Gilgit-Baltistan's mountains hide a profound Buddhist past. For centuries this was a Silk Road crossroads where pilgrims and monks travelled between South and Central Asia.
The Kargah Buddha
Just ~10 km from Gilgit, a serene standing Buddha is carved into a cliff at Kargah Nallah, dated to around the 7th century. It's one of the most evocative Buddhist relics in the region.
The Gilgit Manuscripts
Near the same site, a cache of birch-bark and paper manuscripts was discovered — among the oldest surviving Buddhist texts in the world, now of global scholarly importance. Standing where they were found brings the history alive.
A wider trail
- Manthal Buddha Rock, Skardu — a large carved relief.
- Sacred Rock of Hunza (Haldeikish) — inscriptions and ibex petroglyphs left by travellers over millennia.
- Petroglyph fields along the Indus near Chilas.
Travelling respectfully
We guide this trail with cultural context, an unhurried pace, vegetarian catering and time for quiet reflection — ideal for heritage travellers and Buddhist pilgrims alike.
See our Buddhist Heritage Trail, or tell us what you'd like to see.
