Khaplu Trip Cost from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad

A three-night Khaplu trip for two people costs roughly PKR 95,000 to 145,000 in total on a budget from Islamabad in 2026, once you add flights to Skardu, shared cars and guesthouses, and PKR 250,000 or more for a comfortable trip from Lahore with a private car and a palace stay. Almost everything depends on three choices: flight or road to Skardu, where you sleep, and whether you hire a car for the 3-hour drive onward or share one. The figures below come from 2025 and 2026 sources, and every price here moves with season and demand.

There is no Khaplu airport, so every route runs through Skardu. This guide breaks the cost into its parts, then adds them up for two example trips. For the journey itself, see Islamabad to Khaplu and Skardu to Khaplu.

Getting to Skardu: flight or road

From Islamabad. PIA lists direct fares from roughly PKR 14,000 to 17,000 one way on its route page, flight time is about an hour, and there are early-morning departures. A wider 2026 guide gives a market range of PKR 12,000 to 40,000 depending on date. Peak months are August and September, when prices are highest.

From Lahore. Airblue flies direct on some days of the week, taking around 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30, with a market range quoted at about PKR 18,000 to 50,000 or more. Check the days, because the schedule is thin.

From Karachi. Direct flights are uncommon. Most travellers fly to Islamabad or Lahore first, so add that leg to your budget. Our Karachi to Skardu flight guide covers the options.

By road. The drive is long, roughly 630 km from Islamabad to Skardu, and the UK government advises against travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas. Our Islamabad to Skardu by road guide covers the alternatives and the current security picture. Flights are the more common choice for Khaplu trips, and they add cancellation risk: mountain weather causes most disruptions, so keep a spare day. See flight cancellations to Gilgit and Skardu.

Skardu to Khaplu: car hire or shared seat

Khaplu is roughly 100 to 110 km east of Skardu and about three hours by road, depending on source.

• Shared car. A 2025 travel guide quotes about PKR 1,300 a seat, and minibuses PKR 600 to 1,000. Cheapest, but you travel when the car fills.
• Private car and driver. The same guide puts a private car to Khaplu at PKR 12,000 to 15,000. A Skardu rental firm lists a Prado at PKR 12,000 a day with driver and a Khaplu valley and palace trip at PKR 14,000 to 28,000 for one to two days, and a Land Cruiser V8 at PKR 22,000.
• Driver for local days in Khaplu. One 2025 guide gives about PKR 8,000 a day for a driver-guide. Spare days at Machulu, Saling or Hushe often need a 4x4, which costs more.

Ask whether fuel and the driver's food and lodging are included before you agree a rate.

Hotels in Khaplu

Prices vary more here than anywhere else in the budget.

• Guesthouses. Booking sites list the cheapest rooms from about USD 11 a night in 2026.
• Mid-range hotels. Roughly USD 16 to 40 a night on the same sites.
• Serena Khaplu Palace. Booking sites show it from about USD 80 a night, with standard rooms averaging USD 92 to 149. This is a heritage palace and the highest price in the valley.

There is no GST on hotels or food in Gilgit-Baltistan, according to one 2026 summary, though check your invoice. Our guide to hotels in Khaplu covers what each kind of stay is like.

Food and extras

One undated Skardu cost guide quotes PKR 1,000 to 1,500 for a meal per person at a standard place, and we have kept that out of the totals as it is not clearly from 2025 or 2026. Plan on guesthouse meals being cheaper and palace dining being more expensive. Add cash for tea, snacks, tips for your driver and any trekking fees. A 2025 guide quotes about PKR 5,000 a day for a trekking guide in Nangma valley.

Two worked budgets for a couple

These add the ranges above. They are not quotes.

Budget route from Islamabad, 3 nights in Khaplu.

• Flights ISB-Skardu return for two: about PKR 56,000 to 70,000 (at PKR 14,000 to 17,500 a leg).
• Shared seats Skardu-Khaplu both ways: about PKR 5,200.
• Guesthouse 3 nights at USD 11 to 40 a room: depends on rate; budget PKR 10,000 to 35,000 in all.
• One local driver day at about PKR 8,000.
• Food and extras: PKR 15,000 to 25,000.
• Total: roughly PKR 95,000 to 145,000.

Comfort route from Lahore, 3 nights in Khaplu.

• Flights return for two: about PKR 72,000 to 200,000 depending on fare.
• Private Prado with driver for 4 days at PKR 12,000: about PKR 48,000.
• Palace or good hotel, 3 nights: USD 80 to 150 a night, so USD 240 to 450.
• Food and extras: PKR 30,000 to 50,000.
• Total: roughly PKR 250,000 to 400,000 or more.

How to cut the cost

• Travel shoulder months to avoid peak August and September fares.
• Fly mid-week. One fare site notes the cheapest days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• Share a car at least one way.
• Split a driver with another couple.
• Book hotels directly and ask whether heating is included in cold months.

Is Khaplu good value?

Khaplu costs more per day than a standard Skardu stay because of the extra transport and fewer hotels. It rewards you with the palace, quiet villages and long views. If budget is tight, spend a night or two in Khaplu and a longer time elsewhere. Our Khaplu itinerary shows how to plan the days. Our Skardu trip cost guide covers the wider trip, and our Skardu hub links to the full area.

If you would rather have the logistics handled, our tours include a 7-day Skardu and Deosai trip from PKR 90,000 per person.

Frequently asked questions