Lakes of Pakistan

Kallar Kahar and Katas Raj sit on the old road between the Punjab plains and the Salt Range, so both are covered comfortably in a day from Islamabad. For the temples and Buddhist sites in more depth, see our ancient architecture tours; for the shrine and temple circuit, the Sufi darbar and religious heritage tours.

Saiful Muluk is the lake most people picture when they think of Pakistan’s north, and it is best seen in the last light. Lulusar, further up the same valley, is on the Babusar road. The wider valley is covered on our trekking and wilderness page, and Naran features in the northern mountain collection.

Attabad was formed by a landslide in 2010 and is now the most photographed lake on the Karakoram Highway; Borith, a short walk away, is a shallow wetland below the Passu glacier. For more time in the valley, see the Hunza destination page and the longer northern mountain tours.

This is the version with time to reach Khunjerab, the highest paved border crossing in the world, without cutting the lakes short. Related reading: the Hunza guide, the Gilgit page and the cultural and heritage tours for the valley’s older settlements.

Skardu holds several of the country’s best-known lakes within a short drive of each other. The plateau above the town is covered on our trekking page, and the city itself on the Skardu destination page.

Deosai sits above 4,000 metres and is usually open from July to September, which is when this itinerary runs. Sheosar Lake is the plateau’s signature view. See also the Skardu page and the northern mountain collection.

Ansoo is a high alpine lake above the Saiful Muluk valley, usually reached between July and early September. The shorter valley treks are on our trekking and wilderness page, and Naran is covered in the northern tours.

Rush Lake sits in a meadow bowl above Nagar, ringed by some of the largest glaciers outside the poles. For other high camps, see the trekking page; the valley below is on the Hunza guide.