LakesShangrila Resort
The heart-shaped lake that put Skardu on Pakistan's tourist map
- Distance
- 20 km from Skardu city
- Altitude
- 2,500 m / 8,200 ft
Experiences
Things to do in Skardu
Beyond ticking off lakes, Skardu is a place to do things: cross a plateau by jeep, sleep in a 17th-century fort, ride dunes at 2,200 metres or walk to the foot of K2.
01
Jeep safari across Deosai
The full-day plateau crossing at 4,000 m, with brown bears, marmots and Bara Pani.
02
Boating on the Kachura lakes
Pedalos at Shangrila and wooden boats on the deeper, colder Upper Kachura.
03
Dune rides at Katpana
Camel and quad-bike rides on the world's highest cold desert, best at sunset.
04
Balti heritage tours
Shigar Fort, Khaplu Palace, Chaqchan Mosque and Kharpocho — four centuries of Baltistan history.
05
Trout fishing
Licensed fishing on the Shigar and Basho streams and at Satpara Lake.
06
Trekking to K2 Base Camp
The Askole–Concordia route, plus shorter treks from Hushe into the Charakusa valley.
07
Camping in Basho valley
Pine forest and meadow camping reached by a rough jeep track.
08
Stargazing on the plateau
Deosai and Sarfaranga have almost no light pollution — the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye.
09
Apricot season in the orchards
August harvest in Shigar, Khaplu and Thalle, when villages dry fruit on every rooftop.
10
Sunset at Kharpocho Fort
A thirty-minute climb for the best view over the Indus and Skardu city.
11
Chasing Manthoka Waterfall
A two-hour Indus-side drive into Kharmang for Baltistan's biggest waterfall.
12
Rafting the Indus
Seasonal white-water runs on the Indus near Skardu, arranged through local operators.
Book a guided Skardu tour
Jeep days to Deosai, multi-day Baltistan loops and full trekking logistics run by licensed local operators.
Request a package quoteBooking with Local tour partner opens shortly — check back soon.
Where to do them
Lakes
LakesUpper Kachura Lake
Cold, clear and glacially deep — Skardu's most photogenic water
- Distance
- 22 km from Skardu city
- Altitude
- 2,500 m / 8,200 ft
NatureDeosai Plains
The Land of Giants — the second-highest plateau on earth
- Distance
- 35 km to Sadpara gate, 60 km to Bara Pani
- Altitude
- 4,114 m / 13,497 ft average
LakesSheosar Lake
A blind lake of impossible blue on the roof of Deosai
- Distance
- ~90 km from Skardu across Deosai
- Altitude
- 4,142 m / 13,589 ft
DesertsKatpana Desert
White dunes beneath 7,000-metre peaks
- Distance
- 8 km from Skardu city
- Altitude
- 2,226 m / 7,303 ft
DesertsSarfaranga Desert
Rally country — a vast sand plain on the road to Shigar
- Distance
- 20 km from Skardu city
- Altitude
- 2,230 m / 7,316 ft
Disclosure: some booking links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. It helps keep this guide free and independent.