North Pakistan: The Complete Guide to the Roof of the World
K2, Hunza, the Karakoram Highway and the China border — every valley, peak and pass of Pakistan’s north, in one definitive guide.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Quick answer: North Pakistan means Gilgit-Baltistan and northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — home to K2 (8,611 m), five of the world’s fourteen 8,000-metre peaks, the Karakoram Highway, and the Khunjerab Pass border with China. China lies directly north of Pakistan (Xinjiang region; 596-km border, 1963 agreement). Best time to visit: April–October.
At a glance
North Pakistan in numbers
K2’s height
World’s second-highest mountain, in the Karakoram Range of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Eight-thousanders
Five of the world’s fourteen 8,000-metre peaks stand in Pakistan.
Karakoram Highway
The modern Silk Road, from Islamabad to the Khunjerab Pass on the China border.
Khunjerab Pass
Highest paved international border crossing in the world; open year-round since Dec 2024.
Geography
Where is north Pakistan?
“North Pakistan” isn’t an official administrative unit — it’s the collective name for the mountain regions: Gilgit-Baltistan (14 districts: Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu, Khaplu, Astore, Ghizer and more) and the northern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Chitral, Swat, Dir, Kohistan, Mansehra’s Kaghan valley). This is where three of the planet’s great ranges collide: the Karakoram (K2’s range), the Himalaya (Nanga Parbat’s range) and the Hindu Kush (stretching toward Chitral and Afghanistan). Near Gilgit, a famous viewpoint marks the meeting point of all three — the only place on earth where they converge.
To the north lies China (details below); to the northwest, Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor nearly touches Pakistan at the Broghil Pass. Our north side of Pakistan guide maps every region in detail.
Summits
The peaks: K2 and the eight-thousanders
Five giants over 8,000 metres — more than any country except Nepal and China.
| Peak | Height | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| K2 | 8,611 m | Karakoram | World’s 2nd highest; the “Savage Mountain” |
| Nanga Parbat | 8,126 m | Himalaya | World’s 9th; the “Killer Mountain”; Fairy Meadows below |
| Gasherbrum I | 8,080 m | Karakoram | World’s 11th; “Hidden Peak” |
| Broad Peak | 8,051 m | Karakoram | World’s 12th; 1.5 km summit ridge |
| Gasherbrum II | 8,034 m | Karakoram | World’s 13th |
K2 was first summited in 1954 by Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli (Italian expedition); its first winter ascent came only in January 2021, by a Nepali team — the last 8,000er to fall in winter. Concordia, where the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen glaciers meet beneath K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums, is often called the throne room of the mountain gods.
Valleys
The valleys: Hunza, Skardu and beyond
Each valley has its own character — Hunza the polished jewel, Skardu the expedition base, Fairy Meadows the viewpoint, Deosai the wilderness, Swat the comeback story, Chitral the cultural frontier. Together they form the densest concentration of natural wonders in Pakistan.
The Shangri-La
Baltit and Altit forts, Attabad Lake’s turquoise waters, the Passu Cones, Eagle’s Nest sunset point, and the famous longevity and hospitality of the Burusho people.
Gateway to K2
Base for every Karakoram expedition; Shangrila Resort, Upper Kachura Lake, Shigar Fort, and the Sarfaranga cold desert.
Nanga Parbat’s stage
Alpine meadows with a direct, staggering view of Nanga Parbat’s Rupal Face — Pakistan’s most photographed mountain vista.
Land of Giants
One of the world’s highest plateaus (4,114 m); wildflowers, Himalayan brown bears, and total silence.
Switzerland of the East
Malam Jabba ski resort, Kalam valley, Mahodand Lake — KP’s tourism revival story.
The far northwest
Kalash valleys with their unique pre-Islamic culture, Shandur Pass (world’s highest polo ground, 3,734 m), Tirich Mir.
People
The people of the north
Mountains make the postcards; people make the memories.
Burusho & Wakhi
Hunza’s Burusho people — famous for longevity and warmth — and the Wakhi of upper Hunza and the border valleys, whose language echoes across the Pamirs.
Balti
Tibetan-descended, soft-spoken, and deeply hospitable; Skardu, Shigar and Khaplu run on Balti culture — and Balti cuisine (mamtu, chapshuro) is a highlight.
Kalash
The Kalasha of the Kalash valleys — some 4,000 people keeping a unique pre-Islamic culture alive with festivals like Chilam Joshi each spring.
Add the Shina speakers of Gilgit and Diamer, the Khowar of Chitral town, and the Gujjar herders of the high pastures, and the north holds more languages per square kilometre than almost anywhere in Pakistan. What unites them: a code of hospitality so strong that travellers routinely report being fed, housed and guided by strangers. Polo — the wild, full-contact mountain version at Shandur each July — is the shared sporting religion.
The road
The Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway (KKH) — 1,300 km from Islamabad to Khunjerab — is often called the Eighth Wonder of the World. Built jointly by Pakistan and China over two decades (completed 1982, with 810 Pakistani and 82 Chinese workers losing their lives), it follows the ancient Silk Road through the Indus gorge, past Nanga Parbat’s viewpoint, through Gilgit and Hunza, to the highest paved border crossing on earth. A daily bus has run from Gilgit to Kashgar since 2006. Driving it end-to-end remains one of the great road journeys of the world.
