Golden Baltistan: 5 Day Skardu Autumn Colours Tour by Air
Five days through Baltistan's golden season, from the Ghowari orchards to the palaces of Khaplu and Shigar.
- Duration
- 5 Days
- Region
- Skardu
- Trip level
- Easy
- Departure
- Private trip
Overview
For roughly six weeks each year Baltistan changes colour completely. The poplar and willow lines turn gold, the apricot and apple orchards go copper and red, and the whole valley floor lights up against bare grey rock and the first snow on the peaks. Anyone who has only seen Skardu in summer has seen a different place.
This Skardu autumn tour follows the colour down the valley rather than racing through it. It opens in the Ghowari orchards on the Shyok, moves on to the royal palace at Khaplu, then crosses to Shigar and the lakes above Skardu, with each stop timed for the best of the season. Autumn also brings the clearest skies of the year, which means the mountain views are at their sharpest and the flight in is at its most spectacular.
Everything is included at Signature level: return flights, private vehicle and driver, local guide, and entry tickets to every fort, mosque and heritage site on the route. Departures run from Lahore and Islamabad, and every tour is private.
Trip at a Glance
- Duration
- 5 days and 4 nights
- Season
- Autumn, late September to early November
- Category
- Cultural & Sightseeing
- Travel style
- Private and fully customisable
- Starts from
- Lahore or Islamabad, by air
- Region
- Skardu, Khaplu, Shigar and Ghanche, Gilgit-Baltistan
- Overnights
- Ghowari, Khaplu, Shigar, Skardu
- Difficulty
- Easy. Sightseeing based, no trekking
- Highest point
- Khaplu, approximately 2,600m or 8,530 ft
- Package
- Signature only
- Price
- From $865 USD per person. Per person on two sharing, including return airfare from Lahore or Islamabad.
Trip Highlights
- The Ghowari orchards on the Shyok River, at their absolute best in autumn
- A riverside resort stay at Ghowari, surrounded by apricot and apple gardens
- Khaplu Palace, the restored seat of the Yabgo dynasty, and its terraced gardens
- Chaqchan Mosque, founded in 1370 and one of the oldest in Baltistan
- Shigar Fort, known locally as Fong Khar, the palace on the rock
- Amburiq Mosque and Blind Lake, reached on foot through turning orchards
- Sarfaranga and Katpana cold deserts under low autumn light
- Upper Kachura Lake, with the pines held perfectly still on the water
- The clearest mountain views of the year, and the best flight in
- All fort, mosque and heritage entry tickets included
Photos
From the Golden Baltistan: 5 Day Skardu Autumn Colours Tour by Air. Swipe or use the arrows.
Day by Day Itinerary
Tap any day to open the full detail.
A short flight over the western Himalaya, and in autumn it is the best flying weather of the year. The skies are clear, the peaks are freshly dusted, and Nanga Parbat sits off the wing on the approach. You land at Skardu already at 2,228 metres, met on arrival and driven straight east.
The road follows the Indus and then the Shyok, and the colour builds as you go. Ghowari sits in Ghanche district where the river widens between orchards and Baltistan's famous tree lines, and in autumn the whole stretch runs gold. The afternoon is spent walking it: apricot, cherry and apple gardens at the tail of harvest, poplar lines turning against the rock, and the Shyok running wide and pale below. A bonfire by the river closes the day.
- Morning flight from Lahore or Islamabad to Skardu
- Met on arrival and driven east along the Indus and Shyok rivers
- Arrive at Ghowari in Ghanche district, set among apricot, cherry and apple orchards
- Afternoon walking the riverside orchards and tree lines
- Evening bonfire by the Shyok
- Overnight in a riverside resort at Ghowari
Altitude: Skardu, 2,228m or 7,310 ft. Ghowari, approximately 2,400m or 7,874 ft
A slow start, with the morning free in the orchards while the light is still low and the colour at its warmest. Then a short drive on to Khaplu, once the seat of the Yabgo dynasty and still the finest concentration of heritage in Baltistan.
Chaqchan Mosque comes first, founded in 1370 and one of the oldest surviving mosques in the region, its carved wood and Tibetan-influenced lines completely unlike anything further south. Khaplu Palace follows: a restored nineteenth century royal residence set on terraces above the valley, with walnut and apricot trees framing the gardens. October is when those terraces look their best, and there is time to sit in them properly rather than pass through.
- Morning at leisure in the Ghowari orchards
- Short drive to Khaplu
- Visit Chaqchan Mosque, founded in 1370
- Tour Khaplu Palace, the restored nineteenth century royal residence
- Evening in the terraced gardens
- Overnight in Khaplu
Altitude: Khaplu, approximately 2,600m or 8,530 ft
Back down the Shyok and across to Shigar, with a stop at the Sarfaranga Cold Desert on the way. Dunes at over two thousand metres, sitting beneath glaciated peaks, and in autumn the light across them at either end of the day is exceptional.
