# Attabad Lake, Gilgit-Baltistan

> Attabad Lake formed in 2010 when a landslide dammed the Hunza River, and it is now one of the most photographed places on the Karakoram Highway.

- **Page:** https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/gilgit-baltistan/hunza-valley/gojal/attabad-lake
- **Type:** Lake
- **Province or region:** Gilgit-Baltistan
- **Part of:** Gojal (https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/gilgit-baltistan/hunza-valley/gojal)
- **Best season:** March to November

In January 2010 a landslide near Attabad village blocked the river, and the water rose behind it into a lake that drowned part of the highway and several villages. People lost homes and the road to China was cut for years. A series of tunnels, completed in 2015, now carries the highway beside the lake.

Today the lake is a beautiful stop and a working one: boatmen run passengers and vehicles across it. Go in the morning, when the colour is deepest.

## Highlights

- A boat ride across the lake
- The tunnels of the Karakoram Highway
- Colour changes from jade to deep blue through the day

## Seasons in Gilgit-Baltistan

- **Spring (March to April):** Apricot and cherry blossom in the lower valleys, mostly in April. The higher villages are still cold and the high passes are closed.
- **Summer (May to September):** The main season. Every valley is open, and this is the time for trekking, Deosai, the Khunjerab Pass and the K2 approach.
- **Autumn (October to November):** Golden leaves in the orchards and the clearest light of the year. Nights are cold and the first snow reaches the high valleys in November.
- **Winter (December to February):** Cold and quiet. Hunza and Gilgit stay reachable by road, but the high valleys and passes are closed.