• CNN Travel praised Gilgit for having “more tantalising peaks than a lemon meringue pie,” highlighting its five eight-thousander peaks, including the formidable K2.
• Tourism in the region is rising, with 2,100 foreign climbers visiting in 2023 and 2,380 in 2024, attracted by iconic peaks such as K2, Nanga Parbat & Gasherbrum mountains.
Gilgit-Baltistan, a breathtaking region in the Karakoram Mountains in Pakistan, continues to attract thousands of adventurers each year despite challenging access routes and seasonal road closures.
In a list of places you must visit in 2025, CNN Travel described the region as having “more tantalising peaks than a lemon meringue pie.” The broadcaster highlighted its remarkable landscape, home to five of the world’s 14 eight-thousander peaks — towering mountains that exceed 8,000 metres.
“It’s home to five of the 14 eight-thousander peaks… That includes K2, the world’s second-tallest mountain but No. 1 in terms of difficulty and danger,” CNN Travel noted.
Emphasising the region’s demanding terrain, the report stated that hiking in Gilgit-Baltistan “makes the Himalayas look like a traipse in Central Park”.
Renowned for its majestic peaks, glaciers, lakes, and meadows, Gilgit-Baltistan remains a magnet for global adventurers. Thousands of foreign and domestic tourists visit each year to experience its stunning landscapes.
According to local tourism officials, 2,100 foreign climbers visited the region in 2023 to scale iconic peaks such as K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-II, and Broad Peak. This number increased to 2,380 in 2024, reflecting the region’s growing appeal among thrill-seekers and mountaineers.
