Town or village

Chilas

Diamer district · 1,265 m

Chilas is the old crossing place of the Indus, and the rocks around it carry more than 30,000 petroglyphs.

Chilas is the traditional crossing place of the Indus, and for thousands of years it has been a crossroads of trade and pilgrimage and a welcome stopping point for travellers. The rocks and cliffs around the town tell that story for you. The carvings cover a span of more than 5,000 years, which makes this one of the great collections of Upper Indus rock art, and it is not to be missed.

Kind Town or villageDistrict DiamerElevation 1,265 mPosition 35.419° N, 74.096° E

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Diamer district. Every place marked here has its own page.7 places

About Chilas

The fun is in reading them slowly. Look for ibex and horses, festivals and drinking parties, caravans, ploughmen, royal couples, and Buddhist stupas with worshippers beside them. On an isolated rocky hillock near the river whole scenes are laid out together, including a ruler with his captives and a horse festival. About 1 km along the highway from the barrier, on the hill to the east, one rock is cut with a fifth-century Gupta script.

Professor Karl Jettmar, who studied this country for years, described it beautifully: streams flow out from the side valleys and join the Indus, and the rocks along them are decorated with carvings. Spend an afternoon walking among them and you will see exactly what he meant.

Most people pass through on the Karakoram Highway or stop for the carvings, and that is a lovely way to use an afternoon. Chilas is also the junction for the valleys north of the Indus, Darel and Tangir, and for the Babusar road, so it makes a very good base for exploring.

Getting there

On the Karakoram Highway, between Gilgit and the Islamabad end of the road. Minibuses run every few hours between the bus yard in Chilas and the Jutiyal bus stand in Gilgit, and buses for Rawalpindi pass through about 3 to 4 hours after leaving Gilgit. For the carvings, a 4WD track leaves the highway at the check post and drops to the river, and the first carvings are on a rock to the left after about 1 km.

When to go

Chilas sits in the warm Indus gorge, so early mornings are the best time to walk the rock art. Spring and autumn are especially pleasant for it, and the carvings can be enjoyed on any trip along the highway.

Good to know

Start the carving walk early in the day and carry water, so you can take your time at the river.
The 4WD track from the check post down to the river is the way in. The first carvings are about 1 km along it.
Hotels range from the Shangrila Motel, which lets you pitch a tent in the garden for a small fee, to simple rooms in the main bazaar.
Panorama Hotel is a favourite with groups in summer, so book ahead.

Elsewhere in Diamer

Swipe along the district, from the valley floor to the summits.

Chilas

About Chilas

Elsewhere in Diamer

Raikot Bridge

Fairy Meadows

Nanga Parbat

Babusar Pass

Darel

Tangir