Skardu to Deosai: Route, Jeep and Timing

From Skardu to Deosai is about 30 km to the rim of the plateau at Ali Malik Mar, which takes an hour and a half to two hours by jeep. The road is paved as far as Sadpara Lake and then becomes a rough jeep track climbing to the pass. From there the Bara Pani bridge is roughly another hour, and Sheosar Lake on the far side of the plateau is three to four hours from Skardu, so most people do Deosai as a long day trip.

This guide takes the drive stage by stage, then covers how long it really takes, what to drive, how a day trip runs, and what the options are now for anyone who wanted to stay the night.

The route from Skardu, stage by stage

Sadpara is also spelled Satpara; you will see both on signs and maps. The route runs south out of Skardu and climbs steadily the whole way.

1. Skardu to Sadpara Lake. A short paved climb out of town, past the Sadpara dam, to the lake at about 2,600 metres. The lake is fed by snowmelt coming off Deosai, and it is a good place for a first stop on the way back.
2. Sadpara village. The last village on the Skardu side, and the home village of the mountaineer Ali Sadpara. Around here the tarmac gives way to the jeep track.
3. The climb. The jeep track follows the valley of the Sadpara stream and then zigzags up the slope in a long series of bends. This is the slowest and roughest part of the drive, and the part most exposed to landslides after heavy rain.
4. Ali Malik Mar. The pass on the northern rim, where the land suddenly flattens and the plateau opens out in front of you. The park entry fee is paid at the checkpoint on the Skardu side; keep the receipt until you are off the plateau.
5. Across to Bara Pani. The track runs across open grassland and streams to the bridge over Bara Pani, the largest river on the plateau, and a natural place to turn round on a shorter day.
6. On to Sheosar Lake. Under an hour further west, near the far edge of the park. On a clear day Nanga Parbat is visible beyond the lake.
7. Down to Chilim and Astore. Only if you are crossing. The track drops off the plateau to Chilim, the first village on the Astore side, and continues down the Astore valley towards the Karakoram Highway.

How long does Skardu to Deosai take?

The times in the table assume a dry track and a driver who knows it. Several things stretch them:

• Photo stops. Nobody drives across Deosai without stopping, and on a clear day you will stop often. Add at least an hour to any crossing.
• Early season. In June the track is soft and wet in places, with snowmelt running across it.
• Rain. A heavy shower turns stretches to mud, and heavy monsoon rain can close the road altogether, as it did below the plateau in late July 2025 and again in late July 2026.
• Traffic. On summer weekends and holidays there is far more traffic on the narrow bends of the climb.

As a rule of thumb, a return trip from Skardu to Bara Pani with time to walk around is a six- to eight-hour day, and to Sheosar and back a nine- to eleven-hour one. Crossing to Astore is a full day from first light.

Jeep, 4x4 or your own car?

The standard advice for Skardu to Deosai is a jeep or other high-clearance 4x4, and it is sound. The track above Sadpara is stony and rutted, with loose surface on the bends and deep mud after rain. There is no workshop, no recovery vehicle and no signal on the plateau if something goes wrong.

The usual arrangement is a jeep with a driver hired in Skardu, often through your hotel. Before you set off, agree clearly:

• How far you are going: the rim, Bara Pani, Sheosar, or one way across to Astore
• How long you will spend on the plateau, and roughly when you will start back
• What the price includes, such as fuel and waiting time, and whether the park fee is extra

Prices change with the season and the distance, so get the figure from the driver or hotel on the day rather than from something you read online.

Some people do take their own cars up in a dry spell. It is a real risk to the car and to your day, because a broken sump or a car stuck in mud on the plateau has no quick fix. If you have driven your own car to Skardu, leave it in town and take a jeep for this one.

A day trip from Skardu: how the day runs

A typical day on the plateau goes like this:

1. Leave Skardu around 7 in the morning, with a full tank, water and lunch for everyone. There is nothing to buy on the plateau.
2. Sadpara Lake after a short drive. Carry straight on and save the stop for the way down.
3. Reach the rim at Ali Malik Mar by about 9. Pay at the checkpoint, get out slowly, and give everyone a few minutes to adjust to the height.
4. Bara Pani by mid-morning. Walk along the river, watch for marmots and, with luck, a bear feeding in the distance.
5. Sheosar Lake around midday, if you have decided to go the whole way. Eat lunch there and turn back by early afternoon.
6. Start back by 2 or 3 in the afternoon, so that you are off the climb before dusk.
7. Stop at Sadpara Lake on the way down, and be back in Skardu by late afternoon or early evening.

The easiest mistake to make is leaving Skardu late. It means reaching the plateau in the middle of the day, when the light is flat and the wildlife is least active, and coming down the steep section in the dark. Our guide to the best time to visit Deosai covers which months and hours give the most on the plateau.

Staying overnight: what are the options now?

Until 2025 many visitors camped a night on the plateau. That has changed. After a brown bear attacked a visitor camping near Bara Pani that September, the Gilgit-Baltistan government banned night camping on the plateau, and from the 2026 season seasonal hotels and all commercial activity inside the park were banned too. Our Deosai National Park guide has the background.

That leaves three realistic choices:

• A day trip from Skardu and back. The simplest option, and the one the current rules point to. You sleep in Skardu either side.
• A one-way crossing to Astore. You leave Skardu early, cross the whole plateau, and spend the night on the Astore side, around Chilim or further down the valley, before continuing to the Karakoram Highway. It suits anyone heading on to Nanga Parbat country or back towards Islamabad by road. Your driver still has to get back to Skardu afterwards, and that is reflected in the price, so agree it clearly in advance.
• A night on the plateau, only if it is permitted. Ask at the forest and wildlife department's office in Skardu or the checkpoint what is allowed this season before you plan it. Don't turn up with a tent and hope.

Altitude and safety on the drive

Skardu sits at about 2,200 metres and the plateau at more than 4,000, so the drive climbs close to 2,000 metres in under two hours. Don't hurry at the top: walk slowly for the first half-hour, drink water, and keep an eye on children and older passengers. Anyone who develops a bad headache, vomiting or confusion should go down. Our travel guide has more on altitude in the north.

A few other things to take seriously:

• Check the road the evening before. Snow early and late in the season, and rain in July and August, can close it at short notice. Our page on whether Deosai is open or closed explains how to check.
• Don't drive the climb in heavy rain or after dark. It is where the landslides and washouts happen.
• Tell someone your plan. There is no signal on most of the plateau, so let your hotel know where you are going and when you expect to be back.
• Keep warm clothes in the vehicle. It can be cold, windy and wet at the top on a warm day in Skardu.
• Stay in or near the jeep when bears are around, and never approach one on foot.

Day trip or crossing: which suits you?

For most people a day trip is the right choice. It needs no extra booking, keeps you close to Skardu if the weather turns, and still gives you the rim, Bara Pani and, on a long day, Sheosar. Families with small children may prefer to go only as far as Bara Pani and come back early.

The crossing to Astore makes sense if you are leaving Skardu by road anyway and have flexible dates. It replaces a long drive back along the Skardu road with a day across the plateau. It is a poor idea on a tight schedule, late in the season, or in unsettled weather, because a closure halfway leaves you with no good options.

If you would rather not organise any of it yourself, our Skardu and Deosai tour builds the plateau into a week in Baltistan, and our Skardu page covers the rest of the valley.

Frequently asked questions