Things to do in Skardu
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Skardu
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Deep winter cold, lakes often frozen, Deosai snowbound, flights fragile and many smaller businesses closed or reduced.
Apricot and cherry blossom, peaking late March into April, with Navroz on 21 March. One of the two great seasons.
Valleys green up, trekking season begins, and Deosai usually opens during June with early wildflowers and cold nights.
Busiest and warmest, fruit and expeditions in full swing, Deosai at its best, but monsoon landslides most likely on the road in.
Clearing skies and thinning crowds, harvest begins, and Deosai remains possible early in the month before snow returns.
Golden autumn colour and superb desert light, the connoisseur month, with Deosai closed and nights turning cold.
Late autumn into early November, then sharp cold and many businesses closing after mid month.
Winter sets in, short dark days, frozen systems and minimal services. For experienced, open ended travellers only.
What's on
- Navroz 21 March
The Persian new year celebrated across Baltistan, at the start of the blossom season.
- Sarfaranga Desert Rally October, dates vary by year
A jeep rally tradition in the Sarfaranga cold desert on the Shigar road, drawing drivers and spectators in autumn.
Best things to do in Skardu
Lower Kachura Lake
The famous Shangrila lake, with resort gardens, boats and lakeside tea, best early for calm reflections.
Upper Kachura Lake
The quieter, clearer lake above Shangrila, reached by a short walk from Kachura village, with local boats.
Satpara Lake
The large town lake on the Deosai road, for shore walks, boats and trout fishing minutes from Skardu.
Katpana Cold Desert
Pale dunes at the edge of town at about 2,226 metres, with snow peaks behind the sand at sunset.
Kharpocho Fort
The ruined hill fort above Skardu, climbed for one panorama of the Indus, town, desert and peaks.
Manthal Buddha Rock
An 8th century Buddha carved on a granite rock on the Satpara road, proof of old valley routes.
Skardu Main Bazaar
The expedition bazaar for dried apricots, wool, gems and gear, and the best place to hear road news.
Italian K2 Museum
A small museum of Karakoram mountaineering at the PTDC Motel, telling the K2 story in one room.
Where to stay in Skardu
Skardu town
expedition base, logistics and all round touring
Walk to the bazaar, the fort climb and jeep agencies, with the widest choice of mid range and budget stays.
Shangrila and Lower Kachura
lakeside resort stay and Kachura mornings
Sleep on Lower Kachura Lake itself, with Upper Kachura a short drive and walk away, and town 30 to 40 minutes off.
Shigar
heritage, green valley and a quiet fort night
Stay inside Shigar Fort about an hour from Skardu, for valley walks, Amburiq Mosque and orchard lanes.
Khaplu
the far, quiet end of a Baltistan trip
Base in Khaplu Palace about 3.5 hours east, for the palace, Chaqchan Mosque and the Shyok valley at a slow pace.
Think twice about
- Line of Control vicinity in Ghanche, east of Khaplu
Restricted and close to the Line of Control. Khaplu is a destination, not a through route east.
- Restricted areas toward Siachen
Closed to ordinary sightseeing and permit controlled. Do not head toward Siachen or other restricted zones without official permission, which sightseeing trips do not get.
- Jaglot to Skardu Road at night or in severe weather
A narrow Indus gorge road prone to rockfall, landslides and construction stops. Travel it in daylight with a local driver and current road news.
Best restaurants in Skardu
Balti Cuisine Skardu
A home based Balti meal hosted by its chef, mamtu, tras balay and payo chaa explained as they come.
Dewanekhas Restaurant Skardu
The most reviewed traveller restaurant in town, Pakistani and Chinese influenced dishes by the polo ground.
Hotel Summit & Restaurant
A solid hotel kitchen in town for trout, karahi and traveller dishes, with mountain views.
Balti Food House
A traditional Balti restaurant in town, inexpensive soups and dumplings across long daily hours.
Quetta Baltistan Cafe and Shinwari Skardu
A bazaar cafe for paratha, chai and Shinwari plates, the cheap breakfast stop of a town day.
Best coffee in Skardu
The Grind Cafe and Eatery, Skardu
A small central cafe built around a coffee stop, a welcome pause from highway chai for planning.
