Punial Valley
A complete travel guide to Punial Valley Ghizer Gilgit Baltitan Pakistan
After crossing the last village(Hanzal) of Gilgit District, you will enter the Punial Valley. You will drive by a river for 30 minutes then you will enter in Biyachi which is the first village of Punial valley. After crossing the beautiful village of Biyarchi you will enter in Gulapur valley.After leaving Gulapur and driving for 30 miutes on the way there comes an RCC bridge by turning left and after crossing the river you will enter in Sherqilla which has the largest population in district Ghizer.After crossing Sherqilla you will enter in Singul valley which is called the heart of punial, after driving for 25 minutes you will enter in Gulmuti and when you move towards the left by crossing the suspension bridge, you will you will enter in Bubur valley.
After that, there comes a village called “Gurungur” .Next to it we have Gahkuch Valley which is the commercial centre of punial valley,Next to it we have Gahkuch bala, Gahkuch pine, Silpi, Damas, Ayshi, Golo Dass, Hatoon, Hasis, Haim, Birgal, and Famani the last village of Punial valley.
Best time to visit Punial Valley
The time between April-October is the best time for a visit to Punial Valley However, out of this time, you will face cold weather and harsh weather too.
I visited in the mid of May, and this valley was green everywhere with snow-capped mountains. Still, there was cold at night, but the temperature in the daytime was perfect. Therefore, I also suggest July-August is the ideal time to visit Punial Valley.Because you will also enjoy the fruits and fishing over there in this time.
Disadvantage: During these days there is a huge flux of local tourists from across Pakistan.
How to get to Punial Valley
An easy travel guide from Gilgit city to Punial Valley.
From Gilgit to Punial Valley
A local Hiece service is the best option. You have to book a ticket from Ishkoman Ada puniyal road near Muhamadi mosque Gahdi bagh.Vehicles leave every hour between 10 am to 5 pm. The ticket costs just 300 rupees. Once you are on the Hiace van, it takes 1 hour to enter Punial Valley, It is your choice if you want you can stay for tea and food on the way, and then the journey again begins, and after 1 hour you will enter Gulapur which is the first village of Punial Valley.
Punial Valley consist of 28 to 30 villages So it takes 3 to 4 hours to reach Birgal which is the last village of Punial Valley by local transport. But in return to Gilgit, the vehicles are leaving early at 6 am in summer and 7 am in winter. So you have also take care of its return.
Where to stay in Punial Valley
In Punial Valley there are many hotels and Guesthouses you can easily find accommodation over there. But all these hotels and guest houses have limited resources but are budget-friendly, and the food they are serving is organic. But the cost may vary with the demand of tourists.
Budget of hotels in Punial Valley
River Breeze Guest House Sherqilla
Email# apacpr@Tripadvisor.com
Located in Gulapur, River Breeze Guest House offers a garden.
Rooms come complete with a private bathroom equipped with a shower and slippers, while certain accommodations at the guesthouse also feature a seating area.A continental breakfast is available each morning at River Breeze Guest House.Gilgit is 29 km from the accommodation.
The hotel Guest house owner, took care of us, provided us organic food for dinner, and spoke good English. They also provide Carpeted Ironing facilities and Flat-screen TV.
River Huts Gulmuti, Gahkuch,
Phone: 0345 6262669
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/riverhutsgulmuti/
River Huts Gulmuti is located at: Near Gulmuti Pull, Gilgit Chitral Road, 10 Mimutes away from Gahkuch, Ghizer, Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan-
Hotel Green Palace Gahkuch
Conact #0349 8235464
Hotel Green Palace is located in Ghakuch. This hotel is surrounded by lush green valleys. These valleys are attracting tourists from all over the world. The hotel is clean and well furnished, and the staff is very caring. It’s good when it comes to accommodates and outdoor amenities and access, but the indoors are quite limited.
Things to do in Punial Valley
There are many places very near to nature in Punial Valley. Like sitting near a Punial river and inhaling the fresh air.
A trip to sherqilla valley
Sherqilla is one of the historical and oldest village in Punial Valley. Sherqilla has 2 main bridges which connect the Ghizer road with Sherqilla valley, one is Wooden Bridge and the other one is RCC Bridge. The wooden Bridge is made in the 90s. And the RCC Bridge is formed in (May-2020), it took more than 6 years for the completion of this bridge. It is fully operational today with a huge influx of tourists and cargo vehicles coming towards the valley.There are several old fort from where the downside of Sherqilla is on birds-eye view. Ask about the history of the Fort from local people and take some good pictures. The view is just amazing.
Short hikes and village walks
Walkthrough a village through the streets; you will chit-chat with people in fields, offering you to sit with them and have some fun. There are tracks to hike on mountains in the valley and where shepherds take their goats and sheep for grassing.
Day trip to Hopper
Hopper tourist garden is a picnic point at Punial near gahkuch city Ghizer. From Gahkuch, it takes 30 minutes to reach there. It is a green and lush area.Here you can also see the view of water falling from a height. It is popular for its greenery ,water fall and river. Traveling from Gahkuch to Hopper you come across any beautiful places.
trip to Ayash Valley (Upper Gahkuch)
Ayash valley is a beautiful place, nestled between mountains. It’s a popular spot for hiking and camping, as well as for simply taking in the stunning scenery. The valley is also home to a number of wildlife, including deer, eagles, and other birds.just relax and enjoy the scenery. There are plenty of places to explore, and the views are simply stunning.
Have chai in someone’s home
The people are very hospitable. It’s their culture to offer you tea and food at their homes. There boiled eggs with tea are amazing.Sit with local women, and just laugh, and the young girls will play the role of translators.
Language, culture, and religion in Punial Valley
The inhabitants are primarily Shina speakers Ismaili Muslims, followers of the His Highness Prince Aga Khan. Also, there are Sunni Muslims.
They are sober and peaceful, and well educated. You will see girls and women walking around in streets and roads openly, which is rare in other rural parts of Pakistan. There are co-shools, and the literacy rate of this generation is almost 100 %. No child is out of school. They have an excellent transition a majority of their elders are illiterate or very less educated.
The people follow Islamic culture, and women take no pictures and are a bit shy.
Mobile and internet service in Punial Valley
Zong, Scom and Telenor are operating in Punial Valley, but SCO is the only network providing data service at very expensive rates. The data services of Scom are very slow and work in Punial Valley. Internet SIM cards are available everwhere.
Local guides in Punial Valley
If you are looking to explore Punial Valley, spend at least ten days over there. Then, go trekking with local tour guides. I met the best guide who will help you to explore the whole valley.
Shah Raheem is a university graduate with a bachelor’s in mass communication associated with the tourism industry. He is also a social activist. He is the best guide who knows all the borders and has himself many times traveled different tacks, and in his past seven years in the tourism, the industry has guided many local and international tourists and has a good record. You can reach him by Facebook here. Give the reference of Alex, the girl from the USA, then he will understand from where you have got his number and profile.
