List of Cities in the Northern Areas of Pakistan
"Northern Areas" was the official name of the region until 2009, when it became Gilgit-Baltistan. In everyday use, the phrase still covers more ground than that: people booking a trip north also mean upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the valleys of Azad Kashmir. This list covers all three, because that is how trips are actually planned.
For each place, you get the region, the rough altitude, how long it takes from Islamabad, and what it works as a base for. Altitudes matter more than distances up here. A town at 800 metres and a town at 2,800 metres four hours apart are two different holidays, and only one of them needs a jacket in June.
Planning a trip through any of these? Start with us
HospitalityTours.com.pk arranges travel to every city on this list from our office in Islamabad: hotels and resorts, 4x4s and drivers, licensed guides, permits and complete itineraries. Send your dates and destination on WhatsApp and our team will come back with a plan and a price before anything is booked. Details are at the end of this article.
Gilgit-Baltistan
Gilgit
Capital of Gilgit-Baltistan. About 1,500 metres. Roughly 14 to 18 hours by road from Islamabad, or a short flight.
The administrative and commercial centre of the whole region, sitting where the Gilgit River meets the Hunza River. Nearly every northern route passes through it. There is an airport with ATR flights from Islamabad when the weather cooperates, hospitals, banks and the last big bazaar before the high valleys.
Base for: Naltar, Ghizer, Nagar, and the run north to Hunza.
Skardu
Main city of Baltistan. About 2,230 metres. Around 20 hours by road, or an hour by air from Islamabad.
Skardu sits on a wide sandy bowl above the Indus with the Karakoram behind it. PIA and Airblue both fly the route, though weather cancels flights often enough that you should keep a road plan. The town has the widest choice of hotels in Gilgit-Baltistan and the outfitters who supply the K2 expeditions.
Base for: Deosai, Shangrila and Kachura lakes, Katpana desert, Shigar, Khaplu, and every trek on the Baltoro.
Aliabad and Karimabad
Hunza. About 2,400 to 2,500 metres. Two hours north of Gilgit.
Aliabad is the working town on the Karakoram Highway with the banks, workshops and transport stands. Karimabad sits above it on the old terrace and holds the hotels, Baltit Fort and the view of Rakaposhi. Most visitors sleep in Karimabad and use Aliabad for anything practical.
Base for: the Hunza forts, Duikar sunrise, Attabad, and day trips into Nagar.
Gulmit
Upper Hunza, Gojal. About 2,500 metres. An hour past Karimabad.
The main town of Gojal, quieter than Karimabad and closer to the Passu Cones. Small guesthouses, a Wakhi-speaking population and easy access to Borith Lake and the Hussaini bridge.
Sost
Last town before the Chinese border. About 2,800 metres.
Sost exists because of the dry port and the border crossing. It is where cargo clears, where the Khunjerab-bound traffic stops, and where you can find a bed if you are heading over the pass early. Nobody comes here for the town itself.
Chilas
District headquarters of Diamer. About 1,265 metres. Roughly ten hours from Islamabad.
Low, hot in summer, and a standard overnight stop on the Karakoram Highway. Thousands of Buddhist-era rock carvings and inscriptions line the Indus around it. Raikot Bridge, where the Fairy Meadows jeep track begins, is under an hour away.
Astore
District headquarters of Astore. About 2,600 metres. Off the KKH near Jaglot.
A green side valley on the far side of Nanga Parbat from the highway. Quiet, with limited hotels, and the road up to Rama Lake and across Deosai to Skardu.
Khaplu
Headquarters of Ghanche district. About 2,600 metres. Two hours east of Skardu.
Khaplu Palace, restored as a hotel, sits above a valley of apricot terraces and old irrigation channels. The road continues towards Hushe, which is the way in for Masherbrum and the Gondogoro treks.
Shigar
Shigar district. About 2,300 metres. An hour from Skardu.
The valley that leads to Askole, where every Baltoro trek starts on foot. Shigar Fort in the town has been restored and run as a heritage hotel for years.
Gahkuch
Headquarters of Ghizer district. About 1,800 metres. Two hours west of Gilgit.
The administrative town for Ghizer, on the road to Phander and Shandur. Most travellers pass through on the way west rather than stay.
Nagar, Minapin and Hoper
Nagar district. Around 2,000 to 2,700 metres. Across the river from Hunza.
