A Skardu Honeymoon designed around just the two of you
Heritage palaces, apricot orchards in bloom, a turquoise lake to yourselves at sunrise and a private 4×4 between it all — our Skardu honeymoon packages are the most-booked premium tier we run, year after year.
Honeymoon Tour Skardu
A honeymoon in Skardu is not about ticking off mountains. It is about waking up at Shigar Fort with apricot blossom on the breeze, taking the long way to Khaplu so the light is right at Manthoka waterfall, and ending the day on a heated verandah with the cook making whatever you fancy. Since 2014 we have designed close to a thousand Skardu honeymoons — every one of them privately guided, every one in heritage or boutique hotels, every one designed around two people and not a group.
Below is the framework we work from. Five to eight days, two heritage palaces, one cold-desert dinner, one helicopter or sunrise flight option, and a dedicated photographer day so the memory comes home with you. Pricing is per couple and the headline price covers everything except your flights into Skardu.
Where you will stay — heritage palaces, not chain hotels
Two properties anchor our Skardu honeymoon packages: Serena Shigar Fort and Serena Khaplu Palace. Both are restored 400-year-old Raja's residences, both have only a handful of rooms, and both feel like staying in a museum that someone has very kindly heated and turned into a hotel. Shigar Fort sits inside apricot orchards in the Shigar valley; Khaplu Palace is on the slope above the Shyok river in the hidden kingdom of Baltistan.
We typically split a 6-day honeymoon as two nights at Shigar Fort, two nights at Khaplu Palace, and one night at the Shangrila Resort overlooking the heart-shaped lake. Premium upgrades open up a private chalet at Shangrila and the family suite at Khaplu — both bookable on request.
The honeymoon itinerary, day by day
Day 1 — arrive Skardu. Private airport pickup, check in at Shigar Fort, late lunch under the apricot trees, and a slow walk through the village. Sunset on the fort terrace with our compliments.
Day 2 — apricot orchards by morning, Sarfaranga cold desert by afternoon. A private candlelit dinner is set out on the dunes as the stars come up — easily the most-photographed evening of every honeymoon we run.
Day 3 — drive to Khaplu via the Shyok river. Check in at Khaplu Palace, dinner in the courtyard. Day 4 — a dedicated photographer day at the Hushe viewpoint, Chaqchan mosque (one of the oldest in central Asia), and the lily ponds at Saling. Day 5 — Shangrila and Upper Kachura, a private boat on the lake, departure on Day 6.
What is included — and what makes the package premium
Honeymoon packages are deliberately small — no shared transport, no group dinners, no fixed lunch stop with a tour bus. You travel in a private 4×4 Land Cruiser with a senior driver-guide, eat where the light is best (sometimes by a river, sometimes by candlelight in a Raja's courtyard), and have a dedicated photographer for one full day to bring home professional images.
- ◆Private 4×4 Land Cruiser for the whole trip
- ◆Heritage suites at Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace
- ◆Private dinner on the Sarfaranga cold desert
- ◆Dedicated photographer day with edited gallery
- ◆Welcome flowers, cake and a hand-written note
- ◆24/7 concierge on WhatsApp
When to plan your Skardu honeymoon
Two windows stand out. Late April to mid-May, when apricot blossom blankets Shigar and Khaplu — visually unbeatable, slightly cooler nights. And mid-September to late October, when the poplars turn gold around Shangrila and the air is at its clearest for mountain views.
Summer (June-August) is warmer and easier for first-time travellers, with Deosai accessible. Winter honeymoons (December-February) are spectacular in the snow but logistically harder — flights are often cancelled and most heritage hotels close. We do not recommend Skardu honeymoons in November or March.
Pair this with the next step of your Skardu journey
Organised links to every Skardu travel service
Skardu Tour Packages built around the valley, not a checklist
Hand-crafted Skardu tour packages with private 4×4 jeeps, licensed Balti guides, boutique hotels and complete on-trip support — from a quick 3-day getaway to a 10-day grand circuit of Gilgit-Baltistan.
1 – 30 daysJeep Rental Skardu
Hire an insured Land Cruiser, Prado, Hilux or open-top Suzuki Potohar in Skardu — for the Deosai plains, K2 Concordia trailhead, Basho Valley, the Sarfaranga cold desert and the Astore-Rama loop. Daily, weekly and full-expedition hire.
5 – 9 daysSkardu Family Tour Packages designed around how families actually travel
Comfort hotels, private vehicle with car seats, easy day-routes at Shangrila and Shigar, and a paced 7-day plan with built-in rest mornings — Skardu trips designed for parents with kids and multi-generation groups.
3 – 10 daysCorporate Tour Packages
From a 3-day leadership off-site at Shigar Fort to a 60-person company expedition across Deosai, our corporate Skardu packages handle logistics, venues, breakouts and on-trip support — with proper GST invoicing for HR and finance teams.
Airport · hotel · valley transfersSkardu Airport Transfer with a local team waiting before you land
Private pickup and drop from Skardu airport to hotels in Skardu city, Shangrila, Shigar, Khaplu and nearby valleys — with flight tracking, luggage help and weather-delay support.
Budget · boutique · heritageHotel Booking Skardu
Book vetted hotels, guesthouses, heritage palaces and family stays in Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu and Shangrila — matched to your itinerary, budget and vehicle route.
Sightseeing · culture · trekkingLocal Guide Skardu
Licensed Balti guides for Skardu sightseeing, Shigar and Khaplu heritage walks, Deosai safaris, photography days, family tours and high-altitude treks.
NOC · porters · camps · 4×4Permits & Logistics Skardu for treks, expeditions and complex routes
NOC paperwork, trekking permits, jeep transfers, porter teams, camping gear, hotel staging and route operations for K2 Base Camp, Deosai, Hushe, Askole and the Karakoram.
Questions travellers ask
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Tell us your dates, group size and what you want to see. We design the itinerary, handle permits, hotels and 4×4 logistics, and stay on WhatsApp through your trip.