Sustainable tour operator, Intrepid Travel, has introduced Pakistan as a new destination to its portfolio in 2020. It has launched an expedition trip exploring the country’s turbulent past, fascinating present and hopeful future on a 17-day adventure from Islamabad to Lahore, traveling through the remote reaches of the Karakoram Mountains.

The emerging tourist destination is quickly gaining interest from travellers around the world, with visitors to the country doubling between 2018 and 2019.

“We’re always looking to develop experiences that will get travellers out of their comfort zones, to break new ground and to broaden their horizons,” said Tara Kennaway, senior product manager of operations in Intrepid Travel. “We’re excited to be providing the global community with access to Pakistan, one of the world’s few countries that remain under-the-radar with tourists.”

The company’s new Pakistan Expedition begins in the capital of Islamabad and ends in Lahore, a city that’s not only stood strong through the rise and fall of empires, but also preserved the culture that makes Pakistan such a mesmerizing, all-consuming country. Highlights of the trip include traveling on the famous Karakoram Highway past panoramas of glaciers, alpine lakes and mountains and checking out the ancient site of Taxila, World Heritage-listed ruins that are evidence of over 500 years of cultural evolution influenced by Persia, Greece and the spread of Buddhism.

The expedition will run twice in 2020 from 17 August to 2 September and 2-18 September, with two additional departures scheduled in 2021.