Where Mountains Touch the Sky: My Journey Through Northern Pakistan

Some places leave a mark on your passport. Northern Pakistan left a mark on my heart.

From Burnout to Breathtaking:

I was stuck in the same old routine, waking up, working, sleeping day in and day out. I felt bored, restless, and unsure of what I even needed anymore. Everything around me felt lifeless, like I was just drifting through the days. I wanted to get away for a while to leave behind the same streets, the same conversations, and the same worn-out routine. I craved fresh air, new faces, and a glimpse into a world I hadn’t yet known. I needed a different rhythm, a different energy something that would wake me up from the inside. So I set off toward the north, chasing change.

I wanted to travel and meet new people. So, I decided to book a seat with a local tour group. I figured traveling with others might not only be safer, but also add to the excitement. The tour was a 7-day package that covered some of the most iconic destinations in Northern Pakistan.

We were set to explore Hunza Valley, Passu, Skardu, and Fairy Meadows.

Hunza Valley(Altit-Fort): My first real moment of awe came in Hunza Valley. I stood near Altit Fort, gazing over the valley where snow-capped peaks kissed a crystal-blue sky. It was quiet, except for the sound of wind passing through apricot trees. It felt unreal as if nature had paused time just for me.

No photograph can fully capture what I felt. The colors were too rich, the silence too deep, and the sky too close. There’s something humbling about standing at the feet of mountains that have watched over this land for thousands of years. For a moment, I didn’t feel small, I felt connected. Like I belonged.

As I moved through Passu, Skardu, and Fairy Meadows, each place had its own magic.

Passu: The Passu Cones, those jagged towers of rock, looked like something out of a fantasy novel. At sunset, the mountains turned golden, and I remember sitting quietly on a roadside bench, watching them slowly disappear into dusk. I didn’t want to blink, I was afraid I’d miss something.

Skardu: In Skardu, the lakes reflected the mountains so perfectly, they looked painted. Shangrila Lake felt like a dream. I rented a small wooden boat, drifted in silence, and watched clouds pass over the Karakoram peaks. I had no signal, no notifications, no noise, just wind, water, and wonder.

Then we headed to our next destination.

Fairy Meadows: I had heard stories. That it was beautiful. That it was remote. But nothing had prepared me for the raw emotion I felt when I first saw Nanga Parbat, the killer mountain, looming above the lush green meadows.

It was so still. So massive. So sacred. The wind whispered through the pine trees, the grass danced beneath my feet, and I felt a kind of peace I didn’t know I needed. That night, I lay in a wooden cabin under a sky full of stars and listened to the silence. It wasn’t empty, it was full of stories I couldn’t hear, but somehow understood.

The people of the north amazed me just as much as the landscape. Their warmth, their hospitality, their pride in their land, it added soul to every moment. I drank chai with strangers who treated me like family. I ate homemade daal under open skies. I listened to folk songs echoing through valleys untouched by time.

They don’t just live in nature, they live with it.

When I returned to the city, I felt like I had left a piece of my heart behind.

There’s a purity to Northern Pakistan that’s hard to put into words. It’s not just the mountains or lakes, it’s the feeling of being completely present, of being reminded how big the world is, and how beautiful it can be when we slow down and just look.

I went searching for a break. But what I found was something deeper, a connection to the Earth, to people, and to myself.

And I know this:

I’ll go back. Not just to see the mountains again, but to remember how they made me feel.

Places I Visited:

• Hunza Valley
• Altit & Baltit Forts
• Passu Cones
• Skardu & Shangrila Lake
• Fairy Meadows
• Nanga Parbat Viewpoint