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Voykit pocket guide · Pakistan
Sost
Spend a half day in Sost to see the border crossing and Khunjerab Pass, then move on; one night only if you need a rest before the next leg.
Sost is the last town on the Karakoram Highway before the Chinese border. It hosts the immigration office, a dry‑port, and easy access to the Khunjerab Pass (5 km north). Services are limited, so most travellers stop for a few hours or an overnight stay before continuing to Hunza or Tashkurgan.
- Country
- Pakistan
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (dry, warm days)
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (snow, road closures)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PKR
- Money
- Pakistani rupee (PKR, Rs) in cash for almost everything outside big-city hotels and malls; carry US dollars as backup.
- Daily spend
- Budget PKR 1,500–2,500 excl. bed · Mid PKR 2,500–4,000 excl. bed · High PKR 4,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone sell SIMs with passport and biometric registration at franchise shops (not usually at the airport).
- Emergency
- Police 15 · Rescue 1122 · Edhi ambulance 115
- Plugs
- Types C, D · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two- and three-pin sockets; power cuts (load-shedding) are common, especially in the north.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 5–10%.; Driver / guide: Rs 1,000–3,000 a day.; Hotel staff: Rs 200–500.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels; squat toilets with a water jug or hose elsewhere.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at roadside café | PKR 150–250 |
| Meal (local or Chinese) | PKR 300–600 |
| Taxi 5 km (3.1 mi)Taxi 3.1 mi (5 km) | PKR 500–800 |
| NATCO ticket to Tashkurgan | PKR 1,500–2,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GIL · Gilgit Airport
- Approx. 120 km (75 mi) south of Sost; road travel 3–4 h via Karakoram HighwayApprox. 75 mi (120 km) south of Sost; road travel 3–4 h via Karakoram Highway
Typical fares
- Sost → Khunjerab Pass (jeep)
- ≈ PKR 1,200 per person, 30 min (check)
- Sost → Tashkurgan (NATCO bus)
- ≈ PKR 1,800, 5 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk along the highway for sights; hire a jeep for Chapursan Valley (hourly, arrange at hotels). No public transport within town.
See and do
Known for
- Khunjerab Pass border crossing
- dry port and immigration office
- Chapursan Valley jeep tours
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Khunjerab Pass | Walk or short jeep ride north from immigration office, about 30 min. | ≈1 h total |
| Chapursan Valley | Hire a jeep from Sost hotels, 1‑h drive north‑west. | ≈2 h round trip |
Sleep
- Riveria Hotel
- Double rooms ~PKR 2,500; clean, near highway.
- Sost Embassy Hotel
- Hilltop location, basic rooms.
- Hotel Al Mehmood
- Close to ticket offices.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | معاف کرناma'af karna |
| Thank you | شکریہshukriya |
| How much is it? | کتنا ہے؟kitna hai? |
| Where is the immigration office? | امیگریشن آفس کہاں ہے؟immigration office kahan hai? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Assalam o alaikum', right hand on heart; handshakes between men; avoid: Offering a hand to a woman first
- Hospitality: Accept tea; let hosts pay the first time; avoid: Refusing all offers
- Dress: Shalwar kameez is comfortable and appreciated; avoid: Shorts and sleeveless tops
- Shrines: Cover heads, shoes off, sit quietly at qawwali; avoid: Filming without permission
- Conversation: Cricket, food and family are safe topics; avoid: Religion, India and the army with strangers
Scams and watch-outs
- Border immigration can be chaotic; allow extra time before scheduled departure.
- Internet is slow, especially peak hours.
- Fuel and supplies limited; fill up before leaving Sost.
Sost is generally safe for tourists; main risks are border delays and limited medical facilities.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Sost yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Khunjerab Pass border crossing
- dry port and immigration office
- Chapursan Valley jeep tours
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Sost: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Sost, revision 4531390 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4531390
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/sost). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.