Gilgit
Pakistan · Gilgit-Baltistan · 1500 m
Description
Gilgit is the administrative centre of Gilgit-Baltistan and the junction every northern route passes through, where the Karakoram Highway meets the roads to Skardu and to Chitral over the Shandur Pass. The town itself is a bazaar along a dusty river terrace rather than a sight. Cut into a cliff face at Kargah, six kilometres out, is a standing Buddha carved in the seventh century, the clearest reminder that this was a Buddhist corridor before it was a Muslim one. Polo is played hard on the ground below the town. Flights from Islamabad depend on the weather.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Gilgit bazaar
- Kargah Buddha carved into the cliff
- Karakoram Highway through the gorges
- Polo on the Gilgit ground
- Confluence of the Gilgit and Indus rivers
- Junction of the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush
- Naltar valley and its coloured lakes(Day trip)
- Danyor rock inscriptions
- Dried apricots and walnuts in the bazaar
Getting there
- Airports:
- GIL