How much does a Skardu trip cost from Islamabad?

For 7 days for two people in July, driving your own car and staying in standard hotels, expect about Rs 202,500 – Rs 318,000 in total, or Rs 101,300 – Rs 159,000 per person. A budget trip for two comes to about Rs 124,000 – Rs 188,000, and a comfort trip about Rs 375,000 – Rs 654,500.

What is the cheapest way to visit Skardu from Islamabad?

Travelling alone by bus and coaster and staying in guesthouses, a 7-day trip costs roughly Rs 114,000 – Rs 187,500. Groups of four or more usually do better sharing a car, because fuel and jeep hire are split.

How many days do you need for Skardu?

Plan on 7 days from Islamabad: 3 in Skardu itself plus the journey. Add a spare day for weather or road closures — the mountains rarely run to schedule.

Skardu trip cost in 2026

A 7-day trip for two from Islamabad, driving your own car and staying in standard hotels, comes to about Rs 202,500 – Rs 318,000. Change anything below — days, people, month, how you travel — and the estimate updates.

Islamabad → Skardu · 7 days · 2 people · July

Rs 202,500 – Rs 318,000

Total for the group · Rs 101,300 – Rs 159,000 per person

Peak season: book rooms ahead, and expect another 30–50% on Eid and long weekends.

Accommodation1 room × 6 nights, peak-season rates	Rs 78,000 – Rs 140,400
Food2 people × 7 days	Rs 48,300 – Rs 72,400
Fuel≈1,550 km for 1 car	Rs 36,600 – Rs 40,900
Sightseeing and activities4 activities	Rs 21,000 – Rs 35,400
Buffer (10%)Road closures, an extra night, tips	Rs 18,400 – Rs 28,900

Estimates from typical prices, last reviewed September 2026. Prices in the north change with season and fuel — treat this as a planning range, not a quote.

Things to do

Untick anything you will skip.

Deosai Plains jeep day1 jeepRs 12,000 – Rs 20,000
Shangrila and Upper Kachura lakes2 peopleRs 1,000 – Rs 2,400
Shigar Fort2 peopleRs 2,000 – Rs 3,000
Manthoka waterfall and Basho valley jeep1 jeepRs 6,000 – Rs 10,000

Day by day

1
Islamabad → Chilas
About 15 hours by road to Skardu, split over 2 days. Start early.
2
Chilas → Skardu
Last leg. Mountain roads are slow — do not plan to drive after dark.
3
Lakes
Upper Kachura and Shangrila lakes, then the Katpana cold desert for sunset.
4
Deosai Plains
Full day by jeep across the second-highest plateau on earth to Sheosar Lake. July to September only.
5
Shigar
Shigar Fort and the Sarfaranga desert on the way back.
6
Skardu → Chilas
About 15 hours back, split over 2 days.
7
Chilas → Islamabad
Final leg home.

With more days you could add: Kharmang, Khaplu.

Skardu from Islamabad: cost by travel style

Two people, 7 days, own car, July.

Style	Total for two	Per person
BudgetGuesthouses, dhabas, shared rooms	Rs 124,000 – Rs 188,000	Rs 62,000 – Rs 94,000
StandardDecent hotels, restaurant meals	Rs 202,500 – Rs 318,000	Rs 101,300 – Rs 159,000
ComfortBest hotels in town, 4x4 vehicles	Rs 375,000 – Rs 654,500	Rs 187,500 – Rs 327,300

About Skardu

Skardu is the gateway to Baltistan — high deserts, the Deosai Plains and some of the clearest lakes in the country, with the only all-weather airport in the north.

Getting there

By road, the Babusar Pass route takes about 14–15 hours in summer; the Karakoram Highway via Besham adds several more. Skardu has direct flights from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, and they are far more reliable than Gilgit's.

Best time to go

June to September. Deosai opens only from July to September, and that is when most people go.

Busiest (and priciest): June, July, August.

Tips that save money

Book flights early in summer; fares on the Islamabad route double in the last two weeks.
Deosai needs a proper 4x4 jeep and a driver who knows it — a sedan will not make it.
Nights are cold even in August at Deosai and Khaplu; pack a warm layer.

Questions people ask

How much does a Skardu trip cost from Islamabad?: For 7 days for two people in July, driving your own car and staying in standard hotels, expect about Rs 202,500 – Rs 318,000 in total, or Rs 101,300 – Rs 159,000 per person. A budget trip for two comes to about Rs 124,000 – Rs 188,000, and a comfort trip about Rs 375,000 – Rs 654,500.
What is the cheapest way to visit Skardu from Islamabad?: Travelling alone by bus and coaster and staying in guesthouses, a 7-day trip costs roughly Rs 114,000 – Rs 187,500. Groups of four or more usually do better sharing a car, because fuel and jeep hire are split.
How long does it take to get from Islamabad to Skardu?: About 15 hours by road each way, which most people split over 2 days. By road, the Babusar Pass route takes about 14–15 hours in summer; the Karakoram Highway via Besham adds several more. Skardu has direct flights from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, and they are far more reliable than Gilgit's.
How many days do you need for Skardu?: Plan on 7 days from Islamabad: 3 in Skardu itself plus the journey. Add a spare day for weather or road closures — the mountains rarely run to schedule.
When is the best time to visit Skardu?: June to September. Deosai opens only from July to September, and that is when most people go.