Skardu and Deosai by Road: A Night at Bara Pani
A seven day overland journey through Baltistan, with a night under canvas on the Deosai plains.
- Duration
- 7 Days
- Region
- Skardu
- Trip level
- Moderate
- Departure
- Private trip
Overview
Skardu by road is a different trip from Skardu by air. You do not arrive in Baltistan, you climb into it, and by the time the Indus turns green somewhere past Jaglot you have earned the view. The route runs over the Babusar Pass in both directions, which is the shorter and by some distance the more beautiful way in. You cross the highest point of the journey, 4,173 metres, on the first morning, before you have even reached Baltistan.
The centrepiece is a night at Bara Pani, on the Deosai plains. Very few groups do this. Most take the plateau as a day trip and are back in a hotel by dark, which means they miss the two things Deosai does best: sunset with nothing between you and the horizon in any direction, and a night sky at four thousand metres with no light within fifty kilometres of your tent.
You are up there for the golden hour, the stars and the sunrise, and back down to a proper bed in Skardu the following afternoon.
Trip at a Glance
- Duration
- 7 days and 6 nights
- Tier
- Standard
- Travel style
- Overland, one night under canvas
- Difficulty
- Moderate, long driving days and a night at 4,000m
- Best window
- July to mid September, while Babusar Pass and Deosai are open
- Routing
- Islamabad to Skardu by road via Kaghan and Babusar Top, returning the same route
- Overnights
- Jaglot, Skardu for three nights, camping at Bara Pani, Naran or Batakundi
- Group size
- Minimum four travellers
- Highest point
- Babusar Top, approximately 4,173m or 13,690 ft
- What sets it apart
- A night under canvas at Bara Pani, for sunset, stars and sunrise on the plateau
- Price
- From $345 USD per person. Per person on twin sharing, from Islamabad. Minimum four travellers.
Trip Highlights
- A night under canvas at Bara Pani on the Deosai Plains, the second highest plateau in the world at over 4,000m
- Sunset, the night sky and sunrise on the plateau, which day trips miss entirely
- Sheosar Lake at 4,142m, with Nanga Parbat behind it on a clear day
- Shigar Fort, the 400 year old palace on the rock, and the Blind Lake of Shigar
- The Sarfaranga Cold Desert, dunes at 2,200m ringed by snow peaks
- Upper Kachura Lake and sunset from Kharpocho Fort above Skardu
- Babusar Top at 4,173m and Lulusar Lake, crossed at both ends of the trip
- A free evening in Skardu Bazaar for dry fruit, gemstones and Baltistan handicrafts
- The full length of the Kaghan Valley, from Balakot to the pass, at both ends of the trip
Photos
From the Skardu and Deosai by Road: A Night at Bara Pani. Swipe or use the arrows.
Day by Day Itinerary
Tap any day to open the full detail.
We leave Islamabad at half past midnight, deliberately, because it puts you on top of Babusar in the morning rather than the afternoon. The Hazara Motorway carries you as far as Mansehra while it is still dark, and from Balakot the road turns up into the Kaghan valley and follows the Kunhar river north. Breakfast is at Naran on your own account, somewhere around first light.
From there the climb begins in earnest, past Lulusar Lake and up onto Babusar Top at 4,173 metres, the highest point of the entire journey and, on a clear morning, one of the great views in Pakistan. The descent drops you onto the Karakoram Highway at Chilas, and by afternoon you are in Gilgit-Baltistan proper, ending the day at Jaglot where three of the greatest mountain ranges on earth meet within sight of one another.
- Departure from Islamabad at 12:30 am, on the Hazara Motorway through Mansehra
- Up the Kaghan Valley through Balakot and Kaghan, alongside the Kunhar river
- Breakfast stop at Naran, on your own account
- Lulusar Lake, source of the Kunhar river, in the early morning light
- Babusar Top at 4,173m, with the Nanga Parbat massif in view on a clear day
- Descend to Chilas and join the Karakoram Highway
- Junction Point, where the Indus meets the Gilgit river and the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush ranges converge
- Arrival at Jaglot in the late afternoon, check in and rest
- Approximate driving time 12 to 14 hours over roughly 490 km, including all stops
Altitude: Babusar Top, approximately 4,173m or 13,690 ft
An early breakfast and straight onto the Skardu Road, which is cut into the rock face above the Indus for almost its entire length and is one of the finest drives in the country. The river changes colour as you climb, grey to deep green, and the valley opens out into Baltistan by early afternoon.
After checking in and a short rest, the evening is given to two of Skardu's best known sights. Upper Kachura is still and green and ringed with poplars, and Kharpocho Fort, twenty five minutes on foot above the town, gives you the whole of Skardu valley at sunset with the Indus braiding across the sand flats below.
