Khaplu and the Hushe valley
Overview
A five-day journey east from Skardu to Khaplu and up the Hushe valley, with the restored Khaplu Palace, the Chaqchan mosque and the road to Hushe village under Masherbrum. Road-based, easy, and the best cultural drive in Baltistan.
Khaplu Palace
The Yabgo rajas’ palace at Khaplu, restored over several years and now run as a hotel, is the finest building in Baltistan. It sits above the town with the Shyok valley below it, and it is worth a night rather than an hour.
Chaqchan
The Chaqchan mosque at Khaplu is among the oldest in the region, timber-built and Tibetan in influence, and still in daily use. It is a working mosque rather than a monument, and we visit it on those terms — modest dress, outside prayer times, and no photography inside without asking.
Up to Hushe
The Hushe valley road climbs south from Khaplu to the last village, with Masherbrum closing the head of it. This is where every Hushe trek and every Charakusa expedition starts, and driving to the roadhead and back in a day is the easiest way to see the valley without walking into it.
When it runs
April to October.
What is inside the price
All permits and fees, our own 4x4s and drivers, hotels including Khaplu Palace if you want it, all meals, entries, and a guide on our payroll who can read the buildings. Medical kit, satellite comms in the upper valley and a published evacuation procedure. The Thalle La trek starts above Khaplu too. See the rest of Khaplu and Ghanche and our other jeep safaris.
- Duration
- 4 – 5 days
- Trek days
- 0
- Maximum altitude
- 3,000 m [confirm]
- Grade
- Easy
- Group size
- Max 10
- Guides
- 2 certified, 1 WFR
- Season
- April – October
- Starts / ends
- Skardu / Skardu
- Accommodation
- Hotels in Khaplu, the restored palace on request
- Khaplu Palace — the Yabgo rajas' residence, restored and run as a hotel
- The Chaqchan mosque, timber-built, Tibetan in influence and still in daily use
- The Hushe valley road to the last village, with Masherbrum closing the head of it
- The Shyok valley below Khaplu, one of the least-visited drives in the region
- The roadhead where every Hushe trek and Charakusa expedition starts
Private departures and group pricing
Your party, your dates. The per-person figure falls as the party grows, because the guides, the vehicles and the camp cost the same split more ways. Everything in the inclusions list applies, and the safety standard is the one published above.
| Party size | Price per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | USD 1,500 | A full crew for two people |
| 3 – 4 | USD 1,250 | |
| 5 – 8 | USD 1,050 | Second guide joins at six |
Deposit is 25% of the trip price. The payment schedule and the cancellation terms are published and sent with every quote, before you pay anything.
Day by day
Buffer days are built in, not padding. If the weather takes them, nothing downstream collapses and you are not charged twice.
01 Skardu to Khaplu Hotel
East along the Indus and the Shyok. The palace in the afternoon, at the pace it deserves.
02 Khaplu — the palace and Chaqchan Hotel
The mosque in the morning outside prayer times, the town and the terraces after.
03 Khaplu to Hushe Hotel or guesthouse
South up the valley to the last village, with Masherbrum at the head of it.
04 Hushe, and back to Khaplu Hotel
The roadhead in the morning, where the treks start, then back down the valley.
05 Khaplu to Skardu —
West along the Shyok with stops you choose, and on to whatever comes next.
What is included
- Visa sponsor letter
- All permits, park fees and NOCs
- Met inside the terminal, all transfers
- Our own 4x4s and drivers
- Certified guides and insured crew
- All meals and accommodation throughout
- Medical kit, oxygen where the route calls for it
- Satellite comms and a daily message home
- International flights
- Visa fee itself
- Travel insurance covering evacuation and repatriation
- Personal equipment
- Tips
If our price is wrong for you we will move you to a lower tier or remove a named inclusion. We do not discount a published price, and we do not cut the crew.
Fitness and difficulty — read this honestly
No fitness requirement. This is a road trip between buildings and up a valley, and the walking is short and optional throughout.
Khaplu Palace and the Chaqchan mosque are old buildings on sloping ground with stairs and uneven stone, and neither is step-free. The Hushe road is rough above Khaplu without being alarming. Tell us about mobility at enquiry and we will plan which buildings you go into rather than finding out at the bottom of a staircase.
Kit list
The full list with quantities is sent with your quote. Rental is available in Skardu for most of it, priced separately. Your kit is checked item by item in Islamabad, not the night before the trek.
Group — we provide
- All vehicles, drivers and fuel
- Group first aid
- Satellite phone where there is no mobile signal
Personal — yours
- Layers for a wide temperature range; valley heat and pass cold on the same day
- Comfortable walking shoes for short walks off the road
- Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Power bank; mains power is intermittent outside the towns
- Personal medication and a declared medical history
Safety, evacuation and insurance
Helicopter rescue in the Karakoram is not guaranteed. Weather, altitude, daylight and clearance all decide whether a helicopter flies, so every stage carries a named drive-out or walk-out plan. Your insurance must cover helicopter evacuation and repatriation to the maximum altitude on your itinerary, and we verify the certificate before the trip starts.
A graded medical kit sized to the trip, oxygen, a portable altitude chamber, a satellite phone and a messenger, and a wilderness first responder in the crew.
The lead guide’s decision to turn back is final. Not a guest, not an agent, not this office — whatever has been paid.
Getting there
Islamabad
Met inside the terminal by a member of our team, not a driver with a sign outside it. Briefing the same evening, SIM and cash sorted.
Islamabad to Skardu
A short flight that is weather-dependent, or a long road that is not. We build a buffer day either way and quote both.
On the ground
Our own 4x4s and our own drivers from Skardu onward.
Questions people actually ask
Can we stay in Khaplu Palace?
Yes, and we would. It is the finest building in Baltistan and it is run as a hotel. A night there is worth more than an hour with a guide and a camera.
How many days do I need?
Five is comfortable and includes the Hushe valley. Three covers Khaplu itself if you are short.
How fit do I need to be?
Not at all. Short optional walking. The palace and the mosque have stairs and uneven stone and neither is step-free, so tell us about mobility.
How should we behave at the mosque?
Chaqchan is a working mosque rather than a monument. Modest dress, outside prayer times, and no photography inside without asking. Your guide will tell you what is welcome.
How high does it get?
Around 3,000 m at Hushe village. We have no reliable second source for that, so it prints with a marker. There is no altitude on this trip worth planning around.
Do I need a permit?
No. Ghanche is an open zone and your Pakistan visa is the only paperwork. Entry fees at the palace and mosque are in the price.
What does it cost and what moves the price?
Hotel standard first — the palace costs considerably more than a standard hotel — then party size. Deposit is 25 per cent.
When should I come?
April to October. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable, and the Hushe valley is greenest in June.
If this one is not quite right
The commonest reason a trip is wrong is that it is too hard or too easy, not that it is in the wrong place.
- A step harder Deosai plateau and Sheosar Lake
You have already chosen the region, which is the harder decision. These run from the same roadhead.
- Khaplu & Ghanche · Trek Thalle La
- Khaplu & Ghanche · Cultural journey Baltistan forts and mosques
If this one is not right
Naltar valley
Phander and Ghizer
Babusar Pass
Easy
Shigar & Braldu · Jeep safari