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Gilgit-Baltistan

Skardu & Deosai Plains

Cold-desert dunes, the Shangrila lakes and two daytime crossings of the high plateau, where the horizon runs out before the road does.

Duration
7 days
Region
Gilgit-Baltistan
Best months
June – September
Pace
Easy walking, high altitude
Group size
Private or small group, confirmed when you book
From, per person
PKR 90,000

The route

Day by day

A week built around one crossing: the Deosai plateau, open only in high summer, reached from a valley that is worth several days on its own.

Group size and the hotels for your dates are confirmed in writing when you book.

Travel note, November 2026: overnight stays inside Deosai National Park are not allowed. Camping was banned after the September 2025 bear attack and the park's seasonal hotels closed from 2026, so the plateau is crossed in daylight. Foreign passport holders: the UK advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, and travelling against that advice can void your travel insurance. We can route you over the Babusar Pass in summer, or by air, instead.

  1. Day 1

    Arrive in Skardu

    Fly in from Islamabad if the weather allows, or arrive by road. Nothing strenuous on day one - a walk along the Indus and an early night at 2,200 metres.

  2. Day 2

    Shangrila and Katpana

    Lower and Upper Kachura in the morning, before the day boats. The Katpana cold desert in the last hour of light.

  3. Day 3

    Shigar Valley

    An hour out to Shigar for the restored fort, the wooden Amburiq mosque and the apricot orchards behind the village.

  4. Day 4

    Over Sadpara into Deosai

    The climb onto the plateau, then slowly across it. Marmots everywhere, brown bear if you are lucky. Back to Skardu for the night.

  5. Day 5

    Deosai to Sheosar

    The full width of the park in the best light of the trip, out toward Sheosar Lake, then back down to Skardu.

  6. Day 6

    Khaplu

    Three hours up the Shyok to Khaplu Palace and the Chaqchan mosque, and back to Skardu in the evening.

  7. Day 7

    Depart

    Fly or drive out. We build in a spare day for weather, because the Skardu flight needs it more often than not.

The detail

What you are paying for

What is included

  • All ground transport with an experienced mountain driver
  • Accommodation throughout, twin share
  • A guide from the valley for the whole trip
  • Park fees and permits
  • Breakfast daily, plus all meals on the plateau

What is not

  • International and domestic flights
  • Pakistan visa
  • Travel insurance, which we ask every traveller to carry
  • Lunches and dinners in Skardu

Destination

More about Skardu

Cold-desert dunes on one side of the Indus and 8,000-metre giants on the other. Skardu is the way in to the Karakoram.

Explore Skardu

Travel guides

Before you go

All guides

Timeless beauty · Serene waters · Living culture

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