The North Backpacker

Overview

Flat-rate and easy on the wallet, The North Backpacker charges PKR 2,000 per day — the same whether you stay one night or several — which makes it a natural stop for anyone travelling through Gulmit o... read more

Flat-rate and easy on the wallet, The North Backpacker charges PKR 2,000 per day — the same whether you stay one night or several — which makes it a natural stop for anyone travelling through Gulmit on a budget. You'll find it on Polo road near the Hunza Marcopolo Inn, an easy landmark to steer by when you roll into Gojal. For a backpacker-style spot it's surprisingly well set up: an on-site cook means you're not scrambling for dinner after a long day on the Karakoram routes, and geysers keep hot water on tap for washing off the mountain dust. The UPS power backup is a genuinely useful touch this far up in Gilgit-Baltistan, where the grid can be temperamental — your phone charges and the lights stay on when the electricity dips. Wi-Fi rounds it out, so trip planning and check-ins with home are covered. Nothing here is fancy, and that's rather the point. It's honest, functional lodging for travellers who care more about getting out into Hunza than about frills, and the fixed price makes budgeting the trip refreshingly simple.