Hotels in Passu and Gulmit: Staying in Upper Hunza

Hotels in Passu are small and few: a handful of guesthouses and simple hotels strung along the Karakoram Highway beneath the Passu Cones, such as the Passu Inn, the Sarai Silk Route Hotel and the Cathedral View Guest House. Gulmit, about 20 km south, has more choice, including the Hunza Marco Polo Inn and the Silk Route Lodge, and there is a family-run hotel on Borith Lake in between. In 2026 a simple room in Gojal starts at about PKR 2,500 and a mid-range double costs around PKR 7,000. Before any night between November and March, call to check the hotel is open and heated.

This guide covers the difference between staying in Passu and Gulmit, the established places in each, what rooms cost, and what to ask before booking, especially in winter.

Passu or Gulmit: which village?

Both are Wakhi villages on the highway north of Attabad Lake, and both put you an hour or more closer to the Khunjerab Pass than Karimabad. The difference is in size and what is around you.

Passu is the smaller of the two, spread along the road beneath the Cones, with the Passu glacier coming down almost to the highway and the Batura glacier just to the north. There is little to do after dark except look at the stars. It suits walkers, photographers, couples and anyone heading for Khunjerab.

Gulmit, the old summer capital of the Hunza state and the main town of Gojal, is bigger and busier. It has an old village to walk through, a small museum, a few more places to eat, and the northern end of Attabad Lake below it. It suits families and anyone who wants a little more life in the evening.

Hussaini and Borith Lake lie between the two, and a night in either village puts the Hussaini bridge and Borith within 15 minutes. Our guides to things to do in Passu and things to do in Gulmit cover each village in detail.

Where to stay in Passu

Passu's hotels sit along the highway at either end of the village. The established names include:

• Passu Inn, at the northern end of the village, beside the highway.
• Sarai Silk Route Hotel, south of the village on the highway.
• Cathedral View Guest House and Restaurant, at the northern end, a traditional-style guesthouse with views of the Cones (Tupopdan) and hosts who can find guides for walks. A shared room cost about PKR 2,400 in early 2026.

Most guesthouses have their own restaurant or cook for guests. For a meal out, Glacier Breeze, on the slope above the highway at the southern end of the village, is known for its apricot cake and its view of the glacier and the Cones, and it allows camping.

Which room to ask for: the Cones are to the north-north-east, so rooms facing up the valley get them. Rooms on the highway side hear the trucks, which run to and from China.

Where to stay in Gulmit

Gulmit has the widest choice in Gojal, from old family hotels to newer places near the highway:

• Hunza Marco Polo Inn, the hotel that houses the Gulmit Cultural Museum, with its collection of traditional objects from upper Hunza.
• Silk Route Lodge, off the highway down by the river, with gardens and views of the Passu Cones, and space for tents on the lawns.
• Gulmit Continental Hotel, close to the highway, with views of the Passu Cones from the rooms and the roof, hot water and a generator for power cuts. A double cost about PKR 7,000 in early 2026.

There are also smaller guesthouses around the old village. Some have views down Attabad Lake; if you want one, ask for a photograph from the room before you book. For lakeside resorts at the other end of the lake, our where to stay in Hunza guide compares every area of the valley.

Hussaini and Borith Lake

Borith Lake Hotel & Resort is a family-run hotel on the shore of Borith Lake, above Hussaini, with lake-view rooms and balconies and a big terrace over the water. The Hussaini bridge is about 2 km away and the Ghulkin and Passu glaciers are close by. It suits a quiet night, early walks and stargazing; for meals you depend on the hotel.

Sost: the top end, near the border

Sost, the last town before China, has Sost Serena, a 50-room hotel at about 2,800 metres, with central heating in every room, a restaurant, a spa and solar energy. It is the most comfortable choice this close to the Khunjerab Pass, though you give up Passu's village setting.

Sost also has simple hotels that mainly serve people crossing into China. They are functional rather than somewhere to stay for pleasure.

What do rooms cost in 2026?

As a rough guide, from rates listed in early 2026:

Rates rise in July and August, over Eid and on the late-October colour weekends, and fall outside the season. Ask whether breakfast and dinner are included, since in Passu you will eat most meals where you sleep. Prices change often, so treat these as a guide, not a quote.

Bring cash. Cash machines are few north of Aliabad, and small guesthouses mostly work in cash, so withdraw what you need there before driving north.

Staying in Gojal in winter

Gojal is cold in winter. Gulmit averages about −5.5 °C in January, and Passu, beside two glaciers, is no warmer. The Karakoram Highway is kept open through the winter, but short days, ice and power cuts change what you need from a hotel.

Before booking any night from November to March, ask:

1. Are you open on my dates? Winter opening varies from place to place, and booking sites are not always up to date. Confirm by phone a day or two before.
2. How is the room heated, and what happens when the power goes? Hunza's electricity supply drops in winter. A generator, solar backup or a wood stove makes the difference.
3. Is there hot water in the morning?
4. Will the kitchen be serving? In Passu there is nowhere else to eat on a winter evening.

Hotels that list central heating or generator backup, like Sost Serena and the Gulmit Continental, are the safer bets. Never sleep with a gas heater burning in a closed room. Our guide to Hunza in winter covers the drive, the power cuts and what is open.

What to check before you book

• Does the room face the view? In Passu that means the Cones or the glacier; in Gulmit, the Cones or the lake.
• How far is it from the highway? Trucks run day and night on the road to China.
• Is there parking by the room, and is the access road steep?
• Can it register foreign guests, if you are a foreign national? Rules in Hunza tightened in 2025, and not every hotel may accept foreign visitors.
• What is the cancellation policy? Summer landslides and floods on the highway can hold you up by a day.

Is a night in Passu or Gulmit worth it?

Yes, if you have four or more days in Hunza. A night in Gojal turns Passu from a ten-minute photo stop into a place, with the Cones at sunset and sunrise and an early start on the glacier walks or the drive to Khunjerab. Our nine-day Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour spends a night in Gulmit or Passu for exactly that reason.

On a short trip of two or three nights, stay in Karimabad and see Gojal as a day trip. Families with small children may also prefer Karimabad or Gulmit to Passu, which is very quiet and cold in the evenings. Our Gilgit and Hunza page puts Gojal in the context of the wider valley.

Frequently asked questions