Naltar Valley is a jeep ride up from Gilgit but feels a world away: pine forest, a small ski slope, and the famously coloured Naltar Lakes a rough drive further up the valley.
Nearest airport
GIL
Country
Pakistan
Naltar Valley is a jeep ride up from Gilgit but feels a world away: pine forest, a small ski slope, and the famously coloured Naltar Lakes a rough drive further up the valley.
Naltar Valley is known for Naltar Lakes, Ski slope and Pine forest. Compare live fares from across Pakistan and search flights to Naltar Valley, or browse hotels and apartments and book with instant confirmation in PKR.
Most trips route through Gilgit. Drive the Karakoram Highway from Islamabad to Gilgit (roughly 16 to 20 hours, or two days with an overnight stop; add about 4 to 5 hours from Lahore to Islamabad first), or take a short, weather-dependent flight from Islamabad to Gilgit (GIL). From Gilgit town it is a 1.5 to 2 hour ride up a rough jeep track to Naltar, so a 4x4 is essential and shared jeeps run from the city.
May to September is the easiest window: the jeep track is open, the pine forest is green and the Naltar Lakes are at their most colourful. December to February turns the valley into a ski destination with deep snow, but the road gets tough and you will want a local driver.
Take a jeep up to the coloured Naltar Lakes, with Blue Lake (one of the Bashkiri lakes) the best known, walk in the pine forest, and in winter try the ski slope at the PAF resort, one of the few lift-served runs in Pakistan. It is also a quiet base for day hikes and photography, away from the busier Hunza crowds.
Choices are simple: a handful of guesthouses and small lodges in Naltar Bala near the forest, plus basic summer camping spots by the lakes. Many travellers base themselves in Gilgit, which has more hotels, and visit Naltar on a day or overnight jeep trip. Book ahead in peak summer and ski season.
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