The best lakes in Pakistan are in the mountain north, and the first thing to know about each is how you get there. Attabad, the Kachura lakes near Skardu, Satpara, Lulusar and Banjosa are a drive from the road. Saif-ul-Malook, Sheosar on the Deosai plateau, the Naltar lakes, Mahodand and Ratti Gali need a local jeep, sometimes with a walk at the end. Dudipatsar, Ansoo, Chitta Katha and Rush Lake are proper hikes, some of them several days long. Almost all of them are at their best from June to September.
This guide groups more than twenty lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir by access, with the altitude, the season and what the trip actually involves, so you can pick lakes that fit your group rather than just your photographs.
| Lake | Region | Altitude | Access | Best season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attabad | Hunza, GB | On the valley floor, below Gulmit | Car, beside the Karakoram Highway | All year; boats in the warm months |
| Shangrila (Lower Kachura) | Skardu, GB | About 2,500 m | Car, inside a resort | April to October |
| Upper Kachura | Skardu, GB | About 2,500 m | Car, then a short steep path | April to October |
| Satpara | Skardu, GB | About 2,600 m | Car | April to October |
| Borith | Hunza, GB | About 2,600 m | Car, by a short side road | April to October |
| Khalti | Ghizer, GB | About 2,200 m | Car | May to October; frozen in winter |
| Phander | Ghizer, GB | Upper Ghizer valley | Car | May to October |
| Lulusar | Kaghan, KP | 3,410 m | Car | June to October |
| Banjosa | Rawalakot, AJK | 1,981 m | Car | All year; frozen in winter |
| Saif-ul-Malook | Kaghan, KP | 3,224 m | Jeep, 9 km from Naran | June to September |
| Naltar lakes | Gilgit, GB | A little above 3,000 m | Jeep | Late May to October |
| Mahodand | Upper Swat, KP | 2,865 m | Jeep from Kalam | June to early October |
| Sheosar | Deosai, GB | Over 4,100 m | Jeep | June to September |
| Ratti Gali | Neelum, AJK | 3,683 m | Jeep, then on foot | July to September |
| Rama | Astore, GB | About 3,500 m | Jeep, then about 2 hours on foot | June to September |
| Dudipatsar | Kaghan, KP | About 3,800 m | Hike, 6 to 7 hours up | July to September |
| Ansoo | Kaghan, KP | About 4,100 m | Hike, a long day from Saif-ul-Malook | Mid-July to mid-August |
| Katora | Kumrat, KP | About 3,500 m | Jeep, hike and a night out | July to September |
| Chitta Katha | Neelum, AJK | About 4,100 m | Jeep, then a hard hike and camping | July to September |
| Rush | Nagar, GB | 4,694 m | Trek of several days | July to September |
How the access types work
By car means you can drive an ordinary car to the lake or very close to it on a paved or decent road, in season. These suit almost anyone.
By jeep means a rough mountain track that only a local jeep with an experienced driver should take. Fares are per vehicle, so fill the jeep. The ride can be long, steep and bumpy.
On foot means a walk of several hours or days, often at high altitude, sometimes with camping. These need fitness, proper gear, a settled forecast and usually a local guide.
Lakes you can drive to
Attabad Lake, Hunza
The most famous lake in the country is also one of the easiest. It formed on 4 January 2010, when a landslide blocked the Hunza river, and the Karakoram Highway now runs beside it through a chain of tunnels, 30 to 40 minutes north of Karimabad. The main landing at the southern end has boats, jet skis and cafés, and is busy from late morning in summer. In warm months the water is a deep turquoise. Our Attabad Lake guide covers the viewpoints and the colours through the year.
Shangrila and Upper Kachura, Skardu
Two lakes a few minutes apart in Kachura village, about 30 km west of Skardu. Shangrila, properly Lower Kachura, is the small, heart-shaped lake inside a resort that opened in 1983; day visitors are let in through the gate, normally for a ticket. Upper Kachura is the larger, deeper, village lake, up to 70 metres deep, reached by a short, steep path from the parking, with local boatmen and fried trout in season. See our Upper Kachura guide for the path and the boats. Go early in the morning at both.
