Ghizer District covers the northern-most part of Northern Areas of Pakistan. The capital of Ghizer District is a small town named Gakuch. Ghizer District connects Gilgit and Chitral District via Shandur pass. Ghizer is the doorway to Central Asia and also a short way to Tajikistan. Ghizer has remarkable picturesque beauty. Season from May till mid-October is the best time to visit these areas.
Some of the main places in the Ghizer District are as follows:
Gakuch
About 72 km from Gilgit is located in a small place known as Gakuch. Gakuch is the capital of Ghizer District located in Gilgit-Baltistan. The population of Gakuch is very small, approximately 7909. The city of Gakuch starts with a divergent at the China Bridge that leads to the Ishkuman valley and ends with an extended bridge to the same valley. Gakuch is surrounded with mountains and greenery that adds to its beauty. People usually speak Khowar in Gakuch. Gilgit River runs through the middle of the city. The viewpoints in Gakuch includes a valley known as Gakuch Bala. One can always go for mountain climbing, hiking, and sight-seeing in Gakuch.
The weather is very pleasant during the months of May till October after which it gets very cold.
Very few good hotels and guest houses are present in the city. Many people choose the PTDC but many camping sites and homesteads are available for travelers as well.
Gupis
In the west of Gilgit, about 112 km is located a small undersized town known as Gupis on the bank of Gilgit River. From Gakuch, Gupis is just 40 km away. Gupis valley is renowned for its remarkable natural beauty. All the way from Gakuch to Gupis, the valley is full of spectacular landscapes and breathtaking sights. There are many well-known tourist’s points in Gupis valley such as Gupis fort, stones circles of megaliths, Shingalote village, Khalti Lake etc. In Gupis, one can see lots of maize and fruits especially apples growing in the valley.
Gupis Fort
Gupis valley is famous not only for its natural beauty but also because of the historical structures present there. One of them is the famous Gupis Fort. Gupis fort was built by the British Empire in the year 1805. There are few dark cells built in the fort where the British officers used to drop their prisoners as a punishment. Currently the fort is in the custody of Northern Light Infantry (NLI). At present the fort is in very poor condition and needs to be restored.
Stones of Megaliths
Nearby Gupis valley quite a few stones of megaliths stood still in good state. It is said that these megaliths were raised in the 2nd millennium and are situated in different areas of Gupis and Ishkuman valley.
Khalti Lake
About 20-30 minutes’ drive from the Gupis you will reach the beautiful lake known as the Khalti lake. Khalti Lake was formed as a result of a major flood caused by the burst of mountains as the glacier retreated, about 25 years ago. Khalti Lake is well-known for being the habitat of trout fish.
Khalti Lake generally freezes during the winters. Villagers, during winters, walk on the frozen lake and also sometimes play different games on the frozen lake.
Phandar Valley
Phandar valley is one of the most attractive and prominent place of Ghizer District. Phandar valley is famous for its most picturesque valley, deep blue lake and River Ghizer that flows through the village. Phandar valley is also normally called “Little Kashmir” because of the lush green wide fields, river that flows across the village and breathtaking scenery. Phandar valley is almost 61 km away from the valley of Gupis and about 163 km from Gilgit city.
The most attractive tourist spot in Phandar valley is the magnificent Phandar Lake. The deep blue lake at the eastern end of the valley with crystal clear water, greenery, trees and rocky as well as snow-capped mountains offers a marvelous view that makes one adore the nature in its most original form. In short Phandar Lake is full of all the colors. The total area of lake is about 3 Km.
The local people of Phandar valley are by nature very generous, simple and welcoming. The language spoken by the villagers is Khowar. In Phandar Phandar Khass, Gulagmauli and Hundarap valleys are also present and are known to be the widest valley of North. Also Phandar valley is very much famous for trout fishing along the Gilgit River.
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