Districts of Gilgit-Baltistan: A Traveller's Map

Gilgit-Baltistan is divided into three divisions: Baltistan (around Skardu), Gilgit and Diamer. Ten districts are established and working: Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche and Kharmang in Baltistan; Gilgit, Ghizer, Hunza and Nagar in the Gilgit division; and Diamer and Astore in the Diamer division. Four more, Gupis-Yasin, Rondu, Darel and Tangir, were notified in 2019, which is why you will see "14 districts" quoted.

For a traveller the districts matter less as government units than as a map of where things are. Knowing that Passu is in Hunza, Khaplu is in Ghanche and Fairy Meadows is in Diamer tells you which valley to look in, which road you will use and which town has the hospital and the fuel. This guide lists each district, its headquarters and what a visitor is likely to go there for. For a map of the roads themselves, see our Gilgit-Baltistan tourist map.

How many districts does Gilgit-Baltistan have?

The honest answer is ten working districts and fourteen on paper. In June 2019 the regional government notified four subdivisions as districts, Gupis-Yasin, Rondu, Darel and Tangir, to bring the total to 14 (Dawn, June 2019). Wikipedia's list notes that, as of 2023, those four had not been set up in practice, so the administration still runs through the older ten.

For planning this changes very little. Hotels, road signs and locals still describe places by the older names: people say Yasin and Phander are in Ghizer, and Rondu is on the road from Skardu towards Gilgit. If you are checking a place on a map or booking site, expect either version.

Baltistan division

Baltistan is the eastern part, reached by road from Gilgit or by air to Skardu. It has four districts.

• Skardu. Headquarters: Skardu. The base for most visitors to the region, with Shangrila, Upper Kachura and the Deosai plains. Deosai National Park sits on the border of Skardu and Astore districts, and the usual road to it starts about 30 km from Skardu city. Our Skardu itinerary shows how the sights fit together.
• Shigar. Headquarters: Shigar. A separate district north of Skardu, known for Shigar Fort and the road towards Askole and the Baltoro trekking route.
• Ghanche. Headquarters: Khaplu. The Khaplu Palace, Hushe and the valley towards the Saltoro side belong here. It is a two to three hour drive from Skardu, which is why many people stay a night or two.
• Kharmang. Headquarters: Kharmang. On the Indus east of Skardu, towards the Line of Control. It gets far fewer visitors and is rarely on a standard itinerary.

Rondu, notified as a district in 2019, lies along the Indus between Skardu and Gilgit, on the road most people drive between the two.

Gilgit division

The middle of the region, and the crossroads where the roads from Chilas, Skardu, Hunza and Chitral meet.

• Gilgit. Headquarters: Gilgit. The main city, airport, hospital and market, and the point where most itineraries change direction. Naltar is reached from here.
• Hunza. Headquarters: Aliabad. The district most visitors mean when they say "Hunza": Karimabad, Altit and Baltit forts, Attabad Lake, and Gojal, the upper valley with Gulmit, Passu and Sost, up to Khunjerab Pass. See our guide to places to visit in Hunza.
• Nagar. Headquarters: Nagar. Across the river from Karimabad, with Rakaposhi views at Minapin and the Hoper and Hispar glaciers. Hunza and Nagar are separate districts even though they are usually visited together.
• Ghizer. Headquarters: Gahkuch. The western valleys towards Chitral, with Phander, Khalti and Shandur Pass. Ghizer is the district name most people still use for the area now labelled Gupis-Yasin.

Diamer division

The southern and western part, where the Karakoram Highway enters Gilgit-Baltistan. It has Diamer and Astore, and two notified districts, Darel and Tangir.

• Diamer. Headquarters: Chilas. The Karakoram Highway passes through Chilas, and the Raikot Bridge turn-off for Fairy Meadows and Nanga Parbat is in this district. Fairy Meadows National Park is in Diamer.
• Astore. Headquarters: Astore (Eidghah). Rama Meadow, Rattu, and one of the roads to Deosai. It is reached by turning off the highway near Jaglot, and from there it is a long drive up to Deosai.
• Darel and Tangir. Remote valleys west of Chilas, off the standard tourist routes. Treat them as places for local knowledge and current advice, not for casual detours.

Which district for which trip?

A rough guide to matching a trip to districts:

1. Hunza and Passu in five to seven days: Hunza and Nagar, with a night in Gilgit on the way.
2. Skardu, Deosai and Khaplu: Skardu, Astore (for the Deosai side), Shigar and Ghanche.
3. Fairy Meadows: Diamer, with Astore as a natural add-on.
4. The full loop: all three divisions, which is what our nine-day Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour and the Skardu and Deosai tour cover between them.

For the wider picture of how to get around, our travel guide has the practical side.

Reading district names on maps and bookings

Three habits save confusion. First, "Hunza" on a hotel site usually means the whole upper valley, from Aliabad to Sost, while a map may label the same places as Gojal, a tehsil (sub-district) of Hunza District. Second, "Ghizer" and "Gupis-Yasin" often describe the same valleys, so both may appear on one route. Third, Skardu and Astore share the Deosai plateau, so a driving time to "Deosai" depends on which side you enter from.

When you compare drive times, go by the town you will actually sleep in rather than the district. A night in Khaplu, Karimabad or Chilas is what shapes the day's driving, and district boundaries rarely match it.

Do the districts affect safety and permits?

They can. Pakistani visitors do not need a permit for these districts, but security advice is given by area. Gilgit-Baltistan itself is not on the UK government's list of areas it advises against, but the same advice says not to travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas. Chilas is the Diamer headquarters, and the Babusar route (N15) is the usual way to reach it in summer without using that stretch.

Local police and the tourism department hold the current situation for each district, so check with your hotel or driver before setting out for anywhere remote. Overseas visitors should check their own government's advice, because it can affect travel insurance.

Frequently asked questions