Weather, what to expect and the best tours for every season, Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter.
Choosing the best time to visit Skardu depends on whether your priority is blossom, open high-altitude roads, trekking, autumn colour or snow. Spring, broadly March to May, brings apricot and cherry blossom through the lower valleys and is ideal for Skardu spring tours, although high routes such as Deosai may still be closed. Summer, from June through September, is the main operating season for Deosai, remote valleys and the majority of Karakoram trekking routes; days are longer, road access is widest and visitor numbers are highest. Autumn, especially October into early November, turns the poplar-lined valleys and orchards gold and red, creating the strongest conditions for autumn photography tours, but snowfall can begin closing high passes. Winter from December to February is much quieter and dramatically different, with snow-covered valleys, frozen landscapes and fewer operating tourist services. This page explains each season, likely access, temperatures, what to pack and the type of itinerary that works best. Weather in Gilgit-Baltistan changes quickly, so exact road, flight and high-pass conditions should always be reconfirmed close to travel. Use the seasonal sections below to match your month with the right route, then compare the relevant tour packages.
Spring is Skardu's quiet, blooming season. Apricot and cherry orchards across Shigar, Khaplu and the valleys around Skardu city burst into blossom through April, snowmelt fills the rivers, and the crowds of peak summer haven't arrived yet. Higher passes and Deosai are still closed, so trips focus on the lower valleys.
| Daytime Temp | 10°C to 20°C |
| Night Temp | 0°C to 8°C |
| Deosai Plateau | Closed (opens late May/June) |
| Crowds | Low, one of the quietest times to visit |
| Highlight | Apricot & cherry blossoms (peak: April) |
Summer is Skardu's peak season, and for good reason, every road, pass and trail is open, the Deosai plateau is carpeted in wildflowers, and days are warm and clear. This is when the widest range of tours, treks and adventure activities run, from Deosai camping to K2 Base Camp expeditions.
| Daytime Temp | 20°C to 27°C |
| Night Temp | 10°C to 15°C |
| Deosai Plateau | Open, best time to visit |
| Crowds | High, book hotels and flights early |
| Highlight | Deosai wildflowers & full trek season |
Many of our own team's favourite season. The poplar and apple orchards of Shigar and Khaplu turn gold through late September and October, the summer crowds have thinned out, and the weather stays clear and stable right up until the first snows. Deosai closes around early October as the season ends.
| Daytime Temp | 15°C to 22°C (early), 5°C to 15°C (late) |
| Night Temp | -2°C to 8°C |
| Deosai Plateau | Open until early October |
| Crowds | Low to moderate, great value season |
| Highlight | Golden foliage in Shigar & Khaplu (peak: late Sept) |
Winter is Skardu's least-visited but most dramatic season, snow-dusted peaks, a frost-rimmed Kachura Lake and empty forts and bazaars. Deosai and the Khaplu road are closed or limited, and flights are more weather-dependent, so winter trips focus on Skardu city and Shigar Valley, with heated hotels and bonfire evenings.
| Daytime Temp | -5°C to 8°C |
| Night Temp | -15°C to 0°C |
| Deosai Plateau | Closed (heavy snow) |
| Crowds | Very low, quietest time to visit |
| Highlight | Snow-capped Karakoram views & winter photography |
Note: Deosai, Khaplu and the higher valleys are closed or limited in winter. Winter tours focus on Skardu city and Shigar Valley.