A Gilgit-Baltistan family trip works best with one or two bases, short travel days and sights you can reach in a few minutes from the car. With young children, that usually means flying to Skardu, or to Gilgit for Hunza, rather than spending four days of the holiday on the Karakoram Highway. Sleep no higher than about 2,500 metres, where Karimabad and Skardu sit, and treat the Khunjerab Pass and Deosai as short, optional visits rather than the point of the trip.
This guide covers the places that are genuinely easy with children, how to break up the long travel days, altitude, and family hotels. For the whole north, including Naran, Swat and Kashmir, see our family trip to the northern areas guide.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Easiest bases | Karimabad or Aliabad in Hunza; Skardu town or Kachura |
| Fastest way in | Fly to Skardu, then 20 to 30 minutes to town |
| By road from Islamabad | Two long days; three with small children |
| Sleeping altitude | About 2,200 to 2,500 m in the main bases |
| High day trips | Khunjerab 4,693 m; Deosai over 4,000 m; keep them short |
| Best months with children | June and September |
| Nearest main hospitals | Gilgit and Skardu |
Hunza or Skardu with children?
Both work well. They suit different families.
Hunza is the gentler valley to move around. The sights are strung along the paved Karakoram Highway, most within an hour of Karimabad, and the one big altitude jump, Khunjerab, is easy to leave out. The catch is getting there: Gilgit's small turboprops are often cancelled in cloud, and from the airport it is another two hours or more to Karimabad.
Skardu is easier to reach. It has jets from Islamabad and more flights, and the town is 20 to 30 minutes from the airport, so small children can be in the mountains by lunchtime. The sights are further apart, and Deosai is a long, cold day in a jeep. For families with young children, a Skardu trip without Deosai is still well worth doing.
Easy places to take children
These are the sights that suit families best, roughly in order of how little effort they ask.
| Place | Area | From the car | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rakaposhi viewpoint, Ghulmet | On the KKH below Karimabad | Roadside | All ages |
| Attabad Lake landing | Upper Hunza | A few steps to the boats | All ages, with life jackets |
| Shangrila Resort, Lower Kachura | Near Skardu | Flat paths through the gate | All ages |
| Katpana cold desert | Beside Skardu airport | Short walk onto the sand | All ages |
| Shigar Fort and garden | An hour from Skardu | Short walk | All ages; the tour for older children |
| Upper Kachura Lake | Near Skardu | Short, steep path with steps | Children who walk well |
| Baltit Fort | Karimabad | 10 to 15 minutes up a steep lane, steep stairs inside | Older children |
| Khunjerab Pass | Top of the KKH | Roadside, but at 4,693 m | Older children; a short stop only |
| Deosai | Above Skardu | A full day by jeep, over 4,000 m | Older children who travel well |
A few notes on the favourites:
- Attabad Lake is where most children want to be. Take a slow wooden boat rather than a speedboat or jet ski, go in the calm of the morning, and don't leave the jetty until every child has a life jacket that fits. Our guide to Attabad Lake boating covers what to check.
- Shangrila is the easiest outing near Skardu: a small lake, gentle boats and a café inside an old DC-3 aircraft that children remember. Our Shangrila Resort guide explains the day-visitor ticket.
Save for later: the Hussaini suspension bridge, with its wide gaps above the river; the jeep track and walk to Fairy Meadows; and long jeep days with toddlers on laps.
How long should each travel day be?
With children, plan around five to six hours in the car at most, finished in daylight, with a proper stop every two hours. On the main routes into Gilgit-Baltistan that changes the shape of the trip:
| Leg | Usual driving time | With small children |
|---|---|---|
| Islamabad to Chilas on the KKH | 10 to 13 hours | Split at Besham |
| Islamabad to Naran, summer route | 6 to 8 hours | One full day |
| Naran to Chilas over Babusar | About 4 to 5 hours | One day, crossing the pass early |
| Chilas to Karimabad | 5 to 6 hours | One day |
| Chilas to Skardu | 6 to 7 hours | One day |
| Karimabad to Skardu | 7 to 8 hours | One long day, or skip it |
| Gilgit airport to Karimabad | 2 to 2.5 hours | Easy |
| Skardu airport to town | 20 to 30 minutes | Easy |
By road, that makes Hunza three days each way with young children, six days of a ten-day holiday, so flying at least one way changes everything. If you do drive, choose a Chilas hotel with working air conditioning, and keep snacks, water and a change of clothes in the car in case a landslide holds you up.
