It is the most common question we get: “Hunza or Skardu?” Both are in Gilgit-Baltistan, both are spectacular, and both deserve a visit. But they feel very different — and depending on your time, your group and the season, one will usually suit you better for a first trip.
In this guide
The quick answer
- Choose Hunza if it is your first trip north, you are travelling with family or elders, you enjoy culture and viewpoints more than long excursions, or you are driving.
- Choose Skardu if you are short on time and happy to fly, you love big wild landscapes and lakes, or you want Deosai and heritage palaces.
- Do both if you have 9–12 days. It is one of the finest trips in Pakistan.
Side by side
| Compare | Hunza | Skardu |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | Terraced orchards, forts, sharp peaks (Rakaposhi, Ultar, Passu Cones) | Wide sandy valleys, lakes, cold desert, high plateau (Deosai) |
| Feel | Lively, cultured, café culture in Karimabad | Bigger, emptier, more remote |
| Getting there by road | About 600 km; usually 2 days from Islamabad | About 620 km; usually 2 days from Islamabad |
| Flights | To Gilgit, then 2–3 hours’ drive | Direct to Skardu town |
| Ideal days | 5–7 by road | 5–6 by air; 7–8 by road |
| Best months | April–October | May–October (Deosai mid-June to September) |
| Walking needed | Little; viewpoints are by road | Little in town; Deosai and lakes by vehicle |
| Signature stays | Karimabad boutique hotels, Attabad lakeside | Shangrila, Kachura, heritage palaces at Shigar and Khaplu |
Scenery: orchards and forts vs lakes and deserts
Hunza is intimate. You look up from apricot orchards to Baltit Fort, then up again to snow peaks that seem to hang over the valley. The drive north through Attabad and Passu is a highlight in itself.
Skardu is expansive. The valley floor is broad and sandy, ringed by enormous mountains. Its highlights — Shangrila and the Kachura lakes, the Katpana dunes and the Deosai Plains — are about space and colour.
Travel time and flights
By road, both are around two days from Islamabad. The difference is flying: Skardu has direct flights from Islamabad, while for Hunza you fly to Gilgit and then drive. If you have five or six days, Skardu by air gives you the most mountain time. If you prefer to drive and see the Karakoram Highway, Hunza is the classic road trip.
Either way, mountain flights can be cancelled by weather. Read Skardu by road or by air before deciding.
Families, elders and couples
Families with young children or older parents often find Hunza easier: compact sightseeing, plenty of mid-range hotels and less time at altitude. Skardu also works well if you fly in — but Deosai is high (above 4,000 m) and a long day, so we pace it carefully.
Couples love both. Attabad’s lakeside rooms and Karimabad’s views are romantic; so are Shangrila and a night in a restored palace at Shigar or Khaplu.
What affects the cost
We don’t publish fixed prices because every trip is different, but the main cost drivers are similar for both: number of days, hotel level, vehicle type and season. Flying adds airfare but saves hotel nights and driving days. For a family or group, a road trip to Hunza is often the more economical option; for a couple short on time, Skardu by air can be better value per day of holiday.
Combining Hunza and Skardu
The two regions are linked through Gilgit: from Hunza, drive back down the Karakoram Highway towards Jaglot, then up the Skardu Road along the Indus. A typical combined trip:
- Islamabad → Chilas (or via Naran in summer)
- Chilas → Hunza
- Hunza: Karimabad, forts, Eagle’s Nest
- Upper Hunza: Attabad, Passu, Khunjerab (in season)
- Hunza → Skardu
- Skardu: Shangrila, Kachura, Katpana
- Shigar or Deosai (in season)
- Khaplu or a rest day
- Fly Skardu → Islamabad (or drive back over two days)
Want this tailored to your dates? Send us your plan and we will suggest the best direction and pace.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for a honeymoon, Hunza or Skardu?
Both are excellent. Choose Skardu for lakeside and heritage stays with a short flight; choose Hunza for boutique hotels, views and an easy pace. Many couples combine them.
Can I visit Hunza and Skardu in one week?
It is possible if you fly one way, but rushed. Nine to twelve days is far more comfortable.
Which is colder, Hunza or Skardu?
Both are cold in winter. Skardu town is slightly lower but more exposed; Deosai is much colder than either town at any time of year.