Satpara Lake, Skardu
About 10 km south of Skardu on the paved road towards Deosai, at about 2,600 metres. A dam downstream has enlarged it, and it supplies the town with water. It is an easy stop on the way to or from Deosai, and worth a look in the late afternoon light.
Borith Lake, upper Hunza
A small lake at about 2,600 metres above Hussaini, in Gojal, reached by a short side road about 2 km from the village. Its water is slightly salty, and it draws migrating ducks in spring and autumn. Combine it with the Hussaini bridge.
Khalti and Phander, Ghizer
Two lakes on the long road west from Gilgit towards the Shandur Pass. Khalti, at about 2,200 metres near Gupis, is a long lake beside the road that freezes hard in winter, and has trout. Phander, five to six hours from Gilgit, is the best known of the lakes in the Phander valley, a quiet, broad valley with simple places to stay. Neither is a day trip from Gilgit; plan at least two nights for Ghizer.
Lulusar Lake, Kaghan valley
At 3,410 metres, beside the road from Naran to the Babusar Pass, about an hour and a half from Naran bazaar. It is the source of the Kunhar river, long and dark between bare slopes, and you can drive to it in your own car once the upper Kaghan road is clear of snow, usually by early summer. For the full list of sights above Naran, see our guide to places to visit in Naran.
Banjosa Lake, Azad Kashmir
A man-made lake at 1,981 metres, about 18 km from Rawalakot by paved road, surrounded by pine forest. It is gentler and smaller than the northern lakes, with rest houses and hotels nearby, and it freezes over in winter.
Lakes you reach by jeep
Lake Saif-ul-Malook, Kaghan valley
At 3,224 metres below Malika Parbat, about 9 km from Naran up a steep jeep track, 45 minutes to an hour each way. In 2026 the Balakot administration fixed the return jeep fare from Naran at PKR 5,500 per jeep. There are boats and horses at the shore. Fit walkers can go up on foot in half a day. The track opens once its snow is cleared, usually by June, and it can wash out after heavy monsoon rain.
The Naltar lakes, Gilgit
A chain of small lakes in pine forest a little above 3,000 metres, 12 to 13 km of jeep track beyond Naltar Bala, about two hours from Gilgit. Satrangi, Blue Lake and Pari Lake are reachable by jeep; a higher lake is a walk of under an hour. The colours are best on a sunny day. Our Naltar lakes guide untangles the names.
Mahodand Lake, upper Swat
At 2,865 metres, about 35 km beyond Kalam through the Ushu forest, on a rough jeep track with stream crossings: 1.5 to 2 hours each way. There are boats and tea stalls on the shore. The track usually opens between late May and June and closes with the first real snow in autumn.
Sheosar Lake, Deosai
On the western side of the Deosai plateau, at over 4,100 metres, about 2 km long, with Nanga Parbat visible beyond it on a clear day. From Skardu it is three to four hours by jeep over the Ali Malik Mar pass; from the Astore side it is closer to Chilim. Deosai is open only in summer, roughly June to September. See our Deosai National Park guide for the routes and the rules on staying overnight.
Ratti Gali Lake, Neelum Valley
At 3,683 metres, above Dowarian between Keran and Sharda. Jeeps take a rough 16 to 18 km track to the base, and you walk the last stretch. The season is short, roughly July to September. The track was closed to jeeps after a fatal accident in July 2024 while safety work was done, so check that it is open before you drive up the valley for it.
Rama Lake, Astore
A jeep ride of two to three hours from Astore takes you to Rama meadow, and from there the lake, at about 3,500 metres according to the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department, is about 4 km further on foot, roughly two hours each way. The Nanga Parbat massif rises above it.
