Naltar valley
Overview
A three-day trip up the Naltar valley above Gilgit to the pine forest and the chain of coloured lakes, by jeep. It is the easiest way to see the greenest valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, and it looks nothing like the rest of the region.
Forest, which is rare here
Most of Gilgit-Baltistan is rock, ice and irrigated terrace. Naltar is genuine pine woodland running up a valley floor, and the contrast is the reason to come — particularly if you have just spent a fortnight on a glacier somewhere.
The lakes
The Naltar lakes sit above the village and run from turquoise to deep green depending on the light, the season and how much melt is coming down. They are reachable by jeep on a rough track, which is what separates this trip from the Naltar trek.
The road
The jeep road from Gilgit climbs steeply and is rough throughout. It is short — around two hours — but it is not a smooth two hours, and it is the only demanding part of the trip.
Winter
Naltar holds the only lift-served skiing in Pakistan. We do not currently sell a winter programme here and we would rather say so than sell you one we have not built properly.
When it runs
May to October.
What is inside the price
All permits and fees, our own 4x4s and drivers, hotel or guesthouse in Naltar, all meals, and a guide on our payroll. Medical kit, satellite comms above the village and a published evacuation procedure. It sits two hours from Hunza. See the rest of Naltar and our other jeep safaris.
- Duration
- 2 – 3 days
- Trek days
- 0
- Maximum altitude
- 3,200 m [confirm]
- Grade
- Easy
- Group size
- Max 10
- Guides
- 2 certified, 1 WFR
- Season
- May – October
- Starts / ends
- Gilgit / Gilgit
- Accommodation
- Hotel or guesthouse in Naltar
- Genuine pine forest, which almost nowhere else in Gilgit-Baltistan has
- The chain of coloured lakes, reachable by jeep rather than on foot
- Two hours from Gilgit, which makes it the easiest green valley to reach
- A complete contrast to the glacier and terrace country around it
- Home of the only lift-served skiing in Pakistan, if not yet in our catalogue
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 1,000 | A full crew for two people |
| 3 – 4 | USD 850 | |
| 5 – 8 | USD 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 Gilgit to Naltar Hotel
Up the rough jeep road into the valley. The forest in the afternoon, and a first look up toward the lakes.
02 The Naltar lakes Hotel
By jeep up the track to the lakes, with time to walk between them rather than photograph and leave.
03 Naltar to Gilgit —
Back down the jeep 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
- All meals and accommodation throughout
- 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
No fitness requirement. The lakes are reached by jeep and the walking around them is short, flat and optional.
The jeep road from Gilgit is the demanding part: short at around two hours, steep, and rough throughout. If back trouble is a concern, declare it at enquiry and we will plan the seating and the stops around it. There is no altitude here worth planning around.
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
- All vehicles, drivers and fuel
- Group first aid
- Satellite phone where there is no mobile signal
Personal — yours
- Layers for a wide temperature range; valley heat and pass cold on the same day
- Comfortable walking shoes for short walks off the road
- Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Power bank; mains power is intermittent outside the towns
- 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. A buffer day either way.
Gilgit to Naltar
Around two hours by jeep on a rough road that climbs steeply out of the valley. Our own vehicles.
In the valley
Jeep to the lakes on a rough track, and short walks from there.
Questions people actually ask
How is Naltar different from everywhere else here?
It is green. Genuine pine woodland running up a valley floor with coloured lakes in it, which almost nowhere else in Gilgit-Baltistan has. If you have just come off a glacier it feels like a different country.
How many days do I need?
Three is comfortable and two is enough. Most people attach it to time in Gilgit or Hunza rather than making a separate trip of it.
How fit do I need to be?
Not at all. The lakes are reached by jeep and the walking around them is short, flat and optional.
How rough is the road?
Rough, steep and about two hours. It is the only demanding part of the trip. Declare back trouble at enquiry and we will plan the seating and stops around it.
How high does it get?
Around 3,200 m at the lakes. We have no reliable second source for that, so it prints with a marker. There is no altitude here worth planning around.
Do I need a permit?
No. Naltar is an open zone and your Pakistan visa is the only paperwork. Local fees apply and we pay them.
What does it cost and what moves the price?
Party size, mostly. This is a short trip close to Gilgit and among the cheapest 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 and we would rather tell you that than sell you one we have not built properly.
When is the best time to come?
May to October. June is the greenest, with the forest in full leaf and the lakes at their fullest while the melt is running. October is clear and cold with the colour turning. July and August are warm and busiest with domestic visitors.
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 Deosai plateau and Sheosar Lake
You have already chosen the region, which is the harder decision. These run from the same roadhead.
- Naltar · Trek Naltar lakes and passes
If this one is not right
Phander and Ghizer
Babusar Pass
Easy
Shigar & Braldu · Jeep safari
Sarfaranga cold desert
Easy
Karakoram Highway · Jeep safari