Naltar lakes and passes
Overview
A ten-day trek through the Naltar valley above Gilgit, among pine forest and the chain of coloured lakes, with a high pass at the head of the valley. It looks nothing like the rest of our Karakoram treks and that is the reason to do it.
Green, which is unusual here
Most of Gilgit-Baltistan is rock, ice and irrigated terrace. Naltar is forest — genuine pine woodland running up a valley floor, with lakes that run from turquoise to deep green depending on the light and the season. For anyone who has spent a fortnight on a glacier, it is a different country.
The lakes and the pass
Naltar’s lakes sit at the head of the valley above the village, and the trek carries on beyond them to a pass that looks through into Ishkoman. The walking is moderate — steep in places, long on the pass day, with no glacier and no rope.
Winter, and why we only sell this in summer
Naltar holds the only lift-served skiing in Pakistan and is better known for winter than summer. We do not currently sell a winter programme here, and we would rather say that than sell you one we have not built properly.
When it runs
June to September.
What is inside the price
Permits and fees, transport on our own vehicles from Gilgit, full camp with cook and mess, a porter crew under our published porter charter with loads weighed in front of you, guides on our payroll, satellite comms above the village and a written evacuation plan for every camp. The Naltar jeep safari reaches the lakes without the walking, and Rakaposhi Base Camp is the next valley east. See the rest of Naltar.
- Duration
- 7 – 10 days
- Trek days
- 5
- Maximum altitude
- 4,200 m [confirm]
- Grade
- Moderate
- Group size
- Max 10
- Guides
- 2 certified, 1 WFR
- Season
- June – September
- Starts / ends
- Gilgit / Gilgit
- Accommodation
- Hotel in Naltar, full camp in the valley
- Genuine pine forest, which almost nowhere else in Gilgit-Baltistan has
- The chain of Naltar lakes, turquoise to deep green depending on light and season
- A high pass at the head of the valley looking through toward Ishkoman
- No glacier and no rope at any point
- The one trek in the catalogue that looks nothing like the rest of it
Private departures and group pricing
Your party, your dates. The per-person figure falls as the party grows, because the guides, the vehicles and the camp cost the same split more ways. Everything in the inclusions list applies, and the safety standard is the one published above.
| Party size | Price per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | USD 2,400 | A full crew for two people |
| 3 – 4 | USD 2,050 | |
| 5 – 8 | USD 1,700 | Second guide joins at six |
Deposit is 25% of the trip price. The payment schedule and the cancellation terms are published and sent with every quote, before you pay anything.
Day by day
Buffer days are built in, not padding. If the weather takes them, nothing downstream collapses and you are not charged twice.
01 Arrive Gilgit Hotel
Met at the airport or off the highway. Briefing, SIM and cash.
02 Gilgit to Naltar Hotel
Up the rough jeep road into the valley. Crew and loads meet us at the village.
03 Naltar to the lakes Camp
Up through the pine forest to the lakes. Short day, and the first camp among trees.
04 At the lakes Camp
The chain of lakes at walking pace, and an acclimatisation walk higher up the valley.
05 Lakes to the pass camp Camp
Out of the trees and up the valley head. The last camp before the pass.
06 Over the pass and back Camp · 4,200 m
The long day. Up to the pass for the view through toward Ishkoman, and back down to camp.
07 Pass camp to Naltar Hotel
The whole descent in one go. Long on the knees and quicker than you expect.
08 Naltar to Gilgit Hotel
Down the jeep road. Kit return and debrief.
09 Gilgit — buffer day Hotel
Held against the flight. Yours if it is not needed.
10 Gilgit, and onward —
By air or road, and on to whatever comes next.
