Gilgit-Baltistan & Karakoram
Gilgit-Baltistan: the Region, the Valleys, the Highway and the Mountains
Gilgit-Baltistan is the Pakistani territory that holds almost everything people come north for. First, there are five of the world’s fourteen eight-thousanders. Then there is the Karakoram Highway, and there are valleys that were independent kingdoms within living memory. Moreover, it is administered separately from the Kashmir valley and from Pakistan’s four provinces. It is also where our company lives. In short, this page is the map of the whole region. It covers where it is, how the valleys fit together, how you get in and when to come. Finally, it lists every guide we have written about the region.
Gilgit-Baltistan at a glance
| What it is | An administrative territory of Pakistan in the far north, administered separately from Azad Kashmir and from the four provinces. Its capital is Gilgit; Skardu is the capital of Baltistan within it |
|---|---|
| The ranges | Three meet here: the Karakoram, which runs about 500 km across northern Pakistan into China and India; the western end of the Himalaya at Nanga Parbat; and the Hindu Kush beyond Chitral |
| The eight-thousanders | K2 8,611 m, Nanga Parbat 8,126 m, Gasherbrum I 8,080 m, Broad Peak 8,051 m, Gasherbrum II 8,035 m. Four of them are visible from one campsite at Concordia |
| The ice | The Baltoro runs 63 km. The Biafo and Hispar meet at Snow Lake to form a 100 km glacier highway that medieval traders used. The Batura runs 57 km, nearly to the highway |
| The Karakoram Highway | About 1,300 km from Hassan Abdal to Kashgar, roughly 887 km of it inside Pakistan. Built jointly by Pakistan and China between 1966 and 1979 and opened to the public in 1986 |
| Highest road point | The Khunjerab Pass, about 4,700 m, the world’s highest paved international border crossing. The border itself is open 1 May to 31 December, weather permitting |
| Main valleys | Baltistan with Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu and Hushe; Hunza and Nagar; Gilgit with Naltar and Bagrot; Astore and Diamer under Nanga Parbat; Ghizer with Phander and the Shandur Pass |
| Season | April to October for most of the region. Khunjerab and Babusar roughly late May or June to October. Skardu daytime highs run about 20 degrees in June into the low twenties in July and August |
Where Gilgit-Baltistan is, and is it part of Kashmir?
It sits at the top of Pakistan, north of the Indus. There it wraps around the point where the Karakoram, the Himalaya and the Hindu Kush meet. However, it is not the Kashmir valley and it is not Azad Kashmir. It is administered separately, and it has its own assembly. Furthermore, it became a district-level administrative region in its own right over the course of the twentieth century. Travellers reach it on ordinary Pakistani roads with the tourist e-visa. Because the question comes up constantly, we answer it plainly in the FAQ below.
The valleys, and how they fit together
Think of it as five doors. First, Baltistan, with Skardu at its centre, is the gateway to the Baltoro and K2. It also holds Shigar, Khaplu and Hushe. Second, Hunza and Nagar hold the forts, Attabad Lake, the Passu Cones and the Khunjerab. Third, Gilgit is the hinge, with Naltar and Bagrot hidden behind it. Fourth, Astore and Diamer sit under Nanga Parbat. Finally, Ghizer runs west to Phander and the Shandur Pass, where the highest polo ground in the world is.
Getting into Gilgit-Baltistan
Two arteries, and they are completely different experiences. The Karakoram Highway runs up the western edge through Chilas and Hunza. Most people drive it in five to seven days one way, with real stops. Meanwhile, the 2010 Attabad landslide drowned about 19 kilometres of the old road. It was bypassed in 2015 with a 24-kilometre stretch and five tunnels. Alternatively, you can fly: Islamabad to Skardu in an hour when the weather allows, or Islamabad to Gilgit. The getting to Skardu guide compares the flight against the road honestly.
The mountains and the ice
The Karakoram is the reason the region exists in the imagination. Four eight-thousanders stand within sight of a single campsite, which happens nowhere else on earth. Moreover, the glaciers are less scenery than infrastructure. The Baltoro is the road to K2, and the Biafo and Hispar together make a hundred-kilometre crossing. Our Karakoram Range guide explains exactly where the range runs and why it is not the Himalaya. In addition, the mountaineering guide covers climbing here.
When to visit Gilgit-Baltistan
April and early May for blossom in the orchards. June to September for the treks, the high passes, Deosai and Khunjerab. Then mid-October for the gold. Finally, November to March gives a quiet, cold, beautiful region with most of the high roads shut. The season-by-season guide goes through it month by month. Meanwhile, Hunza or Skardu answers the question first-timers actually ask.
The people and the year
Balti in Baltistan is the westernmost language of the Tibetan family. Besides that, there is Burushaski and Wakhi in Hunza, and Shina through Gilgit and Astore. Our guides, cooks and porters come from these valleys. If you can time a trip to it, the summer festival calendar is when the region is most itself. Moreover, the photography guide is written for the light here rather than for a camera brand.
Tours across the region
Of course, these are the trips that cross more than one valley, run by our own drivers and guides.
Similarly, in spring the ten-day North Pakistan Cherry Blossom Tour runs the same route with the orchards in bloom.
And if the road itself is the point, the twelve-day Karakoram Highway Tour drives it from Islamabad to the Khunjerab Pass. Riders can do the same road by bike on Cycling the Karakoram Highway, or on a Karakoram Highway Motorcycle Tour.
Every Gilgit-Baltistan guide on this site
The region: the Karakoram Range · best time to visit · the Karakoram Highway · Hunza or Skardu
Quieter valleys: Phander and Shandur · Karambar Lake · Naltar · Bagrot
People and culture: festivals · photography · family trips
The five hubs inside the region: K2 and the Baltoro · Skardu and Baltistan · Hunza Valley · Nanga Parbat · expeditions
Before you fly: visa, safety and permits · how to prepare for a trek
Related guides: Hunza Valley · Skardu & Baltistan · Nanga Parbat & Fairy Meadows
Frequently asked questions
Plan the whole region with people who live in it
Our office is in Skardu and our guides come from these valleys. Tell us how long you have. Then we will tell you honestly how much of Gilgit-Baltistan fits. Local hands, real safety, fair price. 2027 dates are open.