Suspension Bridges of Gilgit-Baltistan: Which to Cross

The suspension bridges in Gilgit-Baltistan that visitors go to see are three: the Hussaini bridge and the Passu bridge in upper Hunza, and the older Danyor bridge beside Gilgit city. All three cross the Hunza river on wooden planks hung from cables, and all three move underfoot. Hussaini, at 194 metres, is the famous one and the one set up for visitors, with a ticket and life jackets. Danyor is a piece of local history you can walk for free. Passu is the quiet alternative, in rougher condition.

This guide compares the three, gives the history and the practical details, and says plainly who should cross and who should watch from the bank.

Hussaini suspension bridge

Hussaini is the bridge people mean when they talk about "the" hanging bridge of Hunza. It is in Gojal, upper Hunza, between Gulmit and Passu, and links Hussaini village on the highway side with the hamlet of Zarabad on the far bank.

The facts. The bridge is 194 metres long. It is a simple suspension bridge: wooden planks carried on six main ropes, with gaps left between the planks on purpose so that wind passes through and the deck swings less. It is for pedestrians only, a few at a time.

The history. It is not ancient. According to Pamir Times, President Ayub Khan visited Zarabad on a hunting trip in 1960 and ordered a bridge built, and it was finished in 1967 to 1968. The lake that formed behind the Attabad landslide in 2010 badly damaged it, and it was rebuilt afterwards. In winter, when the river is low, Zarabad's residents also put up temporary crossings. In 2013 Condé Nast Traveler put it on a list of the world's dangerous bridges.

Safety record. In July 2022 a student visiting from Sindh fell from the bridge and drowned. The local administration said he had epilepsy and may have had a seizure. The bridge was closed for several days while the case was looked into. Visitors are now given life jackets.

The visit. A path leads down from the Karakoram Highway to a ticket point. A travel report from 2026 gave the entry charge as Rs 300 per person, with a life vest handed out before you step on; carry cash and expect the amount to change. You cross as far as you like and come back the same way. Allow up to an hour including the walk down and back up.

Getting there. Hussaini is about 40 km beyond Karimabad and 6 km beyond Gulmit, roughly 135 km from Gilgit. From Karimabad allow an hour each way. Our Hussaini suspension bridge guide covers the visit in detail.

Passu suspension bridge

A few kilometres further up the highway, near Passu village, a second bridge of the same kind crosses the Hunza river. It looks much like Hussaini, with the same plank-and-cable construction, and it sees far fewer visitors.

We could not find a reliable published length for it, and reports of its condition vary. A 2026 travel writer was told by a local driver that it was in worse repair than Hussaini and skipped it for that reason. Take that seriously. This bridge is not managed for tourists in the way Hussaini is: do not expect a ticket counter, staff or life jackets.

If you want to see it, ask at your guesthouse in Passu whether it is currently sound, and go with a local guide. Guides in Passu also offer a walk that links the two bridges through Zarabad on the far bank; ask about the state of the path and of both bridges before you set out, and do not attempt it if Hussaini frightened you. See things to do in Passu for the rest of the village.

Danyor suspension bridge

Danyor is a different kind of bridge and a different kind of stop. It crosses the Hunza river near its meeting with the Gilgit river, joining the town of Danyor to the Karakoram International University side, about 7 km from the centre of Gilgit.

• Size. 510 feet long, about 155 metres, and 8 feet wide, in a single span.
• Names. Officially the Bireno Suspension Bridge. Locals also call it Pul-e-Sirat, after the narrow bridge of the afterlife, which tells you how it felt to drive across.
• History. Built in the mid-1960s to replace the jaalo, the traditional raft that ferried people over the river. On the Danyor side the road reaches it through a short tunnel that residents are said to have dug by hand about a decade later.
• Today. Strong winds make the deck sway, and in 2012 it was declared unsafe for regular traffic. A two-lane concrete bridge was built beside it in 2013. The old bridge is closed to cars but open to pedestrians and motorcycles, and there is no toll.

Walk across and back in fifteen minutes, keeping to the side when a motorbike comes through. It fits into a half day in Gilgit with the Danyor rock inscriptions nearby; our places to visit in Gilgit city guide has the rest.

Safety on any of these bridges

• Do not cross in strong wind. Wind is what makes these decks dangerous. Mornings are usually calmer than afternoons in the Hunza valley.
• Keep a hand on the side cable the whole way. Put the phone away or use a wrist strap.
• Space out. A few people at a time, well apart, and no stopping in a group in the middle.
• No bouncing, running or swinging the deck for a video.
• Wear the life jacket at Hussaini. The river below is glacial meltwater, fast and extremely cold.
• Think hard about small children. The gaps between planks at Hussaini are wide enough for a small foot. Carry infants in a secure carrier or do not take them on.
• Anyone with epilepsy, vertigo, a heart condition or poor balance should watch from the bank. The view from the near end is the same photograph.

When to go

The bridges are reachable whenever the Karakoram Highway is open, and the visitor season in upper Hunza runs from about April to October. For a calm deck and soft light, be there before 9 am. Hussaini is at its busiest around midday in July and August, and the wind tends to rise in the afternoon. Autumn, when the poplars in Hussaini and Passu turn yellow, is the best time for photographs; our Hunza in autumn guide covers the timing.

A sensible half day from Karimabad takes in Attabad Lake, Gulmit, Hussaini bridge, the Passu Cones viewpoint and Borith Lake, all on the same stretch of road.

If you are driving up from Islamabad, note that the UK government advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas. The Babusar road avoids that stretch in summer. Foreign-passport holders should check their own government's advice, since it can void insurance.

Which one is worth crossing?

For most visitors, Hussaini and only Hussaini. It is the one maintained for visitors and the one with safety measures in place. Go early.

Stop at Danyor if you have an hour in Gilgit and like the idea of a bridge that carried the town's traffic for half a century. Leave Passu to confident walkers with a local guide and a current report on its condition.

And if the sight of the planks makes your stomach turn, do not let anyone talk you onto them. Plenty of people take their photograph from the first few metres and turn back.

Frequently asked questions