Skardu
Shigar Fort, Sarfaranga Cold Desert, Kachura & Deosai Plains
35.2971° N, 75.6333° E · Max 4,114 m on Deosai PlainsSkardu Elevation Progression
The plan, day by day
Exact pickup time and hotels are confirmed in the pre-trip pack, with photos of the room category. Mountain roads are driven in daylight only; the overnight leg is motorway.
- Day 0Evening pickup & motorway transitLahore, evening departure (10:00 PM)
Evening pickup in Lahore at 10:00 PM. Overnight transit on the motorway in the 12-seat Grand Cabin toward Mansehra so the mountain roads are driven in daylight.
- Day 1Daylight mountain driveMotorway transit from Lahore to KKH (Chilas)
Reach the mountain road at dawn and drive the Karakoram Highway via Besham or Babusar Pass (May to November) in daylight, arriving in Chilas for hotel check-in, dinner, and overnight rest.
- Day 2Jaglot-Skardu Road in daylightChilas to Skardu via Three Mountains Junction & Jaglot-Skardu Road
Drive in daylight past the Three Mountains Junction (Karakoram, Himalaya, and Hindu Kush) and turn onto the Jaglot-Skardu Road along the Indus Gorge, with a lunch stop at Astak Bridge Point. Arrive in Skardu and check in at the hotel on Bab-e-Skardu Road in the main city.
- Day 34x4 Jeep plateau / valley excursionDeosai on Jeeps (Pakistan Glamps) or Basho Valley
Morning check and clearance for Deosai Plains on 4x4 jeeps. If the Deosai track is open, spend the day across the plateau and stay the night in Pakistan Glamps at Deosai. Otherwise, take 4x4 jeeps to Basho Valley's pine forests and alpine meadows and return to the Skardu hotel for the night.
- Day 4Shigar & Kharmang excursionShigar Fort, Shigar Desert & Manthoka Waterfall
Full-day valley excursion visiting the historic seventeenth-century Shigar Fort, the cold dunes of Shigar Desert, and Manthoka Waterfall in Kharmang before returning to Skardu for the night.
- Day 5City leisure, daylight descent & BBQSkardu local bazaar & return to Chilas Hotel (BBQ Night)
A relaxed morning in Skardu for shopping and exploring the local city at your own pace, then drive back down the Jaglot-Skardu Road in daylight to Chilas for hotel check-in and a group BBQ night.
- Day 6Daylight mountain + evening motorwayReturn to Lahore
Depart Chilas at dawn, complete the mountain road section to Mansehra in daylight, and take the evening motorway back to Lahore.
Price
PKR 55,000 per seat, inclusive of Punjab sales tax. One figure, no extras on the road.
Twin-sharing room: about PKR 10,000 extra per person for the hotel nights, quoted per departure.
Payment: 50 percent advance to the company bank account to reserve your seat, balance due before departure. Never to a personal mobile-wallet number.
Room Category Standard
Day 0 overnight on the motorway from Lahore; then three to a room in clean hotels: 1 night in Chilas, 1 night at Bab-e-Skardu Road (Skardu main city), 1 night in Pakistan Glamps at Deosai (or Skardu Hotel if Deosai is closed), 1 night in Skardu Hotel, and 1 night in Chilas Hotel with BBQ on the return.
Vehicle Fleet Standard
12-seat Toyota Grand Cabin, with a second driver for the long days. Contract carriage permit, fitness certificate, third-party insurance, first-aid kit, oxygen cylinder, and satellite messenger on board.
Included
- 12-seat Toyota Grand Cabin from Lahore and back, hired from a fleet with a contract carriage permit, fitness certificate and third-party insurance; never a coaster
- Clean hotel stays throughout the trip at three to a room as standard, including Bab-e-Skardu Road Hotel, Pakistan Glamps at Deosai (or Skardu Hotel), and Chilas Hotel
- The Day 0 evening departure (10:00 PM) is overnight on the motorway so the mountain roads are driven in daylight
- Breakfast and dinner every day, including a group BBQ night at Chilas Hotel on the return
- 4x4 jeep excursion to Deosai Plains (or Basho Valley), plus Shigar Fort and Manthoka Waterfall entry tickets listed in the daily plan
- Travel insurance for the trip, confirmed in writing before departure
- Motorway tolls, parking, driver costs & first-aid kit on board
Not included
- Lunch on the road
- Snacks, drinks and anything from your room menu
- Twin-sharing room upgrade (+PKR 10,000 per person)
- Personal shopping, dry fruit, gemstones
- A day lost to a road closure or weather (see the terms for exactly how that is handled)
- Tips for the driver and hotel staff, at your discretion
If a road closes
The Jaglot to Skardu road is driven in daylight only; if it is blocked, the group waits at Chilas or Gilgit and loses a day in Skardu rather than driving at night. If Deosai is closed, the 4x4 jeep excursion runs to Basho Valley instead. If the trip cannot reach Skardu at all, you get a full refund or a free transfer.
What to bring
- Original CNIC; you will show it at several checkposts
- Warm jacket and a hat even in summer: Khunjerab is at about 4,700 m and Deosai at 4,100 m
- Comfortable walking shoes; sandals for the hotel
- Sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm
- Personal medication, declared on the health form; motion-sickness tablets if you need them
- Power bank; electricity is intermittent in the valleys
- Cash; card machines and ATMs are unreliable north of Gilgit
- A small daypack for the Khunjerab and Deosai days
Refunds and changes
If Travelzoak cancels, for road conditions, vehicle, rooms or seat count, you get a full refund within seven days or a free transfer. A day lost to a closure during the trip is substituted, not refunded, and that rule is written here before you pay. The whole table is in the terms.
