This Skardu itinerary for 5 days covers the places most people come for: Satpara Lake and the Manthal Buddha Rock on arrival, the Kachura lakes and the Katpana desert on day two, a full day on the Deosai plateau on day three, and Shigar on day four, before flying home on day five. Day four is deliberately light, so it can absorb a cancelled flight or a cloudy day on Deosai without losing the trip.
It assumes you fly in from Islamabad and travel between late June and September, when Deosai is open. Below the day-by-day plan you will find what to book, how to change it for the road or another season, and whether five days is enough.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Length | 5 days: 3 full days, an easy arrival day and a departure morning |
| Season | Late June to September for Deosai; see below for other months |
| Base | One hotel in Skardu town for four nights |
| Transport | Car with driver on days 1, 2 and 4; a local jeep for Deosai |
| Highest point | Deosai, over 4,000 m, on day 3 |
| Pace | Easy to moderate, with rest in the middle of hot days |
| Built-in slack | Day 4 can absorb one lost day |
How the five days fit together
The order matters more than the list of places.
- Deosai is on day three, not day one. Skardu is at about 2,200 metres and Deosai at over 4,000. Two nights in Skardu first make the climb much easier on everyone, particularly children and older parents.
- Day four is the slack. Shigar needs only half a day, so if your flight in is a day late, or cloud closes in on Deosai, you move the missing day into day four and still see almost everything.
- One base, no packing. Everything in this plan is within a few hours of Skardu town, so you stay in one hotel and unpack once.
- Morning starts, quiet middays. Lakes are best early and the desert is best late. In summer the valley floor is hot at midday, which is when you rest.
| Day | Plan | Time on the road |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fly in; Manthal Buddha Rock and Satpara Lake | Under an hour |
| 2 | Upper Kachura and Shangrila; Katpana at sunset | About 2 hours |
| 3 | Deosai National Park | 6 to 8 hours by jeep |
| 4 | Shigar Fort and village; Sarfaranga desert | About 2 hours |
| 5 | Fly home | To the airport |
The day-by-day plan
Day 1: Arrive, Manthal and Satpara
Take the earliest flight from Islamabad, so that a delay still leaves you most of the day. Sit on the right-hand side for the view of Nanga Parbat. After checking in, have lunch and rest for a couple of hours: you have just arrived at 2,200 metres, and the first day should feel easy.
In the afternoon, drive a few kilometres south to the Manthal Buddha Rock, an eighth-century carving on a granite boulder, then on to Satpara Lake, about 10 km from town. Back in town, walk the bazaar in the evening and have an early night.
If the flight is cancelled, this is the day you lose, and nothing else in the plan suffers.
Day 2: The Kachura lakes and Katpana
Leave early for the Kachura lakes, 35 to 45 minutes west of town beyond the airport. Go to Upper Kachura first, while the water is still and before the boats go out, then drop down to Shangrila (Lower Kachura) and the resort grounds. Have lunch nearby or back in town, and rest through the heat of the day.
An hour or so before sunset, drive out to the Katpana cold desert beside the airport, only a few kilometres from town. Walk up onto the dunes and stay until the light goes. It is the best hour of the day in Skardu.
Day 3: Deosai
This is the big day. Leave by 7 in a local jeep, with the driver arranged the evening before. The road climbs past Satpara Lake and Sadpara village and onto the plateau, which averages over 4,000 metres.
- To Bara Pani, in the middle of the park, two to three hours from Skardu over the Ali Malik Mar pass. Stop by the river, walk a little, and watch for marmots.
- On to Sheosar Lake, at the western edge, three to four hours from Skardu in all. This is the classic view of the plateau.
- A picnic lunch by the lake. Don't count on buying food or tea on the plateau; bring everything from Skardu.
- Back to Skardu by late afternoon, before the light fades.
Take warm jackets, hats and gloves even in July, plus sunscreen, sunglasses, water and snacks. Brown bears live on Deosai: watch from the jeep, keep your distance and never leave food out. At this altitude, walk slowly, drink water, and go down if anyone develops a bad headache, nausea or dizziness.
If the morning is cloudy or the track is closed, swap days three and four. Our Skardu to Deosai guide covers the drive stage by stage.
