Gilgit-Baltistan has no single local language. Depending on which valley you are in, the people around you may be speaking Shina, Burushaski, Wakhi, Balti or Khowar, five languages that are not related to each other and, in Burushaski's case, not clearly related to any other language on earth. Urdu is understood almost everywhere, so you do not need any of them to travel, but knowing which is spoken where explains a lot about a region that changes character every hour or two on the road.
This guide sets out where each language is spoken, what makes it distinct, and a few simple phrases worth learning, alongside the greeting that works in every valley regardless of language.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Main languages | Shina, Burushaski, Balti, Wakhi, Khowar |
| Language family with no known relatives | Burushaski |
| Language most widely spoken | Shina |
| Language shared with old Tibet | Balti |
| Universal greeting everywhere | As-salaam alaikum ("peace be upon you") |
| Language everyone also understands | Urdu |
Shina: the most widely spoken
Shina is spoken by more people in Gilgit-Baltistan than any other local language, across Gilgit city, Astore, Diamer and the Indus valley towns such as Chilas, with dialects in parts of Ghizer too. It belongs to the Dardic branch of Indo-Aryan languages, the same broad family as Kashmiri and Khowar, so a Shina speaker and an Urdu speaker share more distant vocabulary than a Shina speaker and a Burushaski speaker, who share almost none.
Burushaski: a language with no known relatives
Burushaski is spoken in central Hunza, Nagar and parts of Yasin in Ghizer, by the Burusho people. Linguists classify it as a language isolate, meaning it cannot be shown to be related to any other living language, Indo-European or otherwise. Estimates of speakers vary by source but run from around 100,000 to over 125,000, almost all of them in these valleys, with a small, much older community of speakers around Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir.
If you are staying in Karimabad, Altit or Ganish, Burushaski is what you will hear in the street; the shopkeepers and guides will switch to Urdu or English without being asked.
Wakhi: the language of upper Hunza
Wakhi is spoken in Gojal, the upper Hunza valley from Gulmit and Passu up to Shimshal and Sost, and in parts of Ishkoman further west. It is a Pamiri language, part of the Indo-Iranian family, and the Wakhi people have relatives speaking the same language across the borders in Afghanistan's Wakhan corridor, Tajikistan and China's Xinjiang region. If your Hunza trip goes as far as Passu or up to the Khunjerab Pass, Wakhi is the language of the villages you pass through.
Balti: a Tibetan language in Pakistan
Balti is spoken across Baltistan, from Skardu to Shigar, Khaplu and Kharmang, which is why the region was long known as Little Tibet. Unlike the other four, Balti is a Tibetic language, closely related to the Ladakhi spoken across the Line of Control, rather than to anything spoken elsewhere in Pakistan. Census figures put Balti among the most widely spoken languages in the region by household count, reflecting how populous Baltistan is.
Khowar: spoken in western Ghizer
Khowar is the main language of Chitral, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but it is also spoken across the border in the western valleys of Ghizer district, around Yasin, Ishkoman and Gupis. Like Shina, it is a Dardic language, and the two share enough structure that speakers can pick up basic exchanges from each other with some effort.
Smaller languages you may hear
A few much smaller communities add to the mix. Domaaki is spoken by a small, traditionally musician and blacksmith community around Mominabad near Karimabad, and is now considered endangered, with only a few hundred fluent speakers left. Gojri and Pashto are also heard in trading families and among labourers who have settled in Gilgit and other towns. Our guide to Gilgit-Baltistan's culture and traditions covers how these language communities line up with the region's different traditions of Islam.
Useful phrases to try
You will get by everywhere on Urdu and English, but a few words in the local language are noticed and appreciated.
- As-salaam alaikum works as a greeting in every valley, in every language community, and is always answered with "wa alaikum as-salaam". This is the one phrase worth actually learning.
- In Burushaski, a rough way to ask how someone is doing is "bésan hál bilá?"
- In Balti, "khamulo" is a cheerful, informal greeting you will hear used between friends.
- In Wakhi, "baf" means "good" or "fine", the usual reply to being asked how you are.
Pronunciation and spelling vary between sources, since none of these languages has one fixed Roman script, so treat these as a rough guide rather than an exact transcription. Asking a driver or guide to teach you the local word for "thank you" is a reliable way to break the ice, and almost everyone will happily oblige.
Does this matter for your trip?
Not for getting around: Urdu covers every transaction you will need to make, and hotel staff, drivers and shopkeepers across the region deal with visitors daily. What the language map is useful for is understanding what you are seeing. A shift from Burushaski shopfronts in Karimabad to Wakhi ones in Passu, or from Shina in Gilgit to Balti in Skardu, is also a shift in food, dress and, often, which tradition of Islam is followed locally, all covered in our wider travel guide to the north.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main language of Gilgit-Baltistan?
There is no single main language. Shina is the most widely spoken across the region as a whole, but Burushaski dominates in Hunza and Nagar, Balti across Baltistan, Wakhi in upper Hunza and Khowar in western Ghizer. Urdu is understood everywhere.
Is Burushaski related to any other language?
No known language has been shown to be related to Burushaski. It is classified as a language isolate, spoken in Hunza, Nagar and Yasin.
Do I need to speak a local language to travel in Gilgit-Baltistan?
No. Urdu is understood throughout the region, and English is spoken by many guides, drivers and hotel staff, especially in the more visited valleys.
Why is Balti similar to Tibetan?
Balti is a Tibetic language, brought to Baltistan centuries ago and preserved even after the region became Muslim. It is closely related to Ladakhi, spoken just across the Line of Control.
What language is spoken in Karimabad and Hunza?
Burushaski is the everyday language of central Hunza, including Karimabad and Altit. Further up the valley, from Gulmit and Passu onward, Wakhi takes over.