Shigar Fort is the day's centrepiece. Known locally as Fong Khar, the palace on the rock, it is a seventeenth century Raja's residence of Balti stone and apricot wood, restored over years of careful work and now one of the finest heritage buildings in Pakistan. From there a walk through the orchards brings you to the Amburiq Mosque, fourteenth century and the oldest in Baltistan, and on to Blind Lake, which sits quiet and green in the middle of the turning trees.
- Drive west along the Shyok and Indus
- Stop at the Sarfaranga Cold Desert
- Visit Shigar Fort, known locally as Fong Khar
- Walk to the Amburiq Mosque and Blind Lake through the autumn orchards
- Overnight in the Shigar valley
Altitude: Sarfaranga Cold Desert, 2,230m or 7,316 ft. Shigar, approximately 2,300m or 7,550 ft
The colour around Upper Kachura is at its strongest in late October, when the pines stand dark against the turning poplars and the water holds the reflection without a ripple. You take a boat out on it in the morning, which is the only way to see the far shore properly.
The afternoon goes to Soq Valley, a quieter stretch of orchards at harvest time where the walnut and apricot trees are being worked and the ground is thick with fallen leaves. Then Katpana Cold Desert for the last of the light. Katpana sits right above Skardu at over two thousand metres, and at sunset in autumn the dunes go copper while the peaks behind them stay white. It is the picture most people come back with.
- Boating on Upper Kachura Lake
- Walk through Soq Valley orchards at harvest time
- Late afternoon at the Katpana Cold Desert for the low autumn light
- Overnight in Skardu
Altitude: Upper Kachura Lake, approximately 2,500m or 8,200 ft. Katpana Cold Desert, approximately 2,226m or 7,303 ft
A slow final morning. Autumn is walnut and dried apricot season, so the Skardu bazaar is worth an hour: dried fruit, shelled walnuts, Baltistan gemstones and the last of the harvest coming down from the valleys. Then the short transfer to the airport, and on a clear morning one final run along the range before the plains come up.
- Free morning in Skardu bazaar for walnuts, dried apricots and gemstones
- Transfer to Skardu Airport
- Flight to Islamabad or Lahore, tour concludes
Altitude: Skardu, 2,228m or 7,310 ft
What Is Included
- Return airfare, Lahore or Islamabad to Skardu
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- All accommodation on twin sharing basis
- Private vehicle with an experienced driver throughout
- 4x4 jeep arranged where the terrain requires it
- Local guide for the full programme
- Entry tickets to all forts, mosques and heritage sites listed in the itinerary
- Boating at Upper Kachura Lake
- Daily breakfast at the hotel
- All toll taxes, fuel and parking
What Is Not Included
- All lunches and dinners; meals other than breakfast are on a direct payment basis
- Surface transport from Lahore to Islamabad, if the Lahore to Skardu flight does not operate on your dates, charged on an actual basis
- Travel and health insurance
- Personal expenses, shopping, laundry and gratuities
- Optional activities such as dune buggy rides and paragliding
- Costs arising from flight cancellation, road closure or weather delay beyond our control
- Any item not specifically listed under What Is Included
Good to Know
Skardu flights operate from both Lahore and Islamabad, subject to weather clearance. The Lahore route is less frequent. If no Lahore to Skardu flight operates on your dates you will fly from Islamabad instead, with surface transport from Lahore to Islamabad charged on an actual basis depending on the mode you choose. Should flights be cancelled altogether, we can arrange the alternative road journey via Naran and Kaghan with an overnight stop, at additional cost.
There is one package on this tour, Signature, and no lower tier. The per person rate covers return flights, all accommodation on twin sharing, private transport with driver, a local guide for the full programme, daily breakfast, boating at Upper Kachura, and entry tickets to every fort, mosque and heritage site listed in the itinerary. Nothing on the sightseeing route is paid at the gate.
Colour arrives in stages. Khaplu and the higher orchards turn first, usually from late September, while Skardu and Shigar peak from mid October into early November. We will advise the best window for your dates.
The Deosai plateau normally closes with the first snows around late September or early October, so it is not included in autumn departures. We substitute lower valley excursions instead.
This is an easy, sightseeing based tour with no trekking. There is walking at each stop, on orchard paths, fort steps and desert sand, but nothing sustained or steep. Skardu sits at 2,228m, which most people feel only as slightly shorter breath on stairs for the first day.
