Gilgit Baltistan named among top destinations to visit in 2025

American broadcaster CNN has featured Gilgit Baltistan, the most scenic region of Pakistan, in its list of the top 25 destinations worth visiting in 2025.

Thousands of local and foreign tourists thronged the sparsely populated northern region each year for expeditions on various peaks, paragliding and other sports activities.

"The Gilgit Baltistan region in the Karokoram Mountains isn’t the easiest place to get to — flight schedules can be unreliable, roads can be blocked off seasonally — but it has more tantalising peaks than a lemon meringue pie," CNN Travel said this week.

The publication noted that the region is home to five of the 14 "eight-thousander" peaks recognised as the world’s highest. That includes K2, the world’s second-tallest mountain but no 1 in terms of difficulty and danger.

"In terms of tourism and infrastructure, hiking in this region makes the Himalayas look like a traipse in Central Park," it added.

While 2024 saw a surge in mountaineering expeditions and trekking in Gilgit Baltistan, nine mountaineers were killed while attempting to summit various peaks, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said. Of these climbers, five were from Japan, two from Pakistan and one each from Russia and Brazil.