National Parks of Balochistan: Hingol, Chiltan and Ziarat

Balochistan has three protected areas that most visitors think of as its national parks. Hingol National Park, on the Makran coast, is the largest in Pakistan at about 6,100 square kilometres. Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park lies about 20 km south-west of Quetta and protects the Chiltan markhor. The Ziarat juniper forest, 130 km from Quetta, is a biosphere reserve rather than a national park, but it is the one most people visit. A fourth, Takatu, was declared in January 2025.

This guide compares them so you can choose. If you can only go to one, the choice depends on whether you want a coastal road trip, a day out from Quetta or a mountain escape.

Hingol National Park

Hingol was declared in 1988 and covers parts of Gwadar, Lasbela and Awaran districts, roughly 200 km north-west of Karachi. Since the Makran Coastal Highway was completed in 2004, it has been the easiest of the three to see, because the road runs through it.

The landscape is the draw: eroded rock formations such as the Princess of Hope and the Balochistan Sphinx, and mud volcanoes in the Mid-Hor area. Wikipedia lists about 289 animal species, including Persian leopard, caracal and an estimated 3,000 Sindh ibex, along with around 60 marsh crocodiles and more than 185 bird species. A few turtles nest on its beaches.

It suits travellers who want scenery and a road trip rather than a guaranteed wildlife sighting. Our guides to Hingol National Park, permission for Hingol and reaching Hingol from Karachi cover the details.

Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park

The park was established in 1980 and covers 15,555 hectares in the Sulaiman mountains in Mastung district. It is the only place in the world where the Chiltan markhor is found, and it was created to protect it. Wikipedia gives roughly 800 Chiltan ibex and 300 to 400 Suleiman markhor, plus Indian wolf, striped hyena, caracal and over 120 bird species. The vegetation includes juniper, pistachio, almond and ash.

"Hazarganji" means "of a thousand treasures" and refers to an old mountain passage. Because it is so close to Quetta, it is the easiest of the three to add to a Quetta stay, but seeing a markhor is not something to promise yourself. See our Hazarganji-Chiltan guide.

Ziarat juniper forest

Ziarat is different in kind. The juniper forest covers about 111,852 hectares between 1,181 and 3,488 metres, and it is the largest juniper forest in Pakistan. The Pashtun juniper is the dominant tree, and the oldest are reported to be 5,000 to 7,000 years old, although other sources say around 4,000.

It became a wildlife sanctuary in 1971, a biosphere reserve in 2013, and was nominated for World Heritage status in 2016. Some sources call it a national park; that is loose wording, so do not rely on a park entry system existing. Reported wildlife includes Suleiman markhor, urial, Asian black bear, wolf and golden jackal. The forest faces overgrazing, illegal logging and climate change.

The town of Ziarat sits at 2,543 metres and is the summer retreat. Rainfall is low at about 269 mm a year, and snow falls between November and April. Our Ziarat juniper forest guide and Ziarat itinerary cover it.

Takatu and Kirthar

Takatu National Park was declared on 13 January 2025 and covers about 13,500 hectares north-east of Hazarganji-Chiltan. It protects Suleiman markhor and includes Koh-e-Takatu. We found only one source and no visitor arrangements, so it is not yet a park to plan a trip around.

Kirthar National Park spans the Sindh and Balochistan border but is best approached from Sindh; see our Kirthar National Park guide.

What the numbers mean for your trip

The sizes and distances matter more than they look.

• Hingol is huge, about 6,100 square kilometres, and you see only a strip of it from the highway. Plan it as a drive, not a walk-in park, and allow a full day from Karachi, which is about 200 km away.
• Hazarganji-Chiltan is compact at 15,555 hectares and only 20 km from Quetta, so half a day is realistic.
• Ziarat is the reverse: the forest is very large, and the town is 130 km from Quetta. It rewards a night or two rather than a day trip, and the higher ground is cold, with snow between November and April.

Because Quetta is the base for both Hazarganji-Chiltan and Ziarat, they combine easily. Hingol is on the opposite side of the province and belongs with a Karachi or Gwadar trip. Our Karachi to Quetta by road and Karachi to Gwadar by road posts cover the long drives.

Rules that apply in all of them

We could not find a single published visitor-rules page for these parks, and fees and permission requirements change. Practical habits hold everywhere: keep to tracks, take rubbish out, never feed or approach animals, and ask locally at the wildlife or forest department before you go. Hingol has its own permission question, covered in our post linked above.

How to choose

• Choose Hingol if you are on the Karachi to Gwadar coastal road and want the landscape.
• Choose Hazarganji-Chiltan if you are in Quetta for a day and want the mountains.
• Choose Ziarat for cool summer weather, walking and the forest. Read our best time to visit Balochistan.
• Skip all three if you want reliable wildlife viewing. The animals are real but elusive; see our Balochistan wildlife guide.

Is it safe to visit Balochistan's national parks?

The UK government advises against all travel to Balochistan, and foreign-passport holders should check their own government's advice because it can void travel insurance. Pakistani travellers do visit Hingol, Quetta and Ziarat, but you should check local news and police guidance before you go, carry your CNIC and follow night-travel rules. See is Balochistan safe to travel to and our destinations page.

Frequently asked questions