Skardu & Deosai Plains

Skardu, Pakistan — gateway to the Karakoram's giant peaks, and launchpad for the Deosai Plains, a vast alpine plateau nicknamed the "Land of Giants" for its scale and wildflower summers.

Base in Skardu to visit turquoise Shangrila and Upper Kachura lakes, then continue up onto the Deosai plateau — one of the world's highest, open only in summer when snow clears the pass road. Brown bears, marmots, and a carpet of wildflowers fill the plateau from July to September.