Skardu

Skardu is the capital of Baltistan and the staging post for the greatest mountains on earth — K2 and the Baltoro giants rise behind it, and every expedition to them passes through its bazaar. You do not need to be a mountaineer to go: within an hour of town lie turquoise lakes, a cold desert, restored forts and the road up to the Deosai Plains, the second-highest plateau in the world.

What separates Skardu from a checklist destination is Baltistan itself — a distinct culture, Balti food and language, and mountain people who have supported expeditions for a century. The valley network around town (Shigar, Khaplu, Kharmang, Basho) turns a three-day stop into a week without repeating a road.

Local hosts here handle the logistics that defeat visitors — jeeps, permits for the high treks, honest prices — and booking direct sends the earnings to the valleys rather than a city agency.

The one-hour Islamabad–Skardu flight is the easiest entry in northern Pakistan and runs daily in season, but it is weather-dependent — build in a buffer day. Book early for July and August.

By road it is roughly 600 km and 12 to 15 hours from Islamabad: Karakoram Highway to the Jaglot turn-off, then the much-improved Jaglot–Skardu road along the Indus gorge. Most drivers split it with a night in Chilas or Gilgit. In summer the Babusar route via Naran is the scenic alternative.