Nagar is one of the ten administrative districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. It sits across the river from Hunza, and the place list keeps the two districts apart. Nagar’s named places are Hoper Glacier, Sikandarabad Valley, and Natural Cricket Stadium Pissan. The trip that should not be copied from the Hunza fort circuit is Nagar.
Khunjerab Pass is not a Nagar place. It is the Hunza border crossing, and the corridor through it is Gilgit-Baltistan’s gateway to China. Nagar can share a journey with that road. It does not own the pass. Across the river from Hunza, Nagar keeps its own places and its own trip.
Where Nagar sits
Nagar covers 4,137 square kilometres, the smallest area of these eight districts. Headquarters is Nagar. It is divided into three tehsils, and the 2023 population is 87,410. Three tehsils, and three named places, is a close count, but the tehsil names are not written into the place list, so they stay as a number. Hunza, across the river, is a separate district. It covers 10,109 square kilometres with a 2023 population of 65,497, a larger area and a smaller population than Nagar. Gilgit, the city most journeys pass through, covers 4,208 square kilometres with 324,552 people. Nagar is the small district between those two scales: 4,137 square kilometres, three tehsils, and 87,410 people, with a glacier, a valley, and a cricket ground as its named places.
Nagar was formed in 2015, when the former Hunza-Nagar District was split into Hunza and Nagar. Before that year the two sides of the river were one district. The figures now attached to each side are separate: Nagar at 4,137 square kilometres, three tehsils, and 87,410 people, with headquarters at Nagar, and Hunza at 10,109 square kilometres and 65,497 people.
The administrative identity is the glacier, the valley, and the cricket ground on this side of the river. Hunza keeps Altit Fort, Baltit Fort, Attabad Lake, Hunza Valley, Shimshal, and Khunjerab. If a day crosses the river, say so. Do not file the fort on the Nagar record because the hotel was in Hunza, and do not file Hoper on the Hunza record because the car started there.
Regional seasons, including when Khunjerab’s tourist months usually fall, are on Climate and best time to visit Gilgit-Baltistan. Those months govern the pass. They are not an opening list for Hoper, Sikandarabad, or Pissan. Ask on the ground which of those three is a valley day in winter and which needs the summer road.
| Record | What is named |
|---|---|
| Role | Administrative district across the river from Hunza |
| Area | 4,137 km² |
| Headquarters | Nagar |
| Tehsils | 3 |
| Population (2023) | 87,410 |
| Named places | Hoper Glacier, Sikandarabad Valley, Natural Cricket Stadium Pissan |
| Named lodging | Hikal Guest House Nagar, Diran Guest House Nagar |
| Named operator | Tour De Rakaposhi (Pvt) Ltd, licence DTS-GB-002 |
Named places
Hoper Glacier
Hoper Glacier is the glacier on the Nagar list. It is the reason the district is described as glacier country rather than as a second fort district. A glacier visit is not a Khunjerab visit. The pass is the next district over.
Sikandarabad Valley
Sikandarabad Valley is the valley name attached to Nagar. It is not Shimshal, and it is not Hunza Valley. Those valleys stay on the Hunza record.
Natural Cricket Stadium Pissan
Natural Cricket Stadium Pissan is the tourist place you will not find on the Hunza list. It is the clearest single proof that the districts were split on purpose. A cricket ground in a mountain district is still a named place, and it belongs here.
Lodging and the named operator
Lodging on the Nagar record is guest-house scale: Hikal Guest House Nagar and Diran Guest House Nagar. Hunza’s hotel list is longer and is not this list. Sleeping on one side and spending the day on the other is a normal journey. It is not a reason to merge the two lodging registers.
One operator is filed for Nagar: Tour De Rakaposhi (Pvt) Ltd, licence DTS-GB-002. The licence number is the administrative mark. Itineraries and prices are not part of the district record. Hiring steps sit on the destination and guide pages.
How to use the destination page
Nagar plans the glacier, the valley, and the cricket ground, and it says plainly not to copy Hunza’s forts onto this side of the river. The district page is that same split, stated as a record rather than as a day plan. Language articles are not tagged to Nagar. Burushaski is filed with Hunza. Do not borrow it as Nagar’s local-language line.
