Skardu vs Naran: Which Trip Is Worth It?

Naran is the trip most people from Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi do first: a long weekend of lakes and a high pass, reachable in a single day. Skardu is the bigger commitment: either a short flight that can be cancelled at short notice, or two full days of driving each way, in exchange for a valley on another scale entirely. Naran suits a budget break. Skardu suits a proper adventure, if you can give it the time.

This guide compares how far each is, what it costs, what you actually see, and how many days each one is worth.

The short answer

Choose Naran if you have three or four days and want a straightforward, budget-friendly trip: it's a single day's drive from Islamabad, the sights sit within an hour or two of the bazaar, and the whole trip can be done without a flight or a long road commitment. Choose Skardu if you can give it a week, or five days at a minimum: the landscape is bigger and more varied, and it rewards the extra time, cost and planning it takes to get there. If budget and time are tight, Naran wins easily. If you're after the bigger adventure and have the days to spare, Skardu is worth it.

Getting there

Naran is about 280 km from Islamabad, a realistic 7 to 9 hours by road via the Hazara Motorway to Mansehra and then the N-15 up the Kunhar river through Balakot. It's entirely doable as a long day's drive, and there's no flight option, so the road is the only consideration. Our Islamabad to Naran by road guide covers it stage by stage.

Skardu is a bigger undertaking either way. By air it's about an hour to an hour and a quarter from Islamabad on PIA, Airblue or AirSial, but flights are scheduled for the morning when mountain visibility is best, and same-day cancellations are common enough that a spare day either side of the trip is standard advice. By road it's roughly 630 to 700 km and a realistic 16 to 22 hours, almost always split over two days with an overnight stop, usually in Chilas. See our Islamabad to Skardu flight and Islamabad to Skardu by road guides.

Cost

Naran is the cheaper trip by a wide margin, mostly because it's shorter: three or four days rather than a week, with no flight to budget for and a shorter drive to fuel. See our Naran trip cost guide for current figures.

Skardu costs more on every count: the flight fare if you fly, or the extra fuel and an overnight stop if you drive, plus more nights of accommodation once you're there. It isn't a budget trip, but it isn't extravagant either if planned well in advance. See our Skardu trip cost guide, since prices for both change with the season.

Scenery: two lakes and a pass, or a whole high-altitude world

Naran is built around a few big set pieces reachable in a day or two: Lake Saif-ul-Malook at 3,224 metres below Malika Parbat, reached by jeep from the bazaar; Lulusar Lake beside the road to Babusar; and Babusar Top itself at 4,173 metres, the pass into Gilgit-Baltistan. It's grand, open country, but once you've seen the two lakes and the pass, you've seen most of what the valley offers without trekking further.

Skardu sits in a different category of landscape. The Katpana cold desert's dunes sit against glacier-hung peaks; Shangrila and Upper Kachura are two lakes worth an early start; Shigar and Khaplu hold restored valley forts and palaces still surrounded by working orchards; and the Deosai plateau above the town, open roughly June to September, is one of the highest plains in the world, its wildflowers and marmots stretching to a horizon with nothing on it. There is enough here for a week without repeating yourself, which Naran, with its handful of headline sights, doesn't offer to the same degree.

Days needed

Naran works well in three to four days: a day to arrive, a day for Saif-ul-Malook and Babusar, and a day to return, with a spare day if you want to add Lalazar or Shogran. It is realistic as a long weekend for anyone starting early.

Skardu needs at least five days, and closer to seven if you want to include Deosai properly. Two of those days can be lost to flight delays or the road journey, so a short trip risks seeing very little for the effort of getting there. Our Skardu itinerary guide sets out how the days fit together.

Season

Naran is a summer destination. The road beyond Kaghan town is generally closed by snow from around December to April, and hotels close for the winter; the reliable window is roughly May to November, with June to September the most dependable. See our best time to visit Naran guide.

Skardu works over a longer stretch of the year. The town itself can be visited through much of the year, weather and flight schedules permitting, though the Deosai plateau is only open roughly June to September and April to May brings orchard blossom lower down. See our best time to visit Skardu guide.

Which should you pick?

• Three or four days and a tight budget: Naran.
• A week or more and a bigger landscape: Skardu.
• You want to avoid flying and keep the drive to a single day: Naran.
• You want forts, a restored palace and a high plateau: Skardu.
• First trip north, testing the waters: Naran.
• You've already done Naran and want the next step up: Skardu.

If Skardu is your choice, our seven-day Skardu and Deosai Plains tour covers the valley, the forts and the plateau together, with a spare day built in for the flight.

Frequently asked questions