Skardu Lakes & Deosai Tour (2026) – 9 Days & 8 Nights

Best Time to Visit Skardu

Skardu sits at 2,438 metres above sea level in the heart of Gilgit-Baltistan, and the seasons here are more dramatic than almost anywhere else in Pakistan. Late March and April mark the shoulder season, when the valley floor is carpeted in apricot and cherry blossom — one of the most photographed spectacles in the country — and temperatures are cool but manageable, typically ranging from 5°C overnight to around 18°C by midday. Visitor numbers are still modest in spring, roads are improving after winter closure, and the extraordinary clarity of the mountain air makes this an ideal window for photography around Satpara Lake, the old Skardu Fort, and the lower reaches of the Indus gorge.

May and June represent the pre-monsoon high season, when most roads into the higher valleys have reopened after winter snowfall and the famous Deosai National Park begins its thaw. The plateau sits at over 4,114 metres above sea level, making it the second-highest plateau in the world, and by late June the vast grasslands erupt in wildflowers while Himalayan brown bears emerge from hibernation to graze openly in the meadows. Temperatures in Skardu town reach a warm 25–28°C by day during this period, but nights cool sharply to around 10–12°C, so a warm layer for evenings is essential even in early summer.

July and August are the peak summer months and the busiest period in Skardu. The main valley roads are fully operational, the Indus River runs high and turquoise with glacial meltwater, and the full complement of guesthouses, local guides, and 4WD operators is in service. Views of the great Karakoram peaks — K2 at 8,611 metres, Broad Peak at 8,047 metres, and the four Gasherbrum summits — are clearest on early mornings before afternoon cloud builds over the high ridges. Daytime temperatures reach 28–32°C in the valley, but the altitude means even a passing cloud can drop the temperature noticeably, and evenings always require a fleece or light down jacket.

September and October are widely regarded as the golden season for Skardu. The monsoon influence fades, skies stabilise, and the poplar trees lining every road and field edge turn to brilliant gold and amber. Deosai remains accessible through September, wildlife sightings intensify as animals prepare for winter, and the river valleys glow in the low autumn sun. October brings the first dusting of snow to the higher peaks and passes, temperatures drop to around 14–16°C by day with near-freezing nights, and there is a genuine poignancy to the landscape — a sense of a place preparing for its long winter rest — that makes the autumn light particularly affecting.

Access to Skardu is by a 45-minute domestic flight from Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport, operated by PIA, Airsial, and Serene Air. These flights are highly weather-dependent and cancellations are common, particularly in early and late season when cloud sits low over the Karakoram foothills. We strongly advise building at least one buffer day into your Islamabad arrival before your domestic connection north. The overland alternative via the Karakoram Highway through Chilas is a 20–24-hour road journey and is rarely practical as a first choice, but it forms a viable and spectacular backup when flights are grounded. Your tour leader will manage all contingencies and keep you informed in real time.

Travel Tips for UK Visitors

British passport holders are eligible for a Pakistani visa on arrival at Islamabad International Airport, valid for 30 days and priced at approximately £35–45. Alternatively, the online e-visa portal at visa.nadra.gov.pk allows you to apply before departure, with typical processing of 24–72 hours. Either route requires a valid passport with at least six months of remaining validity, a confirmed return or onward ticket, and evidence of accommodation. We recommend the e-visa as it removes any uncertainty on arrival and allows you to move quickly through immigration. Carry a printed copy alongside the digital version saved on your phone and in your email.

Flights from the UK to Pakistan route through Dubai (Emirates), Doha (Qatar Airways), Abu Dhabi (Etihad), or Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), with total journey times from London to Islamabad in the range of 14–17 hours including the connection. PIA also operates a direct London Heathrow to Islamabad service several times weekly, which avoids the connection entirely. All major UK departure airports — London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham — are well served by the Gulf carriers. Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport is a modern, well-equipped facility where domestic connections to Skardu depart from the same terminal building, so no inter-airport transfer is required.

The currency is the Pakistani Rupee (PKR). The exchange rate at the time of writing is approximately 350–360 PKR to the pound sterling, though rates fluctuate. Cash is essential throughout Gilgit-Baltistan. ATMs exist in Skardu town but are unreliable and frequently run out during peak season. Carry a substantial supply of Rupees exchanged in Islamabad, where the bureaux de change in the Blue Area or at the airport consistently offer competitive rates. Credit and debit cards are not accepted at guesthouses, restaurants, or markets in the mountain regions. Budgeting approximately £20–30 per day for incidentals — snacks, souvenirs, tips — is a sensible guide.

Health preparation should begin four to six weeks before departure. Recommended vaccinations include hepatitis A, typhoid, and a tetanus booster; consult your GP or a travel health clinic for personalised advice. Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is non-negotiable for this region — helicopter evacuation from Skardu to Islamabad in a genuine emergency can cost several thousand pounds without cover. Carry a personal first-aid kit including blister plasters, oral rehydration salts, anti-diarrhoea medication, and high-factor sun cream. The UV index at altitude is substantially stronger than in the UK. Diamox (acetazolamide) is widely used as a prophylactic against altitude sickness and is available at Pakistani pharmacies, but should be discussed with your GP before departure as it is contraindicated in some conditions. Drink only bottled or purified water throughout the trip.

