Skardu Photography Tour
Sand dunes under snow peaks, the Indus and Shyok rivers, and the old Balti kingdoms of Shigar and Khaplu.
Skardu is the capital of Baltistan and the widest valley in the Karakoram. At about 2,230 metres, it holds something no other mountain town in Pakistan has: a desert of sand dunes with snow peaks behind it.
I come back to Skardu for its variety. In one tour you can photograph dunes at sunrise, a lake by mid-morning, a seventeenth-century fort in the afternoon, and a river valley in the last light.
East of Skardu the road follows the Shyok River into Ghanche district, to Khaplu, Machulu and the Haldi Cones. This is some of my favourite country in Pakistan and far fewer photographers reach it.
- Best season
- April for blossom; June to September for access; October for autumn
- Altitude
- About 2,230 m at Skardu
- Base
- Skardu, with nights in Shigar or Khaplu
- Access
- Direct flights from Islamabad, or by road along the Indus
Locations
What you will photograph
Katpana Cold Desert
High-altitude dunes on the edge of Skardu, among the highest cold deserts in the world. Sunrise gives clean ridges and long shadows; in winter the dunes take snow.
Upper and Lower Kachura lakes
Lower Kachura is the well-known Shangrila Lake; Upper Kachura is deeper, quieter and ringed by orchards.
Shigar Valley
A restored seventeenth-century fort, wooden mosques, and the Sarfaranga desert on the way in.
Khaplu
Khaplu Palace, built in 1840, and the Chaqchan Mosque, founded in 1370, above terraced fields on the Shyok River.
Haldi Cones
Granite spires over the river plain near Khaplu, less photographed than Passu and superb at sunset.
Machulu
A village in the Hushe valley with a view of Masherbrum, 7,821 m, and some of the best blossom in Baltistan.
Light and season
When to go
- Blossom in Skardu and Khaplu usually peaks in the first half of April.
- June to September is the season for combining Skardu with the Deosai Plains, which are snowbound for the rest of the year.
- Autumn colour comes to Skardu, Shigar and Khaplu in the second half of October, slightly ahead of Hunza.
See the month-by-month guide to the best time to photograph Pakistan.
From my archive
Photographs from Skardu & Baltistan
Practical notes
Before you travel
- Skardu has direct flights from Islamabad; like all mountain flights they depend on clear weather.
- The dunes are best on foot at first light, before wind and footprints disturb the ridges.
- Dust and sand are hard on equipment: bring a blower and keep lens changes to a minimum in the desert.
- Skardu is the natural base for adding Deosai as a one or two night extension.
Plan your trip
Photograph Skardu & Baltistan with me
Tell me your dates and what you want to photograph, and I will plan a private itinerary around the light. Tours are operated through Travelbug, the travel company I co-founded, which arranges transport, stays and permits.
Every tour is privately quoted. No fixed packages or departure dates.
Questions
Good to know
What is special about photographing Skardu?
The combination of sand dunes, lakes, rivers and seven-thousand-metre peaks in one valley, plus the historic Balti towns of Shigar and Khaplu within a short drive.
When is the best time for a Skardu photography tour?
April for blossom, June to September if you want to include Deosai, and the second half of October for autumn colour.
How do I reach Skardu?
By direct flight from Islamabad in about an hour when the weather is clear, or by road along the Indus River from the Karakoram Highway.
Can Skardu be combined with Hunza?
Yes. The two valleys are linked by road through Gilgit, and many itineraries cover both. Tours are tailored to your dates and interests.
Keep exploring
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Muhammad Asmar Hussain
Award-winning Pakistani landscape photographer, Sony Brand Ambassador for Landscape Photography, TEDx speaker and Co-Founder of Travelbug. Published by National Geographic and a winner at the Sony World Photography Awards. More about Asmar.