Traveling to Skardu is the charm of every avid traveler living in or outside Pakistan. Skardu is a dreamland for those who love vivid landscapes with peace and harmony. A place where the world seems something different. A place with tranquility, harmony, calmness and peace. Skardu is perhaps one of the very few places in the world that has four distinct types of landscapes. It has desert, snow covered peaks, river, and plateau with enormous amount of floral variety. My journey to Skardu was pleasant and romantic, after all what else is a more pleasant place for a newly wedded couple.

Its actually endless. The opportunities for tourism geeks are vast and if someone loves nature Skardu is the right destination. It has a number of famous lakes that are easily accessible by road, valleys with mesmerizing and enchanting landscapes, wonders like deosai plains and numerous cascades and cataracts. Below is the list of famous destinations that almost every tourist of Skardu wants to see.

I will write in detail about each and every place in a while, in this blog post i will write some basic surface information about these places.

Lake upper kachura and lake Lower kachura are located just 15 km from the airport and 30 km from the downtown. Upper kachura lake is a miracle of nature and one of the most mesmerizing place in Skardu. Boating facilities are available here.

Just 5 km from the upper kachura lake, as you come towards the city is a privately owned resort famous for its Chinese styled  restaurant building and the peaceful resorts built around the lake. This artificial lake known as lake lower kachura/Shangrila has a unique environment and the apartments here are worth living. The lush green grass plots with apple trees provides an exquisite view for the viewers.

Lake satpara which was once a lake is now converted in a Dam that provides clean water to Skardu. It is located just at a distance of 15 km from the city center. Due to construction of dam the boating facilities are abandoned now and the small island which can be seen in old photos has vanished. Nevertheless, this place is worth seeing.

Lake sheosar is a unique experience. It is located high above the sea level at an altitude of roughly 14000 feet. The lake is at a distance of approx 4 hrs drive from the downtown. It is located on deosai plains and therefore come out as a lifetime experience. Since, it is located at a very high altitude, therefore shortening of breath might occur , therefore it is suggested to avoid running there. 

Katpana sand dunes are located beside the city and can be reached within 15 minutes from the downtown. In fact, Skardu airport is located in a desert and the desert sand dunes can be seen while takeoff and landing at Skardu airport. One of the most interesting things about these sand dunes is the very existence of sand dunes in a place like Skardu. Although the desert region is also on the way to Shigar valley, this place has its own charm in itself.

Shigar valley is located at a distance of 35 km from Skardu and the route to this valley passes through a desert. On the way to Shigar is a memorial of those soldiers who martyred during the fight of liberation of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) province. That memorial was inaugurated by the CM of GB a few months ago. The Shigar valley is famous for a historical palace cum fort,which is currently owned by Serena hotels Pakistan. The entry ticket for that fort is Rs 200 for the Pakistani Nationals. However, the hotel is very expensive and most of the rooms there have an average rent of 20-25 thousand rupees per night. Shigar valley also has a very old derelict mosque that is now abandoned.

Manthoka Falls is at a distance of 75 km from Skardu and is located in a small village known as Mantokha. The site is a good recreation spot and is serene and tranquil.

Budha Rock Cravings are located in a small town just outside the Skardu city. It is located on a knoll and can be reached after a 10 minutes hike.

Khaplu valley is located farthest of all the destinations mentioned above. Located at a distance of 102 km from Skardu enriched with natural beauty. On the way to Khaplu is the joining point of river Shyok and the  river Indus. It hosts the palace of the regional emperor. That palace is so well maintained by Serena Hotels that it was awarded the UNESCO cultural award 2013. The scene from Khaplu palace is very exotic and is worth watching. Khaplu also has one of the oldest mosques in Pakistan known as Chaqchun mosque. The mosque is believed to be older than 700 years old and is very unique in its appearance.

Deosai is a plateau located just 35 km from the Skardu. It is the second largest plateau in the world after Tibet and is rich in jungle habitat and floral variety. It has a small river that flows through it and is known as river Deosai. Deosai is an out of world experience and has quite a lot spots to see, famous one includes bara pani and kala pani. However, the old hanging bridges seen in vintage photographs are closed as new concrete bridges are made.

Kharpocho is a fort located in Skardu city and can be accessed anytime but it needs hiking of approx 35 min. A wall of kharpocho can be seen from the PTDC motel Skardu.

K2 museum is located in PTDC motel and is managed by an Italian NGO. It holds historical information, maps and cultural aritfacts about the region. The pyramid shape of the museum is unique and its location beside the Indus delta is ideal.

Skardu is open for tourism in most of the year. If you want to see the green touch of the valley, the floral beauty of deosai then summer is the season for you. From June to September it is awesome to visit there and this is considered as a peak season. The valley is flooded with tourist from Pakistan and abroad. The autumn season starts in late September till first week of November. Afterwards the valley is turned into a deep freezer and is only suitable for professional tourists those who want to experience the snow covered view of Skardu. The temperatures go extreme in December and January, hence it is not a wise decision to visit there till the end of February. 

Skardu is accessible through road or by air. PIA operates almost daily two flights to Skardu depending on the weather conditions. By road the trip is exotic and contains the taste of the mighty Karakorum highway, but security issues make it impossible to travel continuously. Special  convoys travel in the Kohistan region only during day time. Those who intend to travel by road have to wait in Kohistan to meet the schedule of the convoy. The total journey may take up to 24 HRS from Abbotabad.

 DO NOT TRAVEL TO SKARDU WITHOUT VALID CNIC.

Army and police departments have checkpoints at the entry points of Khaplu and Desoai and valid NIC is checked for the entry in these sites. Foreigners are advised to have their passport and security clearance documents with them. All the foreigners are registered at Skardu airport for security reasons.

- See more at: http://xploringpakistan.blogspot.com/2012/07/swat-immaculate-beauty-touring-swat-was.html#sthash.71HmzI5J.dpuf

- See more at: http://xploringpakistan.blogspot.com/2012/07/swat-immaculate-beauty-touring-swat-was.html#sthash.71HmzI5J.dpuf

My travel plan (from ISB)

Estimated Expenditure

I only have experience through PIA and can refer to the traveling cost by air. The costs of PIA vary greatly with the season and swells by a couple of thousand in the peak season. Travelling by road is hectic,but Karakorum highway is worth seeing too. Nevertheless, travelling by road is way cheaper than by air. Another thing worth mentioning here is that a group of 4 is ideal as far as sharing the jeep rent and the cost of dining and accommodation is concerned. However, mine was a group of 2 and therefore the cost given below is for 2 people only. 

ISB-Skardu-ISB  PIA return tickets                   PKR  34000-40000
Rent of car for all places except Deosai              PKR  12000-18000
Jeep rent for Deosai                                           PKR   8000-10000
Lake lower Kachura entrance fee                        PKR   400
Dining and other eating stuff                               PKR   1100/day
Accommodation                                                PKR   2000/day

It should be noted that the cost of accommodation varies with the season. I stayed in PTDC motel Skardu and was charged for PKR 2000 per night. Whereas, in season this motel charges more than 4000 per night. It should be noted that although Skardu has a good number of hotels like Mehsburum,  PTDC K2 motel is the only hotel in Skardu which is located at the bank of river Indus.

Last but not the least Mr. Iqbal was my tourist guide who is a very professional person. He maintained his car in clean condition and never came late. If anyone needs his services in Skardu his number is +92-346-5472299.

I wish you all a pleasant trip to skardu.

For viewing the photos i have taken please follow the links below.