Trip from Islamabad to Skardu

[suffyanzahid]

AOA guys, I'm planning a trip with my friends from Islamabad to Skardu in the second week of august. We will be using our own car(Fortuner) and will be sticking to the plan mentioned below(copied from a tour company). We haven't been to skardu before so I would like you guys to suggest some improvements in this plan. Also suggest good hotels to stay in. We are a group of 4. We are also planning on camping in Deosai, so if someone can help with that, we'll be very thankful. As we will be using our own car, we won't mind spending a day or two extra there, we just don't want to miss out on anything (we missed Hussaini on our trip to hunza last year ).
Day 1
-Pick Islamabad members at 3:00 am
-Breakfast at Balakot 08:00 am and continue journey
-Short stay in Naran , Lulusar Lake and Babusar Pass
-Arrival in Chilas 7:00pm and transfer to hotel
-Dinner 8:00 pm
-Overnight stay in Chilas

Day 2
-Breakfast 7:00 am
-Departure for Skardu 8:00 am
-Short stay in route at Nanga Parbat View Point
-Continue journey for Skardu
-Arrival in Skardu and transfer to hotel
-Dinner 8:00 pm
-Overnight stay in Skardu

Day 3:
-Breakfast 8:00 am
-Departure for Shigar Valley 9:00 am
-Visit Shigar Cold Desert and Katpana Lake (Distant View)
-Visit Shigar Valley and Shigar Fort
-Visit Manthoka Waterfall
-Drive back to Skardu till evening
-Dinner 8:00 pm
-Overnight stay in Skardu

Day 4
-Breakfast 8:00 am
-Transfer to 4x4 jeeps and departure for Deosai Plains 9:00 am
-Visit Sadpara Lake, Deosai Plains, Bara Pani, Sheosar Lake
-Drive back to Skardu
-Enjoy delicious BBQ & Bonfire
- Overnight stay in Skardu

Day 5
-Breakfast 8:00 am
-Visit Shangrila Lake and Upper Kachura Lake
-Free time for shopping in skardu city
-Arrival in Skardu in evening and transfer to hotel
-Dinner 08:00 pm
-Overnight stay in Skardu

Day 6
-Breakfast 8:00 am
-Departure from Skardu 8:30 am
-Continue journey for Chilas
-Arrival in Chilas at 8:00 pm
-Overnight stay in Chilas

Day 7
-Breakfast 6:00 am
-Departure for Lahore 7:00 am (Sharp)
-Arrival in Naran 3:00 pm
-Lunch 3:30 pm
-Arrival in Islamabad 12:00 am

[suffyanzahid]

Also, if someone has been to Skardu in a Fortuner, can you tell me how many litres of fuel did your car consume during the whole trip?

[rehankillbill]

@nagar1 help him out

[nagar1]

aoa bhai,
Why don't you go to Astore on the first day instead of Chillas?

[nagar1]

You can plan as follows
Day 1 Islamabad to Astore
Day 2 Astore- Chillum- Minimerg (if you get permission from Army) -Deosai bara pani (camping)
Day 3 Deosai to Skardu Covering Satpara Lake. Nigh Stay Skardu
Day 4 Skardu To Shigar Valley/ Fort Covering desert and back to skardu.
Day 5 Skardu to Mantokha Waterfall and Khamash Waterfall /Kharmang Valley - Back to skardu
Day 6 Skardu Shagrilla Lake, Upper Kachura Lake ,Katpana
Day 7 skardu to chillas

[suffyanzahid]

WS brother. Thank you for the input, I really appreciate it. Any other changes or additions you'd want us to add?

[nagar1]

The day you are visiting Shangrilla /Kachura You can add Soq village in your trip as well. You can leave early from skardu go straight to Soq have some fun there in water return back to go to Upper kachura lake and then finally to Shangrilla , have tea roam around and leave for skardu. Or as the next day you will be leaving skardu you can stay at any hotel in Shangrilla. Shangrilla hotel it self is too expensive but you can book rooms in Tibet motel on the far side of shangrilla lake.

[suffyanzahid]

Thank you.
One more thing, for camping do we have to take our own camp with us or can we also rent it there?

[homayoon]

tents are available at most of the places however it is advisable to carry ones own sheets and blankets etc as I avoid used bedding

[suffyanzahid]

Thank you. We do carry our own sheets, blankets and pillow covers on every trip.