Hunza or Skardu: which one should you pick?
Hunza and Skardu side by side — travel time, flights, cost in PKR, best months and what each is actually like — so you can choose the right one for your trip.
Updated
Both are in Gilgit-Baltistan, both are spectacular, and both take a long day or two on the road from Islamabad. They are very different trips, though, and the right choice depends on how you are travelling and what you want to see.
At a glance
| Hunza | Skardu | |
|---|---|---|
| Road from Islamabad | about 13 hours | about 15 hours |
| Airport | Gilgit, 2 hours away; flights often cancelled | In Skardu itself; far more reliable |
| Flights from | Islamabad only | Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi |
| From Lahore by car | Rs 199,500 – Rs 304,500 for 7 days | Rs 224,500 – Rs 343,000 for 7 days |
| From Karachi | Rs 329,500 – Rs 545,000 for 7 days (fly to Islamabad, hire a car) | Rs 266,000 – Rs 465,500 for 4 days (direct flight) |
| Busiest months | May, June, July, August, October | June, July, August |
Choose Hunza if…
- You are driving. The Karakoram Highway is open all year, and Hunza has the most to see within a short drive of where you stay — forts, Attabad Lake, Passu and the Khunjerab Pass.
- You want towns and cafés. Karimabad is lively, walkable and well set up for visitors.
- You are travelling in spring or late autumn. Cherry and apricot blossom in April and the autumn colours in late October are Hunza's best seasons.
Choose Skardu if…
- You are flying, especially from Lahore or Karachi. Direct flights land in Skardu itself and are much more reliable than Gilgit's, which turns a two-day drive into a two-hour flight.
- You want wide, empty landscapes: the Deosai Plains, cold deserts and high lakes. It feels wilder and less built-up than Hunza.
- You are going in July to September, when Deosai is open. Outside that window you miss Skardu's headline sight.
Can you do both?
Yes, but give it at least ten days. Hunza and Skardu are linked by road via Gilgit — roughly a full day's drive between them — so a combined trip means more time in the car. A common plan is to fly into Skardu and drive out through Hunza, or the reverse.
If you only have five or six days and are coming from far south, Skardu by air usually gives you more time in the mountains for the money.