Gilgit Holiday Weather Overview
Gilgit City is the main city in the Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan. Once an important stop on the silk road, it is now a popular stop over for travellers heading towards the Himalayas. Surrounded by towering peaks and within easy reach of famous sights such as the Hunza Valley and the Khunjerab Pass, Gilgit is a paradise for nature lovers and climbers.
This region of Pakistan is welcoming to tourists and is relatively stable; however, an incident in 2013, when several foreign hikers were targeted and killed, has led to concerns over safety in the area. It is best not to travel alone, but always in the company of a local guide, and to respect local customs.
Gilgit City’s Climate
Gilgit City has a cold desert climate, with a very long and quite harsh winter. Summer is brief but very hot, and rainfall is sparse. Landslides and avalanches are common, and can block roads, making transport unreliable.
Gilgit City’s Winter
Expect freezing temperatures if you visit Gilgit City in the winter. Between December and February, daily highs reach around 8°C, but nights are well below freezing, averaging around -4°C. Snowfall is abundant, and important too, because melt water is needed for irrigation.
Most tourists do not visit Gilgit in the winter, because of the difficulty in getting around, and because it’s not the right season for trekking and climbing. If you do visit, take warm clothing, boots and hats.
Gilgit City’s Spring
Spring is a welcome sight in Gilgit City, and the melt water starts to bring the rivers and flowers back to life. In March, average daily highs of 17°C rise to 28°C by the end of May; note, however, that in early spring, nights are still very cold, and even in May the overnight lows can reach down to 10°C.
Mid spring marks the beginning of the trekking and climbing season, and Gilgit will see an influx of visitors at this time. Take layered clothing, to account for the warm spring days and the very cold nights.
Gilgit City’s Summer
Summers are very hot in Gilgit City. Between June and August, temperatures rise to around 37°C in the daytime, falling back to around 18°C overnight.
The heat will take some getting used to if you are not acclimatised to it, and for this reason many people avoid Gilgit City in the summer. It is however, a beautiful time of year to explore the mountains and valleys, and there is always somewhere cooler (higher) to escape to if the heat becomes too much.
Gilgit City’s Autumn
The autumn months are pleasant in Gilgit. September daily highs of 30°C fall back to 17°C in November, but watch out for sudden drops in temperature at night. Overnight lows in September are a comfortable 12°C, but by November, nights will already be below freezing.
Best months to visit Gilgit?
January and March are the best month to go for holiday or travel to Gilgit. The weather averages gathered from Gilgit weather forecast and Gilgit weather history also forecast these months temperature to be around -13°c and average of 248.9333 hours of sunshine in a month.
Coldest months of Gilgit?
January and December are the coldest months with temperature at around -26°c.
Which months receive most rainfall in Gilgit?
August and June receive most rainfall with precipitation count of 46.54mm.
Travelling to Gilgit? Check out our Weather averages of Gilgit to better plan your holiday or travel.
If you would just like to know what the weather was for a past dates for research or education or you are just curious then visit our historical weather of Gilgit section.