Northern Pakistan is located in close proximity to the border belts of India, China and Afghanistan. Northern Pakistan has one of the unique geographical compositions on the globe. Occupying an extraordinary varied and attractive landscape, Northern Pakistan becomes a meeting point of world’s four famous high altitude mountain ranges i.e. Pamirs, Hindukush, Karakorum and Himalayas. It ranges from Hindukush to the Karakorum in the North-East with the Western Himalaya in the South and the Pamirs in the extreme North.
With an expanse of about 27,188 square miles, Northern Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan), geographically, climatically and biologically presents primarily a land of transHimalayan character, where cis-Himalayan features, monsoon rains and seasons of the plains are very rare. The lower Himalayan valleys of Swat, Kaghan and Chitral in the Hindukush range equally share the beauty and diverse culture of the Northern Pakistan.
The land of Northern Pakistan lies amidst towering mountains, snow-clad peaks and narrow valleys with heights varying between 3000 feet and 28750 feet above sea level. The second highest peak of the world, K2 or Chogori with an elevation of 8611mt and the third highest peak, Nanga Parbat with an elevation of 8125mt has always increased the eminence of this part of Pakistan in the world. Gilgit Baltistan holds twelve out of thirty top peaks of the world with elevations over 7500mt.

The Northern Pakistan has some of the longest glaciers outside Polar region. The mountain ranges of the area form the headwaters of major rivers, including the mighty Indus. The Shyok river and the Indus river come through Kashmir but inside Northern Areas, hundreds of their tributaries offer some of the finest spots for fishing, navigation and water sports.
Since 1954, when the Karakoram Range was opened to expeditions for climbing and trekking, the mountains and glaciers of the north have become an international playground. There are hundreds of peaks still lying un-climbed posing a challenge to the mountaineers and climbers from all over the world.
Similarly, those who dare take up the challenge of the frothy white waters of the roaring mountain rivers in Northern Pakistan, know the excitement and thrill that such sports offer. Tourists now undertake white water sports such as rafting, canoeing and kayaking in the rivers Indus, Gilgit, Hunza, Swat, Shigar, Shayok and Kunhar. Similarly, the rivers and lakes of the Northern Pakistan are filled with trout, which is very popular with anglers.
The people with typical costumes, folk dances, music and sports like polo and buzkashi provide the traveler an unforgettable experience. The magnificent Northern Areas of Pakistan have everything ranging from magnificent and sky-kissing peaks to mesmerizing lakes. This coupled with the affordable costs - giving true value to your money and the warm and traditional hospitality of the local people, makes Pakistan truly a top destination for the tourists to explore.
The cuisine of Gilgit Baltistan is as distinct as it is unique. Some of the special dishes are more famous traditional food dishes are : Chapshoro, Dawdoo, Chamus, Mamtoo, Sharbat, Harisa, Molida, Garma, Berikutz, Harissa, Diram, Mull, Gooli, Suppra, Khamuloot.

Pakistan is a home to the most spectacular ancient cities of the World including the Indus and Gandhara civilization.The places like Taxila, Moenjodaro and Harrppa are prime reflections of such pre - historic human civilizations.Similarly, Mughal heritage in Punjab such as Badshahi Mosque, Shalimar Gardens, Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort are great heritage sites of Mughals in Punjab.
Pakistan is also famous for its shrines and temples.Each year not only Muslims from different countries come to visit the holy shrines but also the Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhist visit Pakistan for pilgrimage.From Khyber to Karachi, there is a series of famous Saints who are still a source of spiritual love, harmony and unity among the masses.Their teachings, prose and poetry still enthrall visitors and ‘zaireen’ (visitors) despite the passing of centuries.

Similarly, there are minorities’ religious and sacred places throughout the country.Examples include Katas Raj at Chakwal, Gurdwara Punja Sharif at Hasan Abdal, Baba Guru Nanik at Nankana Sahab, as well as other sacred places in every nook and corner of Pakistan.Hindu people visit the place near River Hangol in Balochistan regularly.Moreover, recently spiritual tourism infrastructure work has also started on the Kartarpur Singh Corridor at Narowal to facilitate Sikh pilgrims in a more effective manner. Overall, such multicultural nature of the country also contributes to the tourism industry in the way that it offers various traditions, customs and festivals for the tourists to explore and enjoy.Pakistan being a multi - cultural and multi - ethnic society offer a great variety of rich historical and spiritual sites for the visiting tourists.

Around one third of Pakistan is currently urbanized; however, urbanization in Pakistan is estimated to be 50% by 2025. Karachi and Lahore are the two largest metropolitan areas of Pakistan attracting hundreds thousands of both domestic and foreign tourists to these two biggest cities in Pakistan. Other major cities having tourism attraction include Peshawar, Islamabad, Multan, and Quetta. The existence of old cities parts having historic monuments/land marks/buildings coupled with availability of cultural, recreational, and amusement facilities in major and intermediate cities in Pakistan are primary touristic attractions.

Urban tourism all across Pakistan had gradually started to emerge during the periods of 1990s.During these years, tourism flows increased particularly in resort cities like Murree, Swat, etc and historic cities like Lahore, Multan and spiritual cities like Taxila, Nankana.The promotion of urban tourism in Pakistan can largely benefit in the preservation of existing large stock of urban heritage sites, promotion of arts / crafts / food / recreational industries and diversifying the local economic bases of the fast growing urban regions in Pakistan.