Autumn days are crisp and clear, but nights drop close to freezing at altitude from mid October. Proper layers, gloves and a warm jacket are essential.
Every tour is private and fully customisable. Hotels, pace and stops can all be adjusted to suit you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Colour usually starts in the higher valleys around Khaplu and Ghowari in late September, and peaks in Skardu and Shigar between mid October and early November. Exact timing shifts each year with the weather, and we will advise the best window once we have your dates.
Yes, when the route is operating. Skardu flights run from both Lahore and Islamabad, but the Lahore service is less frequent and is the first to be withdrawn when schedules change. If no Lahore to Skardu flight operates on your dates you will fly from Islamabad, and surface transport from Lahore to Islamabad is charged on an actual basis depending on the mode you choose.
Ghowari sits in Ghanche district on the banks of the Shyok River, on the road between Skardu and Khaplu. It is surrounded by apricot, cherry and apple orchards and by Baltistan's famous tree lines, which makes it one of the finest places in the region to see autumn colour. A riverside resort operates there, so it works as an overnight stop rather than a passing photograph.
Yes. Entry to Khaplu Palace, Chaqchan Mosque, Shigar Fort, Amburiq Mosque and every other heritage site on the itinerary is included, as is boating at Upper Kachura Lake. There is nothing to pay at the gates.
Days are crisp and clear, typically pleasant in the sun. Nights drop sharply from mid October, close to freezing at altitude, so warm layers, gloves and a proper jacket are essential.
No. It is easy and sightseeing based, with no trekking anywhere on the route. There is walking at each stop, on orchard paths, fort steps and desert sand, but nothing long or steep.
No. The Deosai plateau closes with the first snows, usually between late September and early October, which is when this tour runs. We substitute lower valley excursions instead. Deosai is a summer destination and features on our summer Skardu programmes.
Both are cold deserts near Skardu and both are on this itinerary. Sarfaranga sits in the Shigar valley and is the larger of the two, visited on Day 03 on the drive across. Katpana is right above Skardu town and is visited at sunset on Day 04, which is when it photographs best.
Breakfast is included daily at the hotel. Lunches and dinners are on a direct payment basis, so you eat where and what you like across the trip.
Yes. Every departure is private and fully customisable. Hotels, pace, stops and the balance between heritage and landscape can all be adjusted, and we will build the dates around peak colour for the year you travel.
This is a private tour, so the group is you and whoever you travel with. Pricing shown is per person on two sharing.
Autumn is walnut and dried apricot season, and both are excellent and cheap. Baltistan gemstones, dried mulberries and local apricot oil are also worth a look. The free morning on Day 05 is built in for exactly this.
Send us your dates and group size and we will confirm availability, hold the transport and rooms, and share the booking details. A booking is confirmed once we issue a written confirmation and the advance payment is received. Full terms are on our Terms and Conditions page.
Private, unless a page states otherwise. The group is you and whoever you book with, and the pace, stops and hotels can be adjusted to suit you.
Yes. Every itinerary can be lengthened, shortened or rebalanced. Tell us what matters most to your group and we will build around it.
Yes. We run team trips, offsites and company tours, can invoice against the group booking, and can adjust the programme around a work schedule.
Most are. Each page states the difficulty and any consideration for younger travellers. Tell us the ages at the time of booking so seating, rooming and pace can be planned properly.
No. Travel and health insurance is not included in any of our tours. Travellers arrange their own cover, and we strongly recommend it is arranged before departure, including cover for medical emergencies and evacuation.
Mountain travel depends on weather and road conditions, so the itinerary, timings and order of sightseeing can change. Where a disruption forces extra accommodation, meals, transport or a diversion, those additional costs are payable by the group. This is set out in full in our Terms and Conditions.
Every page carries a What Is Not Included section. As a rule, anything not specifically listed under What Is Included should be considered excluded.
The routes we operate are well travelled and we run them regularly. We follow the guidance of local authorities, adjust plans where conditions require it, and our drivers and guides know these valleys. Ordinary travel precautions apply as they would anywhere.
Some areas require a No Objection Certificate or a permit, and requirements change. Tell us at the time of enquiry if any traveller holds a foreign passport and we will confirm what is needed for that route.
Almost all of them. Everything we run in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is open to foreign passport holders. Our Azad Kashmir trips are the exception: those are open to Pakistani nationals and overseas Pakistanis only, on a CNIC, NICOP or Pakistani passport.
Coverage is patchy in the mountains and drops out entirely in the upper valleys. Expect to be offline for parts of most trips.
Often yes, at additional cost. Ask us when you enquire and we will quote it.
Prefer to talk it through?
Every trip is private and runs on your own dates, at your own pace, with the hotels you choose.
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