Travelling north as a woman or a family
The question we are asked most often, and the one almost nobody answers in writing. Here is ours.
“Is it safe for my wife, my daughter, my mother?” We are asked this on WhatsApp several times a week. It deserves a proper answer rather than a one-line reassurance, so this page exists.
The short answer is yes, and the northern areas are among the safer places in Pakistan to travel. The longer answer is that what actually matters is how the trip is run — who is in the vehicle, where you sleep, who you can call — and those are things a tour operator controls and should be willing to describe.
What we commit to
- Same-gender room sharing for solo travellers, at no extra cost.
- Families seated together; solo women seated together toward the front.
- A female coordinator on several departures every month, named before you book.
- Hotels chosen for a staffed night reception, working locks and rooms on one floor for families.
- A phone number a parent or spouse can call while the group is on the road, answered outside office hours.
- A tour leader whose job is the group, not the vehicle.
Call us before you book
Not after. If you are a parent putting your daughter on a coaster to Gilgit, or a husband whose wife is travelling with friends, ring 0311 5811983 and ask us anything you want. We will tell you who is leading that departure, who else has booked, and what the rooming looks like. If we cannot answer something, we will say so.
Frequently asked questions
Can a woman travel alone on your group tours?
Yes, and many do. Solo female travellers are matched with same-gender room-mates on quad and triple sharing at no extra charge. If you would prefer a private room we will quote the single supplement rather than putting you with strangers.
Are there female coordinators?
Several departures each month carry a female coordinator who travels with the group from Islamabad. Ask us which dates and we will tell you honestly rather than claiming it is every trip.
How is seating arranged?
Families sit together. Solo female travellers are seated together toward the front of the coaster unless they ask otherwise. Nobody is seated next to a stranger of the opposite gender without being asked first.
How do you choose hotels for family groups?
Lit and staffed reception at night, rooms on the same floor for a family, locks that work, and hot water. We have stopped using properties over exactly these things and we will tell you which if you ask.
What if my daughter is travelling without me?
Call us before she books. We will tell you who the tour leader is, whether there is a female coordinator on that departure, who she is rooming with, and we will give you a number that is answered while the group is on the road.
Are the northern areas safe for women generally?
Gilgit-Baltistan in particular has a strong culture of hospitality toward travellers and is one of the safer parts of the country to travel in. The practical issues are more about remoteness than anything else — no signal, long distances from a hospital — which is what our itineraries are built around.
Can we do a women-only departure?
Yes, for groups of eight or more we run private women-only trips with a female coordinator and a driver briefed accordingly. Tell us your dates.
What about washrooms on long driving days?
It is a real question and nobody puts it on a website. Our stops on the Islamabad–Gilgit road are at fixed places we have checked. On Deosai and the Fairy Meadows track there are long stretches with nothing, and we tell you where the last stop was.