Hunza Valley: The Ultimate Guide | Top 10 Places to Visit

Hunza valley is a spectacular and beautiful place in PK, covered with snow-capped mountains and greenery.

It is famous for its geographical features and universal beauty and is also known as a “heaven on Earth!”

Hunza is the merger of the world’s three highest mountains, the Hindu-kush (west), the Himalayas (east), and Karakoram (north) ranges.

Moreover, the government took many steps to develop this area – established the main airport in Gilgit Baltistan, 105km from Hunza center.

Furthermore, the Govt. also installed ATMs to ease people, where Pakistani Rupees and all International Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard) are accepted.

Location of This Magical Piece of Earth

Hunza is a mountainous valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region situated in the utmost part of northern Kashmir.

Together with the unbelievable and spectacular scenery, it’s bordered by the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan and the Xinjiang region of China.

Weather in Hunza Throughout the Year

NOTE: If you want to travel to Hunza, the best time to visit is from April to October.

And if you’re worried about what to take with you, here’s our ultimate travel tips guide to help you!

Months	Average Temperatures
	HIGHEST	LOWEST
January	9.6°C	-2.7°C
February	12.6°C	0.4°C
March	18.4°C	5.4°C
April	24.2°C	9.2°C
May	29°C	11.8°C
June	34.2°C	14.9°C
July	36.2°C	18.2°C
August	35.3°C	17.5°C
September	31.8°C	12.4°C
October	25.6°C	6.3°C
November	18.4°C	0.4°C
December	11.6°C	-2.3°C

Geographic Subdivisions of HUNZA: the Unimaginable Beauty

In these three subdivisions of Hunza, there are many other towns, villages, and valleys.

Upper Hunza/Gojal Valley

Gulmit
Passu Lake
Sost border

Central Hunza

Altit fort
Baltit Fort
Karimabad

Lower Hunza

“The Karakoram Highway” ~ Pak-China Friendship Highway

For the tourists to have a safe journey to their destinations, Govt. of PK and China took several steps to establish a developed road that leads you to many dazzling places.

Karakoram Highway is 1300-kilometre long, expanding from Hasan Abdal in Punjab to Khunjerab pass in Gilgit Baltistan and Hunza (located 100km from Gilgit).

Then, it passes into China and is known as the China National Highway 314. The highway is also a part of Asian Highway- AH4.

Due to its high altitude, it’s referred to as the 8th Wonder of the World.

Hotels and Resorts in Hunza

Tourism is common in north Pakistan, including Hunza valley.

The residents of this princely state and the investors from out of the city serve a wide range of hotels and resorts for tourists.

Here’s a list of some which might help if you want to visit this piece of heaven!

Luxury Hotels / Resorts / Villas

Luxus Hunza
Hunza Serena Inn
Roomy Daastaan Hotel, Karimabad Hunza
Borith Lake Hotel & Resort
Sarai Silk Route Passu
Mountain Story
Hard Rock Hunza Resort and Villas

Budget-Friendly Hotels

Fort View Hotel Altit
Hunza Regency Inn
Hunza Hidden Place
Embassy Villa Suites
Hunza Panorama Hotel
Karakoram View Hotel
Borith Inn Hotel and Restaurant
CPEC Hotels
Grapes Garden Guest House
Gulmit Continental Hotel
Diwan House Hunza

Inhabitants of Hunza

People in Hunza are known for their hospitality. They all are dressed up with modesty, have a positive outlook, and are friendly with the known and unknowns.

Tourists worldwide enjoy the hospitality of people living in GB and the traditional food served here.

Hunza: Famous for Its Fruits, Vegetables, and Foods

Two children collecting fruits in Hunza's garden

A 1300-year-old Altit Fort has royal, lush, green gardens with plenty of fruit trees, especially apricots, crisp and juicy apples, and peaches.

Moreover, their locally grown dry fruits include walnuts and almonds.

Traditional Dishes

This exquisite valley is notable for its attractiveness and has an excessive variety of traditional dishes/local eateries.

The food in this region is enriched with a delicate taste. You will feel the authentic flavor of nature and purity in these foods.

If you have tasted the Hunza’s food, ONLY then you can imagine the taste of these mouthwatering dishes.

Here is a list of some outstanding dishes of Hunza valley:

Gittey
Shopan
Go-Lee
Harissa
Diram Fitti
Tumoro Tea
Hoi Lo Garma
Buttering Daudo
Fenugreek Soup
Chapshuro: also known as the pizza of the city. It’s a huge, rounded, concave hotplate.

