I woke up and while rubbing my eyes took a peek outside the window, giant mighty mountains covered in snow engulfed in the winter mist are looking at me eye to eye as if they have longed for me to get up and close with them. And while I am smiling, thinking about pulling that blanket off and take a long relaxing breath in the cold mountain air – I am buzzed with this deafening annoying sound of the alarm on my phone!
Good morning, Rahma – you have survived yet another day in quarantine, this is the Corona era and humans aren’t permitted to travel!
Reality sucks for sure sometimes!
No jokes, the blurb you just read is based on my real-life experience! Skardu was my last trip before the world entered this weird phase of social distancing and shizz. I flew from the Skardu Valley in Pakistan on 15th March 2020, saying adios to the mountains, having no idea when it would be the time that I can hug the mountains again!
Good health care facilities are sparse in Northern Pakistan – Skip the stress and get yourself the best travel insurance out there!
Now getting to the point – Skardu Valley is the second-most popular place to visit in Pakistan after the Hunza valley. Bordering India and being the gateway to the world’s second-highest mountain, K2, Skardu lies in the northeastern part of Pakistan, in the region of Gilgit Baltistan. In this guide, I am not only answering what to do in Skardu but I also promise that this guide will also serve to be a visual treat to your eyes because the beauty of Pakistan and Skardu for a matter of fact is just too good to be true! So let’s start your mini-tour of heaven, shall we?
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General Infomation
How To Get To Skardu?
There are two ways to get to Skardu – by road and by air. If coming by road, you will be driving on the Karakoram Highway, which goes straight towards China for Hunza and takes a turn to the right for Skardu. My preferred mode is to get to Skardu by air because the road leading to the valley unlike Hunza is in extremely bad shape (as of August 2020). I would not recommend coming to Skardu by road if you are accompanied by children or elderly people. In all honestly, the ride can be a real pain in the ass!
If you have the budget to afford a plane ticket and even if you don’t have the budget, I would urge you spend some more dollars to get that plane ticket because it will the most scenic 50mins flight of your life! Flights to Skardu are three to four times a week from Islamabad, which are only operated by Pakistan International Airlines. Very recently, the airline has also announced direct flights to Skardu from Karachi. If flying from Islamabad, you will be flying over the Karakoram and the Himalayas throughout the flight. If you’re lucky, the captain might also show to Nanga Parbat and the world’s second highest mountain, K2!
Note: The flights to Skardu are highly weather-dependent as though the Skardu airport has a long landing strip, it is built right in the heart of the mighty mountains and only skilled pilots are licensed to fly this flight. Therefore, if the weather is not clear, there is a very high chance of flight cancellation – so keep a flexible itinerary.
Best Time To Visit Skardu
As the weather up north in Pakistan gets extremely cold during the winter, the best time to visit Skardu is from April to September. Autumn starts in the valley in mid-September and lasts for a month or so. Though being extremely picturesque, it is very cold too! Cherry blossom starts in Skardu in early April and lasts for some two weeks. Some of the places in the valley, like the Deosai National Park, is only opened from a few months in summer (more on this later).
Network Connectivity
For real, do not expect great internet in the mountainous region of Gilgit Baltistan in Pakistan. Your best bet to get decent connectivity in Skardu and in Hunza too is SCOM. SCOM sim cards are only available in Gilgit and not anywhere else in Pakistan. You can get your SCOM sim card from any of the many small shops in the main town market of Skardu. In some parts of Skardu, Telenor also works reasonably well.
Eating Out In Skardu
As you cross some of the main metro cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province while moving towards Gilgit, forget about all the luxuries of international fast food outlets and restaurants. The main town market of Skardu has a handful of good small restaurants that serve burgers and pizzas. You can find quite a lot of local restaurants, but all in the main town market only. ‘Mamto’, which are momos or dumplings are one of the most-loved quick snacks in Skardu so do try it once. Please keep in mind that Skardu is a mountainous area, which is far from urban luxuries so do not expect any Michelin Stars restaurants in the mountains of Pakistan.
Related: An Adventurous Road Trip Guide To Hunza Valley in Pakistan
Practical Information On Visiting Skardu Valley
Unlike Hunza Valley, if you are planning to visit Skardu do not plan a tight itinerary. The reason being is that majority of the things to do in Skardu and places to see are quite far from the main town center, which will require some 2 to 4 hours to visit. It is recommended to plan an overnight stay in any of those places to avoid the hassle of back and forth driving to the main Skardu town on the same day.
I spent some good five days in Skardu – as I visited there in March, therefore, not every place on this what to do in Skardu list was accessible at that time. So, here is my recommendation on the best things to do in Skardu, plus, the itinerary I followed.
