Hunza Valley

 HUNZA VALLEY

Introduction

Hunza is a remarkably peaceful and beautiful place situated at an elevation of 2,438 metres, it is situated 112 km of north of Gilgit on the west bank of the Hunza river. Weather remains pleasent from April to September; however winters are extremely cold in hunza. People of hunza are Ismailis and speak Burushaski and are really friendly.Hunza is famous for its handicrafts and precious stones. Hunza Valley's tourist season is from March to October; however to me anytime spent in Hunza would be a lifetime experience. View of Rakaposhi (7,788 metres) from Karimabad is amazing, 800 years old Baltit fort is another attraction.Tourists in Karimabad also visit Duiker, Altit to see sunset in evening from there one can see eight different peaks and view from Duiker is just amazing and beautiful.

How to get there

Hunza valley can be easily reached from Gilgit by road. PIA operates two flights to Gilgit daily from Islamabad. Karimabad, the capital of Hunza can be reached by two hours drive from Gilgit. Scenery is really spectacular during this journey, regular buses and vehicles are always available in Gilgit to reach Aliabad, Karimabad, Gulmit, Passu and Sost.

Accommodation facilities

There are a lot of hotels in Karimabad, Gulmit & Passu, they charge from Rs.200 to Rs. 5000 per day (depending on the tourist which hotel does he chose!), real attractive hotel is Eagle's Nest Hotel which is in Duiker, Altit village.

Hikes and treks

Hunza is ideal for mountaineering, trekking and hiking. Most of the treks in Hunza area are in open zone, for which tourists do not need any permit. However special permits are required from the Ministry of Tourism, Islamabad for mountaineering, trekking in restricted zones & climbing peaks over 6000 metres.

Food:

Food of Hunza has a very very special appeal , not just for the locals but also for the people who visit these areas.Most delicious are Hunza bread, chhupshru (local pizza), local soup daudo and fresh apricot's jam. In case you want food other then local then Baltit Cafe' is the best choice! You can head to Cafe de Hunza if you want to browse Internet and have some coffee.