Gilgit Baltistan is one of the hottest tourist attractions in the world today. Thanks to the internet and social media gives a space to showcase the real beauty of the Northern Area of Pakistan, Skardu, Baltistan.
There are unlimited natural spots full of natural beauty in Gilgit Baltistan. But today I am going to share and compare two famous places in Gilgit Baltistan. Skardu vs Hunza, and Which Place to visit in Gilgit Baltistan?
The reason for doing this comparison of Skardu VS Hunza is just to give our readers information about these two beautiful places in GB. There is no intention that we are favoring one.
Skardu and Hunza: Which Is Better?
It is true that Skardu is far better than Hunza in every aspect.
Every domestic and international tourist loves Skardu compared to Hunza. Because all the tourist points like K2, Shangrila Resort, Deosai National Park, Ghanche Baltistan, Raja Palace Khaplu, and many other famous historical places are in Baltistan, which is the actual reason behind the popularity of Gilgit Baltistan.
Based on the following things, we will compare Skardu and Hunza.
Landscape
Geography
Road Access
Hotels
Transportation
Communication
Lakes
Skardu
Skardu is the capital of the Baltistan region. Skardu is known for its landscapes, lakes, and other natural beauties. Tourists around the world visit Skardu,, Baltistan, every year to enjoy the pleasant weather.
One of the main reasons for International tourism attraction is that the world's second-highest mountain, K2, is also in the region.
Landscapes in Skardu, Baltistan
Skardu has several beautiful landscapes attracting Thousands of tourists from all over the world.
Khaplu Hanjor
Basho Valley Skardu
Shigar Village
Kharmang Manthoka Waterfall Area
Road Access
Skardu can be accessed by road in just 15-20 hours after the recarpeting and reconstruction of the road by FWO.
The Karakoram Highway is now fully ready and functional for all kinds of traffic.
Transportation
Skardu can be reached through many means.
In terms of transportation, Skardu has a wide range of private and government companies providing transport from major cities of Pakistan to Skardu city.
If we talk about the transport system from Islamabad/Rawalpindi to Skardu, you can get these services.
PIA Pakistan International Airline
NATCO The Northern Areas Transport Corporation
Private Bus Services
Private Car Services
Bike Tour
1- PIA Pakistan International Airlines
PIA is the only airline service that has been operating in the Skardu Valley for years. Skardu has an international airport.
2- NATCO – The Northern Areas Transport Corporation
NATCO Northern Areas Transport Corporation is a special bus service started by the Government of Pakistan only for the people of Gilgit Baltistan from major cities of Pakistan, including Rawalpindi and Karachi.
NATCO is the oldest bus service, started before any private company, and it has the highest number of customers as well. But it is also a fact that with time, the service of NATCO was compromised, and private companies started giving much better services than NATCO.
But here our main concern is to discuss the major difference between Skardu and Hunza. And Skardu has the facility of NATCO services that Hunza lacks.
3- Private Bus Services
Skardu has several private bus services that provide the best services.
Names of private bus services from Rawalpindi to Islamabad to Skardu are:
GEO Bus services
Anchan Travel
K2 Travel and Tour
New K2 Tour and Travel
Mashabrum Travels
Faisal Movers
K2 Himalaya
SAMA Travels
4- Private Car Services
With the passage of time, more people are jumping into the tour and travel car service business, and now there are private car services from Rawalpindi to Islamabad to Skardu city.
Some famous private car service companies travel from Rawalpindi to Skardu
Cars service’s
Shaheen Rovers Car Services
Beautiful Baltistan Car Services
Darbar travels
Explore rent a car
Buraq rents a car
Kamil rents a car
Faisal travels
Asia rents a car
Travel Mate
Leopards trip
Cayz 99
5- Bike Tour/Services
This is not a complete travel service, but you can take your own bike to reach Skardu. Skardu Bike Tour is a dream tour for many travelers.
In the summer season, you can meet a lot of tourists who have come from all the big cities of Pakistan on bikes to Gilgit Baltistan.
Hotels
If you are traveling to Skardu, Baltistan, but are worried about hotels. Just forget and stop worrying. Tourists can find all kinds of hotels, from luxury hotels to normal kinds of hotels in Skardu.
Guest houses are available for a 1-2 day stay.
If we compare the hotels in Skardu Valley and Hunza, then the hotels in Skardu City are much better, more comfortable, and full of modern facilities than those in Hunza Valley.
Here is a list of some famous hotels in Skardu:
Masabrum Hotel
Serena Hotel Shigar
Serena Hotel Khaplu
Geo Hotel
Serena Hotel
Shahi Deewan
Hilton Hotel
Ibex lodge
Mondoq palace
Deewan khas
Legend Hotel
Shangrilla resort
Byar sa Hotel
Snow land
Tibbat hotel
Shinwari hotel
Sondus inn
Hargeisa hut
You will get all the necessary facilities in these hotels, like high-speed internet connection with Wi-Fi, Hot and cold water, and modern bathrooms.
The best things about these hotels in Skardu are that they have their own free pick-and-drop service for tourists from Skardu International Airport and bus stations.
Communication
In Skardu, you can enjoy all the cellular company services, including Telenor Pakistan, Ufone, Jazz, Warid, Zong, and SCOM. SCOM is the only cellular company serving in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and the Kashmir Region.
So there is no need to worry about communication because you can contact your friends and family at any time. Because almost all the major tourist spots have good-quality network coverage. In fact, you can video call your family members and let them enjoy the beautiful places of Skardu Valley.
Lakes In Skardu
Skardu has been blessed with several beautiful natural lakes with a lot of sea animals. There are hundreds of small and large lakes in Skardu, Baltistan, which have not been explored yet by travelers. Only local people know about those lakes.
Most of them are located in high-altitude mountains.
List of Famous Lakes in Skardu Baltistan
Sadpara Lake Skardu
Lower Kachura Lake Skardu
Sheosar Lake Deosai
Kharfaq Lake Ghanche
Katpana Lake
Ghandus Lake Kharmang
Upper Kachura Lake Skardu
Xarba Tso (Blind Lake) Shigar
Xhoga Lake Khaplu
Bara Lake Khaplu Baltistan
Daholi Lake Khaplu Ghanche
Ghanche Lakes Khaplu
Ghorashi Lake Kharmang
Author
Adil Balti
Founder · Balti.pk
Muhammad Adil Balti is the Founder of balti.pk, the only platform connecting tourists with local tour operators, guides, hotels, restaurants, and transport services across Skardu and Gilgit-Baltistan, helping promote the region’s tourism and local economy.