Naltar Valley Guide — Coloured Lakes & Pine Forests

Lakes & NatureHunza 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: Naltar Valley, a jeep ride above the Gilgit–Hunza road, hides Pakistan's most surreally coloured lakes — Satrangi's seven-colour water, Blue Lake's impossible turquoise — inside pine forest that feels nothing like the bare Karakoram outside.

The Lakes

Naltar’s chain of small lakes — Satrangi (rainbow), Blue, Bodlok — sit at ~3,050 m among pines, their colours shifting with light and depth from emerald to deep sapphire. Late morning gives the strongest colour; snowmelt season (June–July) the fullest water.

The Jeep Adventure

A rough, exciting 4×4 track climbs from Nomal to the lakes — about 2.5 hours of proper mountain jeeping that’s half the memory. Winter converts Naltar into Pakistan’s premier ski station, home of the national ski championships.

Forest & Wildlife

Naltar’s pine and juniper forests shelter markhor and abundant birdlife — a green counterpoint to Hunza’s stone-and-ice palette, and a favourite picnic day for families.

Adding Naltar To Your Tour

Naltar slots into any itinerary passing Gilgit: the 8 Days Ghizer Naltar and 12 Days Explorer tours include it, and it’s the standard winter substitute when Khunjerab closes. Jeep hire is included where listed.