Karimabad is the capital of Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan. Karimabad is also known as Baltit. It is named after Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual head of Shia Ismaili Nizari community. The Guardian ranked it as the 12th Best Tourist Site in Pakistan.
Karimabad is the main tourist`s attraction in the Hunza valley. It is surrounded by high peaks like Ultar, Hunza Dome, Lady Finger while it offers inspiring views of Diran Nagar and Rakaposhi Nagar. A view of sunrise and sunset is out of the world, especially from a high point above Karimabad, called as Duiker.
A walk through the villages with terraced fields is a pleasant experience and one might get an invitation at a local house for a cup of tea. The bazaar of Karimabad is colorful and interesting for the shoppers. The main items of interest include: local handicrafts, souvenirs, hand woven rugs, embroidered caps, Old Settlement of Ganesh shawls, hand woven cloth known as pattu or Patti and gemstones etc. A day hike through the narrow gorge of Ultar, jumping over loose boulders is a demanding walk, however reaching the snout of Ultar Glacier and the view of the valley by jeeps offers interesting view of sweeping and crevassed glaciers. Ganesh is a small but fast developing village on the KKH. A visit to Ganesh village is interesting with its famous rock inscriptions known as sacred rocks of Ganesh.
