A Naltar Valley trip costs roughly PKR 5,000 to 7,000 per person as a day trip from Gilgit, if four people share a jeep to the lakes. From Islamabad, a four-day trip by coach with a Naltar day in the middle comes to about PKR 26,000 to 35,000 per person, and flying instead pushes a couple's trip to around PKR 65,000 to 90,000 each. The jeep is the biggest local cost: in 2026, transport firms listed the round trip to the lakes at about PKR 12,000 to 16,000 from Nomal and PKR 15,000 to 20,000 from Gilgit, for the whole jeep.
These are rough figures from prices published in 2025 and 2026, not quotes. Prices in the north change often, so use them to plan and confirm before you pay.
| At a glance (2026) | Rough cost |
|---|---|
| Jeep to the lakes and back, from Nomal | About PKR 12,000 to 16,000 per jeep |
| Jeep to the lakes and back, from Gilgit | About PKR 15,000 to 20,000 per jeep |
| Simple room in Naltar Bala (2025) | About PKR 3,000 to 8,000 a night |
| Guesthouse room in Gilgit | About PKR 4,000 to 4,500 a night |
| A meal in a local restaurant (2025) | About PKR 500 to 2,000 |
| NATCO coach, Rawalpindi to Gilgit | About PKR 5,500 each way (August 2026) |
| PIA flight, Islamabad to Gilgit | About PKR 24,000 to 32,000 each way |
| Petrol | PKR 389.28 a litre from 25 September 2026 |
The jeep to the lakes: the biggest cost
The last 12 to 13 km from Naltar Bala to Satrangi and the other lakes is a rough jeep track, and local jeeps with their drivers are the only sensible way up. Jeeps are hired by the vehicle, not the seat, so the fare is the same whether two people ride or five.
The fare depends on where the hire starts:
- From Gilgit, for the whole day: about PKR 15,000 to 20,000 in 2026 listings. The simplest option: the jeep collects you from your hotel and brings you back.
- From Nomal, where the Naltar road leaves the old Hunza road: about PKR 12,000 to 16,000 for the round trip.
- From Naltar Bala, just for the lakes: the shortest hire and the cheapest, but you need your own way up to the village, and fares are agreed on the spot. Ask for both prices before choosing.
Agree in advance that the fare covers the round trip and the waiting time at the lakes, and whether a stop at Blue Lake and Pari Lake beyond Satrangi is included. Fares rise in July, August and over Eid. Our guide to jeep rent in Gilgit-Baltistan explains how jeep fares are worked out across the region.
Getting to Gilgit from Islamabad
Unless you are already in Gilgit or Hunza, the journey north is the largest part of the budget.
- NATCO coach: about PKR 5,500 each way to Gilgit in August 2026, overnight and long, but it saves a night's room each way.
- Flight: PIA flies Islamabad to Gilgit in about an hour, at roughly PKR 24,000 to 32,000 one way on most dates in 2026. Flights are often cancelled for weather, so keep a spare day. Our Islamabad to Gilgit flight guide covers fares and cancellations.
- Your own car: Islamabad to Gilgit is a little over 600 km each way. With the side trip to Naltar Bala, the round trip is about 1,350 km. At PKR 389.28 a litre, according to PSO's published prices, a sedan doing 12 km a litre uses about PKR 44,000 of petrol, or around PKR 11,000 each for four people. Add a night on the road each way.
From Gilgit, a car with a driver for the day costs roughly PKR 7,000 to 10,000 for a sedan in 2026, sometimes with fuel on top, if you want to reach Naltar Bala and hire a jeep there.
Rooms in Naltar and Gilgit
Rooms in Naltar Bala are simple guesthouses and small resort-style hotels. In 2025 simple rooms cost roughly PKR 3,000 to 8,000 a night, with the better places charging more, particularly in July, August and at Eid. Heating and power backup vary, and are worth paying a little more for. Our guide to hotels in Naltar covers what to expect and what to ask before booking.
In Gilgit, listed rates in 2026 ran from about PKR 4,000 to 4,500 for a guesthouse room to about PKR 26,000 to 30,000 at the top hotels. A night in Gilgit before and after the valley is the usual pattern.
Food and meal prices
Naltar has no restaurants in the town sense. You eat at your hotel, which cooks to order, or at the few simple eating places in Naltar Bala. There is little or nothing to buy at the lakes beyond, perhaps, tea at a summer stall.
