The best time to visit Pakistan
Month by month, honestly. The country has two seasons that barely overlap, and picking the wrong one is the most expensive mistake a first-time visitor makes.
Karim Baig · 14 seasons guiding, Gulmit, Upper Hunza
Last updated 21 August 2026
Pakistan does not have a single travel season. It has two, and they are almost opposite. The mountains are open roughly April to October; the plains are pleasant roughly October to March. Trying to do both at once is the commonest planning error we see, and it usually means one half of the trip is spent somewhere too hot or too shut.
The north, month by month
April
The valleys open. Hunza has cherry and apricot blossom for about three weeks and it is genuinely worth timing a trip around. Khunjerab and Deosai are still under snow.
May
A strong month. Chitral opens, the Kalash Chilam Joshi festival falls mid-month, and Khunjerab usually opens at the start. Fairy Meadows begins late in the month.
June
Everything in the north is open. The Baltoro season starts. The plains have become unbearable.
July and August
Peak season, and the only window for Deosai. Also monsoon — rain can wash out sections of the Karakoram Highway, so build a spare day into any plan. Domestic tourism is at its heaviest and prices reflect it.
September
Our own favourite. Stable weather, thinner crowds, everything still open, and the light beginning to turn.
October
Autumn colour in Hunza peaks in the second half and it is spectacular. Nights get cold, and Khunjerab often closes late in the month.
November to March
Hunza and Skardu are open, empty and very cold. The high passes are shut. Malam Jabba skis from December.
The plains, month by month
October to March
The season. Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Mohenjo-daro are comfortable to warm and the light is good.
One caveat: Lahore's air quality between November and January is genuinely bad. If you have asthma or you are travelling with young children, February and March are better.
April to September
Progressively punishing. Multan and Sindh reach the high forties. We will quote you a trip in June if you insist, but we will tell you first.
If you only have one window
- A first trip to the mountains: late September
- A first trip for architecture and food: late October or February
- Both halves in one trip: early October, or late April
- Trekking: July and August, and nothing else