Pakistan is quite renowned for its stunning Northern Areas that attract thousands of visitors every year, from all over the world. These infamous spots are indeed heaven on earth for nature-loving travel enthusiasts. Northern Pakistan includes some of the most amazingly breathtaking sceneries around the globe. With Fairy Meadows, calm and mesmerizing lakes, the landscape covered with exotic flowers, sheets of green, vibrant rivers, and mist-covered mountains – what’s not to love? If you’ve planned to visit and see them for yourself, you have made the right call! but did you plan, what you would be doing there?

Here is a list of the top 10 activities you can enjoy with your friends and family or traveling companions!

1. Roasting Delicious Marshmallows on a campfire!

Camping food doesn’t have to be just sandwiches and grocery store items. Gourmet it up! You can do a lot of things with an open fire and a skillet. Moreover, you don’t have to prepare everything from the bottom, barbequing semi-cook-food is just as fun! not to mention the roasted marshmallows & tea cooked on that makeshift tandoor or burning woods. You can use campfire time to enjoy games like Truth or Dare, group therapy sessions, or have a jamming session (if your buddy didn’t forget to bring that guitar!).

2. Trekking in Astore

Astore District beckons nature enthusiasts with its lush green slopes, perfect for hiking, trekking, and climbing. Best visited in summer and spring, as snow can block roads and make climbing rocks too cold. Astore is also great for camping due to its scenic beauty. Skardu, nestled amid Karakoram and Himalayan mountain ranges, is a hub for mountain climbing, trailing, and trekking.

3. Fishing in the freshwater of natural lakes!

Whether it’s recreational or you’re attempting to catch a meal. It can be a fantastic way to unwind and shed modern life stresses. Sadpara and Kachura Lake are popular for activities such as Trout Fishing and require a fishing license. Information and licenses are easily accessible at fisheries offices in towns. So grab your rod, fishing line, sunglasses, and some buddies. Be ready to enjoy the serenity of the water for a couple of hours. Fishing gear can be purchased and rented at cheap prices in many places around the district. Capturing and cooking your own food experience like this is as near as we can get to our primitive side in modern times.

4. Hey, could you guess that tree?

You don’t need to be a botanist to appreciate unique flowers, premium-grade fruits, and towering trees exclusive to this region. Hunza is stunning year-round, but one of the best times to visit is during Spring, known as the Apricot or Cherry Blossom season. You can pick up a book to learn more about the plant species here. Many global visitors come during this season to witness the valley adorned in layers of pink, white, and green. Spring starts with almond trees and is followed by apricots, peaches, cherries, pears, and apples in full bloom.

5. Relax with yoga or your meditation of choice!

Breathing in and out to fill up your lungs with pollution-free air is an enticing experience on its own – not to mention the health benefits it has on the body and mind. Places such as these are considered a haven for people seeking meditation and spirituality. I am incredibly lax, so these activities are always a challenge to me, but I don’t believe anybody will argue about the advantages of yoga or meditation.

6. Go Swimming

Put on your bathing attire and head to your favorite lake. Altit Pari and Nasirabad are renowned spots for swimming in crystal clear, mountain-melted ice waters. Whether you want to jump off the boat or pier, use a pool noodle, float in the water, or simply relax in natural springs, there are plenty of options. If you’re interested in water rafting, Neelum Valley is a must-visit. It’s one of Azaad Kashmir’s most beautiful valleys, boasting numerous freshwater streams, lush green landscapes, and forests. The Neelum and Jhelum rivers offer excellent opportunities for summer white water rafting.

7. Stargazing on Top of the World!

If you’re at Hunza – given that it’s the roof of the world – you get to witness miraculous events at dawn at dusk. Watching light rays reflect on top of the peaks, hues of whites & blues turning into a tangerine glow is an ethereal experience. Regardless of whether it’s over the water, over the hills, over the fields, or trees, the sunset is always exceedingly mesmerizing in Northern Areas. At night time, clear skies away from the hustle bustle & stale air of a metropolis can be quite captivating to observe and stars appear to be indeed much closer to the earth.

8. Meet new people!

That’s right, exploring the land isn’t enough, you can’t truly experience a culture without knowing its people, Folks from the north have some fairly intriguing tales to tell, they’re famous for their endurance -which is a given considering their harsh living environments, colorful clothes, peculiar traditions, au-natural food (secret to their long lives) and most of all hospitality!

9. Clean up your campsite

Leave with a positive message. Reports of a staggering amount of plastic waste & litter ruining the natural beauty of these places are quite the topic of debate nowadays, a good example is the situation in “Saif-ul-Malook”. The responsibility of preserving the natural beauty of these fairy meadows falls onto our hands too. We can play our part by cleaning our plastic waste and avoiding dumping the garbage around. If you can’t seem to find a garbage bin nearby, make sure that you put your litter in a bag and carry it until you discover one instead of throwing your trash in the water or stacking it around sideways and bushes!

10. Attend some local festivities & events!

Numerous colorful festivals occur year-round at various locations in the Northern Areas, with the most noteworthy being the Spring Festivals. A prime example is the traditional “Ginani” festival celebrated in Hunza from June 21st to the 25th. Additionally, organizers arrange polo tournaments for tourists, providing great entertainment for spectators. If these top 10 fun activities are not exactly your cup of tea, fear not as you can enjoy plenty of other activities such as horse riding, visiting historical sites, and wildlife/nature photography. Ready to pack your bags and hit the Karakoram Highway? Check out when our next tour leaves! (link to tour updates page)