Getting a visa is easy, you should get your visa in your inbox within a few minutes Applications can be made via the NADRA website at https://visa.nadra.gov.pk Choose "Visa Prior to Arrival" You can apply up to 90 days before you travel. All you need is a passport-style photo and a copy of the bio page of your passport.

Tours Starting and/or Finishing in Skardu You should get into Islamabad the day before the tour starts and fly to Skardu on the morning the tour starts. Flying home, you will need to fly from Skardu to Islamabad the day after the tour finishes. Being in a mountainous region, flights can, and do get delayed or cancelled. We can easily cater for a delayed flight getting into Skardu, but you should leave a contingency between the scheduled flight landing in Islamabad and your international flight home in case the flight to Islamabad from Skardu is delayed, we suggest flying out of Islamabad 48 hours after your flight to Islamabad from Skardu. Book your international flight to Islamabad with whichever airline suits you best, and book your Islamabad/Skardu flights with PIA (Pakistan International Airlines), there is also AirBlue, but PIA is much better at handling delays and cancellations. Tours Starting and/or Finishing in Islamabad We will collect you from the airport and take you to your hotel, you should fly into Islamabad the day before the tour is scheduled to leave Islamabad. You should book a flight to return home the day after the tour finishes, we will transport you back to the airport from your hotel.

There are many good hotels in Islamabad, but there are also many bad ones, the general standard is not what you would expect in Europe, Australia or the U.S. Expectations need to be adjusted. We use the Hotel de Palazzo, Street 70 in E11, Islamabad, and the Pearl Continental in Rawalpindi for our guests starting and finishing tours in Islamabad. For Luxury the Islamabad Marriott Hotel, Agha Khan Rd, F5 is a typical Western quality hotel. In the middle is the Crown Plaza Hotel, 99-E Jinnah Ave, Block I G 7/2 Blue Area, Islamabad. Booking sites such as booking.com, trivago.com, and the like all operate in Pakistan.

We like to keep our groups small, particularly if we are on an Adventure tour with off-road elements. the usual number of riders is between 6 and a maximum of 12. If the tour is planned to be only on sealed roads, then the group size can be larger, we have had private groups of up to 22 in such circumstances.

Yes, it is a legal requirement for foreigners to have an international driver's licence to ride a motorbike in Pakistan. HOWEVER, no one has ever been asked to show their licence and the local officials do not seem to care or enforce this rule. Most locals do not have a valid motorcycle licence. It is recommended you arrange an international driver's licence to validate your travel insurance. You may not be able to claim travel insurance on any incident that may arise while riding a motorbike if you do not have a legal licence to do so. If you do not have a legal licence to ride a motorbike in your own country then your insurance is unlikely to cover you in Pakistan. Please check with your insurance provider.

As a minimum, we suggest that you should have 2 years of road riding experience. Some of the roads involve a significant amount of off-road riding on unpaved, rough, dusty, and rocky surfaces and at times may require ice/snow and creek crossings. If you want to improve your skills, we also offer on-tour training.

If we are not on a tour starting and finishing in Islamabad, and we are not picking you up from the Airport, the easiest way is to get a taxi. Like all cities, it can be easy to be ripped off at the airport. Getting to/from the Airport/Islamabad should cost you between 1500 and 2500 rupees depending upon the quality of the car and the distance. Anything over 2500 rupees, even to the east of the city and you are being ripped off. Uber, InDrive/InDriver, Careem & Swvl ride sharing all operate in Pakistan's main cities, including Islamabad.

We have 3 models of bikes to ride, the smallest and easiest to ride are: Suzuki GS150: These are a local bike and are perfect for the roads in Pakistan. They have a low seat height, are very frugal on fuel, and are easy to ride. They are geared very low and are generally a very good option for Pakistan. The suspension is basic and can be a little harsh over rougher ground Yamaha TTR 250: An enduro bike with long travel suspension and more power than the Suzuki, when traveling off-road these bikes are more comfortable and you can ride quicker over rougher ground. They have a soft power delivery with relatively low gearing. Suzuki DRZ400: Enduro bikes with more power than the TTR250s and are a great bike for those with more experience. The roads in Pakistan do not allow for high speeds most of the time, the DRZs can be a little trickier to ride at slower speeds than the TTR's

Whilst you will not need a GPS device, some riders do feel more comfortable having one, so by all means bring your GPS device and a means to attach it to the handlebars of your bike. You will have time on the first day to get it mounted and wired up. Note that our bikes do not have USB ports etc, we used to fit them, but they kept getting broken, if you need a USB charge port on a bike, please bring one with you and wire it in when you get here. Our mechanic will be on hand to help get your GPS/Phone/USB Charger connected.

Absolutely you can ride as a pillion, however, we do limit the number of pillion riders, particularly if the group is riding Enduro bikes as not all Enduro bikes are appropriate for Pillion riders (some don't have passenger foot pegs for example). We also find that sometimes the pillion riders want to ride in the support truck, which is OK, but we limit this to a single person at a time as the support truck has limited space due to being used to transport all your luggage.

