An important mountain pass on the border between Pakistan and China is Khunjerab Pass. There are 15,397 feet (4,693 meters) of elevation above sea level here.
Due to the high altitude, low oxygen, and cold, it is not recommended that children under 5 and old people go to Khunjerab Pass. In summer you can visit the Pak-China border easily with safety measurements.
Sost-Dry Port is the last village in Pakistan before Khunjerab Pass (Pak-China Border). Sost is famous for its Chinese commodities and tax-free zone. You can buy Chinese things at affordable prices.
For Pakistani local people, the Khunjerab Pass ticket price is Rs.500 PKR. On the other hand, the foreigner entry ticket price is 40 USD (11500 PKR) per head charge.
Khunjerab Pass is 180 km away from Hunza Valley. A whole day is required to Khunjerab Pass from Hunza. It takes 4 hours from Hunza Valley to reach Khunjerab Pass on one side.
There is no hotel at Khunjerab Pass for night stays. Only one or two restaurants are available for snacks, tea, and coffee. ATM machines are also available at the Top of the Pakistan-China border.
From December 1 to March 31, Khunjerab Pass remains closed for tourists and trading due to heavy snowfall.
You can visit many places near to Attabad Lake to explore the surroundings. Most of the sightseeing places are:
To visit Khunjerab Pass need to cross the check post of Khunjerab National Park before 4:00 pm.
It is also the door to a great friendship between both countries (China-Pakistan) as Khunjerab Pass connects Pakistan with China. It is considered the highest paved international border crossing in the world. Visitors from both sides of the border come and enjoy the enchanting beauty of the mountains. Beautiful mountains surround the Pakistan (Gilgit Baltistan) side and are home to rare animals.
When exploring Khunjerab National Park and the Pak-China Border we like to base ourselves at Passu. The main reason for this is because it is so incredibly jaw-droppingly beautiful. Passu is quiet, surrounded by rugged mountain ranges and massive glaciers, there are small village communities and spectacular local area walks. It is by far more interesting and pretty than the border town of Sost. Taking a day ride to the Khunjerab border and back is a long day but the road is good and riding is not technical.
Answer to one most common question: which Chinese city is near Khunjerab Pass, well Karakoram highway starts from Pakistan at the point of Hassan Abdal, a small city of the Attack district of Punjab province, and goes to the Chinese city of Kashgar in the western Xinjiang Uyghur.
Khunjerab pass weather goes up to a maximum of 30 C temperature, and in winter, it receives heavy snow that leads to it closing in winter from November to April. As it all depends upon weather conditions, there is no specific time of opening and closing dates of the border. However, calling the highway helpline before traveling to the border is better.
The border remains open from Monday to Friday (5 days a week) from 9 am to 5 on the Pakistan border and 11 am to 8 pm on the Chinese border side of Beijing time. We arrange honeymoon, tailor-made, and group tour packages to Hunza, Khunjerab pass with economical prices.
Where is it?
From the Pakistan side, the closest town is Sost (A Dry Port), and on the China side, Kashgar (1890 KM via Karakoram Highway).
Nearest toilet facilities – The proper public washroom facilities are at the entry checkpoint to Khunjerab National Park.
Type of terrain: This area is high altitude gaining from 2800 mtrs at Sost to 4693 at the Khunerjab border pass. It is a gently rising valley surrounded by hills. Open alpine habitat above the tree line.
Road Condition: The whole journey from Sost to the border is on a fully bitumen road that is mostly in excellent condition. There are some cracks, potholes, and wear in places but overall very good. There may be occasional water or ice due to snow melt.
Weather patterns – The weather at Khunjerab National Park is very unpredictable. Snow can fall at any time of the year. Thick clouds and rain can close in quickly. Temperatures are often significantly colder than in Passu. That said it can also be beautifully clear and warm, hopefully, luck is on our side when we visit 🙂 We do not recommend to travel this road in very heavy rain or snow.
Altitude: The Khunjerab Pass Border crossing sits at 4693 meters above sea level, so the surrounding peaks are much higher. We recommend spending no longer than around 20 minutes at the pass to avoid altitude sickness.
Open Times: The Pakistan / China border crossing is open for travel between mid-April and mid-November, exact dates vary slightly depending on the snow and weather. The crossing is also closed on weekends, so make sure if you want to cross the border and not just visit then plan your timing to be between Mondays to Fridays. On the Pakistan side, the border is open for crossing between 9 am to 5 pm (Pakistan Time) and on the China side between 11 am to 8 pm (Beijing time)
Fuel – the nearest fuel station is Sost.
Atms / Money exchange – There is actually an atm at the border, this often makes travelers stories as it claims to be the highest atm in the world. We advise you to not rely on that atm for withdrawing money. It certainly is a strange sight to see an atm seemingly in the middle of nowhere. All other main ATMs and facilities are at Sost.
Customs office – The border customs processing is actually in the town of Sost, this is where any carnet papers and passport visa documents must be checked and approved for passage. At Khunjerab Pass proper there is just a small checkpoint for the Pakistan-China border crossing.
Khunerjab Pass National Park entry – All travelers must stop at the entry to Khunjerab National Park before proceeding. There is an entry fee which is currently $40 USD for foreigners and 500 rupees for locals. This often causes some contention as to why the price is so massively different. You need to enter the office area and purchase the entry ticket. Payment is cash only.
Public transport options – if you do not have your own transport or sadly are not on tour with us 🙂 There are local buses that do the crossing but no option is provided for travellers who just want to visit the border or national park. It is possible to arrange or hire a local car from Sost Village.