- Early breakfast at the hotel and departure for Skardu
- The Skardu Road along the Indus gorge, roughly 170 km and 5 to 6 hours
- Arrival in Skardu by afternoon, check in and rest
- Evening visit to Upper Kachura Lake at Shangrila
- Climb to Kharpocho Fort for sunset over Skardu valley and the Indus
- Return to the hotel, evening free in Skardu
Altitude: Kharpocho Fort, approximately 2,320m or 7,610 ft
A full day in Shigar, the valley that has launched almost every K2 expedition in history. Shigar Fort, known locally as Fong Khar or the fort on rock, is a seventeenth century Raja palace restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and the Balti woodwork inside is worth taking your time over. Blind Lake sits quietly in the middle of the valley with no visible inflow or outflow, which is where it gets its name.
The day is timed to finish at Sarfaranga, a genuine sand desert with dunes at over two thousand metres, standing directly beneath glaciated peaks. The last hour of light there is the reason it is left until the end.
- Breakfast, then drive across the Indus into Shigar Valley
- Visit Shigar Fort, the 400 year old palace on the rock
- Blind Lake, locally Anchan, a still lake with no visible source
- Late afternoon at the Sarfaranga Cold Desert, dunes at 2,200m ringed by snow peaks
- Optional quad bikes and dune buggies at Sarfaranga, at your own cost
- Return to Skardu in the evening
Altitude: Shigar Fort, approximately 2,300m or 7,550 ft. Sarfaranga Cold Desert, 2,230m or 7,316 ft
Check out early, leave anything you do not need on the plateau in store at Skardu, and transfer to 4x4 jeeps, because the Deosai track cannot be done in a normal vehicle. The road climbs past Sadpara Lake and then lifts you onto the plateau in a series of hard switchbacks, and the moment you top out the scale of the place is difficult to prepare anyone for.
Open rolling grassland running to the horizon in every direction with snow peaks along the rim, no trees, no villages and no signal. By late summer the flowers have gone over and the whole plateau turns gold. Camp is set at Bara Pani, where the river crosses the plain, and the evening there is the reason to do this version of the trip.
- Early check out from Skardu and transfer to 4x4 jeeps
- Drive past Sadpara Lake and climb onto the plateau
- Deosai National Park, the second highest plateau in the world
- Continue across to Sheosar Lake, with Nanga Parbat behind it on a clear day
- Return to Bara Pani, watching for Himalayan brown bear, golden marmots, red fox and ibex
- Sunset and the night sky from camp
- Overnight camping in tents at Bara Pani, with sleeping bags and mattresses
Altitude: Sheosar Lake, approximately 4,142m or 13,590 ft
Wake early if you possibly can. Sunrise over Deosai, with frost still on the grass and the peaks catching the first light before anything else does, is the single best half hour of the trip. Breakfast at camp, time for a walk around Bara Pani and photographs, then pack up and drive back down.
You are in Skardu by early afternoon and the rest of the day is deliberately kept light so everybody can recover properly from the camp night. The evening goes to Skardu bazaar, which is the right place for dried apricots, apricot kernel oil, walnuts, pashmina, gemstones and Balti caps.
- Sunrise over the Deosai plains, then breakfast at camp
- Time to walk and photograph around Bara Pani
- Drive back down the plateau, arriving Skardu by early afternoon
- Check in and an afternoon deliberately left free to rest
- Evening at Skardu Bazaar for dry fruit, handicrafts, gemstones and pashmina
- Approximate driving time 4 hours by jeep
Altitude: Descending from 4,142m to Skardu at 2,228m or 7,310 ft
The longest day of the trip, and worth knowing that Babusar rewards a second crossing rather than repeating itself. The light is completely different coming south, the pass is quieter in the afternoon, and everything you drove past in the dark on the way up is now in front of you.
From Skardu the road runs back to Jaglot and down the Karakoram Highway to Chilas, then climbs the Babusar road to 4,173 metres. On a clear day the view north from the top takes in the whole Nanga Parbat massif. The descent into Kaghan drops past Lulusar Lake and follows the Kunhar down through Besal and Burawai to Naran.
- Very early departure from Skardu with an early or packed breakfast
- Skardu Road to Jaglot, then the Karakoram Highway south through Chilas
- Climb back over Babusar Top at 4,173m, this time in afternoon light
- Descend past Lulusar Lake and follow the Kunhar river down
- Continue through Besal and Burawai to Naran or Batakundi, check in and rest
- Approximate driving time 12 to 14 hours over roughly 400 km
Altitude: Babusar Top, approximately 4,173m or 13,690 ft
A gentler morning after the day before. Breakfast at the hotel, check out, and then the run down the Kaghan valley alongside the Kunhar river through Kawai and Balakot. From Mansehra the Hazara Motorway takes over and the last stretch into Islamabad is fast and comfortable. Lunch is on your own account somewhere along the way, and Balakot or Abbottabad are both good for it.
