Pakistan has two hot deserts and one that sits at over 2,000 metres and gets snow. The Thar Desert in Sindh and the Cholistan Desert in southern Punjab are classic sand-dune country, best visited between November and February. The cold desert at Skardu, by contrast, is a high-altitude curiosity you can add to a Gilgit-Baltistan trip in summer, when the rest of the north is at its busiest.
This guide compares the three: where they are, when to go, how to get out into the dunes, and what a visit actually involves.
| At a glance | Thar (Sindh) | Cholistan (Punjab) | Cold desert (Skardu) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest city | Mithi, about 6 hours from Karachi | Bahawalpur, about 4 hours from Lahore | Skardu town, a 15–45 minute drive |
| Altitude | Near sea level | Near sea level | About 2,200–2,300 m |
| Best months | November to February | November to February | May to September |
| Main draw | Sand dunes, Thari villages, Nagarparkar temples | Derawar Fort, desert forts, the jeep rally | Snow-dusted dunes beside the Indus |
| How to explore | Jeep or 4x4, some camel rides | Jeep, 4x4 rally cars | Jeep, ATV, quad bike |
The Thar Desert, Sindh
Thar is the Pakistani edge of the much larger desert that stretches into India's Rajasthan. The Sindh portion covers Tharparkar and Umerkot districts, with Mithi as the main town. It is a rural desert of low, rolling dunes, scattered villages and small lakes rather than the towering dunes people picture from Rajasthan.
Summers are extremely hot with little rainfall. November to February is the season to go: warm days, cool nights and clearer air. Avoid the peak of summer, when daytime heat in the open desert can be dangerous.
From Karachi, Mithi is about 280 km and roughly six hours by road via Hyderabad and Badin. Jeep and 4x4 hire is available locally in Mithi for runs into the dunes and villages; agree the route and return time first, since fuel and mobile signal both thin out away from the main road.
Nagarparkar, further southeast near the Indian border, adds centuries-old Jain temples, the Karoonjhar hills and a rockier landscape than the dunes around Mithi. It is a long add-on rather than a quick stop, so treat it as a separate day if you are short on time.
The Cholistan Desert, Punjab
Cholistan lies in Bahawalpur division in southern Punjab and covers roughly 26,000 square kilometres, running about 480 km along the old bed of the Hakra river. It is drier and built around a single dramatic landmark: Derawar Fort, a large square fortress with walls over 30 metres high, visible from a long way across flat desert.
Summer temperatures regularly pass 40°C and can exceed 46°C, while winter nights drop close to freezing. That makes November to February the only realistic window, and it is also when the desert is greenest after the July–August monsoon.
The best-known event is the Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally, organised by the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab and usually held in February at Derawar Fort, with jeep and dirt-bike races and a large temporary camp. Dates move every year, so check TDCP's own announcement before planning around it; outside rally week the desert is much quieter, and camping near the fort is popular on winter weekends.
Bahawalpur is about 4 hours from Lahore by road, and Derawar Fort a further 90 minutes to two hours on from there. A normal car manages the paved stretch to Derawar; going further into the dunes needs a 4x4, hired locally in Bahawalpur or Derawar village. See our guides to Derawar Fort and the Cholistan jeep rally for more.
The cold desert at Skardu
Skardu's cold desert is the odd one out: sand dunes at around 2,200–2,300 metres, in a landscape otherwise defined by glaciers and 7,000-metre peaks. It sits in two pockets — the Katpana Desert, close to Skardu airport on the north bank of the Indus, and Sarfaranga, a larger stretch of dunes where the Shigar River meets the Indus, about 25 km from Skardu town.
Both are dry, wind-shaped dunes that turn genuinely cold in winter, with December and January nights well below freezing and occasional snow settling on the sand, which is the sight most photographs are chasing. For a comfortable visit, May to September works best, matching the rest of Gilgit-Baltistan; both sites are usually added on as a half-day alongside Skardu or Shigar rather than visited alone.
Access is easy compared with the hot deserts: Katpana is 15–20 minutes from Skardu town, Sarfaranga around 30–45 minutes, both on paved or graded road. Jeep, ATV and quad bike hire is available at both, arranged on the spot; agree the fare before you set off. Our guide to Skardu and Skardu and Deosai tour cover the wider trip, and our posts on Katpana Desert and Sarfaranga Desert go into more detail.
Which desert suits your trip?
If you are travelling from Karachi and want village life and a distinct culture, Thar is the better fit, especially paired with Nagarparkar. From Lahore or Islamabad, Cholistan and Derawar Fort is the more efficient trip, and worth timing around the jeep rally. If you are already heading to Gilgit-Baltistan, the Skardu cold desert is a half-day add-on to a Skardu or Shigar itinerary, not a reason to travel north on its own.
None needs special planning or permits. What they do need is the right season: all three are far more comfortable, and safer, outside the extremes of summer heat (Thar, Cholistan) or winter cold (Skardu's dunes are fine in summer, harsh in deep winter).
Frequently asked questions
Which is Pakistan's biggest desert?
The Thar Desert is the largest, though most of it lies across the border in India. Within Pakistan, the Cholistan Desert is the bigger contiguous stretch, covering about 26,000 square kilometres of southern Punjab.
Is there really a desert with snow in Pakistan?
Yes. The Katpana and Sarfaranga deserts near Skardu sit above 2,200 metres and get cold enough in winter for snow to settle on the sand dunes, which is unusual for a desert anywhere in the world.
When is the Cholistan Jeep Rally held?
Usually in February, at Derawar Fort, organised by the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab. Exact dates change each year, so check TDCP's current announcement before booking travel around it.
Do I need a 4x4 to visit these deserts?
For the paved approach roads, a normal car is fine in all three. To get out onto the dunes themselves, a 4x4 or jeep, hired locally, is the practical option in Thar and Cholistan, and jeeps or ATVs are the usual way around Katpana and Sarfaranga near Skardu.
Is it safe to visit Tharparkar and Cholistan?
Both are settled, regularly visited parts of Sindh and Punjab with no current travel advisories. The main risks are heat in summer and getting stuck off the paved road, so travel in the cooler months, take water, and go with a local driver who knows the dune tracks.
