GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltis­tan has been included in a list of the top 25 destinations worth visiting in 2025, curated by CNN.

Thousands of tourists and foreign climbers visit the region annually for expeditions on various peaks, paragliding and other activities.

In the list published on Wednesday, CNN Travel wrote, “The Gilgit-Baltistan region in the Karakoram Mountains isn’t the easiest place to get to — flight schedules can be unreliable, roads can be blocked off seasonally — but it has more tantalising peaks than a lemon meringue pie.

“It’s home to five of the 14 eight-thousander peaks [i.e. mountains towering above 8,000 metres above sea level] recognised as the world’s highest. That includes K2, the world’s second-tallest mountain but No. 1 in terms of difficulty and danger,” the broadcaster said.

CNN Travel added that hiking in GB “makes the Himalayas look like a traipse in Central Park” but added that travelling alone is “not an option”, noting that Nepal also banned solo hiking throu­ghout that country last year.

Gilgit-Baltistan is a popular tourism destination known for some of the highest peaks, glaciers, pastures, lakes, meadows and its unique landscapes.

Despite road and communication issues, thousands of international and local tourists visit the region to enjoy the landscapes every year.

According to GB tourism officials, 2,100 foreign adventurers among climbers visited the region in 2023 to scale peaks such as K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasher­brum-I, Gasher­brum-II and Broad Peak after obtaining permits in the summer season. The number rose to 2,380 in 2024.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2025