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Itinerary
Gem and Mineral Tour Pakistan
Overview
We are very excited to offer our exclusive gemstone trips in Pakistan for which we work together with a local geologist with decades of experience traveling all over the country and who is also government licensed as a guide. So, not only will you be in the perfect company to discover more about the origins of precious and semi-precious stones in Pakistan as you’ll be in the good hands of a professional, you’ll also be with a seasoned guide who knows the country really well! During our trip in the north of Pakistan we will visit several mines and also gemstone shops. You will see how the gemstones are mined and get to know the culture around it.
There are several organizations which are active in the gemstone industry in Pakistan such as APCEA and PGJDC. The coastal city of Karachi used to be one of the biggest trading centers of gems in Pakistan, but afterwards the trade moved to Peshawar, becoming the center of gemstone trading in Pakistan. In Peshawar you can also find gemstones which come from Afghanistan and other central Asian countries. There are gemstone identification labs all over the country, which are established by the government of Pakistan (Pakistan Gems and Jewelry) with the goal of promoting the gemstone business in Pakistan. We can find facilities in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Gilgit, Sargodha and Muzaffarabad. This has had a positive influence on the gemstone trade in Pakistan. There are of course also private identification laboratories.
In north Pakistan we have the Hinduskush mountains, the Karakoram mountain range and the Himalayas with a massive production of baryte, corundum and quartz. In Swat there are enormous reserves of emerald and there is a good stock of pink topaz in Mardan and peridot in Kohistan. In the Tribal Areas, located next to Afghanistan with the Safed Koh range and Sulaiman range, we can find a large variety of gems such as emerald, tourmaline, garnet, quartz and others. Gilgit-Baltistan has many minerals and gems such as ruby, aquamarine, tourmaline ,apphire, moonstone and amethyst, azurite, agate and many others. Hunza is known for beautiful pink and red rubies. In the south in Balochistan where there are several rugged mountain ranges we can also find emeralds, apatite, saphine, tourmaline, ruby, topaz, turquoise and many others.
On our travel in Pakistan we will visit gemstone mines with precious and semi-precious stones in the mountain areas of the north in Pakistan. Besides mines, there will be plenty of opportunities to go to local markets and shops so you will have the chance to buy gemstones and minerals from Pakistan during your travel. We offer mine visits in several regions such as Skardu, Chitral, Haramosh, Deosai, near Nanga Parbat, Hindukush, Swat Valley, Hunza Valley, Nagar Valley and many others. Our trips include hiking and camping, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to discover the natural wonders of Pakistan as we are going to one of the most beautiful regions in all of the country and with some of the most breathtaking mountainous views in all of the world.
You will have plenty of opportunities to interact with the locals and there is also time for culture and history during our village visits. You will get to know everything related to the mining trade and the life and the culture around the gemstone and mineral trade. Some of the mines only require short hikes, but for others we have to trek a few days. We selected the most interesting hikes, so that you’ll have a wonderful experience in the middle of nature. Combined with camping you will feel truly connected to this place, an ideal way of clearing your mind. Enjoy the green lush valleys of Hunza and Nagar, covered in the blossoms of apricots, apples and cherries. Discover the mighty forts of Karimabad and be amazed by the majestic snow-capped mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan, some of the highest mountains in the world. We can find gem pegmatites all over Gilgit-Baltistan, the northern province of Pakistan where we can find huge batholiths and pegmatite fields,
Itinerary:
On this trip we’ll go to the mining area of Chumar Bakhoor which is located in the Summyar Valley in Nagar, which just like Hunza used to be a kingdom until 1974, after which it became part of Pakistan. Summyar is the gateway to the pegmatites on the slopes of the mountains connected to the 4.700 meter high Chumar Bakhoor. The area also offers great views on the Diran Peak and Summyar Peak. The mining fields were only discovered in 1984 by a group of friends who managed to keep it secret for three years. Nowadays hundreds of locals are living in the area to mine aquamarine, apatite, morganite, fluorite, tourmaline, topaz and quartz. The aquamarine crystals are some of the biggest in the world. The best period to come here is between July and October when the miners are present. The work is harsh and the mine is the highest in all of the world.
After Chumar Bakhoor we will visit the famous aquamarine mines of Haramoshi and Shigar Valley, the latter which is one of the major producers of minerals in the north of Pakistan. The Basha and Braldu float into the Shigar and these valleys offer great hiking and camping adventures in a marvelous setting. Our adventure will begin in Skardu, which you can reach by either road or plane from Islamabad.
The Haramosh mines are two hours drive from Skardu on the Karakoram Highway followed by a 4×4 trail to Dassu from where we will hike to Kutwal. There are many granitic pegmatite fields in the Haramosh Mountains between the Chogo Lungma Glacier and the Indus River.
The three most important mining spots are Haramosh Mountains, Istak Nala and Tormiq Valley. Besides visiting the mines, we’ll have time to absorb the beauty of this place and enjoy the magnificent views on the mountains while hiking and camping through this wonderful region.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival to Islamabad/hotel
Day 2: Fly to Skardu or drive to Chilas in case the flight is canceled
Day 3: Drive from Skardu or Chilas to Shigar
Day 4: Visit of mines then back to Skardu
Day 5: Drive to Dassu – Haramosh (camping)
Day 6: Trek to Guray, visit of the mines (camping)
Day 7: Trek to Kutwal Lake (camping)
Day 8: Visits of mines (camping)
Day 9: Trek back to Dassu – drive to Gilgit
Day 10: Gilgit to Karimabad
Day 11: Free day in Karimabad to explore Altit Fort and Baltit Fort and the historical part of town
Day 12: Visit to ruby mines at Donaydas-Ganish
Day 13: Drive to Summyar, hike 1 hour to Madurkoshi (camping)
Day 14: Trek 3-5 hours to the mine (camping)
Day 15: Trek 2-3 hours back down and drive to Karimabad
Day 16: Drive to Passu
Day 17: Drive to Gilgit
Day 18: Fly to Islamabad or drive.
Day 19: Full day visit to the salt mines
Day 20: Buffer day in which you can visit Rawalpindi and Islamabad
Day 21: Departure
Includes:
Hotel accommodation with breakfast meals, Lunch & dinners Meals during camping Private transportation Domestic airfare Islamabad – Skardu – Gilgit – Islamabad camping gear , tents Porters to carry camping gear & food Professional guide fee to sights & museums
visits to mines Bottled water while sightseeing Visa support documents
Excludes:
Domestic and international flights Items of personel use such as laundry, mini bar, alcohol etc Personal insurance
For centuries, people have used the terms precious and semiprecious to describe gemstones. You’ll still occasionally hear these terms today. However, this gem classification has so many exceptions it has no real value.
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