Northern Pakistan to Kathmandu

Hello!
I'm getting a month's holiday next May and I would really love to visit northern pakistan and perhaps do some trekking. However I also have friends in Nepal and I need to spend around two weeks visiting them as well. I was just wondering is it possible in that length of time to travel overland and what would be the best route to take? Or am I being over enthusiastic with plans for that period of time, especially as I am still a student so I will be trying to do everything as cheap as possible? I would be extremely grateful for any advice that anyone has!

Thanks a million in advance x

As far as I know and according my travel experience I can tell you the following:

The only pass from northern Pakistan into China is the Khunjerab. Once there you need to travel on the Karakorum as far as Kashgar and move from there. The options are: a) flying to Beijing and then to Lhasa and Katmandu (expensive), b) travel overland bordering the Himalayas, way of Kailas, up to Kathmandu, provided you get the visa to enter Nepal. No public transport and long journey. c) drive back from northern Pakistan to Lahore and cross the Wagha border, the only open to foreigners, but then, it's either expensive (flighing) or long to reach Kahmandu overland. With only one month scheduled to travel, I'm afraid it's too short for either option.
I'd recommend to sort out a shorter itinerary and enjoy it at your best. Either Northern Pakistan or Nepal.

Feel free to revert on the subject if you need.
Regards

Unless you can afford some internal flights this is completely impracticable, also if you fly into Katmandu then travel to Pakistan, you will have to return to Kat for your return flight home, or vice-versa from Islamabad. Furthermore, as you don't have much money, you need to consider the cost of visas, which could easily total around Eu200. Do one or the other !
UB.

also if you fly into Katmandu then travel to Pakistan, you will have to return to Kat for your return flight home, or vice-versa from Islamabad.

Not necessarily. The OP could (probably) get an open jaw ticket into Kathmandu and out of Pakistan (either Lahore or Islamabad).

...''especially as I am still a student so I will be trying to do everything as cheap as possible?''

@4, care to suggest an airline who would do this ???

I wouldn't be surprised if it was double the price of a Rome-Katmandu return !!

UB.

@4, care to suggest an airline who would do this ???

I don't know what's the OP departure point but, if Rome as you suggest, Qatar Airways could be an option to get an open jaw ticket for that route. Etihad could be an option too out of other European airports.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was double the price of a Rome-Katmandu return !!

It shouldn't be. It should be more or less the price of a Rome-Kathmandu return. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's even cheaper.

''It shouldn't be. It should be more or less the price of a Rome-Kathmandu return. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's even cheaper''

Really, then I suspect you have not used this type of ticket and would suggest you check these options before recommending them, .............................

Qatar Airlines offer Rome-Kat-Rome 987 Eu.......Rome-Kat..Islmbd-Rome 3780 Eu
I searched for nominal dates, depart 3 Oct return 31 Oct giving OP 1 mth.

Etihad, for the same dates.........Rome-Kat-Rome 854 Eu.....Rome-Kat..Islmbd-Rome 2292 Eu...

I assume he is departing Rome as he claims to be living there !

UB.

Edited by: uselessbaba

A month is too short time to visit around northern areas of Pakistan and overland to Nepal through India.
You 'd be on the buses for most of the time 7 its not fun in that way.

would suggest you check these options before recommending them,

I checked them (see below).

Qatar Airlines offer Rome-Kat-Rome 987 Eu.......Rome-Kat..Islmbd-Rome 3780 Eu
I searched for nominal dates, depart 3 Oct return 31 Oct giving OP 1 mth.

Another search for nominal dates: depart Oct 4, return Nov 1.
Outbound (Oct. 4) Rome-Kat; Inbound (Nov 1) Islamabad-Rome: 880.13 EUR according to the web of Qatar Airways. An overnight stay in Doha is required on the way from Rome to Kat though.
Return flight Rome-Kat on the same dates and with an overnight stay in Doha also required on the way to Kat: 971.99 Eur according to the web of Qatar Airways (and there's right now only one seat available at this fare, so it's likely to be more expensive -very- soon).

P.S.: you got that outrageous fare for the open-jaw ticket on the dates you looked for because Qatar Airways doesn't fly out of Islamabad on Oct. 31 (try to book a one-way ticket from Islamabad to Rome departing on Oct. 31 and you'll see the web of Qatarairways doesn't offer an option on that date). However, when looking for an open-jaw ticket, they offer on option out of Islamabad on Oct. 31 (the option you saw), that option involves flying with Thai Airways from Islamabad to Bangkok and then from Bangkok to Rome (changing planes in Doha) with Qatar Airways. That Thai Airways flight isn't even a codeshare flight (and it isn't offered as an option if you only want a one-way ticket from Islamabad to Rome on the same dates) and makes all it much more expensive. If you choose as departure date out of Islamabad a day in which Qatar Airways flies out of Islamabad (with its own planes), e.g. Nov. 1, you get a much logic fare for the open-jaw ticket (and in the case I quoted above, even cheaper than a return to Kathmandu).

Just had a look at those dates 4Oct-1Nov and got a price of 1592 Eu with Qatar.
But even if he can afford it, He still has to get from Kat to Islmbd and then up to the north and back in 2 weeks, which is a lot of very uncomfortable travelling for a few days around Gilgit,
So I would still say do one or the other !
UB.

Just had a look at those dates 4Oct-1Nov and got a price of 1592 Eu with Qatar.

If you use the web of Qatar Airways, you'll see that they offer you several options for the outbound flight as well as for the inbound flight and each one of those options and combinations has a different price.
QR088/QR356 outbound and QR399/QR079 inbound (all of them in a tourist cabin) provide the cheapest fare (among those that I tried) although it seems it raised since the last time I saw it and it's now 975.13 EUR.
BTW, Kayak, Expedia or Orbitz can be an useful webs to look for prices or open-jaw tickets although you should confirm them (the prices) going to the source they link.

So I would still say do one or the other !

I agree the best idea could be to make only one country given the amount of time of the OP.