Lakes you have to walk to
Dudipatsar, Kaghan valley
At about 3,800 metres in the Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park, reached from Besal, just below Lulusar. The walk up takes most people six to seven hours, with stream crossings and steep sections, and many camp at the lake or on the way. Go with a local guide and a mule for gear.
Ansoo, Kaghan valley
A small, tear-shaped lake at about 4,100 metres near Malika Parbat, spotted by Pakistan Air Force pilots in 1993. From Saif-ul-Malook it is a hard day of seven hours or more there and back, over steep, rough ground, and the best window is usually from mid-July to mid-August, when the snow around it has melted. Go with a guide and start at dawn.
Katora Lake, Kumrat
A glacial lake at about 3,500 metres above the Jahaz Banda meadows in Upper Dir. It needs a jeep ride from the Kumrat side, a proper walk, and at least one night up in the meadows, so it adds two days to a Kumrat trip.
Chitta Katha, Neelum Valley
A milky-turquoise lake at about 4,100 metres at the head of the Shounter valley. From Kel a jeep takes four to five hours to Domel, and from there it is a strenuous trek of several hours to the lake. There is nowhere to stay but a tent, so it is a camping trip with a guide.
Rush Lake, Nagar
Pakistan's highest lake, at 4,694 metres, above the Hopar and Miar glaciers in Nagar. It is a trek of several days from Hopar, usually planned as five to seven days there and back, with time to acclimatise. It is for experienced trekkers with an organised party, not a detour from a family trip.
Which lake for which trip?
- With small children or grandparents: Attabad, Shangrila and Upper Kachura, Satpara, Lulusar and Banjosa, all by car.
- One lake on a short trip from Islamabad: Saif-ul-Malook, three days by road via Naran.
- Flying in for a week: Skardu, for Kachura, Satpara and Sheosar together. Our Skardu destination page covers the valley.
- A road trip up the Karakoram Highway: Attabad and Borith in Hunza, with the Naltar lakes from Gilgit.
- Walkers with a spare day: Dudipatsar or Ansoo from the Kaghan valley, or Rama from Astore.
- Serious trekkers: Rush Lake or Chitta Katha.
- Outside summer: Attabad, the Kachura lakes, Satpara and Banjosa are all reachable in spring and autumn.
Staying safe at the lakes
- Wear the life jacket. Boats on the northern lakes are usually simple motorboats or rowing boats, and the water is cold enough to be dangerous within minutes. Agree the price and the length of the ride before you get in.
- Don't swim. Glacial lakes are far colder than they look, even in July.
- Respect the altitude. Sheosar, Ansoo, Chitta Katha and Rush are all above 4,000 metres. Move slowly, drink water and go down if anyone has a bad headache, nausea or dizziness.
- Check the track before you go. Jeep tracks to Saif-ul-Malook, Ratti Gali, Mahodand and Deosai close for snow and after heavy rain. Ask locally the evening before.
- Carry your rubbish out and leave the shore as you found it.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most beautiful lake in Pakistan?
It depends on taste. Attabad is the most famous and the easiest to reach, Saif-ul-Malook the best known in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sheosar and Rush Lake among the most dramatic for those willing to travel further.
Which is the highest lake in Pakistan?
Rush Lake in Nagar, Gilgit-Baltistan, at 4,694 metres. It is reached only by a trek of several days from Hopar.
Do you need a jeep for Lake Saif-ul-Malook?
Most people take a local jeep from Naran, about 45 minutes to an hour each way; the official return fare in 2026 was PKR 5,500 per jeep.
When is the best time to visit the lakes in northern Pakistan?
June to September for most of them, and July to September for the high ones such as Ratti Gali, Dudipatsar and Sheosar. Attabad and the lakes around Skardu can be seen from spring to late autumn.
Are the lakes frozen in winter?
Many are. Khalti and Banjosa freeze hard enough for people to walk on, the Kachura lakes freeze, and the high jeep and hiking lakes are snowed in and out of reach from about November to June.