By region
| Region | Best months | Why |
|---|---|---|
| High treks | June to September | K2 Base Camp, Concordia and Rush Lake. The glaciers are passable and the high camps are clear of deep snow. |
| Lower treks | May to October | Fairy Meadows, Nanga Parbat Base Camp and Rakaposhi Base Camp have a longer season at lower altitude. |
| Hunza | April to October | Blossom in spring, green terraces in summer, and the poplars turning gold in October. |
| Skardu | April to October | Reachable by air all year, at its best from spring to autumn. Deosai is open from June to September. |
| Chitral & Kalash | May to September | The valleys are open and the summer festivals fall in this window. |
| Lahore, Multan and the south | October to March | Cool, clear days for the cities and shrines. Summer on the plains is fiercely hot. |
| Cholistan desert | November to February | Winter is when the desert is worth being in. |
Best season, place by place
From our destination guides. Select a place to read the full story.
- K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La Trek
- Late June to August
The Gondogoro La crossing is usually most reliable from July to mid August. - Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat Base Camp
- Mid June to September
- Skardu Travel Guide
- May to October. Deosai roughly July to September
- Shogran, Siri Paye & Makra Peak
- May to September for meadows. June to September for Makra
Snow can linger on Makra into early summer. - Musa ka Musalla Trek
- June to September
Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August. - Neelum Valley Travel Guide
- May to October
- Ganga Choti Trek from Sudhan Gali
- May to October
- Paragliding at Khanpur Lake
- Flights depend on wind and weather, not a fixed season
- Swaik Lake, Kallar Kahar
- October to April, in dry weather
- Swat & Kalam Travel Guide
- May to October for Kalam and upper valleys
Upper Kalam is very cold and largely closed in winter. - Nathia Gali & Mukshpuri Hike
- April to November
- Ratti Gali Lake in Winter
- July to September
- Chilam Joshi Festival
- Usually mid May. Confirm dates locally each year
Book accommodation early for festival dates.
Season by season
Spring, March to May
Apricot and cherry blossom moves up the Hunza valley from late March into April. The high passes are still closed and the nights are cold, but the valleys are at their prettiest and quietest.
Summer, June to September
The trekking season. The high routes open, Deosai is in flower and the days are long. The monsoon reaches the Punjab and the lower hills in July and August, and can cause landslides on the roads north, while the Karakoram itself stays comparatively dry.
Autumn, October and early November
Settled weather, sharp light and autumn colour across Hunza and Baltistan. The high treks are closing, but this is the best time of year for a road or air journey.
Winter, December to February
Deep cold in the north, with many high roads shut. This is the season for the south: Lahore, Multan, Uch Sharif and the Cholistan desert.
Roads and passes
- The Khunjerab Pass on the Chinese border closes for the winter.
- The Babusar Pass, the shorter summer road north, is usually open from around June to October.
- The Deosai plateau is snowbound outside the summer months.
Festivals worth planning around
- Chilam Joshi, the Kalash spring festival, in May.
- Uchal, the Kalash harvest festival, in August.
- Other festivals: Uchau in late summer and Chaumos in December. Chilam Joshi Festival
- Hunza in autumn, in October, when the poplars turn.
Festival dates move from year to year. Ask us for the current dates before you book flights.
General guidance for planning. Rules, schedules and conditions change, so confirm the details that matter with official sources and with your XPITUDE planner before you book.