas attached to Bannu and D.I. Khan District.