The best things to buy in Gilgit-Baltistan are the ones made or grown there: dried apricots and other dry fruit, apricot kernel oil, woollen caps and coats woven from local wool, and the fine cross-stitch embroidery of Hunza. Gemstones are the famous souvenir, and the riskiest; buy one only if you know stones or the seller can prove what it is.
This guide goes through what is genuinely local, where to find it, and how to avoid paying city prices for something that was never made in the mountains.
| At a glance | Where to buy | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Dried apricots, mulberries, walnuts | Bazaars in Karimabad, Aliabad, Gilgit and Skardu | Old stock, dust, imported fruit sold as local |
| Apricot kernel oil | Karimabad and Gilgit shops | Sweet oil is for food; bitter oil is for hair and skin |
| Woollen caps and shuqa | Gilgit, Karimabad and Skardu bazaars | Machine-made cloth sold as handwoven patti |
| Hunza embroidery | Women's craft shops in Karimabad, Altit and Aliabad | Very little; prices are usually fixed |
| Gemstones | Gilgit's gem market, Karimabad and Skardu shops | Glass, synthetics and inflated prices |
| Salajeet | Everywhere | No way to judge purity at a stall |
Dry fruit and apricot oil
Gilgit-Baltistan is Pakistan's largest apricot-growing region, and dried fruit is the obvious thing to take home. Sun-dried apricots, white mulberries, walnuts and almonds are sold in every bazaar, usually loose by the kilo. Our guide to the dry fruits of Gilgit-Baltistan covers the varieties, seasons and how to judge quality.
Apricot kernel oil is the other local product worth buying. It is pressed from the kernels inside the apricot stones, and there are two kinds:
- Sweet kernel oil is eaten. In Hunza it has been used as a cooking oil for generations, and it is mild enough for salads.
- Bitter kernel oil is used on hair and skin, not in food.
Ask which one you are buying, and read the label if there is one. Small glass bottles travel better than plastic, and a bottle of oil in checked luggage should be wrapped in a plastic bag.
Woollens: patti, caps and the shuqa
The traditional cloth of the region is patti, a thick woollen fabric woven from local sheep's wool on a vertical loom. It is slow work, which is why genuine handwoven patti costs more than you might expect.
From it come the things worth buying:
- The rolled woollen cap, called khoi in Shina and nating in Balti, and known in the plains as the Gilgiti or Hunza cap. White is the most common and the most formal, and it is often worn with a feather or a flower tucked in the front.
- The shuqa, a long woollen gown worn over other clothes, with sleeves long enough to use as mittens. A good one lasts for years and makes a serious winter coat.
- Waistcoats and jackets made from patti, which are easier to wear in the city than a full shuqa.
Handwoven patti is dense, a little uneven and slightly rough; machine-made cloth is smoother and more regular. If the price looks too good for a shuqa, it probably isn't handwoven.
Hunza embroidery and women's crafts
Hunza's women have a long tradition of fine cross-stitch embroidery, seen at its best on the pillbox caps they wear under their dupattas. The same work now goes onto cushion covers, bedsheets, bags, purses and clothes.
The best places to buy it are the craft shops run by women's enterprises and community organisations in Karimabad, Altit and Aliabad, several of them set up with Aga Khan support. Prices are usually fixed and fair, the work is genuinely local, and the money goes to the women who made it.
For more on the communities behind these crafts, see our guide to the culture and traditions of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Gemstones: the famous souvenir, and the risky one
The mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan produce real gems. Ruby comes from Hunza and Nagar; aquamarine, topaz and tourmaline from Shigar, the Braldu valley and elsewhere in Baltistan; and garnet, spinel and a long list of other minerals from across the region. Stones are sold in Gilgit's gem market on Riverview Road, in shops along the Karimabad bazaar and in Skardu.
The problem is that the same shops can also sell glass, synthetic stones and cheap material presented as something better, and without training you cannot tell the difference by eye. A few rules:
- Buy for the look, not the investment. If you like a stone and the price is small enough that you won't mind if it turns out ordinary, go ahead.
- For anything expensive, insist on a report from an independent gem-testing laboratory, or make the sale conditional on one. A serious dealer will agree.
- Be wary of "just for you" prices, stones sold out of a pocket, and anyone who approaches you in the street.
- Get the details in writing: the name of the stone, its weight, whether it is natural or treated, and the price.
Other things you will be offered
Salajeet, or shilajit, the black resin collected from rock faces, is sold in every bazaar in the north as a tonic. Quality is impossible to judge at a stall. Treat the health claims with caution, and ask a doctor before taking it, particularly if you are on any medication.
Horns, skins and anything made from wild animals should be left alone. Snow leopard, markhor and many other animals of the region are protected, and trading in them is illegal.
How to pay a fair price
- Bargaining is normal for dry fruit sold loose, gems and bazaar woollens, and not for fixed-price craft shops. Start by asking two or three shops the price of the same thing.
- Buy dry fruit where it is grown. It is usually cheaper and fresher in the valley than in a city shop with "Hunza" on the sign.
- Pay cash. Card machines are rare outside a few hotels, and ATMs are unreliable in the valleys.
- Don't shop on the last evening when you are rushed. Buy woollens and crafts when you first see something you like; you may not pass that shop again.
Our travel guide has more on money and what to pack for the trip home.
What is worth your money?
If you buy only a few things, make them these: a kilo of good sun-dried apricots from the valley, a bottle of sweet apricot oil, a patti cap or waistcoat, and a piece of Hunza embroidery from a women's craft shop. All four are genuinely local, fairly priced where they are made, and useful long after the trip.
Leave the expensive gemstones to people who know stones, and the salajeet to people who have asked their doctor.
Frequently asked questions
What is Gilgit-Baltistan famous for buying?
Dried apricots and other dry fruit, apricot kernel oil, woollen patti caps and coats, Hunza embroidery and gemstones. The dry fruit and the woollens are the most reliably local.
Where can I buy gemstones in Gilgit?
Gilgit has a gem market on Riverview Road, and there are gem shops in Karimabad and Skardu. For an expensive stone, ask for a report from an independent gem-testing lab before paying in full.
Is apricot oil from Hunza edible?
Sweet apricot kernel oil is edible and has long been used for cooking in Hunza. Bitter kernel oil is for hair and skin, so check which one you are buying.
What is a shuqa?
A long traditional gown of Gilgit-Baltistan made from patti, handwoven local wool, with long sleeves that double as mittens. It is worn over other clothes in winter.
Can I bargain in Hunza's shops?
In the bazaar, yes, especially for dry fruit, gems and woollens. Craft shops run by women's enterprises usually have fixed prices.
