Gilgit-Baltistan Culture Tour

About This Trip

Gilgit-Baltistan has been at the crossroads of various civilizations for centuries. Not so long ago, it was the central theatre of the “great game in which the erstwhile empires maneuvered for strategic supremacy while caravan of traders, sundry adventurers and explorers traversed the serpentine coil of tricky mountain paths that came to be known as “silk route” . The isolation associated with the Karakoram Mountains ensured that Gilgit-Baltistan, developed and preserved its unique history, cultural values and traditional political identity. The territory of Gilgit-Baltistan consists of seven districts namely Gilgit, Ghezir, Hunza Nagar, Diamar, Astore, Baltistan (Skardu) and Ghanche. Urdu is the lingua franca of the region, understood by most of the inhabitants. The Shina language (with several dialects like Asturjaa, Kharuchaa, chilasi) is the language of 60% of the population, spoken mainly in Gilgit, Astore throughout Diamer, and in some parts of Ghizer. The Balti dialect, a sub-dialect of Ladakhi and part of the Tibetan languages group, is spoken by the entire population of Baltistan. Minor languages spoken in the region include Wakhi, spoken in upper Hunza, and in some villages in Ghizer, while Khowar is the language of Ghizer. Burushaski is an isolated language spoken in Hunza, Nagar, Yasin (where Khowar is also spoken), in some parts of Gilgit and in some villages of Punyal. Another interesting language is Domaaki, spoken by the musician clans in the region. A small minority of people also speak Pashto. Despite being referred to as part of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan has few remnants of Kashmiri speaking their own language.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Detailed itinerary not listed — contact the agency directly for a full day-by-day plan.