Gojal, upper Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan
Attabad Lake
A turquoise lake on the Karakoram Highway, formed in 2010, passed on the way north from Hunza.
Attabad Lake fills a narrow gorge of the Hunza River a short drive above Karimabad. Its water is a startling turquoise, coloured by glacial silt, and bare rock walls rise straight from its edge.
The lake is young, and its story is a sad one. In January 2010 a landslide at the village of Attabad blocked the river and took twenty lives. The water that rose behind it drowned villages and a long stretch of the Karakoram Highway, and thousands of people lost their homes and land. The highway now passes the lake through a series of tunnels opened in 2015.
Places to visit
- The lakeshoreViewpoints, cafés and boat jetties beside the highway.
- The tunnelsThe road tunnels that carry the Karakoram Highway past the lake.
- Gulmit and PassuFurther up the valley: the villages of Gojal and the Passu Cones.
- Hussaini bridgeA long suspension footbridge over the Hunza River, to look at or to try for a few steps.
Things to do
- A boat ride on the lake
- Lunch by the water
- Photography from the viewpoints
- Continue to Passu or the Khunjerab Pass
Good to know
Wear the life jacket provided on any boat, and agree the fare first. The lakeshore is busy in July and August; mornings are quieter.
Best time to visit: Year round. The colour is strongest from spring to autumn, and in the coldest winters parts of the lake freeze.
Getting there: About 20 km beyond Karimabad on the Karakoram Highway, usually 30 to 40 minutes by road.
Route: Islamabad to Gilgit and Hunza
Seasonal notes are typical patterns, not promises. High passes and plains open and close with the snow, and some areas need permits. We confirm current conditions with local authorities when we build your programme.
Add Attabad Lake to your yatra
Tell us your dates and group, and we will draft the northern days around this stop, the season and the road conditions.
Plan my yatraGallery
Photographs by their credited authors, see photo credits.