History
From the Silk Road to CPEC
These valleys have always been a crossroads. Silk Road caravans threaded the Karakoram passes for two millennia; Buddhist rock carvings at Chilas and Gilgit mark the route’s golden age. In the 19th century the region became a chessboard of the Great Game, with British and Russian agents mapping passes that armies might use. The 1947 partition left Gilgit-Baltistan’s status disputed — administered by Pakistan, claimed in full, and still constitutionally distinct from the four provinces. Then came the Karakoram Highway (completed 1982), which turned isolation into connection, and now CPEC, which is turning connection into corridor. Through it all, the mountains haven’t moved — only the maps drawn around them.
The frontier
The northern border: China
Directly north of Pakistan lies China — the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The 596-km border threads the Karakoram Range and was formalised by the Sino-Pakistan Agreement of 1963. The Khunjerab Pass (4,693 m / 15,397 ft) is the only land crossing — and the highest paved international border crossing in the world. Its name comes from the Wakhi words khun (blood) and jerab (spring creek). Long closed each winter (December–March), it went year-round in December 2024 under a bilateral agreement, boosting CPEC trade and cross-border tourism. The full story is in our guide to the country north of Pakistan.
Nature
Glaciers, rivers and wildlife
The great glaciers
The Baltoro (63 km) feeds the K2 trek; the Biafo-Hispar system forms one of the world’s longest glacial traverses; the Siachen — 76 km, the world’s highest battlefield — lies at the eastern edge. Pakistan’s glaciers are the largest reserve of freshwater outside the poles.
The rivers
The Indus is born here — gathering the Shyok, Shigar, Hunza, Gilgit and Astor rivers as it carves the great gorge past Nanga Parbat. Every valley’s life runs on glacial melt, which is why the north watches climate change more anxiously than anywhere in the country.
Wildlife
Snow leopards patrol the high valleys (Khunjerab National Park is a stronghold); Himalayan brown bears roam Deosai; markhor — Pakistan’s national animal — clings to Chitral’s cliffs; ibex, marmots and golden eagles complete the cast.
Stargazing
At 3,000–4,000 m with zero light pollution, the north’s night skies are among the darkest accessible on earth. Deosai and Fairy Meadows campers rank the Milky Way as a top-three memory.
Plan
Visiting: when, how, what to know
When to go
April–May: Hunza blossoms. June–August: peak trekking. September–October: autumn colours, fewer crowds. Winter is for the hardy — and the Khunjerab now stays open.
Getting there
KKH by road (20+ hours Islamabad–Gilgit, or via Babusar Pass in summer); flights to Gilgit/Skardu are spectacular but weather-dependent — keep buffer days.
Good to know
Pakistan e-visa / visa-on-arrival for many nationalities; some areas need permits for foreigners; weather changes violently; GB is Pakistan’s most tourist-friendly region.
Rapid fire
North Pakistan in 10 lines
| 1 | K2 (8,611 m) — world’s second-highest — stands in the Karakoram. |
| 2 | Five of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks are in Pakistan. |
| 3 | China (Xinjiang) is the country directly north; the border is 596 km. |
| 4 | Khunjerab Pass (4,693 m) is the world’s highest paved border crossing. |
| 5 | The Karakoram Highway runs 1,300 km from Islamabad to Khunjerab. |
| 6 | Three ranges meet near Gilgit: Karakoram, Himalaya, Hindu Kush. |
| 7 | Attabad Lake was born from a 2010 landslide in Hunza. |
| 8 | Deosai’s plateau (4,114 m) hosts Himalayan brown bears. |
| 9 | Shandur hosts the world’s highest polo ground (3,734 m). |
| 10 | Best months: April–October; Khunjerab is now open year-round. |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Which country is located in the north of Pakistan?
China — specifically the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The 596-km border runs through the Karakoram Range and was formalised by the Sino-Pakistan Agreement of 1963. The Khunjerab Pass (4,693 m) is the only land crossing, and the highest paved international border crossing in the world.
What are the main areas of north Pakistan?
Gilgit-Baltistan (Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu, Khaplu, Astore, Ghizer) and the northern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Chitral, Swat, Dir, Kohistan). Together they hold three of the world’s great mountain ranges — the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush.
What is the highest mountain in north Pakistan?
K2 at 8,611 metres — the world’s second-highest peak, in the Karakoram Range of Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan holds five of the world’s fourteen 8,000-metre peaks: K2, Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II.
When is the best time to visit north Pakistan?
April to October. April–May brings blossoms in Hunza, June–August is peak trekking season, and September–October offers autumn colours with fewer crowds. The Khunjerab Pass, now open year-round since December 2024, was previously closed December–March.
How do you get to north Pakistan?
By road on the Karakoram Highway (1,300 km from Islamabad to Khunjerab), by air to Gilgit or Skardu (weather-dependent flights), or over the Babusar Pass in summer. The famous Gilgit–Kashgar bus has run across the Khunjerab border since 2006.
Is north Pakistan safe for tourists?
Gilgit-Baltistan and the northern valleys are considered Pakistan’s safest tourist region, with a long tradition of hospitality. Standard mountain precautions apply: weather changes fast, some areas need permits for foreigners, and remote regions have limited medical facilities.
Keep exploring Pakistan’s geography
Maps, districts, rivers and ranges — the land behind the headlines.
Heights and border facts from Encyclopaedia Britannica, the 1963 Sino-Pakistan Agreement record and CPEC official reporting; tourism details from 2026 operator guides. Conditions in mountain regions change fast — check current advisories before travelling. Maintained by the Feature Pakistan research desk.