How Much Does Skardu Cost per Day
A full breakdown of Skardu prices: daily budgets by tier, every itemised cost from the guide, and where the money actually goes.
The short answer
Budget travellers in Skardu spend around PKR 6,000 a day. Mid-range travel runs closer to PKR 16,000, and a splurge day lands around PKR 40,000. Per person per day in PKR, roughly USD 21 / 57 / 143 at an approximate rate of PKR 280 per USD; this rate is not independently verified and PKR/USD has moved a great deal, so treat it as indicative only. Skardu runs noticeably higher than lowland Pakistan because of jeep hire, fuel, and lodge prices.
Daily cost breakdown
- Stay
- Food
- Transport
- Activities
| Tier | Stay | Food | Transport | Activities | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | PKR 2,500 | PKR 1,500 | PKR 1,500 | PKR 500 | PKR 6,000 |
| Mid-range | PKR 8,000 | PKR 3,000 | PKR 4,000 | PKR 1,000 | PKR 16,000 |
| Splurge | PKR 25,000 | PKR 8,000 | PKR 6,000 | PKR 3,000 | PKR 42,000 |
A mid-range day: a guesthouse room near Satpara Road or Kachura around PKR 8,000, a shared jeep day rate split with others toward PKR 3,000-4,000 per person, simple restaurant meals around PKR 3,000 for the day, and PKR 1,000 in incidental entry fees and tea stops. Comes to roughly PKR 15,000-16,000, indicative only given how much jeep hire varies by distance.
Every priced item in this guide
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Skardu Bazaar and old town | free to walk |
| Balti-style mutton and apricot dishes | PKR 800-1,800 |
| Chapshuro | PKR 200-450 |
| Freshwater trout | PKR 800-2,000 |
| Apricot everything: dried, juice, oil and kernels | PKR 500-1,400 per kg |
| Butter tea (paiyu cha) | PKR 100-250 |
| Roadside dhaba meals along the Skardu road | PKR 200-500 |
How to spend less
- Split jeep hire with other travelers at your guesthouse rather than booking a private vehicle for Deosai or Shigar
- Eat at the bazaar's local restaurants rather than hotel dining rooms, standard Balti and Pakistani meals cost a fraction there
- Skip Upper Kachura's boat rental if you've already done Satpara's, the two experiences are similar
- Travel by road one direction and fly the other if your schedule allows, it hedges against a flight cancellation eating your whole trip