PK
Skardu
Gateway to K2, alpine lakes and high-desert dunes
Gateway to K2, alpine lakes and high-desert dunes
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.
Balti cuisine is Skardu’s speciality, hearty and mountain-adapted: try balay (buckwheat noodles), mamtu dumplings, apricot and walnut dishes, and prapu, a local buckwheat staple, alongside grilled trout from the lakes and rivers. Guesthouses and simple restaurants serve home-style Balti food with valley views, and dried apricots and walnuts are everywhere. It is warming, wholesome fare for the high country.
Visit the Shangrila and Kachura lakes, climb Kharpocho Fort for town views, and see the Katpana dunes at sunset.
Take a full-day 4×4 trip up to the vast Deosai plains for wildflowers, streams and a chance of brown bears.
Explore the restored Shigar Fort and its orchard valley, a taste of the road toward the great Karakoram peaks.
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.
Mughal Lahore, the capital Islamabad, the peaks of Hunza and Skardu, and the alpine Fairy Meadows below Nanga Parbat — Pakistan from plains to mountains.