Ride.
Karakoram Highway: The 8th Wonder of the World
- Miles: 480
- Start: Hassan Abdai
- End: Pidakkesh
- Time: two to three days
- Suitability: A2 or above
The Karakoram Highway (KKH) was included in the list of the world’s most famous roads by Wikicamper in 2019.
Owing to the high altitude and the zig-zagging path of the highway, Wikicamper called KKH an “ideal setting for the most dizzying road trip.” The website also explained the infrastructure and other noteworthy features of one of the highest paved roads on earth, which is also considered the eighth wonder of the world.
The Karakoram Highway, also known as the KKH, National Highway 35 N-35, and the China–Pakistan Friendship Highway, which extends from Hasan Abdal in the Punjab province of Pakistan to the Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, where it crosses into China and becomes China National Highway 314. The highway connects the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plus Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The highway is a popular tourist attraction and is one of the highest paved roads in the world, passing through the Karakoram mountain range at maximum elevation of 4,714 m (15,466 ft) near Khunjerab Pass. The highway is also a part of the Asian Highway AH4.
The complete Karakoram Highway goes from Hassan Abdai to Kashgar in China and covers over 800 miles.
Khunjerab Pass, on the Karakoram Highway, is the point where the borders of Pakistan and China meet. The Khunjarab Pass is closed from November to March due to heavy snowfall.
Hasan Abdal is a city in the Attock District of Punjab Province in Pakistan. Located 24 miles (40 km) northwest of the country’s capital city, Islamabad.
As home of the Gurdwara Panja Sahib, one of the most sacred sites in Sikhism, Hasan Abdal is an important pilgrimage destination for Sikhs.
Abbottabad is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in the country and 6th largest in the province.
Mansehra is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. By population, it is the 71st largest city in the country and the 7th largest in the province.
Besham is a city in the Shangla District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Located on the right bank of the Indus River, Besham serves as a major junction on the Karakoram Highway.
Pattan is the capital of Lower Kohistan District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Passu is a small village situated in the Gojal valley of Upper Hunza in the Gilgit Baltistan region of Northern Pakistan.
Khaibar is a village in the upper Hunza Valley of Gilgit–Baltistan in Pakistan. It is situated between Kirilgoz Peak and Shanoz Peak, below the Shaujerab Glacier, and just to the west of the Hunza River.
Khunjerab Pass is a mountain pass in northern Pakistan that lies at an elevation of 4,693 metres (15,397 ft) above sea level. It is located in the Karakoram and holds a significant strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan, specifically in the Gilgit-Baltistan’s Hunza and Nagar Districts. Additionally, it is positioned on the southwestern border of China, within the Xinjiang region.
Highest ATM in the world
The Pakistani side of the Khunjerab Pass features the highest ATM in the world, administered by the National Bank of Pakistan and linked to China UnionPay and the domestic 1LINK switch (4693 m).
