9 days
Easy
Hunza Valley and the Khunjerab Pass
Nine days from Islamabad: fly to Gilgit, stay in Karimabad and Passu, and drive the Karakoram Highway to the China border.
Quoted in USD on request
View itineraryTour for international travellers
Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu and the Deosai Plains
Baltistan lies along the upper Indus in the east of Gilgit-Baltistan, a dry mountain region of Tibetan-influenced culture, old wooden mosques and restored royal forts. This private tour flies you from Islamabad to Skardu and uses it as a base for Shigar, Khaplu and a day on the Deosai Plains, one of the highest plateaus in the world.
- Duration
- 8 days
- Starts and ends
- Islamabad
- Best months
- Mid June to September
- Effort
- Easy: road travel and short walks, with one day by 4x4 above 4,000 m
- Highest point
- About 4,100 m on the Deosai Plains
- Price
- Quoted in USD
The route
Day by day
- The Deosai Plains, a national park at an average height of 4,114 m, and Sheosar Lake
- Shigar Fort, a 17th-century palace restored between 1999 and 2004
- Khaplu Palace and the old wooden Chaqchan Mosque
- The sand dunes of the Katpana cold desert at 2,226 m
- Upper and Lower Kachura lakes and the Manthal Buddha Rock
This is a private tour. Dates, pace and hotels are set for your group and confirmed in writing with your quote.
Travel advice, October 2026: As of October 2026 the UK Foreign Office (advice updated 22 September 2026) does not advise against travel to Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu or Deosai, and flying to Skardu avoids the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, which it advises against. Foreign nationals may not go within 10 miles of the Line of Control with India; by our reading of the map Khaplu and Sheosar Lake are both outside that zone, and this tour goes no closer to it. Canada advises against reaching Gilgit-Baltistan by road, which is one more reason this tour flies both ways. Check your own government's current advice before you book.
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Day 1
Arrive in Islamabad
Your guide and driver meet you at Islamabad International Airport, about 35 km from the centre of the city, and take you to your hotel. The day is otherwise free. We confirm the next morning's flight time with you in the evening, as schedules to the north change at short notice.
Overnight: Islamabad
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Day 2
Fly to Skardu
The flight from Islamabad to Skardu takes about an hour and depends on clear weather in the mountains. Skardu airport is at 2,225 m and about 10 km from the town, so the afternoon is kept easy while you adjust to the height. Before sunset we drive out to the dunes of the Katpana cold desert, close to the airport.
Overnight: Skardu
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Day 3
Skardu, the Buddha rock and the Kachura lakes
In the morning we visit the Manthal Buddha Rock, a granite boulder carved with a Buddha relief that probably dates from the 8th century, and walk the steep path to Kharpocho Fort above the meeting of the Indus and Shigar rivers. After lunch we drive about 30 km, around an hour, to the Kachura lakes at roughly 2,500 m: Lower Kachura, also called Shangrila Lake, and the quieter Upper Kachura.
Overnight: Skardu
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Day 4
The Deosai Plains and Sheosar Lake
A full day by 4x4. The track climbs past Satpara Lake (2,600 m, about 10 km from town) on to the Deosai plateau, a national park since 1993 with an average height of 4,114 m. Sheosar Lake, at the western end, is about 70 km from Skardu on a rough track, a slow drive of several hours there and back. Deosai is home to Himalayan brown bears, 78 at the 2022 count, though a sighting is a matter of luck.
Overnight: Skardu
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Day 5
Shigar and the drive to Khaplu
Shigar is about 30 km from Skardu, under an hour by road. We visit Shigar Fort, known locally as Fong Khar or the palace on the rock, built in the 17th century and restored between 1999 and 2004, and the Amburiq Mosque, one of the oldest in Baltistan. In the afternoon we drive about 100 km, roughly three hours, along the Indus and the Shyok to Khaplu at 2,600 m.
Overnight: Khaplu
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Day 6
Khaplu Palace and return to Skardu
Khaplu Palace, or Yabgo Khar, was built in 1840 for the local raja and restored between 2005 and 2011; part of it is now a museum of Balti history and culture. We also see the wooden Chaqchan Mosque, which tradition dates to 1370 and which is one of the oldest mosques in the region. After lunch we drive about 100 km back to Skardu, 2.5 to 3 hours.
Overnight: Skardu
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Day 7
Fly to Islamabad
We take the morning flight back to Islamabad. The afternoon is for the Faisal Mosque, designed by the Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, the Pakistan Monument and the Lok Virsa heritage museum.
Overnight: Islamabad
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Day 8
Spare day and departure
The last day is a buffer in case the Skardu flight was delayed by a day. If it was not, the morning is free before your transfer to Islamabad International Airport.
The detail
What your quote covers
What is included
- Airport pickup and drop-off in Pakistan
- Private vehicle with an experienced driver for the whole route
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Accommodation on a twin-share basis with breakfast
- Entry tickets, park fees and permits named in the itinerary
- Visa support letter for your Pakistan e-visa
- 4x4 vehicle with driver for the Deosai Plains day
- Registration of foreign nationals with the authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan
- Booking of the domestic flights, and rebooking if weather cancels them
What is not
- International flights
- Pakistan visa fee
- Travel insurance, which every traveller must carry
- Lunches and dinners unless stated
- Domestic flights, quoted separately with your itinerary
- Tips and personal expenses
- Extra nights or transport caused by flight cancellations or road closures beyond the spare day in the plan
Good to know before you book
How do I get to Skardu and back?
By air from Islamabad, in about an hour. Skardu has a long runway and takes jet aircraft, and Pakistan International Airlines, Airblue and AirSial all fly the Islamabad route, so there are more seats and more departures than to Gilgit. All of these flights still depend on the weather. The return is by the same flight on Day 7.
What if the Skardu flight is cancelled?
We move you to the next available flight, on any of the airlines, and Day 8 is there to absorb a one-day delay on the way back. A cancelled flight on the way in costs a day in Baltistan, and we shorten the programme with you rather than rush it. The only road to Skardu that avoids the section of the Karakoram Highway the UK advises against is over the Babusar Pass in summer, and it takes two long days each way, so it is a last resort for this tour.
How hard is the Deosai day, and will I feel the altitude?
There is very little walking, but the plateau is above 4,000 m and the track is rough, so it is a tiring day in a vehicle. You go up after two nights in Skardu at over 2,200 m and come back down the same evening, which keeps the risk of altitude sickness low. A headache and shortness of breath are common. Bring warm and windproof layers, as it can be cold on the plateau even in July.
When is Deosai open, and what if the track is closed?
The plateau is under snow from about November to May, which is why we run this tour from mid June to September. Even in season, rain or late snow can close the track for a day. If that happens we swap days around where we can, and if Deosai cannot be reached at all we spend the day at Satpara Lake and in the villages near Skardu.
What are the hotels and food like?
We book comfortable hotels and guesthouses, the best available in smaller places such as Khaplu. Expect private bathrooms, simple heating and occasional power cuts. Food is Pakistani and Balti home cooking, with rice, bread, lentils, vegetables, chicken and local apricots in season.
Do I need permits, and what about the visa?
You need a Pakistan visa before you travel, applied for online at visa.nadra.gov.pk, and we send a support letter for the application once your tour is confirmed. Do not rely on getting a visa on arrival. This itinerary stays out of the restricted trekking zones, so no trekking permit or mountaineering royalty applies; the Deosai park ticket is bought at the gate and is included. Foreign nationals are registered on arrival in Gilgit-Baltistan, so keep your passport with you.
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