P.S: I visited Skardu with my good friends at Coyote Trails Pakistan, which is an adventure and off-roading tourism company in Pakistan. My trip included a 4wd drive with a driver cum guide and my very good friend who runs Coyote Trails Pakistan and who certainly knew more about the place than the local guide! If you wish to plan your trip with Coyote Trails Pakistan, tell them that you are I sent you to them and they will take extra good care of you! Pinky promise J
Day 1 in Skardu:
After a dreamy and majestic flight of my dreams, I landed in Skardu on a bright sunny morning with only a couple hours of sleep. After reaching the hotel, all I could remember is crashing in the bed! After making up for my lack of sleep from the previous night, sometime around mid-afternoon I ventured out in the cutesy mountain town. With a wholesome meal, mission Skardu begins!
Shigar Fort
The first stop of my trip was the Shigar Fort. Shigar Fort can be reached after a short drive of 90mins from the main Skardu Town. Shigar is a neighboring small valley in Skardu, which got popular after the 17th century Shigar Fort was restored and converted into a museum and luxury hotel managed by Serena Hotels.
The fort was built in the 17th century by the ruler of the Amacha Dynasty and its name translates to ‘The Fort on the Rock’. The hotel at the Shigar Fort is only operative during the high season (April-October), so when I visited there, we had a short guided tour of the museum but the hotel wasn’t welcoming any guests to stay. The entry price to the fort is 500 Pakistani Rupees ($3).
Check The Latest Price For Per Night Stay At The Serena Shigar Fort Hotel Here
Sarfaranga Cold Desert
As we started our day post-lunch, that’s why once we were done with exploring Shigar Fort, the sunset time was fast approaching. And what can get better than climbing a cold desert dune to watch the sunset? That’s exactly what we did! The Sarfaranga cold desert, also known as the Katpana desert is the highest desert in Pakistan located at an altitude of 7,303 feet, which also makes it one of the highest deserts in the world.
The dunes are occasionally found covered with snow during the peak winter months. The most visited parts of the Sarfaranga cold desert are near the Skardu Airport and Shigar Valley. Though it was a bit challenging climbing the silky soft sand with freezing wind blowing, nonetheless, the views from the dune top made it all well worth. You just cannot miss visiting the cold desert of Pakistan when thinking what to do in Skardu.
Day 2 in Skardu
Kharpocho Fort
Kharpocho Fort is situated only a few minutes’ drive from the town center. The name of the fort translates to ‘The King of Forts’. Kharpocho Fort is a 16th-century fort. Built with rock and stones, the fort sits atop a rocky mountain that requires a short thirty minutes hike to reach the fort entrance. Mind you, though this hike is short and it doesn’t make it any simple. The terrain is uneven and quite steep, along being filled with somewhat slippery rocks.
While you’ll see the local kids running up and down the terrain without any problem, you might not be able to reach the top without losing breath! Your best bet to enjoy the strenuous hike is to be equipped with all the day hike essential gear. The fort is normally open from late morning till sunset, however, there is nothing much to see inside so you can pass that. The views from the fort entrance are not to be missed!
Manthal Buddha Rock
It might come as a surprise to you that there are many relics of Buddha, which can be found in many places in the northern part of Pakistan. One of such Buddhism related relics is a giant picture of Buddha with some Sanskrit writings engraved on a giant granite rock. Named as the Manthal Rock, this place is also easily accessible from the main town center and lies only a few kilometers from away from the Kharpocho Fort. The relic on the rock is dated back to the 9th century and has been preserved by the government, that being the reason it is in a good shape right now.
Masrur Rock
Holding high resemblance with the Trolltunga rock in Norway, the Masrur rock in Skardu has been gradually gaining a lot of popularity among the tourists. Located at a place called Hussainabad near to the Skardu town center, Masrur Rock gives panoramic views of the valley and river flowing between the mountains. However, it is not easy to reach the rock. From the bottom of the mountain, you can drive some thirty minutes depending on the dirt road condition. From there, it’s a good three hours hike per side to reach the rock.
Let me mind you that this three-hour hike is what it takes for the locals to reach the rock. An average person like me would easily take five hours on one side to hike to the rock due to my limited physical abilities to hike at high altitudes. For this reason, we gave up on the long hike to Masrur Rock and enjoyed the breathtaking views of the valley from as further as we could reach. So, while planning on what to do in Skardu, do keep the time and physical endurance in mind to reach the Masrur rock. Keep a nice and sturdy backpacking and hiking camera so you don’t miss any of the scenic photo ops!
Lower & Upper Kachura Lakes
A little further away from the Skardu town center are two of the topmost visited places in Skardu, the Lower and Upper Kachura Lake. The Lower Kachura Lake is a natural lake turned into a manmade lake in the shape of the heart. The lake forms the center of the famous Shangrila Hotel in Skardu, one of the most luxurious hotels in the valley. There are other small hotels around the Lower Kachura Lake as well.
