If you’re going to visit Skardu Baltistan in 2020, then this Skardu Baltistan tour guide will definitely help you. Skardu is the main town of the Baltistan region. Skardu is the largest district of Gilgit-Baltistan. Baltistan is home to a number of the very highest peaks within the world. This region of Pakistan is certainly a haven for mountain climbers and high altitude trekkers.
How To Get There In Skardu Baltistan?
If you would like to go by road then catch a bus from Rawalpindi/Islamabad, straight to Skardu Valley via Karakorum Highway. The Karakoram Highway (N-35) connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China to the north and to Islamabad within the south. The traveling costs by Bus could vary between 2000 and 3000 PKR.
NATCO (Northern Areas Transport Corporation), Silk Route, Mashabrum Travel and Tours, and a number of other transport companies offer bus and jeep transport service from Islamabad to Skardu Baltistan and to several other popular destinations, lakes, mountains and glaciers within the region.
Your journey to urge there in Skardu City with about 3-4 stops within the middle, will take roughly 22-24 Hours via the Karakoram Highway.
Skardu Baltistan Tour Guide: By Car
Going to Skardu by Car seems like a tremendous adventure. It gives you independence and complete control of your journey. However, it is advised to proceed with a reliable 4×4 vehicle to avoid delays and risks. The distance to Skardu from Islamabad is calculated to be 637 Kms. It is an honest idea to plan all of your night stays and transits if going by road.
Skardu Baltistan Tour Guide: By Plane
Pakistan International Airlines (the only Airline) offers daily flights between Gilgit/Skardu to Islamabad. Pakistan International Airlines also offers regular flights on Boeing 737s between Skardu City and Islamabad. The flying time is approximately 50 minutes.
The flight is one of the most scenic flights in the world, as its route passes over Nanga Parbat, and the peak of the mountains is higher than the aircraft’s cruising altitude. It is guaranteed that if you manage to take the window seat, you won’t be able to blink your eye for a second as it gives you an amazing aerial view during the journey.
Remember! All flights are subject to weather conditions. In winters, flights to Skardu and Gilgit are often delayed by several hours and days. A flight delay generally means it’ll fly out the subsequent day. So, it’s often faster and more bound to pass by the road.
Skardu Baltistan Tour Guide: Helicopter Ride
The perfect trip, for many, would be through the chartered helicopter ride having an aerial view of the mountains wearing white, the lakes resting peacefully and therefore the rivers taking away the water from melted glaciers.
What is Skardu famous for?
Skardu is legendary for the various trekking and adventure spots around it. There are numerous treks starting from Skardu. The Skardu region has the four of the world’s fourteen Eight-thousander peaks (8,000 m and above) this makes it a heaven for trekkers expeditions enthusiasts and mountain climbers.
The main tourist season is from May to October. The nearby Satpara Lake and Shangrila resort are very famous among the local travelers and is visited by people from everywhere the country during May & August.
Askole and Hushe Valleys are the most gateways to the snow-covered 8,000 m peaks including Mashabum, K2, the Gasherbrum, Broad Peak and therefore the Trango Towers, and also to the large glaciers of Baltoro, Biafo and Trango. The Hushe village and Askole Village are the starting point for trekking at different treks is about 7 hours drive by Jeep from Skardu City.
Adventure tours and jeep safaris to the Deosai Plains, the second-highest within the world (at 4,100 m or 13,500 feet) after the Chang Tang in Tibet, either start from or end at Skardu. With a neighborhood of roughly 3,000 square kilometers, the plains extend all the thanks to Ladakh and supply habitat for snow leopards, ibex, Tibetan brown bears, and wild horses.
Skardu Fort (Kharpocho Fort)
There are many archaeological sites found within the Northern Areas, particularly in Skardu and Kharpocho Fort/ Skardu Fort is one among them. It is built by Maqpon Bugha (1490-1515 A.D) but the Mughal historians refer it to the good Ali Sher Khan Anchan (1560-1625 A.D).
Skardu fort stands on the bank of River Indus within the Skardu and therefore the city is often viewed from the fort. The fort is illuminated in the dark and it seems as if the olden days get revived.
Some observations about this fort are found within the Imperial Gazetteer of British India, which states that this was one among the foremost famous of the Gralpos (Monarchs of Skardu), Ali Sher Khan, who ruled over the region till the top of the 16th century, conquered Ladakh and Skardu; and he built a fort at Skardu.
