What stays open
The Karakoram Highway between Gilgit and Hunza is paved and cleared, and in most winters it stays open. Karimabad, Aliabad, Attabad and Passu are all reachable in a car.
What closes: Khunjerab Pass to tourist traffic from roughly late November until May, the jeep road to Duiker after snow, Hoper's upper road, and a good proportion of the hotels. Babusar Pass has been closed since October and will not reopen until July.
The cold, in useful terms
Karimabad sits above 2,400 m. Daytime in January is cold but manageable in sun; nights are well below freezing. Many guesthouses are unheated beyond a gas heater in the room, and hot water can be intermittent.
Bring the layers you would take on a European ski holiday, minus the skis, plus a power bank. Loadshedding is longer in winter and heating and charging compete.
Why come anyway
The valley is empty, the light on the snow is extraordinary, and rates on rooms and vehicles are at their lowest. If your reason for coming is photography or quiet, winter is the best season here and nobody tells you that.
It is also the season when the region is most itself. The tourist economy pauses and the valley goes back to being a place where people live.
Plan for the day you lose
A heavy fall can close the highway for a day, and the flight to Gilgit cancels more often in winter than in any other season. If you have a flight home from Islamabad, leave two days of margin, not one.
The other winter rule: do not schedule anything for the late afternoon. Sunset is early, the roads ice where water runs across them, and no captain worth hiring will take a jeep track after dark in January.
What we run in winter
If you ask us for Khunjerab in January, the answer is no, and it is worth knowing that anyone who says yes is selling you a drive to a closed gate.
- ·Gilgit–Hunza transfers, daily, car or van. Same fares as summer.
- ·Airport transfers in Gilgit, subject to the flight actually landing.
- ·Day trips to Attabad and Passu, weather permitting.
- ·No Khunjerab, no Duiker after snow, no Babusar, no Deosai.
Questions
Is Hunza worth visiting in winter?
Yes, if you want quiet, snow and photography, and you accept the cold and the risk of losing a day to weather. No, if your plan includes Khunjerab Pass or high jeep tracks.
Is the road to Hunza open in December?
Usually yes. The KKH between Gilgit and Hunza is cleared through most winters. Heavy snow can shut it for a day.
How cold is Hunza in January?
Cold but manageable in the sun during the day, and well below freezing at night. Many guesthouses have limited heating.