Skardu Apricot & Balti Food Tour
The Skardu Apricot & Balti Food Tour is a private 7-day summer journey to Baltistan for the apricot harvest, with Balti home cooking, butter tea, orchards in Shigar and Khaplu, and the lakes of Skardu.
- Duration7 Days
- StyleEasy
- DestinationsSkardu, Shigar, Khaplu
- Best SeasonJuly – August
- StayHotels
Harvest Time in Baltistan
Every summer, the villages of Baltistan turn orange as families pick and dry their famous apricots on rooftops and stones. It is the perfect time to discover Balti food, a mountain cuisine of dumplings, noodles, buckwheat and salty butter tea.
On the Skardu Apricot & Balti Food Tour you help with the harvest, cook mamtu and prapu with local families, drink butter tea in Shigar and Khaplu, and enjoy the lakes and deserts of Skardu.
Trip Highlights
- The summer apricot harvest
- Balti cooking with local families
- Mamtu dumplings, prapu and butter tea
- Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace
- Shangrila and Upper Kachura lakes
- The Katpana cold desert
Itinerary
Day 1Arrive in Islamabad
Our team meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel.
Overnight: HotelDay 2Fly to Skardu
Fly to Skardu (weather permitting). Evening at the Katpana cold desert.
Overnight: HotelDay 3Kachura lakes and orchards
Visit Shangrila and Upper Kachura Lake, then join a family for the apricot harvest.
Overnight: HotelDay 4Shigar
Visit Shigar Fort and cook a Balti meal with a local family.
Overnight: HotelDay 5Khaplu
Drive to Khaplu, visit Khaplu Palace and enjoy butter tea and local dishes in the village.
Overnight: HotelDay 6Fly to Islamabad
Buy dried apricots in the bazaar and fly to Islamabad (or drive if flights are cancelled).
Overnight: HotelDay 7Depart
Private transfer to the airport.
Overnight: —The apricot harvest depends on the season and altitude. We time your trip with local farmers to catch the best of it.
What's Included
Included
- Private airport pick-up and drop-off
- Hotels in Islamabad and Skardu
- Domestic flights Islamabad–Skardu–Islamabad, or road transport if flights are cancelled
- Private 4x4 vehicle with an experienced driver
- English-speaking local guide
- Cooking session and meals with local families
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- Letter of invitation (LOI) for your Pakistan visa
Not Included
- International flights to Pakistan
- Pakistan visa fee
- Travel insurance
- Drinks and extra meals not listed
- Tips and personal expenses
Why Choose the Skardu Apricot & Balti Food Tour?
The Skardu Apricot & Balti Food Tour lets you taste a cuisine that few travellers ever try, in the season when the villages are at their busiest and happiest.
Explore more of the region on our Skardu & Deosai Photography Tour, or take the Deosai Plains Jeep Safari.
Before you travel, read our Pakistan visa guide, or browse all our food tours in Pakistan.
Plan the rest of your trip
Good to Know
Private & Flexible
Every food tour is private, with your own guide and 4x4. We adapt dishes for vegetarians and allergies.
Visiting Homes
Balti families are very welcoming. Remove your shoes indoors and ask before taking photos of family members.
Mountain Flights
Flights to Skardu depend on the weather. If they are cancelled, we drive the Karakoram Highway instead.
When to Go
The apricot harvest is usually in July and August. Read our guide to the best time to visit Pakistan.
Reserve Your Place on the Tour
Message us with your dates and food preferences, and our team will plan your Skardu food trip and send you a quote.