Check The Latest Price For Per Night Stay At The Shangrila Resort Here
To reach the Upper Kachura Lake, you can either drive to as far as your car can reach or hike from the Lower Kachura Lake. The Upper Kachura Lake is bigger and better than its lower counterpart. I found the lake to be semi-covered in ice during my visit there in March, however, if you visit during the summer months, there are plenty of water activities to do at the Upper Kachura Lake.
Day 3 in Skardu
After doing some of the best things to do in Skardu, we finally ventured out to visit the Khaplu Valley which can be reached by a little more than a two hours’ drive from the town center of Skardu. The journey to Khaplu is breathtakingly beautiful so do not commit the crime of sleeping on this journey. To enter the Khaplu Valley, there is a small check post where IDs are checked. But that’s not all! The check post is situated at an extremely scenic spot, which also happens to be the confluence point of River Indus and River Shyok.
Can you deny these views?
A little drive further in the valley and you will be welcomed by this very very picturesque road!
I mean, what even is this!
Done with the views? Now let’s see what to do in Khaplu Valley
Khaplu Palace
The first and foremost stop for everyone coming to Khaplu is the majestic Khaplu Palace. This is a 19th-century palace that served as the residence of the Ruler of the Khaplu valley. Only a few years back, the palace has gone through a complete renovation, and since then its doors are opened for the public. Just like the Shigar Fort, Khaplu Palace has now been converted into a luxury hotel managed by the Serena Hotels. During my visit, the palace was closed for guests as March is the non-season time in Skardu and it was set to open by April to take reservations. Nonetheless, we still got to tour the beautiful place and had it all to ourselves.
Check The Latest Price For Per Night Stay At The Khaplu Palace Here
Chaqchan Mosque
The Chaqchan Mosque is a popularly known mosque in Khaplu Valley and the oldest mosque in the region. It is a 14th-century mosque that was built when Islam started to spread in the region. What makes it one of the favorite places of tourists visiting Khaplu are the colorful interiors of the mosque and the mixture of Tibetan and Persian architecture. Some parts of its architecture also resemble the Kashmiri architecture. The mosque has a wooden balcony with a two-story praying area.
Mosque Sofia Noorbakhsia Gharbochong
Not a very popular place to visit in Khaplu Valley, Mosque Sofia Noorbakhsia Gharbochong was perhaps the highlight of my entire trip to Skardu. There is nothing much to see in the mosque, but it is the views of the valley, for which you should 100% percent visit this place! And no, this is not your average mosque. Located at the highest point in the valley, the mosque sits alone atop a rocky mountain. Reaching it? You have to do an unusually challenging hike for an hour.
To put things into perspective…
The start of the hike is pretty doable with some steps to climb. The higher you climb, the harder the hike gets. Once the steps are done, there is a short straight and even track, which doesn’t last for long. And after that, it is a true test of endurance. The track is very steep, so getting dizzy due to rapid change in altitude is normal. Towards the end of the hike, the track gets too slippery uneven rocks which eventually lead you to the viewpoint.
And let me allow the picture to do the talking of what the views were from the main viewpoint on the top.
And here’s the Queen of the Mountains coming down from her throne! JK 🙂
I almost died completing this hike as the freezing wind made it impossible to breathe and the rapid altitude change boggled my mind! But boy, this was so freaking worth it! I think I gave you the biggest reason for visiting Skardu.
After the extremely exhausting hike, a walk on a frozen river was a pure delight!
Day 4 in Skardu
After spending one night in Khaplu, we moved further deeper into the valley to visit Hushey in the Central Karakoram National Park. Hushey is further two and a half drive away from Khaplu. The journey goes through many small mountain villages, rivers, and glaciers – highly picturesque, to say the least. As we exited Khaplu crossing a tiny suspension bridge, we entered a dried-out riverbed and spotted these two lonely babies standing in the middle of nowhere!
This was such a precious and unique surprise by Mother Nature.
Hushey Valley – Central Karakoram National Park
Let me start by saying that – I wasn’t prepared for Hushey! This place truly got me by surprise. Hushey Valley is home to the mighty Mashabrum Peak I, which is one of the most challenging summits in the world. Hushey is one of those places, which people often miss while planning on what to do in Skardu. Upon reaching the Hushey Valley, we were welcomed by a very humble homestay turned hotel, which lies very close to the entry point to the Central Karakoram National Park. The place was pretty much covered in snow by the time we reached there. Upon walking towards the CKNP, the snow got thicker and the views, hella better!
The park was entirely covered with snow and I and my friends had it entirely to ourselves!
These guys were the only company we got along the hike in the park.
We hiked in the park for some nice couple of hours before returning to the hotel just in the nick of time as a snowstorm started right as we completed our hike!
