Day Trips From Skardu: Shigar, Khaplu, Deosai and More

The best day trips from Skardu are Shigar, an hour north, for its restored fort and orchards; Khaplu, three hours east, for the palace and the old mosque; and Deosai, the high plateau above town, open only in summer. With more time, the forested Basho valley and the Manthokha waterfall in Kharmang make good fourth and fifth days. Shigar and Khaplu work in a normal car all year; Deosai and Basho need a jeep.

This guide sets out each trip as a day plan: when to leave, what to see, when to turn back, and who it suits. The lakes and sights closer to town are covered in our guide to places to visit in Skardu.

Shigar: fort, mosque and orchards

Shigar is the easiest and most rewarding day out from Skardu, and the one to choose if you only have one.

1. Leave around 8:30 am. The road north crosses the Indus and passes the Sarfaranga cold desert at the mouth of the valley. Stop for photographs if the light is good.
2. Shigar Fort, mid-morning. The seventeenth-century palace of the rajas of Shigar was restored by the Aga Khan Cultural Service and is now a Serena hotel. Day visitors can see the museum; check the current ticket and timings at the gate.
3. Amburiq mosque. A small fourteenth-century mosque a short walk from the fort, one of the oldest in Baltistan. It is a working mosque, so dress modestly and ask before going in.
4. Lunch and the orchard lanes. Eat in the village or at the fort if its restaurant is taking outside guests, then walk the lanes behind the fort among apricot, walnut and cherry trees.
5. Back by mid-afternoon, or add Jarba So, a small lake about 25 minutes from the fort.

Best for: everyone, including older parents and small children, since the drive is short and the walking is flat.

Khaplu: palace, mosque and the Shyok

Khaplu is 103 km east of Skardu along the Indus and then the Shyok, about three hours each way on a paved road. It is a long day but a very good one.

1. Leave by 7 am. The road follows the Indus east, then turns up the Shyok through a string of orchard villages. Take one tea stop, not five.
2. Arrive around 10 am. Start at Khaplu Palace, built in the 1840s for the Yabgo rajas and restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Its museum is open to visitors.
3. The Chaqchan mosque, traditionally dated to 1370, is about 15 minutes' walk from the palace. Visit outside prayer times, dress modestly and take your shoes off.
4. Lunch in Khaplu, at a local place in the bazaar or at the palace if it is serving outside guests.
5. Start back by 2:30 pm. You want the whole drive in daylight, and the last hour into Skardu is tiring after a long day.

Best for: people interested in architecture and history. Six hours of driving is a lot for small children; for them, and for anyone who wants to enjoy Khaplu rather than tick it off, stay a night. Our guide to driving from Skardu to Khaplu covers the route and the stops.

Deosai: a summer day on the plateau

Deosai National Park is the high plateau south of Skardu, at an average of about 4,100 metres. The track opens some time in June and closes with the first heavy snow, usually in October. It needs a jeep with a driver who knows it.

1. Leave at 7 am. The road climbs past Satpara Lake onto a rough jeep track and over Ali Malik Mar onto the plateau. Pay the park fee at the checkpoint, in cash.
2. Bara Pani, mid-morning. The bridge over the largest river on the plateau, two to three hours from Skardu. Walk along the water and watch for marmots.
3. Sheosar Lake, if you have the energy. Under an hour further west. On a clear day Nanga Parbat shows beyond it.
4. Start back by early afternoon. The weather on the plateau turns quickly, and the descent is slow.

Take a packed lunch, water and warm layers. Night camping was banned after a bear attacked a camper in September 2025, and seasonal hotels and commercial activity inside the park were banned from the 2026 season, so there is nowhere to buy food. Never go on your first day in Skardu: the drive gains around 2,000 metres. Our guide to the Skardu to Deosai drive covers the route, the jeep and the current rules.

Best for: anyone who likes wide open space and wildlife. It is a hard day for people with heart or lung conditions, who should ask a doctor first.

Basho valley: forest and meadows

Basho is a green, forested side valley west of Skardu, about 45 km from town. The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department gives its elevation as about 3,600 metres and lists wildlife including ibex and markhor on the slopes above. The name means "raisin" in Balti, after the grapes that grow in the valley.

1. Leave by 8 am in a hired jeep. The last part of the way is an unpaved track, and the driver should know it.
2. Spend the middle of the day in the upper valley, walking through the forest and meadows and picnicking by the stream.
3. Leave by mid-afternoon, so the rough section is behind you well before dark.

At that height, Basho is a summer and early-autumn trip. Ask in Skardu the day before whether the track is open and in what state, particularly after rain. Carry food, water and warm layers; facilities in the valley are few.

Best for: walkers and families who want a green, quiet day away from the busier lakes. It suits people who don't mind a bumpy ride.

Manthokha waterfall: Kharmang

Manthokha is a waterfall of about 55 metres in the Kharmang valley, roughly 80 km from Skardu and about two hours by road, according to the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department. The road runs east from Skardu along the Indus into Kharmang.

1. Leave by 8 am. Parts of the road are rough, so ask your driver whether a car is enough or a jeep is better at the time you go.
2. Arrive mid-morning and walk up to the falls. The spray and the cold air are welcome in July.
3. Lunch nearby. There is a trout farm and a restaurant serving trout near the waterfall.
4. Head back after lunch, to be in Skardu before dark.

The tourism department recommends May to September, when the road is clear and the weather mild.

Best for: families and groups in summer who want a relaxed day with a meal and a short walk at the end of it.

How to plan day trips from Skardu

• Stay in town. Skardu town is the natural base: every trip here starts and ends there, while Kachura or Shigar add driving to most of them.
• Hire a car with a driver through your hotel for Shigar, Khaplu and Manthokha, and a local jeep for Deosai and Basho. Agree the route, the waiting time and what is included the evening before. Our guide to renting a jeep for Deosai lists what to settle first.
• Start early. The long trips need daylight at both ends.
• Fill the tank in Skardu, and carry cash, water and warm layers.
• Expect no signal on Deosai and patchy signal in the side valleys. Tell your hotel where you are going.
• Keep one day spare in case the weather closes Deosai or the flight home.

Which day trips should you choose?

• One day: Shigar.
• Two days in summer: Shigar and Deosai. Outside summer, Shigar and Khaplu.
• Three days: Shigar, Deosai and Khaplu, ideally with a night in Khaplu.
• Four or more: add Basho for green valleys, or Manthokha for an easy summer day.

If you would rather someone else arranged the vehicles, our Skardu and Deosai trip covers Shigar, Deosai and Khaplu in seven days, with a driver and guide throughout. The Skardu destination page shows how the valley fits together.

Frequently asked questions