The things most worth buying in the northern areas are the ones grown or made there: dried apricots, walnuts and mulberries, woollen pakol caps, hand embroidery from Hunza, and, if you know what you are doing, gemstones mined in the Karakoram and Swat. The rule that saves the most money is simple: buy things where they come from, and have any expensive stone tested before you pay for it.
"Northern Areas" was the official name of Gilgit-Baltistan until 2009, and most people still use it for the whole north, including Swat, Chitral and the Kashmir valleys. This guide covers that wider area: what is genuinely local, where it comes from, how to judge it and where to shop. For Gilgit-Baltistan alone, see our Gilgit-Baltistan souvenir guide.
| What to buy | Where it really comes from | Best judged by |
|---|---|---|
| Dried apricots | Gilgit-Baltistan, above all Hunza and Baltistan | Taste, smell, no damp or dust |
| Walnuts and dried mulberries | Gilgit-Baltistan, in smaller amounts | Crack one; check it is not stale |
| Pakol caps | Gilgit and Astore, later Chitral | Weight and feel of the wool |
| Hunza embroidery | Made largely by women in Hunza | Even, tight stitches on the back |
| Rubies, aquamarine, topaz | Hunza, Gilgit, Shigar, Neelum | A lab test, not the seller's word |
| Emeralds | Swat | A lab test |
Dry fruit: what the north really grows
Apricots dominate. In 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan produced about 81,000 tonnes of fruit, and roughly 61,000 tonnes of that, three quarters, was apricots. Apples (about 6,600 tonnes), cherries (4,500), walnuts (4,200), mulberries (1,900) and grapes (1,400) made up most of the rest.
That tells you what to buy. Dried apricots, whole or as kernels, are the most reliably local product in the north, and you can buy them in almost any bazaar from Gilgit to Skardu. Walnuts and dried mulberries are also grown locally but in much smaller quantities, so not every sack in a tourist bazaar was grown in the valley. Cherries are mostly sold fresh in their short season; see our Hunza cherry season guide.
How to buy well:
- Taste first. Most shopkeepers will let you try an apricot or crack a walnut.
- Check for damp, dust and insects, especially in loose stock sold from open sacks.
- Buy from shops with turnover. Last year's fruit is dry, dark and hard.
- Pack it sealed. Ask for bags you can seal, or bring zip bags, for the drive or flight home.
Our guide to dry fruits of Gilgit-Baltistan covers the varieties in more detail.
Gemstones: where they come from, and how to check them
The northern mountains really are rich in gems, which is exactly why so many fakes and imports are sold there. Geological surveys and collectors record:
- Rubies in Hunza, as well-formed pink to red crystals, and high-quality rubies in the Neelum valley.
- Aquamarine, topaz and tourmaline around Gilgit, Shigar and the side valleys of the Indus such as Shengus and Stak, with golden and white topaz in the Gilgit and Shigar area.
- Zircon, diopside and tourmaline near Chilas.
- Emeralds in Swat, pale green to green, found in talc-carbonate schist.
Peshawar, not the mountains, is the hub of Pakistan's gem trade. Many stones on sale in Karimabad or Gilgit have passed through Peshawar dealers, and some are from other countries altogether.
Get it tested. The Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company, a government company under the Ministry of Industries and Production, says it runs gem identification and certification labs in Gilgit, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Sargodha. For any stone that costs real money, ask the seller to agree that the sale depends on a lab report, and check the lab's current address and fees before you go. A seller who refuses is telling you something.
Other precautions:
- Ask whether the stone has been heated or treated. Treatment is common and not always a problem, but it should be disclosed and priced in.
- Ignore certificates printed by the shop itself.
- Treat a price far below other shops as a warning, not a bargain.
Our guides to gemstones in Gilgit and buying gemstones in Pakistan go further. For Swat emeralds, see shopping in Swat.
Pakol caps and woollens
The pakol, the soft rolled-brim woollen cap, comes from the far north: from Gilgit and Astore, spreading to Chitral by the 19th century, and later across Pakistan and Afghanistan. The traditional version is hand-spun wool in white, grey, brown or black, and it can be pulled down over the ears in cold weather.
Machine-made caps in synthetic blends are everywhere, often at similar prices. Feel the weight and texture: real wool is denser and slightly rough, and it smells of wool. Try it on, since sizes vary a lot between makers. Handwoven woollen cloth and coats are covered in our Gilgit-Baltistan souvenir guide.
Embroidery and handicrafts
Hunza's cross-stitch embroidery, on caps, purses, cushion covers and wall hangings, is one of the most genuinely local things you can buy, and it is made largely by women in the valley. Look at the back: hand stitching is slightly irregular and tight, while machine work is perfectly even. Our Hunza embroidery guide explains who makes it and where the money goes.
Carved wooden boxes and small stone carvings are honest, low-risk souvenirs: there is little to fake in a wooden box. See our guide to what to buy in Neelum valley for the Kashmir side.
Where to shop, by area
- Karimabad and Aliabad, Hunza: the widest tourist selection, especially embroidery, caps and dried apricots. See shopping in Karimabad.
- Gilgit: the regional bazaar, with more local trade and usually lower prices. See Gilgit bazaar shopping.
- Skardu: Baltistan's dry fruit and gem shops. See shopping in Skardu.
- Swat: emeralds and local crafts; see the Swat guide linked above.
- Muzaffarabad and Neelum: the Kashmir side of the north. See shopping in Muzaffarabad.
What should you pay?
We have not found reliable published prices for 2025 or 2026, and prices change with the season and the harvest, so we don't quote any. As a rule, shops in the busiest tourist bazaars charge more than those serving mainly local customers, and light bargaining is normal everywhere except fixed-price shops. Compare two or three shops before buying anything over a few thousand rupees.
What is worth your money?
Worth it for almost everyone: dried apricots and other dry fruit bought in Hunza, Gilgit or Skardu, and a hand-embroidered piece from Hunza.
Worth it if you check: a woollen pakol, once you have felt the difference between wool and synthetic.
Only if you know stones or get a lab report: gemstones. Treat a cheap stone as a memento, and never buy an expensive one on trust.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best thing to buy in the northern areas?
Dried apricots. Apricots make up about three quarters of Gilgit-Baltistan's fruit harvest, so they are the most reliably local product, easy to judge for quality and hard to misrepresent.
Are Hunza and Skardu gemstones real?
Genuine stones are mined in the region, including Hunza rubies and Shigar aquamarine, but many stones on sale come through Peshawar or from abroad. Have anything expensive tested at a gem identification lab before paying.
Where can I get a gemstone tested in the north?
The Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company lists gem identification labs in Gilgit and Muzaffarabad, as well as Peshawar and other cities. Check the current address and fees before you go.
Where is the original pakol cap from?
From Gilgit and Astore in the far north, from where it spread to Chitral by the 19th century and later across Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Can I bargain in northern areas bazaars?
Yes, in most shops selling handicrafts, caps, textiles or gemstones. Packaged food and shops with marked prices are usually fixed.
