Shangrila Resort Skardu: Entry Fees 2026, Room Prices and Weather

Get directions to Shangrila Resort25 km west of Skardu, sealed road the whole way.

What Shangrila actually is

Shangrila Resort Hotel opened in 1983 on the shore of Lower Kachura Lake, founded by Brigadier Muhammad Aslam Khan, the first commander of Pakistan's Northern Scouts. It was named after the fictional utopia in James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost Horizon, and it was the first resort hotel built anywhere in the Northern Areas.

What people call it: Shangrila Pakistan, Shangrila Lake, Lower Kachura

The same place goes by several names, which causes confusion when searching. To be clear:

• Shangrila Resort Skardu — the hotel itself, opened 1983
• Shangrila Lake or Shangrila Pakistan — informal names for the lake it sits on
• Lower Kachura Lake — the lake's actual name
• Shangrila Resort Kachura — the same property, named after the lake

They all refer to one location, about 25 km west of Skardu city. The separate Upper Kachura Lake is a five-minute walk further on and is a different, undeveloped lake.

Four decades later it remains the single most recognisable image of Skardu. Largely because the lake really is that colour. Fed by glacial melt from Upper Kachura Lake above it, the water sits in a deep turquoise that shifts toward jade at midday and near-emerald in late afternoon.

Shangrila Resort Skardu entry fees and prices (2026)

You do not need to be a hotel guest. Shangrila charges non-guests a nominal entry ticket, roughly PKR 1,000–1,500 per person, which covers the lakeside gardens, the jetty and the walking paths. Boats are hired separately at the jetty, and the restaurants are open to visitors.

Worth knowing: at PKR 1,000–1,500 per person this is the most expensive entry ticket of any sight around Skardu, and it is charged per head — a family of four pays PKR 4,000–6,000 before buying anything. Boat hire and food are on top. Budget for it rather than being surprised at the gate.

The Rock Café: the aircraft restaurant

Shangrila's best-known feature after the lake is a restaurant built inside the fuselage of an aircraft that crashed nearby decades ago. It functions as a working café rather than a museum piece. You can sit inside it for tea. Expect a queue for photographs through the middle of the day in July and August.

Shangrila Resort Skardu prices: room rates 2026

Lakeside cottage rooms run approximately PKR 29,500–35,000 per night in peak season (June–September). Rates fall outside those months, and the property is quieter from late September. See our full best hotels in Skardu comparison for how this sits against Serena Shigar Fort at a similar price, or cheap hotels in Skardu if you want the lake as a day trip instead.

Is Shangrila worth staying overnight? An honest verdict

Guest reviews are consistently split, and both sides are right. The setting, gardens and lake access draw near-universal praise. Room condition relative to a rate above PKR 29,000 draws consistent criticism.

The verdict on staying overnight

The practical conclusion most travellers reach: book one night for the dawn and dusk lake access, when the day-trippers have gone and the water is at its stillest, but don't use it as your base for the whole trip. Staying here adds 30–45 minutes to every other outing, including your early start for Deosai.

How to get there

There are handicraft shops near the Kachura lakes as well as in the city — where to shop in Skardu.

Shangrila is roughly 25 km from Skardu city on a sealed road. About 30–45 minutes depending on traffic through town. Any normal car manages it; you do not need a 4x4. The road passes Skardu Airport on the way, so from the airport it is roughly 15–18 km, about 20–25 minutes.

Best time to visit

Beating the coach parties

Arrive before 9am or after 4pm. Domestic tour groups typically fill the site between about 10am and 3pm, and both early and late windows give better light as well as fewer people. The resort and access road operate roughly May through October; in winter the lake loses much of its colour under overcast skies. See the best month to visit Skardu for the full seasonal picture.

Shangrila Resort weather

Shangrila sits at about 2,500 m, so the weather is close to Skardu town, usually 1–2°C cooler. Mornings are calm, which is when the lake is clearest for photos; a breeze builds off the water by midday. Summer days are warm, but bring a layer for early and late visits. For today's conditions see Shangrila Resort weather on our live board.

Combine it with Upper Kachura

A five-minute walk beyond the resort brings you to Upper Kachura Lake. Undeveloped, far quieter, and around 70 metres deep. Many day itineraries stop at Shangrila and turn around, which means missing the calmer of the two. Do both in one half-day; skipping one barely saves any time.

Frequently asked questions