Skardu isn’t just a place to look at — here’s what to actually do while you’re there.
Easy, everyone-can-do-it activities
- Boating on Upper Kachura Lake or Satpara Lake
- Dining at Shangrila’s famous airplane restaurant
- Touring Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace
- Walking Skardu Bazaar and trying Balti cuisine
- Photographing Katpana Cold Desert at golden hour
- Hiking up to Kharpocho Fort for sunset views
A step further
- A full-day 4×4 expedition into Deosai National Park
- Spotting Himalayan brown bears in Deosai (June–August, dawn/dusk)
- A short trek and camp in Basho Valley
- Shopping for semi-precious stones and handicrafts in the bazaar
- A day trip to Manthoka Waterfall via Khaplu
For serious adventurers
- Trekking to K2 Base Camp via the Baltoro Glacier
- The Hushe Valley trek
- Gondogoro La as a technical extension of K2 Base Camp
- Motorcycling or self-driving the Karakoram Highway
Seasonal specials
- Cherry blossom viewing in Shigar Valley (April)
- Autumn foliage photography in Shigar and Khaplu (late September)
- Winter photography of snow-dusted Shangrila and Shigar Fort
- A jeep excursion into the remote, permit-required Minimarg and Domail valleys
Most of these are built into our standard tour itineraries — check the Tours page and filter by type (adventure, family, honeymoon) to find the right mix.