What Are The Bicycle Touring Possibilities In Northern Pakistan?

Northern Pakistan offers extraordinary bicycle touring through some of the world's most spectacular mountain landscapes. The region provides challenging yet rewarding routes for experienced cyclists seeking adventure.

Premier Routes:

• Karakoram Highway from Islamabad to Hunza and beyond offers iconic mountain scenery with challenging climbs
• Kaghan Valley and Naran offer beautiful alpine landscapes, though the climb toward Babusar Pass is strenuous and suitable mainly for well-trained cyclists.
• The Fairy Meadows area is popular with trekkers; however, the access road to Tatu Village is extremely dangerous and generally not suitable for cycling.
• Skardu region offers remote but demanding touring routes, including rough gravel sections and high-altitude passes where services are extremely limited.

Considerations: Northern routes involve significant elevation gain, unpaved sections, and extreme weather variability. The cycling season varies by route: the Karakoram Highway is generally rideable from April to November, while high passes such as Babusar or Deosai typically open only from June to October when passes are snow-free. Support vehicles are recommended for carrying supplies, as services can be sparse between towns.

Practical Preparation: Cyclists need proper acclimatization for high-altitude routes, quality equipment including spare parts unavailable locally, and only certain border-adjacent zones require special permits, while most main cycling routes such as the Karakoram Highway and Hunza–Skardu roads are accessible without permits.. Local tour operators offer supported bicycle tours with logistics handled professionally. Independent tourers should carry sufficient food, water purification, camping gear, and repair supplies.

The cycling community is welcoming, and local communities are generally very hospitable, though some high-altitude sections are extremely remote with little or no local presence. Road conditions vary from paved highways to rough tracks, requiring sturdy bikes and technical skills for challenging terrain.