Skardu cherry season runs from late May into early July, and June is the month to aim for if you want fresh fruit in the bazaar and on the trees. The lower orchards around Skardu town ripen first; Shigar, Chunda and the higher villages towards Khaplu follow a little later, because they flower later in spring. Outside those weeks you will find only dried cherries.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Harvest | Late May to early July |
| Peak | June |
| Blossom in Skardu | Mid-March to mid-April |
| Skardu town altitude | About 2,230 m |
| Ripens later in | Shigar, Chunda, Kachura and the Khaplu side |
| Fresh cherries online (2026) | PKR 1,400 to 2,400 a kg listed, by air cargo |
| Out of season | Sun-dried cherries only |
Weather now in Skardu 2,226 m
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When it snows: Winter sets in during December, with snow possible in the town; Deosai is closed until June. More on the seasons
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated every 30 minutes. Mountain weather changes fast: check again before you set off.
When is cherry season in Skardu?
Across Gilgit-Baltistan the cherry harvest begins towards the end of May, is at its heaviest through June, and tails off into early July. Skardu follows that pattern. If your dates are fixed, the second half of June is the safest window; early June can be a little early for the sweeter varieties, and by mid-July most lower orchards are picked.
The blossom comes about two months earlier, from mid-March to mid-April. If that is what you want to see, our guide to cherry blossom in Pakistan covers it.
Cherries grow well here because of the winters. An agriculture expert at the 2025 cherry festival in Skardu told Arab News that the trees need 800 to 1,000 chilling hours to fruit, and Baltistan's cold months give them that comfortably.
Skardu, Shigar or Chunda: which ripens when?
Height decides the order. Blossom guides put Skardu town at about 2,230 metres flowering from mid-March, the Shigar valley at about 2,350 metres from late March, the Kachura area at about 2,500 metres a little after that, and Khaplu at about 2,600 metres in April. The fruit follows the same sequence, so the higher you go, the later the ripe cherries.
So if you arrive late and the town orchards are finished, the higher valleys may still be picking.
- Skardu town and the Indus villages ripen first.
- Shigar, an hour north, has orchards of cherry, apple, apricot and mulberry around the town and the fort. Our guide to places to visit in the Shigar valley covers the rest of a day there.
- Chunda, on the hillside above the meeting of the Indus and Shigar rivers, sits higher than the town and runs later. Our Chunda Valley guide covers the jeep track up.
- The Khaplu side of the Shyok is the latest of the main areas.
Where to buy fresh cherries
In June you don't need to visit an orchard to buy cherries. Fruit sellers in the Skardu bazaar stock them through the season, and some guesthouses with their own trees serve them to guests. Our guide to shopping in Skardu covers the main bazaars.
A few things help:
- Buy from someone who picked that morning. Ask, and look for fruit with green stems still attached.
- Taste first. Gilgit-Baltistan grows around 14 varieties, from small tart local cherries to larger, sweeter ones, and sellers expect you to try before you buy.
- Treat orchards as private. The trees along a village lane belong to a family, even if branches hang over the path. Ask before you pick anything.
What do Skardu cherries cost?
Prices move through the season, higher at the start and end, lower at the peak, and they depend on the variety. We could not find a reliable 2025 or 2026 figure for orchard or bazaar prices in Skardu, so ask two sellers before you buy a large quantity.
For comparison, one online seller of Skardu fruit listed fresh cherries at PKR 2,400 a kg, discounted to PKR 1,400, delivered by air cargo within 24 to 36 hours (checked October 2026, when they were out of season and out of stock). That is a delivered city price; buying at source should cost less. The same seller listed sun-dried Skardu cherries at about PKR 1,800 to 2,100 a kg.
How to get cherries home
Fresh cherries don't travel well, which is the main reason most of the crop never reaches Lahore or Karachi. Farmers in Gilgit-Baltistan have long complained that the roads and the lack of cold storage make it hard to get fruit to the big cities in good condition. That is also why exports to China, close by over the Khunjerab Pass in refrigerated containers, took off so quickly: about 3,000 tonnes went in 2024.
To carry a box home yourself:
- Buy on your last day, not your first.
- Use a cardboard box or a basket, not a sealed plastic bag, so the fruit can breathe.
- Leave the stems on and don't wash them until you are ready to eat.
- Keep them out of the sun and away from the car's heater or the boot on a hot day.
- Fly if you can. The Skardu flight gets fruit home the same day. By road it is usually two long days to Islamabad, and soft cherries won't last much longer than that.
If the fruit will not survive the trip, dried cherries keep for months and travel in your hand luggage.
Is there a cherry festival in Skardu?
Skardu hosted the fifth National Cherry Festival on 20 June 2025, a one-day event with fruit stalls and an agricultural fair that drew hundreds of visitors, according to Arab News. We could not confirm whether it was held in 2026 or where the next one will be, as earlier editions have moved around Gilgit-Baltistan. If you want to catch it, check local news in early June.
Should you plan a Skardu trip around cherries?
June is a good month for Skardu anyway: Deosai opens for the summer and the days are long. Cherries add to that trip rather than being a reason on their own. It suits families who enjoy markets and orchards, less so anyone set on blossom, which is in spring. For how June compares with the rest of the year, see our guide to when to go. Our Skardu and Deosai tour runs through Shigar and Khaplu, and in June it passes the orchards at their best.
If Hunza is also on your route, our guide to Hunza cherry season covers the orchards there.
Frequently asked questions
When do cherries ripen in Skardu?
From late May into early July, with June the peak. Skardu town ripens first, and higher valleys such as Shigar, Chunda and the Khaplu side follow later.
Is cherry blossom the same as cherry season?
No. The trees blossom in spring, from about mid-March to mid-April around Skardu, and the fruit is ready about two months later, in June.
Can I buy fresh Skardu cherries in Lahore or Karachi?
Sometimes, in June and early July, through online sellers who send them by air cargo. Fresh cherries spoil quickly, so most of the crop is eaten locally or exported to China.
How long do fresh cherries last on the way home?
Only a few days without refrigeration. Buy them on your last day, carry them in a box that breathes, and fly if you can.
Are dried cherries from Skardu worth buying?
Yes, if you are visiting outside June. Sun-dried cherries are sold all year, keep for months and are easy to carry home.