What is included
- Visa sponsor letter
- All permits, park fees and NOCs
- Met inside the terminal, all transfers
- Our own 4x4s and drivers
- Certified guides and insured crew
- Camp equipment, cook and all meals on trek
- Porter crew under our published charter, loads weighed
- Medical kit, oxygen where the route calls for it
- Satellite comms and a daily message home
- International flights
- Visa fee itself
- Travel insurance covering evacuation and repatriation
- Personal equipment
- Tips
If our price is wrong for you we will move you to a lower tier or remove a named inclusion. We do not discount a published price, and we do not cut the crew.
Fitness and difficulty — read this honestly
Five walking days, four to six hours on most of them and seven to eight on the pass day, which is the one that decides it. Steep in places but on good ground, with no glacier, no rope and no technical sections anywhere.
This is a reasonable first multi-day trek. The altitude stays moderate, the camps are comfortable and the forest means shade, which no glacier trek offers. The pass day is a genuine hill day and worth training for; everything before it is walking. Tell us about knees at enquiry — the descent from the pass is long.
Kit list
The full list with quantities is sent with your quote. Rental is available in Skardu for most of it, priced separately. Your kit is checked item by item in Islamabad, not the night before the trek.
Group — we provide
- Sleeping, mess, kitchen and toilet tents
- Group first aid and the medical kit
- Satellite phone and messenger
- All cooking and camp equipment
Personal — yours
- Sleeping bag rated to −15 °C or better
- Insulated jacket and waterproof shell
- Walking boots, worn in before you arrive
- Trekking poles
- Sun hat, glacier glasses and high-factor sunscreen
- Headtorch with spare batteries
- Water bottles or bladder, two litres minimum
- Personal medication and a declared medical history
Safety, evacuation and insurance
Helicopter rescue in the Karakoram is not guaranteed. Weather, altitude, daylight and clearance all decide whether a helicopter flies, so every stage carries a named drive-out or walk-out plan. Your insurance must cover helicopter evacuation and repatriation to the maximum altitude on your itinerary, and we verify the certificate before the trip starts.
A graded medical kit sized to the trip, oxygen, a portable altitude chamber, a satellite phone and a messenger, and a wilderness first responder in the crew.
The lead guide’s decision to turn back is final. Not a guest, not an agent, not this office — whatever has been paid.
Getting there
Islamabad to Gilgit
By air when the weather allows, or by road up the Karakoram Highway. We build a buffer day either way.
Gilgit to Naltar
Around two hours by jeep on a rough road that climbs steeply out of the Hunza valley. Our own vehicles.
From Naltar
On foot, with a porter crew from the village.
Questions people actually ask
How is Naltar different from the other treks?
It is green. Genuine pine forest running up a valley floor with coloured lakes in it, which almost nowhere else in Gilgit-Baltistan has. If you have just spent a fortnight on a glacier it feels like a different country.
How many days is it, and when does it run?
Ten door to door from Gilgit, of which five are walking. June to September.
How fit do I need to be?
Four to six hours a day on good ground, and seven to eight on the pass day, which is the one that decides it. No glacier, no rope, no technical sections.
Is this a good first trek in Pakistan?
Yes. Moderate altitude, comfortable camps, shade from the forest and nothing technical. The pass day is a genuine hill day and worth training for.
How high does it get?
Around 4,200 m at the pass. We have no reliable second source for that, so it prints with a marker until we do.
Do I need a permit?
No restricted-zone permit — Naltar is an open trekking zone. Local fees apply and we pay them. Your Pakistan visa is the paperwork that matters and we send a sponsor letter for it.
What does it cost and what moves the price?
Party size, then porter stages, which are short. The approach is two hours from Gilgit, which keeps this among the cheapest treks we sell. Deposit is 25 per cent.
Can I ski here in winter?
Naltar has the only lift-served skiing in Pakistan, but we do not currently sell a winter programme here and we would rather tell you that than sell you one we have not built properly.
If this one is not quite right
The commonest reason a trip is wrong is that it is too hard or too easy, not that it is in the wrong place.
- A step harder Charakusa valley and K6/K7 Base Camp
You have already chosen the region, which is the harder decision. These run from the same roadhead.
- Naltar · Jeep safari Naltar valley