15 Best Places to Visit in Skardu

With so many valleys, lakes and forts spread across the region, here's our ranked list of what actually deserves a place on your itinerary.

The essentials

• Shangrila Resort, the iconic lakeside resort with the famous airplane restaurant
• Deosai National Park, one of the world's highest plateaus, wildflowers and brown bears
• Upper & Lower Kachura Lakes, striking turquoise water, boating
• Shigar Fort, a 17th-century royal residence, now a heritage hotel
• Khaplu Palace, another restored royal residence, further along the Shyok River
• Kharpocho Fort, panoramic views over Skardu city and the Indus Valley
• Satpara Lake, glacier-fed lake, the gateway route to Deosai
• Katpana Cold Desert, high-altitude sand dunes against a mountain backdrop

Worth the detour

• Manthal Buddha Rock, an 8th-century carved Buddhist heritage site
• Nangsoq Valley, Pakistan's first organic village, right behind Kharpocho Fort
• Manthoka Waterfall, a roughly 180-foot cascade near Khaplu
• Basho Valley, pine forest and alpine meadows, an hour from the city

Off the beaten path

• Nagma & Chunda Valleys, quiet farmland and orchards close to Skardu city
• Minimarg & Domail, remote, permit-required valleys near the Line of Control, with Rainbow and Crystal Lakes

See our full Attractions page for details, facts and things to do at every one of these.