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Hotel (Skardu/Khaplu) + Camping (Deosai)
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Skardu
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Skardu
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June – September
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Guided
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English, Urdu
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Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
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Available
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4x4 Jeep
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1–3 Hours
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~4,114m (Deosai/Sheosar Lake)
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8
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65
Overview
Baltistan rewards travelers who have time to actually cover ground, and this jeep safari is built for exactly that — an 8-day loop by 4×4 that strings together the region’s best-known sights around Skardu with the quieter, less-visited valleys of Ghanche District further east. It starts close to the city, at Basho Valley and the lakes of Shangrila and Kachura, then swings south onto the vast Deosai Plateau before turning to the historic river valleys of Shigar and Kharmang, and finally crossing into Ghanche District — Khaplu, Haldi, and Hushe — for a side of Baltistan far fewer tourists see.
Ghanche District, with Khaplu as its administrative center, sits along the Shyok River and holds some of the best-preserved Balti heritage sites anywhere in the region, alongside dramatic natural landmarks like the granite spires of the Haldi Cones. It’s also the gateway to the Hushe Valley, the starting point for treks toward K6, K7, Masherbrum, and K2 itself — this safari visits Hushe’s villages and lower viewpoints by jeep, giving a genuine sense of the valley’s scale and mountain backdrop, without attempting the multi-day treks that reach the high passes.
Trip Highlights
- Basho Valley's waterfall, suspension bridge, and centuries-old grape orchards
- Shangrila (Lower Kachura Lake) and Upper Kachura Lake, two of the most photographed spots near Skardu
- A night on the Deosai Plateau, the world's second-highest plain, with a real chance of spotting wildlife
- Shigar Fort (Fong Khar) and Amburiq Mosque, restored Balti heritage sites
- Manthokha Waterfall near Kharmang, one of the region's most powerful cascades
- Khaplu Palace, Chaqchan Mosque, and the hilltop Thoksikhar Mosque
- The Haldi Cones, a dramatic range of granite spires near Haldi village, often compared to Patagonia's peaks
- Hushe Valley's villages and lower viewpoints, gateway to some of the Karakoram's most famous trekking routes