Top 10 Incredible Places in Hunza That Deserve a Visit

There’s water gushing from the mountains – that’s just majestic, fresh, and tasty – such pristine, cold, and awe-inspiring!

Rakaposhi – The Beast

It’s massive and plenarily clouded – 7,708 meters (25 551 ft) high.

You can’t see the summit, but you can optically discern the base. Even without being able to perceive it, it has this aura. It has the sensation of being grand-sque monstrosity.

Not an exaggeration, but Rakaposhi is almost too much for your eye to see!

Well-Known Glaciers Around the Peak:

Barpu
Biro
Bagrot
Pisan

Baltit Fort

Baltit Fort is one of Hunza Valley’s landmarks – composed of stone, wood balconies, and unbelievable views beyond words.

It is founded in the 8th CE and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004.

This fort, located at a height, has a splendid bird’s eye view of Karimabad’s village houses from the terrace.

It is open to tourists every day from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

Karimabad

Karimabad is the capital of the Hunza district in Gilgit Baltistan and is located on the west bank of the Hunza river.

Not only it’s ranked as one of the “Best Tourist Sites,” but also it is set amidst the snow-clad mountain apexes of Rakaposhi.

There are many restaurants and hotels in the Karimabad market for you to enjoy and relax!

Shopping in Karimabad, Hunza

There are 50 shops, restaurants, and hotels on Karimabad’s streets.

One of the most immensely colossal magnetizations in this area is the variety of precious and semi-precious minerals and gemstones. And this is the primary reason many tourists visit the Gilgit-Baltistan area for this reason.

Famous Landmarks Here

Baltit Fort
Channel Walk
The glaciers of Ulter Nala
Queen Victoria Monument

Activities

Canoeing
Trekking
Hiking
Musical Nights
Yoga
Kayaking
Paragliding
Community tour

Altit Fort

There is an Altit town in Hunza valley in GB where this ancient Altit fort is located.

This oldest monument gives an astonishing view that locks your eye in its incredible beauty.

It is open to tourists every day from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

Eagle Nest – Ladyfinger Peak

Eagle Nest has a jagged, sharp peak that’s 360 all around and a mind-blowing view.

If you could ever verbally express that something could top this, you’d be BLANK!!!

Attabad Lake – Hunza’s Most Precious Jewel

This lake is situated in Gojal valley, Hunza, and was created in January 2010 due to the Attabad disaster.

It offers boating, jet skiing, fishing, and other recreational activities and is one of the best, most attractive tourists site.

lake surrounded by flowers and mountains

Rush Lake

This is a comely high altitude lake in Gilgit Baltistan near Rush Pari peak at an elevation of 5,098 meters above sea level.

The rush lake takes you into some of the most spectacular mountain resplendencies on earth.

Its crossing glaciers, meadows, and terraced fields of Karakoram Mountain give your eye splendid scenery.

Passu

A small village in GB – Passu is situated along the Karakoram highway in upper Hunza and is 150 km upriver from Gilgit.

Gojal Village

Gojal is located far north of PK, which borders PK and China Khunjerab pass, and is the largest tehsil in GB.

Sost Border

It’s a village in Gojal, upper Hunza, and additionally, the last town in PK on Karakoram highway.

All the traffic that crosses the Pakistan-China border crosses this border.

Moreover, the main languages spoken here are Wakhi and Brushki.

How to Reach Hunza?

You can reach Hunza from Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital (320 km), via two options:

Take a Road Trip

A 24-hour bus from Islamabad to Hunza Valley is the best choice for road trip lovers!

There are no direct bus connections between other cities and the Hunza Valley (Islamabad is the ONLY departure destination).

You can see the majestic beauty of the Karakoram, Skardu, and Kaghan valleys along the route.

Fly in the Clouds

Fly directly to Gilgit Airport and then drive towards Hunza Valley for 2-3 hours (around 100 km).

From Gilgit to Hunza, you can rent any of your favorite cars!

Pakistan International Airlines conducts daily flights between Gilgit and Islamabad; however, the weather conditions may cause a delay.

The Verdict

People have waxed poetic over the gorgeous and magnificent Hunza Valley for generations.

Known for its epic mountain views, residents’ longevity, and apricots, it’s an extraordinary place!

The people of Hunza have a saying, ‘A house without a view is like a house without a roof!’

Look anywhere in the valley, in any direction, and you will be astonished by the stunning views.

Hunza Valley: The Breathtaking Canyon in the World