Baltistan also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet, is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan and constitutes a northern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947. It is located near the Karakoram and borders Gilgit to the west, China's Xinjiang to the north, Indian-administered Ladakh to the southeast, and the Indian-administered Kashmir Valley to the southwest. The average altitude of the region is over 3,350 metres (10,990 ft). Baltistan is largely administered under the Baltistan Division.
The Karakoram Highway, also known as the KKH, National Highway 35, N-35, and the China–Pakistan Friendship Highway, is a 1,300 km (810 mi) national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in the Punjab province of Pakistan to the Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, where it crosses into China and becomes China National Highway 314. The highway connects the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plus Gilgit-Baltistan with China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The highway is a popular tourist attraction and is one of the highest paved roads in the world, passing through the Karakoram mountain range, at 36°51′00″N75°25′40″E at maximum elevation of 4,714 m (15,466 ft) near Khunjerab Pass. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions under which it was constructed, it is often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World. The highway is also a part of the Asian Highway AH4.
Northern Pakistan is a tourism region in northern and north-western parts of Pakistan, comprising the administrative units of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad Capital Territory and the Rawalpindi Division in Punjab. The first two territories are a part of the wider Kashmir region. It is a mountainous region straddling the Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindu Kush mountain ranges, containing many of the highest peaks in the world and some of the longest glaciers outside polar regions. Northern Pakistan accounts for a high level of Pakistan's tourism industry.
The Kaghan Valley is an alpine valley in Balakot Tehsil, Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The valley stretches 155 kilometres (96 mi) across northern Pakistan, rising from its lowest elevation of 650 m (2,134 ft) to its highest point at the Babusar Pass around 4,170 m (13,690 ft). Furthermore, the highest mountain peak in the valley known as Malika Parbat (lit. 'Queen of Mountains'), stands with a height of around 5,290 metres (17,360 ft). Landslides triggered by the devastating 2005 Kashmir earthquake destroyed many passes leading into the valley, though roads have since been rebuilt. Kaghan is a popular tourist attraction in Pakistan.
Malam Jabba is a hill station and ski resort in the Hindu Kush mountain ranges. It is nearly 40 km far from Saidu Sharif in the Swat Valley of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is 314 km far from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport.
The Naltar Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in the Naltar Valley near Nomal, in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The sanctuary was created on 22 November 1975 and consists of a steep-sided forested valley with high mountains on either side. The sanctuary is home to a number of large mammals, including a small number of Astor markhor.
The Hunza Valley is a mountainous valley located in the northern region of the Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
The Gilgit District is one of the 14 districts of Pakistan-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. The headquarters of the district is the town of Gilgit. At the 1998 census, the Gilgit District had a population of 243,324. The district includes Gilgit, the Bagrot Valley, Juglot, Danyore, Sultanabad, Naltar Peak, and the Nomal Valley. The highest peak in the district is Distaghil Sar 7,885 metres (25,869 ft), which is the seventh-highest peak in Pakistan and 19th highest in the world.
Nagar Valley once a princely state, now stands as one of the ten districts within the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. This valley is situated along the renowned Karakoram Highway, as one travels northward from the city of Gilgit. The valley is home to many high mountain peaks including Rakaposhi (7788m), Diran Peak (7265m), Golden Peak and Rush Peak.
Gilgit-Baltistan is an administrative territory of Pakistan in the northern part of the country. It was given self-governing status on August 29, 2009. Gilgit-Baltistan comprises 14 districts within three divisions. The four districts of Skardu Kharmang Shigar and Ghanche are in the Baltistan Division, four districts of Gilgit Ghizer Hunza and Nagar districts which were carved out of Gilgit District are in the Gilgit Division and the third division is Diamir, comprising Chilas and Astore. The main political centres are the towns of Gilgit and Skardu.
Tourism in Pakistan is a growing industry. In 2010, Lonely Planet termed Pakistan "tourism's 'next big thing'". The country is geographically and ethnically diverse, and has a number of historical and cultural heritage sites. Condé Nast Traveller ranked Pakistan The Best Holiday Destination for 2020 and also declared it the third-highest potential adventure destination in the world for 2020. As security in the country improves, tourism increases; in two years, it has increased by more than 300%.
The valley of Punial is situated in Ghizer District in the Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, where hundreds of thousands of tourists visit annually. Punial is a mountainous valley situated at an elevation of about 5000–9000 feet. The territory of Punial has an area of about 35,900 km2 (13,900 sq mi).
Gilgit-Baltistan, formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory and consists of the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959. It borders Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang region of China to the east and northeast, and the Indian-administered union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast.
Ifrah Wali, is a Pakistani alpine skier. She is the first winner of the Giant Slalom event at any South Asian Winter Games when she won at the inaugural games held in India.
Amina Wali is a Pakistani alpine skier and a recipient of Pride of Performance. She remained national champion for 15 years. In acknowledgement of her extra ordinary achievements in sports, she was conferred Presidential Award of Pride of Performance in 2023. She is nominated as goodwill ambassador to Plan International organization for supporting its campaign "because I am a girl".
Nomal is a small valley located at a distance of 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Gilgit city in the Gilgit District, in northern Pakistan. The valley is also connected with Nalter Bala and Nalter Pain through a metaled road.
There are three lakes in Naltar Valley known as Naltar Lakes or Bashkiri Lakes at altitudes ranging from 3,050–3,150 metres (10,010–10,330 ft). In one of the three lakes colour of water is green while the second has blue colored water and the third has azure colored water. The first, Bashkiri Lake is located at a distance of about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Upper Naltar. The road up to the lakes is a dirt road alongside a stream flowing down the valley. The lakes are surrounded by dense pine forests. The best time to visit the lakes is from May to October. During the winter, it becomes almost impossible to reach the lake by vehicle due to the heavy snowfall in the Naltar Valley.
On 8 May, a Mil MI-17 transport helicopter of the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps crashed in Naltar, in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, killing eight people. Among the victims were the ambassadors of Norway, Indonesia and the Philippines to Pakistan, as well as the spouses of the Indonesian and Malaysian ambassadors to Pakistan, and three crew.
Jutal is a village in the Gilgit District, situated at a distance of 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Gilgit city in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. The world's highest paved road, KKH, passes through the village. In the south of the village is a small settlement, formed by migrant families affected during sectarian tension of 1988, called Jagot colony.
Naltar ski resort is a ski resort situated in the Karakoram range of the Naltar Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan province, Pakistan at a top elevation of 2,950 metres (9,680 ft). The resort is located, 40 kilometers northwest of Gilgit. It also serves as the main facility for the Ski Federation of Pakistan and the Pakistan National Ski Championship. It also hosted the 2016 Karakoram Alpine Ski Cup.