Accommodation on This Tour

In Skardu town, this tour uses established mid-range hotels that represent the best the region currently offers in terms of comfort and reliability. The Concordia Hotel and Mashabrum Hotel are both well-regarded properties on the central Skardu road, offering clean en-suite rooms with consistent hot water, in-room electric heaters for cold nights, and restaurant service covering generous local Balti meals — rice-based dishes, slow-cooked daal, fresh tandoor bread, and locally grown apricots in season. Wi-Fi is available in lobbies and some rooms, though bandwidth is limited. Beds are comfortable, rooms are clean, and the staff are unfailingly warm and proud to host international guests. Rooms on the upper floors of both properties offer extraordinary mountain views.

The Shangrila Resort at Lower Kachura Lake is one of the most iconic overnight stops in Pakistan and features on this itinerary. The resort sits directly at the edge of a vivid turquoise lake ringed by willow trees, with the snow-dusted Karakoram rising dramatically behind. The heritage-style lakeside cottages are a step up in comfort from standard Skardu hotels, and the resort restaurant is a deservedly famous lunch and dinner destination. The main building famously incorporates the fuselage of a 1940s aircraft into its unusual architecture, making it one of the most photographed structures in northern Pakistan.

On the Deosai plateau, accommodation shifts to high-quality tented camps operated by our local partner. Each camp features sleeping tents with proper camp beds or thick foam mattresses, a dining tent with gas-heated cooking, and basic latrine facilities. The camps are positioned at approximately 4,100 metres elevation, and temperatures after dark can fall below 0°C even in the height of summer. A sleeping bag rated to −5°C is strongly recommended — guests can rent one through their tour operator if needed. Sleeping on the world’s second-highest plateau, surrounded by a silence broken only by wind and the distant call of short-toed eagles circling the grasslands below Nanga Parbat’s Rupal Face, is one of the most memorable experiences this itinerary delivers.

Local Culture and Etiquette in Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to a predominantly Muslim population divided between Shia, Sunni, and a significant Ismaili community, particularly in the Karakoram valleys. The Ismaili communities, followers of the Aga Khan, are notably progressive in their social outlook — women are educated and publicly active, mixed company is more common, and the more conservative codes encountered in parts of the Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are somewhat relaxed here. That said, modest dress remains the standard expectation for all visitors and should be observed consistently throughout the region.

For women, this means covering shoulders and knees in public at all times. Loose, long-sleeved tops and trousers or a long skirt are both culturally appropriate and practically sensible for the variable mountain temperatures. A lightweight headscarf is worth carrying for visits to mosques, shrines, or more rural communities — it doubles as useful sun protection at altitude. Male visitors should avoid shorts outside of active trekking situations. Photography of local people is one of the genuine pleasures of Skardu: always ask before photographing individuals, particularly women and elders. A smile and a questioning gesture is universally understood, and the majority of people will agree warmly. Sharing the resulting photograph on your phone screen is always a delightful moment of connection.

Tipping is appreciated but not customary in the Western sense. A suggested range is 200–500 PKR per day for guesthouse staff and drivers, and 500–1,000 PKR per day for personal guides on multi-day tours — your tour leader will advise on timing and amounts. Alcohol is not available in Gilgit-Baltistan, which is a dry region by law, and attempting to import it is strongly inadvisable. Pakistani hospitality in the north runs on sweet milk tea (chai), green cardamom tea (kahwa), freshly baked bread, and the particular warmth that comes from receiving guests in a place that so rarely sees them. Accepting both the tea and the time it takes to drink it is one of the best small investments any visitor to the mountains can make.

Safety and Health Information

Altitude sickness is the primary health consideration on this tour. Skardu itself at 2,438 metres is already high enough to cause mild symptoms in some visitors on their first night, and the Deosai plateau excursion at over 4,100 metres takes guests well into serious altitude territory. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) presents as persistent headache, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, and disturbed sleep. Symptoms are most common among people who ascend rapidly without acclimatisation. This itinerary is designed with a rest day in Skardu built in before the Deosai excursion. To minimise risk: ascend gradually, drink three to four litres of water daily, avoid alcohol on the first nights at each new elevation, and listen carefully to your body. If symptoms worsen rather than improve, descend immediately and consult medical advice. Diamox is a useful prophylactic for those prone to AMS — discuss it with your GP before travel.

Mountain road safety is a genuine consideration in Gilgit-Baltistan. The roads connecting Skardu to the surrounding valleys — Deosai, Khaplu, Shigar — are narrow, often unsealed jeep tracks built into sheer cliff faces with unguarded drops on the downhill side. Rockfall, landslides, and flash floods are seasonal hazards that drivers navigate as a matter of routine. All vehicle movements on this tour use experienced, locally-based drivers in well-maintained 4WD vehicles, and our partners adhere strictly to daylight-only driving policies on exposed mountain roads. Journey times are always longer than the distances suggest — a 60-kilometre valley road can take three hours — and a relaxed attitude to the pace makes for a far more enjoyable experience. The scenery through the windows is, without exception, extraordinary.

Medical facilities in Skardu are limited to the District Headquarters Hospital, which handles basic emergencies competently but lacks the surgical and intensive care capacity of an urban centre. For serious medical events, evacuation to Gilgit (45 minutes by air) or Islamabad (1 hour 15 minutes by air) would be required. Emergency numbers include 1122 for the Rescue 1122 service in Gilgit-Baltistan and 15 for police. The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation maintains a tourist police presence in Skardu and is generally responsive to visitor concerns. All guests are required to carry comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover as a condition of booking — this will be confirmed in writing at the time of reservation.