Forts and Palaces of Gilgit-Baltistan Worth Visiting

The forts in Gilgit-Baltistan worth visiting are Baltit and Altit above Karimabad in Hunza, Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace in Baltistan, and the ruined Kharpocho Fort on the rock above Skardu. Baltit and Altit are museums shown by guided tour. Shigar and Khaplu are restored royal palaces, now Serena heritage hotels with museum rooms that day visitors can see for a ticket. Kharpocho is a steep climb to a ruin with the best view over Skardu. The two Hunza forts fit into one morning; the three in Baltistan take two days from Skardu.

This guide covers what each one is, a little of its story, how tickets and visits work, and how to fit them into a trip.

Baltit Fort, Karimabad

Baltit is the one to see if you see only one. It was the palace of the Mirs of Hunza for centuries, and it took its present shape in the 16th century, when a Mir married a princess from Skardu and Balti craftsmen came north to rebuild it. That link with Baltistan runs through this whole list.

The Mirs moved out in 1945 and the building decayed until the Aga Khan Trust for Culture restored it; it reopened as a museum in 1996. Visits are by guided tour of about 45 minutes to an hour, through low doorways and steep wooden stairs to the roof, which looks across Karimabad to Rakaposhi. Our Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour gives both Hunza forts a day. Our Baltit Fort guide covers the tour, the opening hours and the walk up from the bazaar.

Altit Fort, Altit

Altit sits on a cliff straight above the Hunza river, a short drive or a long walk down the valley from Karimabad. It is older than Baltit: its Shikari tower is about 1,100 years old and is often described as the oldest monument in Gilgit-Baltistan. The Mirs ruled from here before moving up to Baltit.

The fort was restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with support from the Norwegian government, opened to visitors in 2007, and won a UNESCO Asia-Pacific heritage conservation award in 2011. It is smaller and quieter than Baltit, with carved wooden doorways and small dark rooms, and the view from the top straight down the cliff to the river is the more dramatic of the two.

Beside the fort is the Royal Garden, with a café that makes a good place for tea after the tour. Walk back through the lanes of old Altit village, which have also been restored with Aga Khan support.

Shigar Fort, Shigar

Shigar Fort, known locally as Fong Khar, the "palace on the rock", was built in the 17th century by a raja of the Amacha dynasty that ruled the Shigar valley. It is built on a huge boulder, 45 minutes to an hour's drive from Skardu.

It was restored between 1999 and 2004 by the Aga Khan Cultural Service, won a UNESCO Asia-Pacific heritage award in 2006, and is now run by Serena as a small heritage hotel. The old audience hall and several rooms serve as a museum of Balti life, with carved wooden pillars, household objects and weapons.

Day visitors can see the museum part of the fort by paying at the gate, and a night there lets you see the rest at leisure. While you are in Shigar, walk to the Amburiq mosque, a small wooden mosque dated to the 14th century and recognised by UNESCO for its conservation in 2005.

Khaplu Palace, Khaplu

Khaplu Palace, the Yabgo Khar, was built in 1840 by Raja Daulat Ali Khan of the Yabgo dynasty to replace an older fort, at about 2,600 metres above the Shyok river. It is the grandest of the Baltistan palaces, in stone and carved timber, and its design shows Balti, Tibetan and Ladakhi influences.

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture restored it between 2005 and 2011, and it won a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Distinction in 2013. Part of it is now a Serena hotel and part a museum of the Yabgo rulers and Balti culture. Visitors who are not staying can see the grounds and museum for an entry fee.

In the same town, the Chaqchan Mosque is traditionally dated to 1370, which would make it one of the oldest mosques in the region. Khaplu is about three hours up the Shyok from Skardu, so it is a long day trip or, better, a night.

Kharpocho Fort, Skardu

Kharpocho, "king of forts", stands on the rocky ridge above Skardu town, looking over the Indus valley and the mouth of the Shigar river. It is credited to Ali Sher Khan Anchan, the best-known ruler of Baltistan's Maqpon dynasty. Sources date it anywhere from around 1500 to the late 16th century.

Its later history is military. The Dogra general Zorawar Singh stormed and wrecked it during his invasion of Baltistan in 1840, and in the war of 1947–48 the state forces holding Skardu were besieged until they surrendered on 14 August 1948. Today it is largely a ruin, with an old mosque inside the walls.

You reach it on foot, up a steep, rough path from the town; allow 30 to 45 minutes to climb, more on your first day at altitude. Go in the late afternoon for the light over Skardu and the dunes towards Katpana. You may be asked for a small entry fee, so carry a little cash.

Tickets and timings

Fort tickets change often, and the published figures disagree, so we don't print them. What holds true:

• Baltit and Altit charge a ticket that includes the guided tour, paid in cash at the gate. There are different rates for Pakistani visitors, foreign visitors and local residents. Both open daily from about 9 am, and in summer tours run until late afternoon; the last tour leaves before closing.
• Shigar and Khaplu charge day visitors an entry fee for the museum rooms and grounds. Ask at the gate or the hotel reception, and expect parts of the building to be closed to non-guests.
• Kharpocho has no set timings, but go in daylight for the climb.

Carry more cash than you think you need: the ticket counters take cash, and ATMs outside Gilgit and Skardu are few and unreliable. Our travel guide has more on money and cash in the north.

How to combine the visits

Hunza, one morning. Take the first tour at Baltit at about 9 am, walk down through the lanes of Karimabad, then drive or walk to Altit for the second tour and lunch in the Royal Garden. Our three-day Hunza itinerary builds this into a full day.

Baltistan, two days from Skardu.

1. Day one: Kharpocho early in the morning while it is cool, then Shigar Fort and the Amburiq mosque in the afternoon, an hour's drive away.
2. Day two: Khaplu Palace and the Chaqchan Mosque, three hours each way along the Shyok, or stay the night in Khaplu and drive back the next morning.

All five on one trip means both Hunza and Skardu, which are about seven hours apart by road via Gilgit. That needs ten days or more. Otherwise pick the valley that suits the rest of your plans: Hunza for the forts plus Attabad and Khunjerab, or Skardu for the palaces plus the lakes and Deosai.

Staying in a fort. Shigar and Khaplu are the only two on this list where you can sleep inside the walls, and a night in either is the best way to see them properly. Book well ahead for summer.

Which forts are worth your time?

If you have one morning in Hunza, Baltit, then Altit if energy allows. Together they explain the valley better than anything else you will see.

If you are in Skardu for a week, Shigar is an easy half day and well worth it. Khaplu is the finest building of the five but a long drive, so give it a night if you can. Our Skardu and Deosai tour includes both.

Kharpocho is for anyone fit enough for a steep, rough climb. Skip it with small children, older parents or bad knees, and look at it from the bazaar instead.

With young children, keep it short: the Hunza forts have steep stairs and dark rooms, and a 45-minute spoken tour is long for a five-year-old.

Frequently asked questions