Mindoq Khar:
This is a palace, built by Gul Khatoon or Mindoq Rgialmo, on the hills where only the Kharpocho Fort might be found. The palace was named after the queen as ‘Mindoq Khar’ meaning the ‘Flower Palace’. The Palace was destroyed by the troops of the Sikh ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Gulab Singh, during his invasion to Skardu, in 1840 AD.
Hilal Bagh:
Hilal Bagh (Crescent Garden) was located near the Mindoq Khar (Flower) Palace, where there was once stood a terraced garden with marble fountains. The Royal Garden scattered in the areas from Mindoq Khan to the present Bazar in Skardu. The palace was destroyed by the good floods within the area.
Chahar Bagh:
Chahar Bagh was located on the location, where now the building of a Girls College stands tall. The said garden was constructed on the orders of the Queen when her husband visited Gilgit and Chitral. (The mother-tongue of the Queen was Persian, so she gave Persian name to the gardens)
Shangrila Resorts:
Shangrila is found just 35 minutes faraway from Skardu. The resort is made along a gorgeous lake, which is surrounded by the foremost enchanting and splendid scenic beauty. One may stay here; take a ship ride or trekking to the hills nearby.
Manthal Buddha Rock
This is the sole remaining Buddha Rock, with rock carvings, located on the Satpara road within the Skardu Valley. The rock carvings and pictures of Buddha are dated back to the amount of the good Tibetan Empire when the people migrated from Tibet to present-day Northern Areas of Pakistan.
They settled here temporarily and carved drawings of Stupas, scenes of their experiences and pictures of Buddha with Kharoshti language transcript. There were a variety of such Buddhist rock carvings within the Skardu Valley. The sculpture of Buddha and his disciples are 2000 years old. It was an area of worship for Buddhists till the mid of 14th century A.D. There are scriptures of Buddha o the Rock.
Nangsoq Village:
Nangsoq Village is found behind the famous Kharpocho Fort. It has been developed into an Organic Village through the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP). The village is visited by many famous personalities including Prince of Wales, Charles, and His Highness Aga Khan.
Kachura Lake:
Kachura Lake is 32 kilometers (20 miles) faraway from Skardu. It takes two hours by jeep, to succeed in the shimmering waters of the Kachura Lake. During the spring season, the banks of the lake are adorned by colorful flowers, while the trees are filled with peach, apricot, and apples. The lake offers an excellent opportunity for trout fishing.
Sadpara Lake:
Sadpara (Satpara) Lake is found 8 kilometers (5 miles), within the South of Skardu and takes just 20 minutes by jeep to urge there. It is surrounded by high mountains. The lake has an island within the mid of its clear water, which may be reached by boat. The lake is right for fishing and residential of untamed birds migrated from Siberia.
Upper Kachura Lake:
It is located ten kilometers upward of main Kachura Lake. It is reached by a Jeep road, yet a car also can be driven thereon. It is a hidden lake and suitable for boating.
Shigar Valley
Shigar Valley may be a beautiful village just a couple of miles North of Skardu its picturesque village with beautiful terraced fields growing all kinds of crops. Shigar was once a little kingdom and therefore the Shigar fort was once the residential fort of the local ruler. The Shigar fort has been renovated and converted into a hotel or residential fort.
Satpara Dam project on the Satpara Lake:
The Dam project is 7 km far away from Skardu city and its altitude is 8,700 feet (2,700 m) moreover it’ll also pond the water about 90,000-acre-feet (110,000,000 m3).
It is a multipurpose project, which will produce 13 Megawatts hydro generation, irrigate 15,000 acres (61 km2) of land and also provide 13 cusecs drinking water daily to Skardu city. The main source of water is melting the ice of the Deosai plains during the summer season.
Skardu Baltistan Tour Guide:
Visit the Purana Bazaar (Old Bazaar) Skardu, Maqpon Polo Ground then walk to the Kharpocho Fort. Drive to Sadpara Lake and visit Buddha Rock, Buddha carved within the mountain.
Later visit Sadpara Lake and take some time to soak up the sweetness of this beautiful lake. Fishing permit and tackle provided on the spot.
Drive-by Jeep to Khaplu Valley and Visit the picturesque Bazaar of Khaplu and Khaplu fort later drive to a Photo point and return to Skardu in the evening.
Visit the Shigar Valley via the scenic road Visit Shigar Fort resort and have Lunch there later repel to Skardu. Drive to Deosai and visit the remarkable Plateau at 4000m above water level evening return to Skardu.
