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Karakoram Highway

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Karakoram Highway.

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Uprising Memorial
The Uprising Memorial, is a memorial to those who rose against the Maharaja in 1947. It includes the graves of the local heroes, Mohammed Babar Khan and Safiullah Beg of the Gilgit Scouts, and Mirza Hassan Khan of the Kashmir Infantry. At Partition, many had anticipated Maharaja Hari Singh's eventual accession to India. A clique of Muslim officers in the Maharaja's own army, led by Colonel Mirza Hassan Khan, had been conspiring to seize Kashmir for Pakistan, but word had got out and Hassan was transferred to Kashmir's 'Siberia', the Bunji garrison south of Gilgit. Meanwhile, the Gilgit Scouts' Major Mohammed Babar Khan and several fellow officers (and, according to some, their British commander) had hatched their own rebellion. Within days of the Maharaja's decision, a mob gathered in Gilgit from neighbouring valleys. The governor called Bunji for help, and who should be among the reinforcements but Colonel Hassan. On 1 November Babar Khan arrested Governor Ghansar Singh and the rebels asked to join Pakistan. Within a few days the Scouts, with Muslim soldiers of the Kashmiri army, joined the war with India. In the following months the Scouts took Baltistan, and Hassan got to the outskirts of Srinagar. The fledgling Indian air force at one point bombed Gilgit, no easy task in the narrow valleys. Gilgitis like to tell the story of the Scouts' pipe band, which mocked the Indian pilots by defiantly tootling up and down the airfield the whole time. Memories of the 'Uprising' are still alive in Gilgit. Hassan, Babar and another leader of the Gilgit Scouts, Maj Safiullah Beg, are buried in Chinar Bagh, and many of their offspring are local politicians and entrepreneurs. Of course, it's not 14 August but 1 November that Gilgit celebrates as Independence Day, with spontaneous music and dancing and a week-long polo tournament. One of the best polo teams every year is from the Gilgit garrison of the Northern Light Infantry (NLI), successor to the Gilgit Scouts.
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Ganish Village
The restoration of Ganish Village is particularly good and won a Unesco Asia Pacific Heritage Award. While Baltit Fort shows how the cream of society lived, Ganish shows another side of traditional Hunza life. Behind a shaded, tranquil tank are several richly carved wooden mosques, 100 to 200 years old, the restoration of which clinched the award. Legend has it that Ganish warriors practised their river-crossing techniques in the tank before crossing the Hunza River to attack Nagyr villages. The timber-and-stone watchtower from the days of war with Nagyr is a tight squeeze but worth the climb. Particularly interesting is the use of the cool glacier meltwater to store food - it's still done today. Butter is wrapped in birch bark and can be stored under water for years! You may even be offered a sweet made from the butter. For all its quaintness and award-winning restoration, Ganish is not a museum (there is a local museum under construction) but a living village. This is exemplified perhaps by the huge concrete Imamia complex being constructed beside the walled village. The Imambara is expected to be clad in wooden carvings which may help it blend in. If no-one is staffing the admission booth, walk towards the village and someone will find you.
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Petroglyphs
Chilas is surrounded by wonderful Petroglyphs, which are easy to access, though be prepared for high temperatures and take plenty of water. There is a sign to the 'Chilas II' site near the KKH police checkpoint. Less than 1km down a jeep track there is a huge rock covered with hunting and battle scenes and Buddhist stupas. A common image is the long-horned ibex, ancient symbol of fertility and abundance, and an elusive trophy animal even now. On a rocky knoll facing the river are the oldest inscriptions, from the 1st century AD: scenes of conquest and stories of the Buddha's life. Four kilometres east beside the jeep bridge to Thalpan is the 'Chilas I' site, with art found on both sides of the Highway and the river. The most striking pictures are of a large stupa with banners flying, close to the Highway; and mythical animals, battle scenes, royal lineages and Buddhist tales, across the river on dozens of rocks west of the track.
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Ashoka Rocks
On the north side of town is Mansehra's tourist attraction, three granite boulders on which 14 edicts were engraved by order of the Mauryan king Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. Appalled by the destruction wreaked by his military campaigns, Ashoka converted to Buddhism and tried to dictate a new morality based on piety, moderation, tolerance and respect for life. He was greatly revered, but his reforms (and his empire) didn't last much longer than he did. The inscriptions have done better, but they too are fading away; despite the shelters, the ancient Karoshthi script is now almost impossible to see. The rocks uphill are better than the one below the road.
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Mir's Palace
The Mir's Palace is under restoration. Until the early '70s the mir of Hunza lived here for three months of the year, presiding over local durbars (councils). A cluster of houses to the left of the palace is the original village. The tallest of these is said to be Gulmit's oldest, possibly 200 years old; before the palace was built the mir stayed in it on his Gulmit sojourns. To its left are the carved lintels of an old Shiite mosque from the early 19th century, before Gojalis converted to Ismailism. You can also see local women dyeing and weaving traditional cloth in the old building next to the palace.
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Fong Khar
The main landmark in Shigar village is Fong Khar, the former Raja of Shigar's fort-palace, now a luxury hotel and museum showcasing the impressive rustic architecture and the fascinating lifestyle of Shigar's rich and famous. The timber-and-stone palace has natural rock foundations and merges almost seamlessly into the mountainside, on top of which are the ruins of an earlier fort, Sinigma Khar. It's a five-minute walk from the road, up the left side of the stream, and has a lovely restaurant worth investigating even if you're not staying the night.
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Lake Saiful Mulk
At 3200m, surrounded by moody, snowy mountains, Lake Saiful Mulk (or Muluk) is said to be inhabited by fairies. Legend has it that in ancient times a mortal, Prince Saiful Mulk, fell in love with a fairy there and married her. It's a hot two- to three-hour uphill walk from Naran to the lake; the path starts just above the bazaar. Alternatively, you can hire a jeep for Rs700 from Naran, which can take up to six passengers. The driver will stay at the lake for about an hour, allowing you to go for a horse ride before returning.
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British Cemetery
The well-kept British Cemetery has some surprisingly recent graves of adventurous trekkers and mountaineers among the more historical plots. Buried here is Captain George Hayward, a British explorer murdered in Yasin in 1870 by a son of Gohar Aman. On the side of the shack inside the grounds you'll find a useful map with some interesting stories from the grave. If Ghulam Ali, the caretaker, is around you'll be shown more interesting items for a small donation to the cemetery's upkeep.
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Buddha Relief
Across Hargisar Nala from the track is a Buddha Relief carved on a rock in about the 7th century. About 200m beyond the Baltoro resthouse turning and a cluster of government offices, and just past an Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) office, turn right on a small path. Near the end of this is a footbridge across the nala, and a track up to the Buddha. There and back is a detour of about an hour.