Why the 2015 split still matters for visitors
Before 2015, Hunza and Nagar were a single district. Older guidebooks, maps and online posts often still describe “Hunza-Nagar” as one unit, and that habit leaks into itineraries. You’ll see a fort, a lake and a glacier listed together as if they were one place. They aren’t. Since the split, each side of the river has its own record, its own figures and its own named places.
A simple test helps when reading any itinerary: for every stop, ask which side of the river it’s on. Hoper Glacier, Sikandarabad Valley and Natural Cricket Stadium Pissan answer “Nagar”. Altit, Baltit, Attabad and Khunjerab answer “Hunza”. Once a plan is sorted that way, the days usually make more sense.
Small district, close places
At 4,137 square kilometres, Nagar is the smallest of the eight districts on these pages. Its three named places sit inside that compact area, which makes it tempting to try all three in a single rushed day. Resist that, at least until a local operator has told you how long each road takes in your travel week. A glacier viewpoint, a valley drive and a cricket ground each reward a slower visit, and none of their travel times is published on this record.
The population, 87,410 across three tehsils, is larger than Hunza’s even though Hunza covers more than twice the area. That contrast is worth keeping in mind. Nagar is a lived-in district first and a tourist stop second.
Using the named guest houses and operator
The record names two guest houses, Hikal Guest House Nagar and Diran Guest House Nagar, and one operator, Tour De Rakaposhi (Pvt) Ltd, licence DTS-GB-002. The record gives no prices, room counts or itineraries, and none are added here. Before booking, ask each directly about:
- current licence status and what the licence covers;
- availability for your exact dates;
- how they handle a road closure or a cancelled flight upstream;
- whether the stay or tour includes transport to the named places.
If you sleep in Hunza and visit Nagar for the day, that’s fine. Just keep the bookings on their own records so nothing gets mixed up when plans change.
Seasons on this side of the river
The climate guide explains the region’s seasonal windows, including the months when Khunjerab usually opens to tourists. Those months belong to the pass, which is in Hunza. They don’t tell you whether a Hoper viewpoint or the Pissan ground is reachable in a given week. Ask locally, and treat winter as a separate question.
Pairing Nagar with a Khunjerab drive
Plenty of travellers combine a Nagar day with the drive north to Khunjerab. That can work, but the two belong to different districts and run on different calendars. The pass has its own tourist months, described on the climate guide, and the corridor beyond it is explained on Gilgit-Baltistan’s gateway to China. Plan the pass as a Hunza day and Nagar as its own day. If you try to squeeze both into one, the glacier or the cricket ground usually ends up as a rushed photo stop from the car window, which misses the point of coming to this side of the river at all. Two separate days also give you a fallback if one road closes.
Respect and safety
Nagar’s villages are home to many families, so dress modestly and ask before photographing people. A cricket ground is a community space before it is a tourist stop; if a match is on, watch from where you’re welcome. Near the glacier, follow local advice about where it is safe to walk.
For emergencies, Tourist Police can be reached on 1422 inside Gilgit-Baltistan and 05811-930055 from outside. Save both before you set off.
Frequently asked questions
Which places are in Nagar District?
Hoper Glacier, Sikandarabad Valley, and Natural Cricket Stadium Pissan.
Is Khunjerab Pass in Nagar?
No. Khunjerab is a Hunza place. The corridor through the pass is described on the gateway to China page.
How is Nagar different from Hunza?
Nagar is the glacier, valley, and cricket-ground side of the river. Hunza keeps the forts, Attabad Lake, and Khunjerab.
What lodging is named for Nagar?
Hikal Guest House Nagar and Diran Guest House Nagar. Hunza’s hotels are a separate list.
Which operator is filed for the district?
Tour De Rakaposhi (Pvt) Ltd, licence DTS-GB-002. The visit itself is planned on Nagar.
When was Nagar District created?
In 2015, when the former Hunza-Nagar District was split into Hunza and Nagar.
How large is Nagar compared with Hunza?
Nagar covers 4,137 square kilometres with 87,410 people. Hunza covers 10,109 square kilometres with 65,497 people.
Can I see all three Nagar places in one day?
Travel times are not published. Ask a licensed local operator how long each road takes in your travel week before planning a single-day loop.
Is Burushaski the language of Nagar on this site?
Burushaski is filed with Hunza. No language article is tagged to Nagar, so none is assigned here.
Who do I call in an emergency in Nagar?
Tourist Police can be reached on 1422 inside Gilgit-Baltistan and 05811-930055 from outside.
