A room in our home, not a hotel.

Ghulkin is a Wakhi village in Gojal, Upper Hunza, off the Karakoram Highway between Gulmit and Passu. It is a working village of orchards, irrigation channels and stone houses, not a resort strip, and staying here is closer to being someone's guest than being someone's customer.

The house is run by Rehman and Sitara. Their son Ali guides the treks. Guests keep saying the same two things in their reviews, so they are probably the truest things we can tell you: the food is very good, and it is hard to leave on the day you planned to.

What staying here is actually like

You eat with the family. Sitara cooks Wakhi food, which in this valley means a lot of apricot, mulberry, buckwheat and dairy, including cheese made in the house. Breakfast is on the table when you come down. Dinner is whenever the walking finishes.

The rooms look out at the mountains, which is not a marketing line here so much as an unavoidable fact of the geography. Guests have specifically mentioned hot showers and comfortable beds, both of which are worth knowing about in a village at this altitude.

What is within reach

Attabad Lake, the Passu Cones, the Hussaini and Passu suspension bridges and Borith Lake are all day trips or less. Baskochi meadow is a walk from the village. The Ghulkin and Passu glaciers and the Patundas plateau start close enough that you can trek and still sleep here the same night. If you want a guide for any of it, that is Ali.

Who this suits

People who want to be in the valley rather than look at it. Couples, solo travellers, and families are all fine. If you are travelling on a tighter budget or want a dorm bed and a crowd to trek with, the backpacker hostel is the same welcome at a different price. If you want to stay for weeks and give something back, look at volunteering.

Booking

Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and how many of you there are. We answer in English. We are rated 5.0 on Google across 69 reviews, which is the honest place to check us before you commit to a valley this remote.