Events / March 21-23
Gilgit-Baltistan
Jashn-e-Nowruz
Persian new year across the northern valleys, spring cleaning, feasts, and the first outdoor gatherings after winter.
Nowruz marks the equinox in Hunza, Nagar, Skardu, and Ghizer with communal meals, music, and the symbolic start of the travel season before high passes fully open.
- Equinox feasts
- Spring gatherings
- Valley music
- Pre-blossom travel
- When to plan
- Around 21 March each year; blossom weeks often overlap through April.
- Getting there
- Fly to Gilgit or Skardu, or drive the KKH from Islamabad, local Nowruz gatherings happen in Karimabad, Skardu town, and valley villages.
- Region
- Gilgit-Baltistan guide →
Northern Nowruz
Unlike the plains, mountain Nowruz is tied to the thaw, families share dried fruit, walnut bread, and the first hopeful walks in orchards still bare before April blossom.
Combine with blossom
Pair Nowruz week with the Spring Blossom Festival route through Hunza and Nagar, GreenPak Hotel Hunza is the natural base.
More in Gilgit-Baltistan
Region guide →
March - April
Spring Blossom Festival
Apricot and cherry blossoms wake the orchards of Hunza and Skardu, the first sign of mountain spring.
Summer
Water Sports Festival
Boating and competitive events on Sadpara Lake, the warmest weeks at altitude.
Winter
Snow Cross Jeep Rally
High-altitude winter motorsport, jeeps on a snow-cross course beneath Saran Pir Chanasi.
