Town or village
Karimabad
Hunza district · 2,450 m
The old seat of the Mir of Hunza, and the heartbeat of tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Karimabad, also called Baltit, was the capital of Hunza, with the fort at one end of the village as the seat of power for about 750 years. The reason people fall for it is clear at a glance. From the terrace of almost any guesthouse you can look at Rakaposhi, Diran and Lady Finger in a line, with the Hunza and Nagar valleys opening out below and the river at the bottom.
Kind Town or villageDistrict HunzaElevation 2,450 mPosition 36.317° N, 74.667° E
About Karimabad
The village shows its age in the nicest way. Around the fort the old houses are well preserved and still lived in, and down the slope are the two and three storey hotels and shops of the modern bazaar. Old and new sit side by side, and wandering between them is a pleasure in itself.
Karimabad is an ideal place to relax, with plenty of choice for where to sleep and what to buy. The bazaar keeps growing, with new hotels and souvenir shops, and it is the one place in the valley where shopping is a real treat. Visitors today are mostly Pakistanis travelling in their own country, so you will be in good company.
It is also the perfect launch point. Baltit and Altit forts are a walk or a short drive away, Duikar is a jeep ride up the hill for sunrise or sunset, and the Ultar glacier trek starts on the path behind the fort. On our Hunza Blossom itinerary we base here for the spring bloom.
Elsewhere in Hunza
Swipe along the district, from the valley floor to the summits.
Fort · 2,500 m
Baltit Fort
Seven hundred years old, and beautifully restored between 1990 and 1996 by the Aga Khan Cultural Service.
- 2,350 m
Fort
Altit Fort
The older of Hunza's two great forts, on the edge of a cliff above the river.
- 7,388 m
Summit
Ultar Sar
7,388 m directly above Karimabad, and the glacier that waters most of Central Hunza.
Lake or water · 2,450 m
Attabad Lake
A turquoise lake on the Karakoram Highway, with boat rides, lakeside camping and a new road through the tunnels.
- 2,500 m
Town or village
Gulmit
Gojal headquarters, Wakhi speaking, with the old Mir's summer residence and a village full of charm.
- 2,480 m
Town or village
Hussaini
The famous suspension bridge over the Hunza river, planked at intervals and a treat for adventure lovers.
- 2,500 m
Town or village
Passu
Between the Passu and Batura glaciers, with the Cathedral Peaks in view and some of the best walks in the valley.
Summit · 6,106 m
Passu Cones
Tupopdan, 6,106 m. The serrated wall every photograph of Upper Hunza is taken against.
- 2,600 m
Lake or water
Borith Lake
An emerald green lake above Ghulkin, where migrating birds stop in spring and autumn.
- 2,800 m
Town or village
Sost
The dry port and the last Pakistani customs post before China, and the base for Khunjerab and Chapursan.
- 3,100 m
Town or village
Misgar
Up a side valley off the highway, below the Mintika Pass on the old silk route from China to India.
- 3,300 m
Town or village
Chapursan
A Wakhi valley running west to the Afghan watershed, with the shrine of Baba Ghundi and a famous festival.
- 3,100 m
Town or village
Shimshal
Pakistan's most remote valley, home to great guides, a mountaineering school and yak pastures above 4,700 m.
- 4,735 m
Pass
Shimshal Pass
The gate onto the Pamir pastures, walked by Shimshali herders twice a year.
- 4,735 m
Base camp
Shuwerth
Summer pasture on the Pamir, and blue sheep ground in winter.
Pass · 4,693 m
Khunjerab Pass
4,693 m. The Chinese border and the highest paved border crossing in the world.