As a rough guide from 2025, a meal costs PKR 500 to 2,000 depending on what you order and where. Dal, vegetables and roti sit at the bottom of that range; chicken karahi or a hotel dinner at the top. Budget around PKR 1,500 to 3,000 per person a day for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is sometimes included in the room rate, so ask.
On a day trip from Gilgit, save money and time by buying water, fruit and snacks in Gilgit before you set off.
Three sample budgets
These combine the figures above. They are per person, and assume rooms are shared by two.
Day trip from Gilgit, four people
| Item | Per person |
|---|---|
| Jeep from Gilgit to the lakes and back, PKR 15,000 to 20,000 shared by four | PKR 3,750 to 5,000 |
| Lunch, tea and snacks | PKR 1,000 to 2,000 |
| Rough total | PKR 5,000 to 7,000 |
Four days from Islamabad by coach, four friends
Overnight coach up, two nights in Gilgit with a day trip to the Naltar lakes, overnight coach back.
| Item | Per person |
|---|---|
| NATCO coach both ways | About PKR 11,000 |
| Two nights in a Gilgit guesthouse, PKR 4,000 to 4,500 a room | About PKR 4,000 to 4,500 |
| Share of the jeep from Gilgit | PKR 3,750 to 5,000 |
| Food for four days | PKR 6,000 to 12,000 |
| Local taxis and sundries, an allowance | PKR 1,000 to 2,000 |
| Rough total | About PKR 26,000 to 35,000 |
Three nights by air, a couple
Fly to Gilgit, two nights in Gilgit and a day trip to the lakes, fly back.
| Item | Per person |
|---|---|
| PIA return flights | PKR 48,000 to 64,000 |
| Share of the jeep from Gilgit, split by two | PKR 7,500 to 10,000 |
| Two nights in a Gilgit guesthouse | PKR 4,000 to 4,500 |
| Food for three days | PKR 4,500 to 9,000 |
| Rough total | About PKR 65,000 to 90,000 |
Adding a night in Naltar Bala, which we recommend, adds the cost of the room and the extra transport day, but it lets you reach the lakes early, before the crowds and the afternoon streams.
How to spend less
- Fill the jeep. Four to five people make the fare per head far lower than two. Solo travellers can ask their Gilgit hotel whether other guests are going.
- Hire the jeep from as high up as you can. A jeep just from Naltar Bala costs less than one from Gilgit, if you have your own way up to the village.
- Avoid the peak weeks. July, August, Eid and long weekends are when rooms and jeeps cost most. September weekdays are quieter.
- Take the coach. For two people or more with time to spare, the NATCO coach costs a fraction of flying.
- Keep a spare day in the budget. Summer floods closed the Naltar road in August 2025 and again in August 2026. An extra night costs less than a missed flight.
Is Naltar worth the money?
For most people, yes. The lakes and the pine forest are unlike anything else around Gilgit, and the jeep, the one big cost, is reasonable when shared by four or five.
It is poorer value for a couple paying for a whole jeep, or on a cloudy day, when the lake colours are muted. In that case Bagrot or the Kargah valley give a day out for far less. If you want the whole trip costed and arranged, our Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour includes a day in Naltar, with ground transport, twin-share rooms and breakfasts, from PKR 90,000 per person over nine days. To cost your own dates, start on our trip planning page.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the jeep fare to the Naltar lakes?
In 2026 transport firms listed the round trip at about PKR 12,000 to 16,000 from Nomal and PKR 15,000 to 20,000 from Gilgit, per jeep. A shorter hire from Naltar Bala costs less; agree it on the spot.
How much does a Naltar trip cost from Gilgit?
As a day trip with four people sharing a jeep, roughly PKR 5,000 to 7,000 per person in 2026, including lunch. A night in Naltar Bala adds the room and an extra transport day.
How much does a Naltar trip cost from Islamabad?
About PKR 26,000 to 35,000 per person for four days by coach with friends sharing rooms, or around PKR 65,000 to 90,000 each for a couple flying and staying in a guesthouse. These are rough 2026 figures.
How much is a hotel in Naltar?
Simple rooms in Naltar Bala cost roughly PKR 3,000 to 8,000 a night in 2025, more at the better places and in peak weeks.
Do I need cash in Naltar?
Yes. Hotels, jeep drivers and tea stalls work in cash, and you can't count on an ATM beyond Gilgit, so draw enough before you leave town.
How can I make a Naltar trip cheaper?
Share the jeep with four or five people, avoid July, August and Eid weekends, and take the coach from Rawalpindi instead of flying.
