PK
Hunza Valley
Ancient forts and turquoise lakes below the Karakoram
Ancient forts and turquoise lakes below the Karakoram
Perched above Karimabad, this 700-year-old fort of the Hunza rulers commands the valley, its restored rooms and balconies offering history and jaw-dropping mountain views.
💡 Take the guided tour and step onto the balcony for the panorama.
Formed by a landslide in 2010, this astonishing turquoise lake fills the valley floor, its unreal blue water offering boat rides against a backdrop of towering peaks.
💡 Take a boat trip for the full effect of the vivid blue water.
The saw-toothed spires of the Passu Cones (Tupopdan) rise in perfect jagged pyramids above the highway, one of the most photographed mountain silhouettes in Pakistan.
💡 The Hussaini suspension bridge nearby is a thrilling stop.
The 7,788-metre giant Rakaposhi soars almost directly above the valley; a roadside viewpoint and cafe let you sip tea with the glacier and summit filling the sky.
💡 The Rakaposhi View Point cafe has cherry soup and the best angle.
A viewpoint above Duikar village offers the valley’s most famous panorama, with sunrise and sunset lighting up a ring of Karakoram peaks around Karimabad.
💡 Go for sunrise when the peaks turn gold, one by one.
Hunza’s cuisine is wholesome mountain fare built on apricots, walnuts, mulberries and buckwheat: try chapshuro (a meat-filled pastry), hoi-garma soup, apricot-kernel oil and the famous Hunza dried apricots and apricot-kernel cake. Guesthouses serve hearty home-cooked meals with valley views, and roadside cafes offer chai, walnut cake and cherry soup. The food is simple, organic and deeply tied to the land.
Base in Karimabad, tour Baltit and Altit forts, and catch sunset over the valley from the terraces.
Drive the Karakoram Highway to turquoise Attabad Lake for a boat ride, then on to the Passu Cones and suspension bridge.
Rise early for the Eagle’s Nest panorama, then stop at the Rakaposhi viewpoint for tea beneath the glacier.
Conditions vary across Pakistan; the northern areas are a major tourist draw, but check current advisories and road conditions.
Hunza is reached by a long drive on the Karakoram Highway or a flight to Gilgit; allow buffer days for weather.
Even in summer nights are cold at altitude; bring warm clothing and sun protection.
ATMs are scarce and unreliable in the valley; carry enough rupees for your whole stay.
Mughal Lahore, the capital Islamabad, the peaks of Hunza and Skardu, and the alpine Fairy Meadows below Nanga Parbat — Pakistan from plains to mountains.