A proud moment for Pakistan as Serena Hotel in Hunza has been recognised in the list of World’s Greatest Places of 2026
TIME has included Pakistan Hotel in the list, saying “Hunza Serena is drawing a new wave of discerning travelers to northern Pakistan—many journeying with upscale operators like Wilderness Travel.”
Describing the hotel on their website, TIME said, “Gilgit-Baltistan has long kept a low profile despite its towering geography. That’s changing fast. This mountainous corner of northern Pakistan has emerged as one of Asia’s most exciting new adventure frontiers, with international visits surging 121 per cent in 2024. That year, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development opened the Hunza Serena Hotel, an 82-room property designed to welcome a new type of tourist. Balconies open onto the wide-shouldered Rakaposhi Mountain, whose glaciers glimmer white above the jade-green Hunza Valley.”
The hotel is well-known in Pakistan and is frequently booked by travelers to Hunza.
In the list of World’s Greatest Places of 2026, China’s Songtsam Lodge Cizhong, Turkey’s Avantgarde Refined Caves of Cappadocia, and Saudi Arabia’s Bab Samhan Hotel, among others, were included.
Hunza has, in the last decade, become the ‘new Murree’ of Pakistan, as hundreds of thousands of tourists, desperate for a break, pack their bags to go to this valley to enjoy its melodious scenery.
Autumn in Hunza is a sight to behold. From October 15 to mid-November, it undergoes a breathtaking transformation, turning into a tapestry of vivid colours and serene landscapes.