Day 4: Shigar and Sarfaranga, or the catch-up day
If everything has gone to plan, drive about an hour north to Shigar. Visit Shigar Fort, the restored seventeenth-century palace that now houses a museum and a Serena heritage hotel, and the fourteenth-century Amburiq Mosque. Walk the lanes and orchards behind the fort and have lunch in the valley.
On the way back, stop at the Sarfaranga cold desert, where the Shigar valley opens into the Skardu basin, in the late afternoon.
If you lost a day earlier, this is where it goes. Do the missed Deosai or Kachura day, and fit Shigar into a morning or keep it for another trip.
Day 5: Fly home
Take the morning flight to Islamabad and sit on the left for Nanga Parbat. If the flight is cancelled, you have a free day in Skardu: climb to Kharpocho Fort for the view over the town and walk through Nangsoq village behind it, then rebook for the next morning.
Keep the day after you get home free as well. On this route, the flight out is the one thing you cannot control.
What to book before you go
- Flights, the earliest departure in both directions, on a fare you can change. Our Islamabad to Skardu flight guide covers airlines, fares and where to sit.
- One hotel in town for four nights. Our guide to where to stay in Skardu compares the town with Kachura and Shigar.
- A car with driver for days 1, 2 and 4. Your hotel can arrange one, or ask for a quote for all three days together.
- The Deosai jeep, confirmed the evening before day three, with the route, waiting time and fuel agreed.
For what all of this adds up to, see our Skardu trip cost guide.
Changing the plan
If you are coming by road
Add two days at each end, with a night in Chilas in each direction. You will arrive in Skardu in the late afternoon of the second day. The Kachura lakes are on your way in, so you can see them then, and the rest of the plan moves up. Nine or ten days in all is a comfortable road trip.
Outside the Deosai season
From about October to June, Deosai is closed. Replace day three with Khaplu, about three hours east along the Shyok river, for Khaplu Palace and the Chaqchan Mosque, or with the Manthokha waterfall in Kharmang. In April, when the orchards are in blossom, Shigar and Khaplu are the highlights of the trip.
With young children or older parents
Everything except Deosai is gentle. On the plateau, keep the day shorter: go as far as Bara Pani and turn back rather than pushing on to Sheosar. Check with a doctor beforehand about anyone with a heart or lung condition. The walk down to Upper Kachura and the climb to Kharpocho are the only real walks in the plan, and both can be skipped.
Is five days enough for Skardu?
For a first visit, yes. Five days covers the lakes, the deserts, Shigar and a day on Deosai at a pace that leaves room to rest, and the slack means one bad-weather day does not break the trip.
What five days doesn't cover is Khaplu as well as Deosai, a second day on the plateau, or the side valleys such as Basho. If those matter to you, plan for seven days. Our 7-day Skardu and Deosai trip gives Deosai two days, with the crossing towards Sheosar in the best light, and adds Khaplu and a spare day for the flight.
With only three days, think hard before squeezing Deosai in: going up to 4,000 metres on your first or second day is hard on the body, and there is no slack left for weather. Our guide to places to visit in Skardu shows what else can fill a shorter trip.
Frequently asked questions
Is 5 days enough for Skardu?
Yes, for the main sights: the Kachura lakes, Katpana, Shigar and a day on Deosai. Allow seven days if you also want Khaplu and more time on the plateau.
What is the best order to visit places in Skardu?
Keep the first day easy, see the lakes and Katpana on day two, and go to Deosai only after two nights in Skardu. Leave a lighter day near the end to absorb bad weather.
Can I visit Deosai in a day from Skardu?
Yes, and most people do. Leave early by jeep, allow two to three hours to Bara Pani and three to four to Sheosar Lake, and be back in Skardu by late afternoon.
Do I need a jeep for this itinerary?
Only for Deosai. Kachura, Katpana, Satpara and Shigar can all be reached in a normal car with a driver.
What if my Skardu flight is cancelled?
The plan is built for it: a late arrival costs you only the easy first afternoon, and day four can take any day lost to weather. Keep the day after you get home free as well.
Can I do this itinerary in October or April?
Yes, but Deosai will be closed. Swap day three for Khaplu or the Manthokha waterfall; in April the orchards in Shigar and Khaplu are in blossom.
