Northern Areas in May: What's Open and What to Expect

May is the month the northern areas start to open. Babusar Pass usually reopens some time in May, the Fairy Meadows jeep track follows towards the end of the month, and Khunjerab Pass opens for visitors in early May, while Deosai stays closed until June. The valleys warm up fast, meltwater runs high in the rivers, and the roads that were snowbound in April start to reappear.

This guide goes through what actually reopens in May and when, what the weather is like as spring turns to early summer, and how the timing of Eid changes the crowds.

The passes and tracks that reopen in May

May is the month when the roads that were shut all winter start to come back, though the exact date moves every year with the snowfall.

• Babusar Pass (4,173 m) has reopened in the fourth week of May in some recent years, including 25 May in 2026. In other years it has stayed shut until early or mid-June. The first weeks after opening are daylight-only, with single-lane sections through snow walls near the top.
• Khunjerab Pass usually opens to visitors in early May, once the road to the top has been cleared, making it one of the first high places to open each year.
• The Fairy Meadows jeep track from Raikot Bridge generally reopens in late May or early June, once the snow clearance and safety checks are done. Early in the season the track can still be wet and the upper paths towards the viewpoint snowy.
• Deosai is the one that does not open yet. The plateau, at over 4,000 metres, is usually still under snow through May and opens some time in June.

If your trip depends on a specific pass, treat any date you read, including these, as a guide rather than a guarantee, and check locally in the days before you travel.

What is the weather like in May?

May sits at the start of the warm season, and the difference between the valley floor and the high ground is at its widest.

• Gilgit warms quickly through the month towards its hot summer average.
• Skardu averages around 20 °C by day, with nights averaging around 9 °C, though a cold spell can still bring a sharp drop.
• Hunza, particularly around Karimabad, is mild and pleasant by day with cool evenings.
• Above about 3,000 metres, expect winter conditions to linger: snow at Babusar and Khunjerab even once the road is technically open, and cold at Fairy Meadows once the track reopens.

Meltwater from the winter snowpack raises river levels through May, which is worth knowing if your route includes any stream crossings on jeep tracks. For the full year, see our guide to the seasons.

Eid ul Adha and the May crowds

Eid ul Adha 2026 is expected around 27 May, based on the predicted sighting of the Dhul Hijjah moon in the preceding days. Confirm the date closer to the time, since it depends on moon sighting.

Eid brings a short, sharp rise in domestic travel to the northern areas, with roads and hotels busiest in the days immediately around it. If your trip falls near Eid, book hotels and any car hire well ahead, and expect the Karakoram Highway and the roads into Naran and Hunza to be busier than the rest of May.

Getting there in May

Early in May, with Babusar still likely closed, the Karakoram Highway through Besham, Dasu and Chilas remains the only road route into Gilgit-Baltistan. Once Babusar reopens, usually in the second half of the month, the Naran-to-Chilas route becomes an option again, though it is daylight-only and can still close for a day after fresh snow.

Flights from Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu run through May and are a reliable way to lock in your dates if you can't build slack into a road trip. Because flights are weather-dependent, avoid booking a same-day onward connection.

What to pack for May

May's wide temperature range, from a warm valley afternoon to a cold night near any of the passes, means packing for two seasons at once.

• Layers for the day, since Gilgit and Chilas can already feel like summer while Karimabad and Skardu stay pleasant.
• A proper jacket, hat and gloves for any evening near Babusar, Khunjerab or Fairy Meadows, where winter has only just loosened its grip.
• Waterproof, sturdy footwear. Meltwater crosses jeep tracks in several places in May, and paths can be muddy.
• A first aid kit and any regular medication, kept with you rather than in checked luggage, since travel times can stretch if a pass or the highway closes for a few hours.
• Cash. ATMs are limited outside Gilgit, Skardu and the larger towns in Hunza, and card payment is not reliable everywhere.

Booking around late May

Late May is when three things overlap: Babusar reopening, the run-up to Eid ul Adha, and the start of Punjab's school summer holidays, which in 2026 begin on 22 May. Together they can fill hotels in Hunza and Naran with very little notice. If your trip lands in the last ten days of May, book rooms and any car or driver well in advance rather than relying on finding something on arrival.

Who May suits

May suits travellers who want to catch the northern areas as they wake up: green valleys, high meltwater, fewer crowds than June onward, and a good chance of an early Khunjerab visit. Late May, once Babusar has reopened, is a particularly good window for a Naran-to-Hunza loop before the summer rush arrives.

It is a poor month for anyone set on Deosai, since the plateau is very unlikely to be open. If Deosai is the point of your trip, June onward is the safer choice, and our Skardu and Deosai tour and Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour are both built around the fuller summer season.

Frequently asked questions