Duikar, Eagle’s Nest and Borith
Overview
A full day from Karimabad: up to Duikar in the dark for sunrise over the Hunza valley, then north to Borith Lake and the Passu glacier viewpoint. One day, one vehicle, no walking you have to do.
Duikar before dawn
Eagle’s Nest at Duikar sits on the ridge above Karimabad and looks down the length of the Hunza valley with Rakaposhi, Diran and the Ultar group around it. We drive up in the dark on a steep narrow road and bring breakfast. On a clear morning it is the single best hour in Hunza and we say that having seen most of the alternatives.
Borith and Passu
After the sun is properly up we go north past Attabad to Borith Lake, a shallow lake above Husseini with the Passu glacier behind it, and on to the viewpoint for the Passu cones. Back in Karimabad by evening.
Who it is for
Anyone with a spare day in Hunza, which is most people — the valley is where itineraries put their buffer. It is also the right trip for travellers who cannot walk far but want the view everybody else is trekking for — Patundas is the version you walk to.
When it runs
March to November, and it is entirely weather-dependent. We will tell you the night before whether the morning is worth getting up for rather than driving you up a mountain into cloud.
What is inside the price
Transport and your own driver, a guide on our payroll, entry fees, breakfast at the viewpoint and water. Group first aid, and the evacuation procedure we publish for every trip. See the rest of Hunza and our other day excursions.
- Duration
- 1 day
- Trek days
- 0
- Maximum altitude
- 3,000 m [confirm]
- Grade
- Easy
- Group size
- Max 8
- Guides
- 1 certified, WFR
- Season
- March – November
- Starts / ends
- Karimabad / Karimabad
- Accommodation
- None — day trip
- Sunrise over the Hunza valley from Duikar, with breakfast carried up
- Rakaposhi, Diran and the Ultar group from one viewpoint
- Borith Lake above Husseini, with the Passu glacier behind it
- The Passu cones viewpoint on the way back
- A real mountain view for travellers who cannot walk far
Private departures and group pricing
Your party, your dates. The per-person figure falls as the party grows, because the guides, the vehicles and the camp cost the same split more ways. Everything in the inclusions list applies, and the safety standard is the one published above.
| Party size | Price per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | USD 300 | Private guide and vehicle for the two of you |
| 3 – 4 | USD 250 | |
| 5 – 8 | USD 210 | Second guide joins at six |
Deposit is 25% of the trip price. The payment schedule and the cancellation terms are published and sent with every quote, before you pay anything.
Day by day
Buffer days are built in, not padding. If the weather takes them, nothing downstream collapses and you are not charged twice.
01 Duikar before dawn, Borith and Passu after Day trip · 3,000 m
Collected in the dark, up to the Duikar viewpoint for first light with breakfast carried. North past Attabad to Borith Lake and the Passu cones viewpoint through the middle of the day. Back in Karimabad by evening.
What is included
- All transport and your own driver
- A guide on our payroll
- Entry fees where they apply
- Water and a packed meal where the timing needs one
- Group first aid
- Travel insurance
- Personal equipment
- Tips
If our price is wrong for you we will move you to a lower tier or remove a named inclusion. We do not discount a published price, and we do not cut the crew.
Fitness and difficulty — read this honestly
No fitness requirement. Everything on this day is reached by vehicle and the walking is a few hundred metres at each stop, on level ground.
What it asks for is a very early alarm and warm clothes. Duikar before dawn is cold in any month and bitter in spring and autumn, and people routinely underdress for an hour of standing still at altitude in the dark. The road up is steep and narrow, which is why we drive it rather than letting anyone else.
Kit list
The full list with quantities is sent with your quote. Rental is available in Skardu for most of it, priced separately. Your kit is checked item by item in Islamabad, not the night before the trek.
Group — we provide
- Vehicle, driver and fuel
- Group first aid
- Water
Personal — yours
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Layers — valley warmth and viewpoint cold on the same morning
- Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Personal medication
Safety, evacuation and insurance
Helicopter rescue in the Karakoram is not guaranteed. Weather, altitude, daylight and clearance all decide whether a helicopter flies, so every stage carries a named drive-out or walk-out plan. Your insurance must cover helicopter evacuation and repatriation to the maximum altitude on your itinerary, and we verify the certificate before the trip starts.
A graded medical kit sized to the trip, oxygen, a portable altitude chamber, a satellite phone and a messenger, and a wilderness first responder in the crew.
The lead guide’s decision to turn back is final. Not a guest, not an agent, not this office — whatever has been paid.
Getting there
From Karimabad
We collect you from your hotel in the dark, around ninety minutes before first light.
The Duikar road
Steep, narrow and unlit. Our own vehicle and our own driver, every time.
The rest of the day
North on the Karakoram Highway to Borith and Passu, and back to Karimabad by evening.
Questions people actually ask
Is it worth getting up that early?
On a clear morning, yes — and we say that as the people who have to drive you up there in the dark. It is the single best hour in Hunza. We will tell you the night before whether the morning looks worth it rather than driving you into cloud.
How long is the day, and when does it run?
A full day, starting around ninety minutes before first light and back in Karimabad by evening. March to November, and entirely weather-dependent.
How fit do I need to be?
Not at all. Everything is reached by vehicle and the walking is a few hundred metres at each stop on level ground. It is the right trip for anyone who wants a mountain view without walking for it.
How cold is it at Duikar?
Cold in any month and bitter in spring and autumn. People routinely underdress for an hour of standing still in the dark at altitude. Bring more than you think.
How high is Duikar?
Around 3,000 m. We have no reliable second source for that, so it carries a marker. High enough to feel on a cold morning, not high enough to plan around.
Do I need a permit?
No. Hunza and Gojal are open zones and your Pakistan visa is the only paperwork. Entry fees at the viewpoint are in the price.
What does it cost and what moves the price?
Party size, almost entirely — it is one vehicle, one driver and one guide whether there are two of you or eight. Deposit is 25 per cent.
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