BaydaarSkardu and Deosai Plains: The Complete Trip Guide
When Deosai is open, how to plan Skardu, Shangrila and Shigar, the Sarfaranga cold desert and Khaplu, and what a Skardu trip from Islamabad really costs.
If Hunza is green orchards and forts, Skardu is scale. Wide sandy valleys, the Indus running grey-green between them, a cold desert with dunes at 2,200 metres, and above it all the Deosai Plains, one of the highest plateaus on earth.
This guide covers what to see in and around Skardu, when you can actually get onto Deosai, and how to fit it all into a week.
Getting to Skardu
Skardu is the capital of Baltistan in Gilgit-Baltistan. There are three ways in from Islamabad:
- By air. Flights from Islamabad take about an hour and fly past Nanga Parbat. They are also the most likely to be cancelled for weather, so keep a day spare.
- By road via the KKH and the Skardu road from Jaglot along the Indus gorge. Long, dramatic and open all year.
- Via Astore and Deosai in summer, crossing the plateau itself. It is the most beautiful way in, and needs a jeep.
Our longer Skardu, Deosai and Astore routes left Islamabad at 11 at night, broke the journey in Jaglot, and came home across Deosai and down through Astore, so you never drove the same road twice.
When is Deosai open?
Deosai sits at an average of about 4,100 metres and is under snow for most of the year. The jeep tracks across it are usually open from around mid-June to mid-September, and the exact dates move with the snow. July and August are the safest bet, and also when the plateau is covered in wildflowers.
Outside that window you can still have a wonderful Skardu trip, but Deosai itself is off the table.
What to see in and around Skardu
Shangrila and the Kachura lakes
Lower Kachura, better known as Shangrila for its resort and red-roofed pavilion, and Upper Kachura, a deep blue lake you walk down to through orchards. Upper Kachura is the quieter and, we think, the prettier of the two.
Shigar Fort and Manthoka waterfall
Shigar Fort, the 17th-century palace of the Raja of Shigar, has been restored and is worth a slow visit. Pair it with Manthoka waterfall in Kharmang, a cold, loud cascade surrounded by trees. It is perfect on a hot afternoon.
Sarfaranga cold desert
Just outside Skardu, the Sarfaranga cold desert is a stretch of real sand dunes ringed by snow peaks. Go at sunset. The Katpana dunes closer to the airport are easier to reach if you are short on time.
Khaplu
Two to three hours east of Skardu, Khaplu has a restored royal palace and the Chaqchan Mosque, one of the oldest in Baltistan, with wooden architecture unlike anything else in Pakistan. It is worth an overnight stay if you can.
Deosai Plains and Sheosar Lake
Deosai is often called the Land of Giants. It is a vast, empty, rolling plateau and one of the last homes of the Himalayan brown bear. Most day trips from Skardu go as far as Sheosar Lake, a mirror-still lake on the Astore side, with Nanga Parbat on the horizon on a clear day. Bring a warm layer even in August: the weather up there turns fast.
Rama Meadows, Astore
If you exit Deosai towards Astore, Rama Meadows is a pine-ringed meadow beneath the slopes of Nanga Parbat. A short 50-minute walk (horses are available) leads up to Rama Lake. On our Astore trips we camped here, and our groups joined the forest department for a tree plantation morning. It is one of our favourite memories from the road.
A 6-day Skardu itinerary
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Skardu, settle in, evening at Skardu bazaar |
| 2 | Shangrila and Upper Kachura Lake |
| 3 | Full-day jeep safari across Deosai to Sheosar Lake |
| 4 | Khaplu Palace and Chaqchan Mosque |
| 5 | Sarfaranga cold desert and Katpana dunes, Shigar Fort |
| 6 | Return to Islamabad |
This is the shape of our Skardu Expedition: PKR 68,000 per person for 6 days, including return flights or transport, hotels, breakfast and dinner, a local guide and the Deosai jeep safari. Lunches, personal spending and insurance are extra.
Tips for Skardu
- Leave a buffer day if you fly. Skardu flights are cancelled often, and a missed flight should not cost you the trip.
- Deosai has no shops, no signal and no shade. Carry water, snacks, sunscreen and a warm layer.
- Do not feed or approach wildlife on Deosai. It is a national park.
- Nights are cold even in summer. Pack as you would for Hunza. Our packing list has the full rundown.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Hunza or Skardu?
They are different. Hunza is easier for a first trip, with a single road, lots of villages and the forts. Skardu is wilder and bigger, with Deosai, deserts and lakes, and suits people who have done Hunza already. Many of our travellers do Hunza first and Skardu the next summer.
Can you visit Deosai in a normal car?
No. The tracks across the plateau are rough and need a 4x4 jeep with a local driver. Every Deosai safari we run is by jeep.
How cold is Deosai in summer?
Days can be pleasant in July and August, but at over 4,000 metres the temperature drops sharply when clouds roll in, and early mornings are near freezing. Always carry a jacket.