It is important to respect local culture when you travel. In Pakistan, it is important to dress modestly and conservatively. Women should wear loose-fitting clothing that covers their shoulders and legs, and men should wear long pants and shirts that cover your shoulders. Additionally, it is important to respect the Islamic traditions of the country and avoid wearing revealing or tight-fitting clothing. When visiting a mosque or other religious site is it important to also cover your arms completely and for women to cover your head with a loose shawl or similar

General riding gear (Helmet, Gloves, Jacket/Armour, Boots etc.) is a given. Between June and August there is the possibility of rain so bring a waterproof layer. At any time of year it may be cold at altitude so also bring an insulation layer. Bring Sunglasses, sunscreen (these can also be purchased locally), a hat/scarf to protect from the sun, plus normal leisure clothes bearing in mind cultural requirements. Space is limited on the support vehicle, so please limit where possible the volume of clothes, these are limited opportunities to get clothes washed as we will be moving on most days, so bring what you need for the duration of the trip. Please keep the volume of clothing (excluding riding gear) to below 100 liters. It is a good idea to bring a small waterproof bag and some straps to mount the bag to the back of the bike for personal items, waterproofs, snacks, water, etc.

Simply put, expect anything, although typically, Pakistan is a hot arid country. The earliest we ride is around the end of May when the snows start to clear from the higher passes and the KKH opens up. Riding Season starts in June and closes down towards the end of end of October or early November, depending upon when the snow starts. Temperatures can vary greatly depending on the time of year and the altitude we are at. Pakistan does have a monsoon season which mainly affects the south, but this can also cause some rain where we ride in the North, particularly around July/August. At Altitude, snow is possible at any time of the year. Typically though, the weather is great for riding, see our FAQ on what to bring.

The bikes we ride are either Suzuki GS 150's, Yamaha TTR 250's or Suzuki DRZ400's Many travel insurance do not cover people to ride a motorcycle above 125cc. Check the coverage and exclusions of your travel insurance carefully before travel. For pure Medical Insurance, that does cover you for riding motorcycles of any size, we have personally used IMI Global when traveling the world on our motorcycles. This insurance does not provide travel insurance, it's purely medical. Think of the system they have in the U.S. where you get medical treatment if you have insurance, this is like that, to provide U.S. Ex-Pats with medical Insurance overseas, any anyone can buy it. Have a look at https://www.imglobal.com/travel-medical-insurance.

The health service in Pakistan has some distinct characteristics: Healthcare Infrastructure: Pakistan’s healthcare system comprises both public and private sectors. Public hospitals and clinics are available, but the quality of care can vary significantly. Major cities have better-equipped private hospitals, catering to a wider range of medical needs. Public Healthcare: Public hospitals are often overcrowded and underfunded. Basic healthcare services are provided, but there may be shortages of medical supplies and trained staff. Rural areas face more significant challenges due to limited access to healthcare facilities. Private Healthcare: Private hospitals are available and offer better facilities and services. They cater to a more affluent population and expatriates. Costs can be high, especially for specialized treatments. Medical Professionals: Pakistan has skilled doctors, nurses, and paramedics. The distribution of healthcare professionals is uneven across regions. Pharmacies and Medications: Pharmacies (called “medical stores”) are widespread, even in the North. You can purchase over-the-counter medications easily. Always verify the authenticity of medicines and buy from reputable sources. Health Risks: Pakistan faces health challenges such as waterborne diseases, malaria, and dengue fever. These are predominantly in the South Visitors should take precautions, including vaccinations and safe water practices. DRINK ONLY BOTTLED WATER Remember to have comprehensive travel and/or medical insurance that covers medical emergencies and riding motorcycles.

Yes, with caveats. With Pakistan being a Muslim country, the sale of Alcohol is not widely available. In Islamabad, you can buy locally made beer and spirits (try the 3-year-old Imperial Whisky :-) ) at the Marriott Hotel. Outside of the major cities, Alcohol is generally not available, or very hard to acquire. It is sometimes possible for us to acquire locally made "Hunza Water" as it is coequally called when we are in the Hunza Valley. "Hunza Water" is a distilled spirit, usually made from locally grown Mulberries. If you want to drink Alcohol, it is best to bring some with you. We are particularly fond of Jack Daniels if you want to curry favour with both your local and M8 MOTO Guides.

Electronic payments are accepted at a variety of places in the major cities, Pakistan is very much a cash economy, and most banks are not connected to the international banking system. It is therefore likely that your foreign card will only work at a very small subset of businesses and banks. Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs easily in major cities, but not so easily in the North. The most reliable banks where foreign cards seem to work fairly consistently are Standard Chartered and Bank Alfalah which have branches in Skardu & Aliabad (Hunza Valley). The easiest way to reliably get cash at a good exchange rate is on the black market. Just let us know how many Euro or U.S. Dollars you want to exchange and we can have the Rupees ready for you in Skardu. Just bring the amount or Euro/USD you want to exchange in cash. You can get cash before exiting the Airport to pay for taxis and your hotel in Islamabad etc, but the exchange rate is very poor, if you have to do this, don't get much, wait until you are in Skardu where we can get a much better rate for you on the black market.