Visas
All travellers require a visa for Pakistan and this can be applied for online here: https://visa.nadra.gov.pk/tourist-visa/
You should ensure that your passport has at least six months’ validity after the end date of your trip. We also strongly recommend that your passport has a minimum of two blank pages next to each other – on rare occasion it may lead to problems with visas and immigration authorities if it does not.
Visa applications can sometimes be complicated, and e-visa platforms do not always work as well as they might, particularly across different internet browsers and when uploading particular documents. We provide supporting documentation that you may need from us, such as hotel confirmations and invitation letters, but once you have actually made your application, our ability to get involved and resolve any minor issues (such as files not uploading) is extremely limited. We therefore strongly recommend that you consider using the services of a visa agency when making a visa application. Of course, they will charge for their services but can save you a lot of time and frustration, and are familiar with the processes and occasional quirks of visa applications. In the UK, we would recommend Travcour (https://travcour-vls.com) as a reliable visa agency.
When applying for your visa, please bear in mind that any flight schedule changes could mean that you enter and/or leave the country a day earlier or later than planned. You should bear this in mind when mentioning your entry date into the country and your departure date from the country, on your visa application.
Health and vaccinations
We are not medically qualified and so we recommend that you speak to your doctor or nearest health professional for advice concerning recommended vaccinations. For more advice on vaccinations you can also visit https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries
Insurance
It is a condition of joining our tours that you have suitable travel insurance in place, and we cannot accept travellers without insurance. All policies differ in terms of what they will cover, but as a minimum you need medical and health cover which will cover you for the whole time that you are away. Most policies will also include cancellation cover, which will cover you if an unforeseen circumstance obliges you to cancel your trip. We recommend that you obtain your insurance as soon as you book your trip.
Please note that government travel warnings often affect the validity of your travel insurance, and you should check this with your insurance company.
Money
The local currency in Pakistan is the rupee. British pound sterling, US dollars or Euros are all fine to bring for exchange purposes. It’s not difficult to change money in Pakistan, either at banks or the hotels and your guide can assist with this. There are a good number of ATMs in Pakistan, although once you get further off the beaten track don’t count on there being any, or the rare ones that there are, to be properly working. For this trip it is best to change money in Islamabad, at the start.
Local conditions
When travelling to some of the destinations we offer you need to bear in mind that things won’t always work here as we’re used to them working at home. Travelling in underdeveloped and untouristed destinations requires both patience and a sense of humour. There may be problems with infrastructure, attitudes may be different, and maintenance may not be as high a standard as we would always like, but this is very much part and parcel of travelling in such a place. We aim to resolve any issues as quickly as possible, and thank you for your patience.
Travel advice
We keep a very close eye on the travel advice issued by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office so that we can keep you up to date with any warnings. At the time of writing the FCO advises against travel to some parts of Pakistan that this trip visits.
We work very closely with our local team and are fully confident that we can operate tours safely in Pakistan. Should you have any concerns over safety please do not hesitate to contact us and we can address your concerns.
This relates to advice from the British government – other nationalities need to check the stance of their own governments.