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The Enchanting Gilgit!

Gilgit Travel Blog › entry 1 of 1 › view all entries

Gilgit is the capital city of the Northern Areas, Pakistan. Its ancient name was Sargin which later on came to be known as Gilit and it is still called Gilit or Sargin-Gilit by local people. It is the headquarter of Gilgit District. Gilgit city is one of the two major hubs on the Northern Areas for all mountaineering expeditions of Karakoram to Himalaya peaks, the other hub being Skardu.

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World › Asia › Pakistan › Gilgit

The Enchanting Gilgit!

June 22, 2007

Gilgit is one of the five districts of Northern Areas and is located at an elevation of 1453.9 meters. It is famous for Mountaineering, Trekking, Hiking, Fishing, Photography, Youth Adventure, Archaeology etc. Buddhist Rock Carvings carved out of the mountainside are worth paying a visit. It is about 10 kms away from Gilgit and the distance is covered in about 20 minutes in a jeep. The Victory Monument of Taj Mughal was built about 700 years ago and lies at a distance of 11 kms from Gilgit and it takes about 25 minutes by jeep to get there.

Places of Interest:

Punial: Sher Qila is the main village of the picturesque punial valley. The distance is 40 kms and time required to reach there is about 2 hours.
Singal: This spot in the punial valley offers ideal trout fishing opportunities.

It is 56 kms away and takes 3 hours to get there.
Yasin: A valley providing ideal opportunities for hiking and trekking, it lies at distance of 160 kms and the jeep journey requires about 7 hours.
Phandar: This picturesque area has a lake, which abounds in trout. It is about 177 kms away and the time required to get there is about 8 hours.
Shandur Pass: This 1250 feet long pass connects Gilgit to Chitral. The pass remains snow-bound during winters. It is 250 kms and 15 hours away by jeep.
Rama: A lake in this region offers an awe-inspiring view of the eastern side of Nanga Parbat, 8126 meters high. It is 120 kms away and takes 6 hours to get there.
Naltar: is the loveliest full day outing from Gilgit. About a two-hour drive away, it is an area of alpine meadows and pine forests 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The road up from Nomal climbs steeply through a rocky gorge to emerge on the fertile, high-altitude pastures. Naltar is the perfect base for gentle walks through the forest or up to Naltar Lake, where the fishing is excellent. The village is also the starting point for more energetic treks across the 4,000 (13,000 foot). Naltar Pass to the Ishkoman Valley, or across the 4,800 meter (15,700 feet). Daintar Pass to Chalt. The two ski lifts at Naltar are reserved for army use.