Easy

Silk Road & Indus Valley Archaeological Tour

Walk the Ancient Trade Routes of Asia

From

¥4,212

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9 Days

Duration

Varies

Max Elevation

2–16 pax

Group Size

Punjab & Gilgit-Baltistan

Region

4.8(112 reviews)

About This Tour

Pakistan sits at the heart of the ancient Silk Road — the greatest trade network in human history — and its soil holds an extraordinary wealth of archaeological treasures spanning 5,000 years of civilization. This unique cultural tour traces the Silk Road from Lahore's Mughal monuments through the UNESCO World Heritage site of Taxila (2,500 years of Buddhist, Greek, and Parthian culture), along the Indus River past the world's greatest concentration of prehistoric rock carvings at Chilas and Shatial (50,000+ petroglyphs), and finally to Gilgit's 7th-century Kargah Buddha — the northernmost carved Buddha on the Silk Road.

Tour Highlights

Taxila (UNESCO WHS) — 2,500 years of Buddhist/Greek/Parthian civilization

Chilas and Shatial rock carvings — 50,000+ prehistoric petroglyphs along the Indus

Kargah Buddha, Gilgit — 7th century CE carved rock Buddha

Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Shalimar Gardens (3 UNESCO sites)

Dharmarajika Stupa — Ashokan era (3rd century BCE) Buddhist monument

Ancient Silk Road route through the Indus Gorge

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Arrive Lahore — Mughal Monuments

🏠 Hotel Lahore🍽️ Breakfast, Dinner

Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque.

Lahore — Shalimar Gardens & Museum

🏠 Hotel Lahore🍽️ Breakfast

Shalimar Gardens (UNESCO), Lahore Museum (Gandhara collection, Fasting Buddha).

Lahore → Islamabad → Taxila (UNESCO WHS)

🏠 Hotel Islamabad🍽️ Breakfast, Dinner

Drive to Islamabad/Rawalpindi. Taxila: Museum, Dharmarajika, Sirkap (Indo-Greek city), Jaulian Monastery.

Islamabad → Hund → Ambela → Besham

🏠 Hotel Besham🍽️ Breakfast, Dinner

Drive KKH north. Stop at Hund (ancient Udabhandapura). Ambela battlefield. Besham.

Besham → Shatial Rock Carvings → Chilas

🏠 Hotel Chilas🍽️ Breakfast, Dinner

Shatial petroglyphs — thousands of rock carvings and Buddhist inscriptions from the 1st millennium CE along the original Silk Road track beside the Indus.

Shatial inscriptionsSilk Road landscapeIndus River

Chilas — 50,000 Rock Carvings

🏠 Hotel Chilas🍽️ Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

Full day exploring Chilas region's extraordinary petroglyphs — over 50,000 prehistoric and historic rock carvings and inscriptions along the Indus, including ibex hunting scenes, Buddhist stupas, Sogdian merchant inscriptions, and Tibetan Buddhist art from 1st millennium CE.

Chilas petroglyph sitesThalpan carvingsOshibat inscriptions

Chilas → Gilgit — Kargah Buddha

🏠 Hotel Gilgit🍽️ Breakfast, Dinner

Drive to Gilgit. Visit Kargah Buddha (7th century CE) — a 7m carved Buddha figure on a cliff face, the northernmost on the Silk Road. Gilgit bazaar gems and local crafts.

Gilgit — Historical Sites & Bazaar

🏠 Hotel Gilgit🍽️ Breakfast

Explore Gilgit's polo ground, old scout fort, and traditional bazaar. Optional: drive to nearby Naltar Valley.

Gilgit → Islamabad (fly or road)

🏠 Hotel Islamabad🍽️ Breakfast

Return to Islamabad. Optional: extend to Hunza.