Destinations / Gilgit-Baltistan
The High North · Regional Guide
Gilgit-Baltistan
The roof of the world — K2, glaciers, and the valleys of Hunza and Skardu.
Why go
The reason most travellers come to Pakistan
The roof of the world — K2, glaciers, and the valleys of Hunza and Skardu.
Home to five of the world's fourteen eight-thousand-metre peaks, Gilgit-Baltistan is where the Karakoram meets the sky. Travel here is an act of humility before something far older and larger than ourselves.
Orient yourself
The region on the map
Don't miss
The highlights
IconicHunza Valley
Apricot orchards, the Baltit and Altit forts, and Rakaposhi filling the sky.
LakeAttabad Lake
An impossibly turquoise lake born from a 2010 landslide, best seen by boat.
TrekFairy Meadows
The alpine balcony beneath Nanga Parbat, a jeep ride and a walk from the highway.
High PassKhunjerab Pass
The world's highest paved border crossing at 4,693m, on the China frontier.
WildlifeDeosai Plains
A 4,000m plateau of wildflowers, marmots, and Himalayan brown bears.
GatewaySkardu & Shigar
Cold-desert dunes, a restored fort, and the road to every K2 expedition.
Place by place
Every sight in Gilgit-Baltistan
Central Karakoram National Park
K2
Nanga Parbat
Fairy Meadows
Attabad Lake
Naltar Valley
Shandur Polo Festival
Deosai National Park
Khunjerab Pass / National Park
Concordia & Baltoro Glacier
Shangrila & Lower Kachura Lake
Khaplu Palace
Broad Peak
Gasherbrum I (Hidden Peak)
Gasherbrum II
Rakaposhi
Gasherbrum IV
Masherbrum (K1)
Distaghil Sar
Ultar Sar
Haramosh
Spantik (Golden Peak)
Muztagh Tower
Trango Towers
Laila Peak
Charakusa Valley
Passu Cones
Baltoro Glacier
Batura Glacier
Passu Glacier
Snow Lake (Lukpe Lawo)
Gondogoro La
Shimshal Valley
Karambar Lake
Passu & Gulmit
Askole
Gilgit
Hopar Glacier, Nagar
Ganish Village
Hussaini Suspension Bridge
Sacred Rocks of Hunza (Haldeikish)
Ladyfinger Peak (Bublimotin)
Baltit Fort
Altit Fort
Karimabad
A suggested route
Classic Gilgit-Baltistan · 10 days
A slow loop from Gilgit through Hunza to Skardu and the Deosai plains. Scroll the days, the map keeps pace.
Stop 1 of 6 · Day 1
Gilgit, the Gateway
Day 1
Gilgit, the Gateway
Fly in over the ranges or arrive off the Karakoram Highway. A first afternoon to acclimatise, change money, and walk the bazaar before heading deeper.
Days 2-4
Hunza & Karimabad
The heart of any northern trip. Baltit and Altit forts, the Eagle's Nest sunrise over Rakaposhi, apricot orchards, and an easy day to Passu's cathedral peaks.
Day 5
Attabad & Khunjerab
Turquoise Attabad Lake by boat, then the climb to Khunjerab Pass at 4,693m, the highest paved border crossing on Earth, on the edge of China.
Days 6-7
Skardu & Shigar
Cross to Baltistan for the cold desert dunes, Shigar Fort, and Skardu's braided river valleys, the staging post for every K2 expedition.
Day 8
Deosai Plains
A full day on the second-highest plateau on Earth, wildflowers, marmots, the chance of a Himalayan brown bear, and Sheosar Lake mirroring the sky.
Days 9-10
Wind Down & Fly Out
A gentle last day around Sadpara and Skardu's orchards before the flight back to Islamabad, weather permitting, with a road backup always planned.
Timing
When to go
Apricot and cherry blossom across Hunza and Skardu. Lower valleys green; high passes still closed.
Everything is open, Khunjerab, Deosai, and the trek routes. The busiest and most reliable window.
Golden poplars, clear skies, and the best photography of the year. Cold nights at altitude.
High passes close and roads can block with snow. For hardy travellers and snow festivals only.
Through the year
Festivals & Events
WinterSnow Cross Jeep Rally
High-altitude winter motorsport, jeeps on a snow-cross course beneath Saran Pir Chanasi.
March - AprilSpring Blossom Festival
Apricot and cherry blossoms wake the orchards of Hunza and Skardu, the first sign of mountain spring.
March 21-23Jashn-e-Nowruz
Persian new year across the northern valleys, spring cleaning, feasts, and the first outdoor gatherings after winter.
March - AprilTaghm (Tukham Rezi) Sowing Festival
The first-sowing spring festival of Hunza, Nagar, and the Baltistan valleys, ritual seeding, music, and shared meals.
June 21Ginani Festival
Summer solstice thanksgiving in Hunza and Nagar, wheat harvest rituals and shared meals in the orchards.
SummerWater Sports Festival
Boating and competitive events on Sadpara Lake, the warmest weeks at altitude.
August - SeptemberSarfaranga Cold Desert Rally & Festival
Skardu's cold-desert jeep rally and cultural festival, motorsport, Balti music, polo, and sword dance among the dunes.
SeptemberSilk Road Festival
Gilgit's autumn celebration of trade routes, music, and mountain culture, a harvest-season counterpoint to summer polo.
21 DecemberMayfung Fire Festival
Baltistan's winter solstice fire festival, bonfires, torches, music, and dance to light the longest night in Skardu.
Eat & culture
A mountain table
The north eats differently to the plains. Apricots are everything, fresh, dried, pressed into oil, and split for their almond-like kernels. Look for chapshuro (a meat-filled bread), harissa, walnut cake, and buckwheat pancakes with mulberry syrup. Hunza's longevity is local legend; its glacial mineral water and slow food are part of the draw.
Good to know
Getting around & practicalities
Getting There
Daily flights Islamabad-Gilgit and Islamabad-Skardu when weather allows, or 1-2 days on the Karakoram Highway. We always plan a road fallback.
Getting Around
Private 4x4 with a local driver is the norm, roads are paved but mountainous. Some valleys need jeeps; we match the vehicle to the route.
Altitude
You'll spend days above 2,500m and cross 4,000m+. We build in acclimatisation and watch for symptoms; the Deosai and Khunjerab days come later in the trip.
Connectivity
SCOM and Zong work best in the north; buy a SIM in Gilgit. Expect dead zones in the high valleys, and enjoy them.
Money
Carry cash (PKR). ATMs exist in Gilgit and Skardu but are unreliable; smaller towns and bazaars are cash-only.
Permits
Standard visa covers most of the region; a few border zones need an NOC, which we arrange. No special trekking permit for the classic valleys.
Journeys here
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Before you ask
Common questions
Ready to see Gilgit-Baltistan?
Tell us your dates and how long you have, we'll shape a route around the weather, the passes, and you.