Pakistan Autumn Photography Tour
For about three weeks each year the valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan turn gold, orange and red beneath new snow. This is the season I wait for.
Autumn in northern Pakistan is short and exact. Poplar, apricot, cherry and walnut trees turn together, the air clears after summer, and the first snow comes down on the peaks.
I have returned to Hunza every autumn for more than a decade, and the timing still decides everything. Colour moves down the valleys with altitude: the higher villages turn first, the lower ones a week or more later.
An autumn tour follows that movement rather than a fixed map. Most routes combine Hunza and Nagar with Ghizer or with Skardu and Khaplu, depending on your dates and how the season is running.
- Peak colour
- Mid-October to early November
- Regions
- Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Skardu, Khaplu
- Conditions
- Clear, cold mornings; mild days
- Access
- Karakoram Highway; flights to Gilgit and Skardu
Locations
What you will photograph
Hunza and Karimabad
Terraces of gold poplar below Ultar and Ladyfinger, and the view from Eagle's Nest.
Nagar and Hopar
Quieter villages across the river, with Rakaposhi and Diran above the colour.
Ghizer and Phander
A long river valley west of Gilgit, lined with poplars and reflected in still water.
Gilgit and the Indus
Autumn trees along the river at the meeting point of three mountain ranges.
Skardu, Shigar and Khaplu
Colour arrives here slightly ahead of Hunza, in orchards below Balti forts.
Passu and Gulmit
Gold fields in front of the Passu Cones, usually in the second half of October.
Light and season
When to go
- The first two hours after sunrise and the last before sunset carry the colour; backlit leaves are the signature shot.
- A fresh snowfall on the peaks during the trip is common and gives the classic gold-under-white contrast.
- Timing shifts by up to a week from year to year, so I watch the season and adjust the route.
See the month-by-month guide to the best time to photograph Pakistan.
From my archive
Photographs from Autumn in Northern Pakistan
Practical notes
Before you travel
- Days are mild but dawn is close to freezing; layers and gloves are needed.
- Autumn is the busiest photography season in Hunza, so hotels are reserved early.
- A polarising filter helps with reflections and saturation.
- High passes such as Babusar and Khunjerab can close with early snow; routes allow for it.
Plan your trip
Photograph Autumn in Northern Pakistan with me
Tell me your dates and what you want to photograph, and I will plan a private itinerary around the light. Tours are operated through Travelbug, the travel company I co-founded, which arranges transport, stays and permits.
Every tour is privately quoted. No fixed packages or departure dates.
Questions
Good to know
When is autumn colour at its peak in Hunza?
Usually the last two weeks of October into the first days of November. The exact week varies with altitude and the year.
Which is better for autumn, Hunza or Skardu?
Both are excellent. Skardu and Khaplu tend to turn a little earlier; Hunza and Nagar have the most famous views. Many itineraries include both.
How cold is it in autumn?
Days are mild, often 10 to 18 degrees Celsius in the valleys, with dawn temperatures near freezing.
How far ahead should I plan an autumn tour?
As early as you can. It is the most requested season and the best hotels in Hunza fill months ahead.
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Muhammad Asmar Hussain
Award-winning Pakistani landscape photographer, Sony Brand Ambassador for Landscape Photography, TEDx speaker and Co-Founder of Travelbug. Published by National Geographic and a winner at the Sony World Photography Awards. More about Asmar.