Doing both Hunza and Skardu adds a seven-to-eight-hour day between them, so with young children one valley done slowly is usually the better holiday.
Altitude and children
Children are as likely as adults to be affected by altitude, and young ones can't tell you what is wrong. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advice on travelling with children lists what to watch for in a child too young to describe a headache: loss of appetite, irritability, unexplained fussiness, and changes in sleep and activity. If a child shows these after going higher, going back down is the safe response.
What that means in Gilgit-Baltistan:
- Sleeping in the main bases is fine for most families. Skardu is at about 2,230 metres and Karimabad at about 2,500. Take the first day gently.
- Day trips go much higher, fast. Khunjerab is 4,693 metres, reached from Karimabad in about four hours. Deosai is over 4,000 metres for most of a day. Babusar Top, on the summer road from Naran, is 4,173 metres.
- Visit high, sleep low. Keep time at the top short, don't let children run about, and come back down the same day.
- Talk to your doctor before the trip about babies and any child with a heart or lung condition. For some families the right choice is to go as far as Passu and skip Khunjerab.
Our travel guide has more on altitude and health across the north.
Where families should stay
The best family base in Gilgit-Baltistan is the one that cuts out walking with bags and driving at night. Ask these questions before you book:
- Can you park beside the building? Parking is tight in Karimabad and some hotels are up steep lanes. Aliabad, on the highway below, has easy parking, pharmacies and medical facilities, but more traffic noise.
- What are the beds, exactly? A family room can mean one double and a mattress on the floor.
- How is the room heated, and is there a generator? Nights are cool even in summer, and power cuts are common.
- Is there somewhere for children to play? A lawn or garden matters more than a view on a rest afternoon.
Around Skardu, Shangrila Resort suits families with small children because everything is flat and close together. In Hunza, look for a hotel with parking at the door and a lawn or terrace, whether in Karimabad, Altit or Aliabad. Our guides on where to stay in Hunza and where to stay in Skardu compare the areas.
Water, food and help
- Rivers are the real danger. Mountain rivers here are fast and freezing, and rise without warning after rain or on hot afternoons. Don't let children paddle, and don't picnic on gravel bars.
- Drink bottled, boiled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth, and be careful with salads and fruit washed in tap water.
- Carry children's medicines, oral rehydration salts and a thermometer. The main hospitals are in Gilgit and Skardu, and some sights are hours from either.
Is Gilgit-Baltistan right for your family?
With school-age children who travel reasonably well, yes: Hunza and Skardu are among the most rewarding family trips in Pakistan, and both are calm places to travel. Plan fewer places and longer stays, and fly at least one way if you can.
With babies and toddlers, or a child who gets badly car-sick, it is harder. The distances are long and the best-known day trips are high. Fly to Skardu and stay put, or start with somewhere closer to Islamabad. If you want someone else to carry the driving, our nine-day Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour starts in Gilgit, with an experienced mountain driver and a spare day held for weather.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gilgit-Baltistan good for a family trip?
Yes. Hunza and Skardu have plenty of easy sights, family rooms and calm, friendly villages. Keep travel days short, stay at moderate altitude, and be careful near rivers.
Is Hunza or Skardu better with kids?
Hunza is easier to move around once you are there; Skardu is easier to reach because its flights are more reliable. With small children, flying to Skardu and staying in one base is the simplest trip.
Can we take a baby to Gilgit-Baltistan?
Many families do, staying in Skardu or Hunza at around 2,200 to 2,500 metres. Ask your doctor first, avoid the high day trips, and keep travel days short.
Is Khunjerab Pass safe for children?
The road is fine in season; the altitude is the concern. Keep the stop at the top short, watch for fussiness, sickness or headache, and skip it with babies or any child who is unwell.
How many days do you need for a family trip to Gilgit-Baltistan?
About six to seven days if you fly and stay in one valley. By road, allow ten days or more, because the drive takes two to three days each way with children.
What is the best month for a family trip to Gilgit-Baltistan?
June and September, when everything is open and the weather is settled. July and August are busier and carry the highest risk of floods and road closures.
