Lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan — The Complete Guide

DestinationsHunza Travel Guide

✍ Written by: Hunza-Tours.com Editorial Team ✔ Reviewed by: Sultan Ali, Head Guide (Hunza) 📅 Last updated: July 2026 ⛰ Field experience: Local ground team, resident in Gilgit-Baltistan

In short: Gilgit-Baltistan holds Pakistan’s most beautiful lakes: Attabad, Borith, Rush, the Naltar chain, Phander, Khalti, Sheosar on Deosai, Satpara, Kachura/Shangrila and Rama — here is every lake worth the journey, grouped by region with access notes.

Hunza’s Lakes

Attabad Lake — the turquoise icon, born of the 2010 landslide; boating, jet skis and resorts. Borith Lake — quiet, saltish, a birdlife stop en route to Passu Glacier. Rush Lake (4,694 m) — Pakistan’s highest major alpine lake, earned by a 5-day trek.

Gilgit & Naltar

The Naltar lakes — Satrangi (rainbow), Blue and Bodlok — jeep-track jewels famous for colour-shifting water in pine forest, 2.5 hours from Gilgit.

Ghizer’s Lakes

Phander — the mirror lake of the west. Khalti — turquoise trout water that freezes walkable in winter. Both feature in the Ghizer places guide; Shandur’s plateau lakes join in summer.

Skardu & Astore

Sheosar Lake (4,142 m) — Deosai’s deep-blue eye, June–September. Satpara — Skardu’s water supply and dawn mirror. Upper & Lower Kachura — the Shangrila postcard. Rama Lake — Astore’s meadow lake under Nanga Parbat’s east face. All feature in our Hunza & Skardu combo and Skardu tours.

Planning Lake-Focused Trips

A 10-day Hunza+Skardu loop collects Attabad, Borith, Naltar, Satpara, Kachura and Sheosar in one journey; add Ghizer for Phander and Khalti on 12+ days. Summer opens everything; October gives the stillest reflections. Tell us your must-see lakes on WhatsApp and we’ll route them into one itinerary.