PK
Skardu
Gateway to K2, alpine lakes and high-desert dunes
Gateway to K2, alpine lakes and high-desert dunes
⚠️ Travel advisory: check before you go
Governments advise against travel to parts of Pakistan, including areas near the Afghan border and much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and the US asks travellers to reconsider travel to the country. The main cities and Gilgit-Baltistan see regular visitors; check route-specific advice.
Latest official advice: UK FCDO · US State Department · Reviewed September 2026
The serene Lower Kachura (Shangrila) and Upper Kachura lakes sit amid gardens and orchards, their still waters mirroring the peaks, a tranquil resort escape near Skardu.
The clear Upper Kachura lake is lovely for a walk and boat ride.
One of the highest plateaus on earth, the Deosai National Park is a vast summer wilderness of rolling green, wildflowers, streams and brown bears, surreal in its scale and emptiness.
Only accessible in summer; go with a 4×4 and warm layers.
A beautifully restored 17th-century fort-palace of the Raja of Shigar, now a heritage hotel and museum, set among apricot orchards on the road to the K2 trailheads.
Even non-guests can visit the museum and gardens.
One of the highest cold deserts in the world, the Katpana dunes sweep along the Indus near Skardu, a startling expanse of sand set against snow-capped peaks.
Sunset light on the dunes and mountains is spectacular.
The ‘King of Forts’ stands on a bluff above Skardu, a short climb rewarding you with sweeping views over the town, the Indus and the surrounding mountains.
Climb up in the late afternoon for the best light and views.
Skardu is the place to try Balti food. Look for balay (a noodle soup), mamtu (steamed dumplings), prapu (buckwheat pasta with apricot oil and walnuts), and marzan, a buckwheat porridge with butter. Apricots, fresh or dried, and apricot kernel oil are everywhere, and trout from the lakes and streams is often on menus.
The town bazaar has simple restaurants serving karahi, daal and rice, and tea stalls for chai and namkeen (salty butter) tea. Hotels and guesthouses cook home-style Balti dishes on request. Stock up on dried fruit and nuts in the bazaar before trips to Deosai or treks.
Skardu has an airport with flights from Islamabad, around an hour, though they are weather-dependent and can be cancelled at short notice. By road, the journey from Islamabad takes a long day or two via the Karakoram Highway and the Skardu Road along the Indus, or via the Babusar Pass in summer. Around Skardu, taxis and shared jeeps reach Shangrila, Kachura, Shigar and the Katpana dunes; Deosai needs a 4×4, and the plains are open roughly from June to September.
Skardu is cheap day to day; flights, 4×4 hire and guides add up. Estimates are per person per day in USD.
Deosai National Park charges an entry fee.
Three days lets you see Skardu’s lakes, the Deosai plateau and the Shigar valley.
Visit Upper Kachura and Shangrila lakes, climb to Kharpocho Fort for views over the Indus, and watch sunset over the Katpana cold-desert dunes.
Kharpocho is a steep climb; go in the cooler morning or late afternoon.
Take a full-day 4×4 trip up to the Deosai plains, one of the world’s highest plateaus, for wildflowers, streams, Sheosar Lake and a chance of Himalayan brown bears.
It is cold even in summer; bring warm clothes.
Explore the restored Shigar Fort and its village, walk among apricot orchards, then visit the Amburiq mosque before returning to Skardu.
Book Shigar Fort meals ahead if you are not staying there.
Conditions vary across Pakistan; check current advisories and road and weather conditions for the north before travel.
Skardu has flights from Islamabad (weather-dependent) or a long, spectacular road journey; allow buffer days.
Nights and Deosai are cold even in summer; bring warm layers and sun protection for the altitude.
ATMs are limited and unreliable; carry enough rupees for your whole stay.
Quick answers for visiting Skardu.
Fly from Islamabad, weather permitting, or make the long road journey.
May to October. The Deosai Plains are only accessible in summer.
Visit Shangrila Resort and the Kachura lakes, the Deosai Plains, Shigar Fort and the cold Katpana Desert.
Three days covers the lakes, Shigar and a trip to Deosai.
Download the Skardu area for offline navigation, walking directions and public transport routes.
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Mughal Lahore, the capital Islamabad, the peaks of Hunza and Skardu, and the alpine Fairy Meadows below Nanga Parbat — Pakistan from plains to mountains.
Planning a wider trip? Our Pakistan travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.