I’d highly recommend you to stay at least one night in Hushey, which we weren’t able to do as we had to rush back to Skardu to catch a next day flight to Islamabad.
More On What To Do In Skardu
As I visited Skardu in March, when the valley was almost covered with snow, I wasn’t able to see some of the places in Skardu as they aren’t accessible in winters or they were missed due to time constraints.
Manthoka Waterfall
Arguably the largest waterfall in Pakistan, Manthoka Waterfall lies in the Kharmang Valley, 80kms from Skardu. The height of the waterfall is estimated to be at least 180 feet from the ground. It is a very famous spot for picnics, camping, and fishing in the valley. While I missed witnessing this beauty, don’t forget to add this in your things to do in Skardu list!
Deosai Plains/Deosai National Park
If you’re visiting Skardu in the summer months of June to September, the Deosai National Park should not be missed at all! Located in the Astore district, the Deosai National Park is a high altitude plateau lying at 4,114 meters above sea level, making it the second-highest plateaus in the world, which is also in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites! The park covers a vast area of almost 3000 square kilometers. It is also the only place in Pakistan to spot the Himalayan Brown Bears. During the peak summer months, the park gets completely covered with wildflowers and hues of green and yellow.
Sheosar Lake & Rama Lake
Sheosar Lake is located inside the Deosai National Park so there is no reason to miss it if visiting Deosai. Another must-visit place in Astore is the Rama Lake, however, it is not as easily accessible from Deosai as Sheosar lake. Rama Lake is located at one of the highest places in the Astore district and it requires a 2-hour hike from the drop off point in Astore valley.
Places to Stay in Skardu
Booking.comSkardu Tours
Use my discount code saneAdventurerIsEpic to get a discount on the epic Skardu Tours offered by
So, this was a complete round-up of what to do in Skardu. I haven’t seen much of Pakistan but among the few places I have been to, Skardu tops my list! Even if you plan to visit Skardu or not, I hope this guide came across as a visual treat to your eyes and gives you some information to see the beauty of Pakistan for yourself.
Want to hear more from Pakistan? Check out my other posts on Pakistan!
- From Terrorism To Tourism – Places To Visit in Swat
- Pakistan Travel Inspiration – Why Travel Bloggers Love Pakistan?
- Experience Hunza’s Cherry Blossom Beauty In Photos
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Hi, I’ll be traveling to Skardu in July with my little 2.5-year toddler. Is it safe to travel to the places you mention with my toddler?
Hi there! Yes, it is very safe out there. However, if you plan to go by road, the road conditions aren’t the best.. it is pretty bumpy for a long stretch so it won’t be very comfortable for a toddler. Apart from this, there’s nothing really to worry about 🙂
I didn’t know Pakistan was home to the second highest mountain – I’ll definitely have to get here one day because the scenery looks fantastic!
The hike looks soooo fun! Cold, but totally it’s totally worth hiking in the cold for views like that! Skardu Valley is simply stunning.
Such stunning views! Skardu is totally on my bucket list and I’d love to visit there one day on my way to China. But I don’t think I’d survive it there in March because I can barely handle the cold.
I did not know you could do and see so many amazing things in Pakistan ! Thanks for the discovery!
This is my first time hearing about Skardu! It looks so beautiful and everything is just so picture-worthy! No wonder you said this is going to be a photo-heavy post! These are all a lot to take in! I’ve also never realized there could be a cold desert, I’ve always thought it’s always going to be hot with places like that!😅 Thank you for sharing your travel guide!
Fantastic post! I was planning to visit Pakistan (Islamabad) in 2020 and that got pushed back. I’ll definitely have to put Skardu Valley on the list once planning resumes. The hiking looks incredible!
So happy to know that! I am sure you will love Pakistan 🙂
I would love to visit Pakistan. It’s amazing how different the sceneries are although it’s always the same season. Definitely inspiring for taking pictures – which you, obviously, did in abundance. As I said, Pakistan is way up high on my list and once I’m able to go, I’ll definitely add Skardu to my list.
Skardu looks amazing! I feel inspired reading about your adventures here. I have so many questions, too! Like, how hard is it for women to travel around Pakistan, especially if you don’t speak the language? I’m definitely sharing this beautiful post 🙂
Thank you, Steph! Believe me, it is not that hard traveling as a solo woman in Pakistan. Locals are very helpful and hospitable. The only problem is that as the tourism infrastructure is not so great (in some parts of the country), you might face some trouble. But if you ask about safety, it is very safe, especially the northern mountainous region of Gilgit.
I am from Skardu. So, I think i should have to tell little bit more about Skardu. The Skardu’s people are too much hospitable and love to host a foreigner. So, I hope that you will find no trouble and it will be totally fun to visit Skardu alone or with unknown of the local language.