Minapin is the trailhead for Rakaposhi Base Camp, a two-day walk that suits people who want a real trek without an expedition. Hoper looks onto a black glacier that moves visibly year to year.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Abbottabad
About 1,260 metres. Two hours from Islamabad.
The first hill town on the way north, and a garrison and education city in its own right. Most northbound trips stop here for breakfast rather than the night.
Mansehra
About 1,000 metres. Three hours from Islamabad.
The junction that decides your trip. The Karakoram Highway carries on north towards Besham and Chilas, and the Kaghan road turns east towards Balakot and Naran.
Balakot
About 980 metres. Four hours from Islamabad.
The entrance to the Kaghan Valley, rebuilt after the 2005 earthquake. Hotels, trout restaurants and the last easy fuel stop before the valley narrows.
Naran
About 2,400 metres. Seven to eight hours from Islamabad.
A seasonal town that fills every summer and empties in winter when the snow closes the road. Jeeps run from the bazaar up to Lake Saif-ul-Malook, and the road above town climbs to Babusar Top.
Besham
About 600 metres. Six hours from Islamabad.
A highway town on the KKH, roughly halfway between Islamabad and Gilgit. It exists for drivers. If you are doing the KKH in two days, this is usually where the first one ends.
Mingora and Saidu Sharif
Swat. About 980 metres. Five hours from Islamabad.
Mingora is the largest city in Swat and the region's commercial centre, with Saidu Sharif attached to it as the administrative side. The Swat Museum and the Buddhist sites of the Gandhara period are close by.
Base for: Malam Jabba, Bahrain, Kalam and the upper Swat valley.
Bahrain and Kalam
Upper Swat. About 1,400 and 2,000 metres. Two to three hours above Mingora.
Bahrain is a bazaar town on the river known for wooden handicrafts. Kalam sits higher, with the Ushu forest and the tracks to Mahodand Lake beyond it.
Chitral
Hindu Kush. About 1,500 metres. Twelve to fourteen hours by road through the Lowari Tunnel, or a short flight when it operates.
Chitral town lies under Tirich Mir at 7,708 metres, with the Chitral Fort and the Shahi Mosque on the riverbank. The tunnel keeps the road open through winter, which it never used to be.
Base for: the Kalash valleys of Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir, and the road to Shandur.
Booni
Upper Chitral headquarters. About 2,000 metres. Two to three hours north of Chitral.
The administrative town for Upper Chitral and the staging point for Mastuj, Shandur and the high valleys towards Broghil.
Thal and Kumrat
Upper Dir. Around 1,600 metres and higher. Eight to nine hours from Islamabad.
Thal is the last town before the Kumrat Valley, which has become one of the busiest summer destinations in the country. The road in is rough, and the valley itself is campsites and pine forest rather than hotels.
Azad Kashmir
Muzaffarabad
Capital of Azad Kashmir. About 740 metres. Three to four hours from Islamabad.
Where the Neelum and Jhelum rivers meet, with the Red Fort above the confluence, it is the gateway to the Neelum Valley and a straightforward first night out of the capital.
Athmuqam, Keran, Sharda and Kel
Neelum Valley. From about 1,300 to 2,100 metres, going up the valley.
Athmuqam is the district headquarters. Keran sits on the river opposite the Line of Control. Sharda has the ruins of an old Sharada Peeth site, and Kel is the highest of the four and the turn-off for Arang Kel. Carry your ID, since there are checkposts along the valley.
Rawalakot
Poonch. About 1,600 metres. Four to five hours from Islamabad.
Pine ridges, Banjosa Lake and Toli Pir, and cooler air than Murree with a fraction of the traffic.
Which one should you actually base in
Most trips only need two or three of these. A first week in the north usually works as Gilgit or Karimabad for Hunza, then Skardu for Baltistan. A long weekend from Islamabad is better spent in Swat or Kaghan than trying to reach Gilgit and back.
Distances on a map do not tell you much here. The Karakoram Highway is one road; weather closes it in the monsoon, and Skardu flights cancel more often than anyone admits when they sell you the ticket. Build a spare day into the plan.
Please tell us where you want to go.
Send us the cities you have in mind, your dates and the number of travellers. We will tell you honestly whether the route fits the time you have, then come back with hotels, transport, guides and a price you approve before anything is booked. Support stays open throughout the trip, including on the day a road closes and the plan needs changing.
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