- Relaxed breakfast and check out from Naran
- Drive down the Kaghan valley alongside the Kunhar river through Kawai and Balakot
- Optional lunch stop at Balakot or Abbottabad, on your own account
- Join the Hazara Motorway at Mansehra for the run into Islamabad
- Arrival in Islamabad in the evening, drop off at your preferred location in Islamabad or Rawalpindi
- Approximate driving time 7 to 8 hours over roughly 270 km
Altitude: Descending from Naran at 2,409m or 7,900 ft
What Is Included
- Private air conditioned transport for the full tour, Islamabad to Islamabad, with an experienced driver who knows the northern routes
- Dedicated local 4x4 jeeps for the Deosai section, Skardu to Sheosar and Bara Pani and back, with drivers
- One night of camping at Bara Pani including tents, sleeping bags and mattresses
- All accommodation as specified
- Daily breakfast at the hotel
- A tour coordinator travelling with the group for the full duration
- All fuel, toll taxes, parking, driver allowance and driver accommodation
- All sightseeing and photo stops exactly as listed in the detailed itinerary
- All applicable government taxes on our services
What Is Not Included
- Deosai National Park entry permits and fees for all guests and the vehicle
- All lunches and dinners. Meals other than breakfast are on a direct payment basis, including meals at the Deosai camp
- Entry tickets, museum fees and camera charges at forts and heritage sites, payable on site
- Boating at Kachura, horse riding, quad bikes and dune buggies at Sarfaranga, and any other optional activity
- Travel and health insurance, medical expenses and evacuation of any nature
- Personal expenses, shopping, laundry, telephone, mineral water and gratuities
- Any additional night, meal or transport arising from landslide, road closure, pass closure, vehicle breakdown or weather delay beyond our control
- Any item not specifically listed under What Is Included
Good to Know
One night in a standard hotel at Jaglot, three nights in a standard hotel in Skardu, one night camping at Bara Pani in tents with sleeping bags and mattresses, and one night at Naran or Batakundi. Property names are confirmed at the time of booking and remain subject to availability on your travel dates. Any substitution will be of the same or a better category.
Bara Pani sits at roughly 4,000m. Nights are close to freezing even in high summer and the wind is constant. Tents, sleeping bags and mattresses are provided. Proper thermals, a windproof layer, a woollen cap and gloves are not optional.
Anyone with a heart condition, asthma or high blood pressure should speak to their doctor before booking, since this itinerary sleeps at 4,000m rather than only passing through.
This route depends on Babusar Pass and the Deosai track being open, which usually means July to mid September for a camping itinerary. Deosai closes with the first snows and camping becomes unviable well before the road does.
The route depends on it in both directions. It is normally open through September and in daylight hours only, but it can close at short notice on weather. If it is shut on the day we travel the Karakoram Highway through Besham instead, which is longer, and the overnight point is adjusted accordingly.
All driving times are estimates on normal conditions. The Karakoram Highway is prone to landslides and repair work and the Skardu Road can slow without warning. We build buffer into every day, but please treat arrival times as approximate.
Skardu to Naran over Babusar is 12 to 14 hours, the same as the drive up. It is worth knowing in advance so the group can pace itself, and it is the reason day 07 is kept deliberately short.
SCOM and Zong work across most of Gilgit-Baltistan. Jazz and Telenor SIMs issued in Punjab stop working beyond Chilas. There is no signal at all on the Deosai plains, so please let your families know in advance.
ATMs are reliable only in Gilgit and Skardu and often run dry over the weekend. Card payment is not accepted by most vendors, jeep operators or small hotels. Carry enough cash for meals, shopping and personal expenses for the full trip.
Every guest must carry an original CNIC. Identification is recorded at several checkposts along the route and photocopies are not accepted.
A 50 percent advance confirms the booking and blocks hotels, jeeps and vehicles. The balance is payable at least 72 hours before departure.
More than 15 days before departure, the advance is refunded less actual supplier charges. Between 15 and 7 days, 50 percent of the total is retained. Within 7 days of departure the booking is non refundable. Entrada Travels is not liable for delays or changes caused by landslides, road blockage, pass closure or weather, and any additional cost arising from such a situation is borne by the guests. The itinerary may be adjusted on the ground by the tour coordinator where required for the safety and comfort of the group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are seven days and cover the same valleys. This one camps overnight at Bara Pani on the plateau, so you get sunset, the night sky and sunrise on Deosai, which day trips miss entirely. The other takes Deosai as a day excursion, returns to a hotel in Skardu the same evening, and spends its spare day at the Chunda Valley viewpoint instead. Choose this one for the night on the plateau. Choose the other if a hot shower every night matters more.
At Bara Pani, where the river crosses the plain. Sheosar Lake is visited during the day and the camp is set back at Bara Pani for the night.
Tents on a sharing basis, sleeping bags and mattresses. Camp meals are not included, so dinner and breakfast on the plateau are arranged locally and paid directly, in line with the rest of the trip where only hotel breakfast is included.
Close to freezing even in July and August, with constant wind. The tents, sleeping bags and mattresses are provided, but your own thermals, windproof layer, cap and gloves make the difference between a memorable night and a miserable one.
Yes, with realistic expectations. The camp is set up for you and the jeeps are close by. The two things first-timers underestimate are the cold and the absence of any facilities. If either concerns you, the Chunda Valley tour covers the same plateau by day without the night.
Roughly July to mid September for a camping itinerary. Deosai closes with the first snows and camping stops being viable before the road itself shuts.
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.
Each page lists exactly which meals are included. Where a meal is not listed, it is paid directly by travellers as you go.
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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