Friday prayers have ended, and the streets of Rawalpindi are hot, noisy and rammed. Mopeds growl as they edge through the crowd. In the throng, details catch the eye: henna-dyed beards and candy-striped hijabs; a knife-sharpener showering sparks over the pavement; four passengers and a goat in an auto-rickshaw. Down an alley, boys are playing cricket under a tangle of overhead wires. The heat is thick. Brakes squeak, brows sweat.

"We're coming into mango season," says local tour leader Aneeqa Ali, striding through the traffic. She points out a roadside stall amid the hubbub, piled with yellowing fruit. Above us, the sun beats down on tall, sand-coloured buildings. "I like this time of year. June is good for hiking," she says with a smile. "It's hot here, but cooler in the Karakoram. You'll see when you're in the mountains."

Aneeqa has her hair loose and is wearing a paisley shalwar kameez (tunic and loose trousers). She used to be a finance worker but moved into tourism after seeing the country's untapped potential as an adventure travel destination. "The internet is still a black hole for Pakistan travel information," she explains, raising her voice as we squeeze between barrows laden with ginger and almonds. "Even getting details on restaurants or train tickets can be hard. But people shouldn't be put off."

This is wise advice. I'm in the country as part of a new group tour with Intrepid Travel, and since my plane touched down the previous day, any nagging doubts about my safety have dissipated. Security worries? Not unless I include locals waving hello while I'm trying to dodge mopeds. Unasked-for attention? Only bashful selfie requests from teenagers curious at seeing foreign visitors. Endless red tape? The authorities have recently scrapped visa fees for tourist arrivals from 126 countries, including the UK, so that's no problem either.