I've done the northern run more times than I can count, in every season, on every budget from student to sponsored.

Things people get wrong: going in peak July when everything triples, booking Hunza from Islamabad instead of on the ground, and underestimating how much of the trip is the road itself. The Karakoram Highway is the shot. Don't rush it.

Post your route and your budget and the people who've done it will tell you where you're being overcharged. If you're a woman travelling solo, there are women in this group who've done it and will give you far better information than I can.