Town or village
Skardu
Skardu district · 2,228 m
Skardu, at 2,228 m, is Balti Yul, the friendly heart of Baltistan and the starting point for the Baltoro and Deosai.
Skardu is called Balti Yul in the local language and is the administrative capital of Baltistan. The town is built around a new and an old bazaar, with the Indus below and mountains on every side, and the setting is as dramatic as any in the north. For most travellers it is where the trip really begins: gear is checked, plans are briefed, and the jeeps are loaded for Askole or Deosai.
Kind Town or villageDistrict SkarduElevation 2,228 mPosition 35.297° N, 75.633° E
About Skardu
The valley has a story worth knowing. Local tradition holds that in the 9th century a great Tibetan empire called Bolor was ruled from here, and that the barren, sandy plain was later named Sikram by eastern Tibetans, which over time became Skardu. The Maqpon dynasty then ruled from Skardu for centuries, and its best known king, Ali Sher Khan Anchan (1580 to 1627), carried the kingdom from Tibet's Mansarovar to the Kalash valleys of Chitral.
Legend adds a lovely romance to the town. It is said that the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan took a Balti princess as his wife, and in exchange a Mughal princess, Gul Khatoon, was married to King Anchan. She laid out Mughal gardens on the flat ground below Kharpucho Fort and had a canal built from Sadpara that still runs through the very heart of Skardu today.
Kharpucho Fort is a half hour hike above the town, and it is not to be missed. Built by Anchan, it is a simple ruin rather than a grand palace, but the views of Skardu laid out below you are wonderful, and the hike is a lovely way to stretch your legs on arrival. For grand forts, Shigar and Khaplu are waiting for you a little further on.
Skardu is also the place to eat well and shop. Balti cooks are famous across Pakistan, so eat in the local restaurants, where the food is delicious, and the main bazaar stays open late into the evening. The gift shops are full of handicrafts, dry fruits and gem stones, and it is the best place to pick up anything you need for the trail before heading for Askole.
Elsewhere in Skardu
Swipe along the district, from the valley floor to the summits.
- 2,600 m
Lake or water
Satpara Lake
Satpara Lake, at 2,600 m, is an emerald lake above Skardu with an ancient Buddha carving on the way.
- 2,300 m
Lake or water
Katpana
Katpana is a patch of cold desert dunes beside the Indus, with a lake sitting right in the middle of them.
Lake or water · 2,500 m
Shangrila
Shangrila is Lower Kachura lake, and the upper lake, twenty minutes walk on, is the unspoiled one.
- 3,000 m
Town or village
Basho
Basho is a pine valley above Skardu, with summer pasture above the treeline.
- 1,900 m
Town or village
Roundu
Roundu is the Indus gorge between Gilgit and Skardu, home to the lively Dunsa Festival every July.