Outdoor things to do in Skardu
Deosai National Park
A jeep day onto a 4,100 metre plateau of wildflowers, marmots and brown bears, open June to September.
Shigar Fort
A restored 17th century fort palace in the green Shigar Valley, now a museum and heritage hotel.
Khaplu Palace
A royal palace from the 1840s above Khaplu town, the centrepiece of an overnight at Baltistan far end.
Chaqchan Mosque
One of the oldest mosques in Baltistan, from about 1370, in Tibetan, Mughal and Persian styles.
Basho Valley
A green jeep valley of meadows, pine forest and streams, the lush contrast to desert and lakes.
Manthokha Waterfall
A tall cold waterfall beside the Khaplu road, with viewing platforms and cafes for the drive break.
Sarfaranga Cold Desert
White and gold dunes along the Indus on the Shigar road, for sunset walks and jeep safaris.
Blind Lake
A quiet reservoir lake between the Indus and Shigar rivers, valued for still water and an empty shore.
Best hotels in Skardu
Shangrila Resort Skardu
The headline lakeside resort on Lower Kachura, red roofed cottages, gardens and the lake as the view.
Serena Shigar Fort
A stay inside the restored Shigar Fort itself, heritage rooms, gardens and the green valley at the door.
Serena Khaplu Palace
A royal palace hotel from the 1840s in Khaplu, the far east splurge for a slow Ghanche overnight.
Hotel Mashabrum
The established town mid range hotel, with garden, restaurant and a desk used to expedition logistics.
Concordia Motel Skardu
A practical trekker motel in town, simple rooms and meals, well placed for bazaar and jeep starts.
PTDC Motel Skardu
The government motel overlooking the Indus in the heart of town, with restaurant and jeep hire.
Dewanekhas Skardu
The classic budget traveller base in town, simple rooms, a garden and a well reviewed restaurant.
Sehrish Guest House Skardu
A small family run guesthouse in main Skardu, contemporary rooms at low prices and a garden.
Is Skardu expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | PKR 9,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | PKR 25,000 a person |
| Splurge | PKR 65,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Deosai National Park: a few days ahead
- Shigar Fort: a few days ahead
- Khaplu Palace: a few days ahead
- Basho Valley: a few days ahead
- Shangrila Resort Skardu: weeks ahead
- Serena Shigar Fort: weeks ahead
- Serena Khaplu Palace: weeks ahead
- Hotel Mashabrum: a few days ahead
- Book blossom, summer and autumn rooms weeks ahead, and Shangrila and the Serena fort and palace stays weeks ahead in season.
- Book the Balti Cuisine home meal ahead through a hotel or local contact, and arrange Deosai jeeps days ahead in peak season.
- Arrange K2 and Baltoro trek permits well ahead through a licensed operator, and keep buffer days before international departures.
Is Skardu safe?
- The country east of Khaplu toward the Line of Control and Siachen is restricted and is not sightseeing country.
- The Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas is a hard mountain route, not a casual drive. Check your insurance covers the route you take.
- All foreign nationals must register with local authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan. Keep your passport accessible at check posts.
- Alcohol is essentially unavailable and there is no nightlife. Evenings are dinner, tea and early nights.
- At altitude, sleep in Skardu two nights before Deosai, hydrate, and descend at once for serious altitude symptoms.
Skardu travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not build a trip that only works if one Skardu flight operates, and do not drive the gorge road at night.
- Do not treat a clear Skardu morning as a Deosai promise. The plateau is over 4,000 metres and its weather is different.
- Buy gemstones in the bazaar as souvenirs you like, not as investments, unless you truly know the trade.
- Do not swim casually in the cold lakes, climb on the Buddha rock, or photograph check posts, the airport or officers.
Getting around Skardu: public transport and more
- Fly Islamabad to Skardu only with buffer days, because flights are among the most weather cancelled in Pakistan.
- By road, allow roughly 13 to 16 hours from Islamabad in good conditions on the Jaglot to Skardu road, and expect longer with stops and closures.
- Hire cars and jeeps per vehicle in the bazaar or through hotels for Kachura, Deosai, Shigar, Khaplu and Basho, and agree price, stops and fees first.
- Ask each morning whether the road is open, whether flights are operating, and what the mountain weather is for Deosai.
Who Skardu suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Skardu your trip
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