Best Time to Visit Northern Pakistan: A Month-by-Month Road Guide
Which northern valleys are open each month, when the passes clear, blossom and autumn seasons, and what that means for a road trip from Islamabad.
The north of Pakistan changes completely with the seasons. The same trip can be perfect in one month and impossible in another, so plan around what is actually open.
At a glance
Winter: December to February
Murree, Nathia Gali and Malam Jabba get snow, and families drive up for it — book an SUV and check the forecast. Hunza and Skardu remain reachable on the Karakoram Highway and are calm and beautiful, but cold, and some hotels close. Babusar Pass, Deosai and the upper Kaghan Valley are closed.
Spring: March to May
Late March and April bring blossom to Hunza and Skardu — one of the best times to visit. Swat greens up. Naran opens through May, though Babusar usually stays closed until late May or June.
Summer: June to August
Everything opens: Babusar Pass, Deosai Plains, Kumrat, Lake Saif-ul-Malook. It is also peak season — Naran and Murree are crowded on weekends and during Eid. July and August bring monsoon rain to the lower valleys, which can cause landslides on the Karakoram Highway; we build slack into itineraries.
Autumn: September to November
September is often the best month of the year for the north: clear skies, open passes, thinner crowds. October brings the famous golden colours to Hunza and Skardu. Babusar and Deosai usually close by mid-October, so later trips go via the KKH.
Planning the drive
- Hunza and Skardu need two driving days each way from Islamabad. See Islamabad to Hunza and Islamabad to Skardu.
- Naran and Swat work as three-day trips. See Islamabad to Naran and Islamabad to Swat.
- In winter and on the high passes, take an SUV.
