11 October snowfall at Babusar Top closes the pass for 2026 — reopening expected June 2027

Babusar Top is closed for 2026

On 11 October 2026, snowfall at Babusar Top closed the pass for the rest of this season. That is normal for a road that sits above 4,000 metres between Kaghan and Chilas. What changed is the date on the calendar, not the rule: once the top holds snow, NHA stops routine traffic until spring clearance. For travellers still in Naran or planning a late-October trip, the valley below the pass is not shut — only the crossing to Gilgit–Baltistan over Babusar is.

Pakistan Travel Guide tracks the same seasonal window we publish on Babusar Top sightseeing and on Naran packages: June through September is the reliable crossing period. October is weather-dependent. This year the line was drawn on 11 October.

When will Babusar open again?

Official reopening is not a fixed press release. NHA clears snow and repairs landslide damage when the ridge is safe, which historically lands around June 2027 for the next summer season. Earlier openings happen in mild winters. Later ones follow heavy snow. We will not publish a day-one promise six months out. When you book a 2027 Naran–Hunza or Naran–Skardu road plan, we will confirm the pass status the week you travel, not from a blog post written in October.

For the wider calendar — Babusar, Khunjerab, and winter valleys — see best time to visit Northern Pakistan. Babusar is the Kaghan gate to GB on the Mansehra–Naran–Chilas axis, not an all-year motorway.

What still works in Naran Kaghan this autumn

Closing Babusar does not close Naran town, the Kunhar drive, or the lake days that most three- and four-day tours are built on. You can still run Lake Saif ul Malook by jeep when the lake road is open, stop at Lulusar Lake on the way up from Naran, and keep Shogran or Batakundi on a longer plan. Skardu-by-road itineraries that depended on crossing Babusar this week need rerouting — usually fly Skardu, wait for 2027, or pick a Swat, Kashmir, or Hunza entry that does not need this pass.

If you were aiming for autumn colour before the snow, our Naran Kaghan autumn 2026 note still applies for everything below the pass: pack warmth, confirm jeeps the morning you move, and quote against live hotels.

Planning with PTG — no imaginary Babusar day

• Do not build a Chilas or Hunza same-day exit over Babusar until NHA announces reopening in 2027.
• Keep Lulusar and Saif ul Malook as the core of a late-October Naran trip; they are the sensible backup when the top is white.
• For GB or Skardu, ask on WhatsApp whether air seats or a winter-safe road (via Besham–Chilas, when open) fits your dates — we quote what is bookable in PTGTMS.
• Hotels in Naran and Kaghan can still fill on weekends even after the pass closes; book the room, not just the photograph.

Browse live Naran Kaghan tour packages, then send dates on WhatsApp or the enquire form. We will cut Babusar from the day plan when it is closed and keep the lakes and nights that have rooms behind them — the same rule as every other season.