June

June

June is peak summer, and the best places to visit in Pakistan in June are the cool northern valleys of Hunza, Skardu, the Deosai Plains and Fairy Meadows, as the high roads reopen and the plains swelter. It is also the start of the trekking season and, in some years, the month of the Shandur Polo Festival.

Pakistan in June at a glance

June is the hottest month of the year in Lahore, where average highs routinely pass 40°C, and much of Punjab and Sindh is just as harsh. The north is the opposite: long, warm days in Hunza and Skardu with snow still on the peaks. For anyone looking for cold places to visit in summer in Pakistan, this is when the mountain roads open.

By mid-June the road from Skardu onto the Deosai Plains is usually clear, the Babusar Pass links Naran with Chilas, and jeeps are running to Fairy Meadows. The track from Naran to Lake Saif-ul-Malook, which lies beneath Malika Parbat, typically opens in the first week of June.

Best northern places to visit in Pakistan in June

  • Hunza: the Karakoram Highway, Attabad Lake and the Khunjerab Pass on the Chinese border.
  • Skardu and Deosai: a high plateau at over 4,000 metres, green in early summer and home to the Himalayan brown bear.
  • Fairy Meadows: forest meadows facing the north side of Nanga Parbat.
  • Naran and the Kaghan Valley: glacier-fed rivers and alpine lakes on the drive towards Babusar Top.
  • The Karakoram Highway by motorbike: June is one of the months for our 13 Days Riding Experience on Karakoram Highway.

Shandur Polo Festival

The festival is played on the Shandur Pass at about 3,700 metres, often called the highest polo ground in the world, where teams from Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan meet for three days of freestyle polo. It was long held from 7 to 9 July, but the 2026 edition ran from 11 to 13 June, so the dates need checking each spring. Our 12D 11N Shandur Polo Festival Tour is planned around the announced schedule.

June travel tips

  • Trekking: the season for the higher routes begins, and the Baltoro Glacier approach to K2 Base Camp opens from late June. See the 11 Days Hiking and Trekking Adventure.
  • Heat: we cross the plains early in the day and keep city stops short.
  • Packing: sunscreen, a sun hat and a warm layer for Deosai, where evenings are cold even in summer.

Plan your June trip

June is a busy month in the north, so hotels are worth securing early. Tell us your dates and we will build the route. You can also compare May and July, or read about Shandur.