NATHIA GALI: Hotel prices in the popular hill station of Nathia Gali have sparked widespread debate on social media after screenshots circulating online showed room rates reaching as high as approximately Rs 389,000 (around $1,400) per night, raising questions about affordability and pricing in Pakistan’s tourism sector.
The discussion began after journalist Umar Qureshi shared a screenshot of hotel booking options, highlighting the unusually high cost of a short weekend stay. The post quickly went viral, with users expressing surprise over what they described as “exorbitant” pricing for accommodation in one of Pakistan’s most visited tourist destinations.
Looking at hotel options for a quick weekend getaway
This is crazy!
Why would anyone in their right mind pay over $1400 for a night at a hotel in Nathiagali
In fact why would anyone in their right mind pay this much for a night at a hotel anywhere in Pakistan?! pic.twitter.com/izZfloh0xn
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) June 22, 2026
Qureshi wondered why visitors were supposed to pay around Rs 400,000 just for staying one night at Nathia Gali, saying that this problem is an indication of the problem related to hotel costs in the northern tourist destinations of Pakistan.
After the post, people started sharing their opinions regarding this matter on social media, stating that increased demand in the peak tourism season and shortage of accommodation facilities cause increased costs.
Others, however, criticized the hospitality sector for what they called “unreasonable pricing,” with several users comparing rates in Nathia Gali to international destinations. Some claimed that similar or better-quality hotels in countries such as Turkey and Indonesia, and even parts of Europe, are available at lower costs.
As another user pointed out, even in Switzerland, known to be among the most expensive tourist destinations in the world, comparable packages may be found at reduced prices, thus raising questions about the cost-effectiveness of tourism in Pakistan.
The controversy surrounding viral social media posts has brought to light the problems with the affordability of the domestic tourism sector in Pakistan, especially in hill stations, where the influx of tourists at certain times raises the prices.
At this time, no reaction from the hotels in the area to the controversy and comparisons made on social media has been received.
