The heritage hotels in Gilgit-Baltistan worth planning a stay around are Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace, both restored royal residences in Baltistan turned into boutique hotels, run to a Serena standard with museum rooms open to guests. Between them they offer the closest thing in the region to sleeping inside its history rather than reading about it in a museum the next morning.
This guide covers what each one is, what a stay involves, and how to fit one into a Skardu trip.
Serena Shigar Fort
Shigar Fort, also known as Fong Khar, was the residence of the Rajas of Shigar and dates to the 17th century, built onto older foundations. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture restored it over several years, working with local Balti craftsmen using traditional materials, and it reopened as a heritage hotel with a small number of rooms set around the original fort structure, an orchard courtyard and a museum wing.
Guests sleep in rooms built into the historic fort, with the original wood and stone work kept rather than replaced, and can also walk the museum sections that day visitors see on a ticketed tour. Shigar itself is a quiet farming valley about an hour from Skardu, known for its apricot orchards and the carved wooden Amburiq mosque nearby.
Serena Khaplu Palace
Khaplu Palace, or Yabgo Khar, was built in 1840 as the residence of the Rajas of Khaplu and is generally considered the most complete surviving royal residence in Baltistan, with more of its original decoration intact than Shigar. It sits roughly three hours from Skardu, on the road that also leads toward the Hushe valley and, eventually, the approach to K2.
Like Shigar, it was restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and now operates as a Serena heritage hotel, with guest rooms in the palace building, a museum section, and gardens looking out over the Khaplu valley. The scale of the original building makes it feel less intimate than Shigar and more like staying inside an actual palace.
What a stay costs and involves
Both properties sit at the top end of what Gilgit-Baltistan charges for accommodation, well above a standard valley guesthouse, and rates move with the season and with demand, so check current prices directly with Serena before booking rather than relying on a fixed figure. Rooms are limited, particularly at Shigar, so book ahead for the June to September peak season and around Eid.
A stay typically includes breakfast and access to the museum sections without a separate day-ticket. Day visitors who are not staying the night can also see the museum rooms at both properties for a ticket, so an overnight stay is really about the setting and the evening and morning light in near-empty gardens and courtyards, rather than access to anything a day visit can't see.
Other characterful stays
Outside Shigar and Khaplu, Gilgit-Baltistan has few hotels built specifically around historic architecture, though a number of guesthouses in Hunza and Skardu are set in older family homes or built in a traditional local style, without carrying formal heritage status. Ask locally in Karimabad or Skardu if a stay with that character, rather than a full restored fort, fits the budget better.
Fitting a heritage stay into a Skardu trip
Shigar and Khaplu both work as either a night on the way through or a full day trip with lunch. Our Skardu and Deosai tour visits Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace as day stops rather than overnights, which suits travellers who want to see both without giving up two nights of the itinerary to them; if a night at one of the forts is the priority, it is easy to build in as an extension. Our guide to forts in Gilgit-Baltistan covers the history and visiting details of both in more depth, alongside Baltit, Altit and Kharpocho.
Our trip planning guide has more on building a Skardu itinerary around Shigar, Khaplu and the rest of Baltistan.
Frequently asked questions
Can day visitors see Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace without staying the night?
Yes. Both are open to day visitors for a ticket covering the museum sections, run separately from overnight bookings.
Which is better, Shigar Fort or Khaplu Palace?
Shigar is smaller and more intimate, set in a quiet farming valley about an hour from Skardu. Khaplu is grander, with more of its original interior intact, and sits about three hours from Skardu on the way toward Hushe. Many visitors do both as day stops rather than choosing one to stay at.
How far is Khaplu Palace from Skardu?
Roughly three hours by road, on the route that also leads toward the Hushe valley.
Do I need to book a heritage hotel in Gilgit-Baltistan in advance?
Yes, particularly in the June to September peak season and around Eid, since room numbers at both Shigar and Khaplu are limited and they are popular with both tour groups and independent travellers.
