Best Places to Visit in Northern Pakistan: Complete Travel Guide
From the Karakoram to Kashmir - the best places to visit in Northern Pakistan, when to go, how long you need and how to plan the trip without the guesswork.
If you are looking for the best places to visit in Northern Pakistan, you are spoiled for choice: three mountain ranges meet here - the Karakoram, the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush - and the valleys between them hold some of the most dramatic scenery on earth. This guide walks through the regions worth your time, the best season for each, and how to turn a long list of names into one well-planned trip.
The regions at a glance
Northern Pakistan splits into three broad areas. Gilgit-Baltistan (Hunza, Skardu, Fairy Meadows) sits along the Karakoram Highway and holds the highest peaks. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Naran-Kaghan, Shogran, Swat, Kumrat) is the greenest and the closest to Islamabad. Azad Kashmir (Neelum, Rawalakot) runs along the Line of Control and is the most forested. Most first trips pick one or two regions rather than trying to see everything.
1. Hunza Valley - forts, Rakaposhi and golden autumn
Hunza is the valley most travellers picture: Rakaposhi over the road, terraced apricot orchards, the turquoise of Attabad Lake and the Passu Cones beyond. Base yourself in Karimabad for Baltit and Altit forts and a sunrise over the peaks. Read our full Hunza Valley guide for routes, seasons and where to stay.
2. Skardu - gateway to the Karakoram
Skardu is where K2 expeditions begin, and the base for Shangrila, Upper Kachura, Shigar fort and the Deosai plateau. It feels bigger and emptier than Hunza. See the Skardu travel guide for the road-vs-flight question and the best time to cross Deosai.
3. Naran, Kaghan & Shogran - the easy first trip
The Kaghan valley is the closest proper mountain valley to Islamabad and Rawalpindi - around seven hours by road - which makes it the default first trip for most families. Naran is the base for Lake Saif-ul-Malook; Shogran, a forested plateau above Kiwai, is the base for the Siri Paye meadows. Start with our Naran & Kaghan guide.
4. Swat & Kalam - the green valley
The Swat Expressway has cut the drive from Islamabad to under five hours, making Swat the easiest real mountain valley to reach. Kalam, Ushu forest and Mahodand Lake are the highlights up top; Malam Jabba is Pakistan's best-known ski resort. More in the Swat Valley guide.
5. Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat
A grassy shelf at 3,300 m facing the ninth-highest mountain on earth, reached by one of the country's most exposed jeep tracks and then a walk. It is deliberately hard to get to - and worth it. See the Fairy Meadows guide before you go.
6. Neelum Valley - forested Kashmir
The greenest of the northern valleys, running along the Neelum river with Arang Kel and Ratti Gali Lake as the draws. Foreign nationals need a permit here. Details in the Neelum Valley guide.
When to go: May to October is the comfortable window across most of the north. Cherry blossom in Hunza runs late March to mid-April; the famous autumn colour is late September to October and rooms sell out first. Winter closes the highest passes.
Hunza or Naran for a first trip?
Choose Naran / Shogran if…
You have 3-5 days, are travelling with family, and want a single day's drive from Islamabad. Green valleys, lakes and meadows, easiest logistics.
Choose Hunza / Skardu if…
You have 7+ days and want the big Karakoram scenery - snow peaks, high passes, forts and lakes. A longer drive, but the payoff is the highest mountains.
A sample 10-day northern loop
- Day 1-2 - Islamabad to Chilas or Besham, overnight, then on to Hunza.
- Day 3-4 - Karimabad: Baltit & Altit forts, Duikar sunrise, Attabad Lake.
- Day 5 - Passu, Hussaini bridge and Khunjerab Pass on the China border.
- Day 6-7 - Cross to Skardu; Shangrila, Kachura lakes, Shigar fort.
- Day 8 - Deosai plateau to Sheosar Lake (summer only).
- Day 9-10 - Return south, optional night in Naran, back to Islamabad.
How to plan your Northern Pakistan trip
The north involves four separate purchases - the tour, the hotel, the vehicle and the guide - and travellers who buy them from four different sellers end up mediating between them when something slips. Pine Travel runs all of it from one desk. Browse our Northern Pakistan tour packages, our hand-picked hotels and guest houses, or simply tell us your dates and we will build the itinerary around you.
Book early for peak season. July-August and the autumn weekends fill up fast, especially in Hunza and Skardu. Four to six weeks' notice is comfortable; peak weekends go earlier.