Blind Lake Skardu Tour: A Half-Day Trip Through Shigar Valley

If you’re building a Skardu itinerary, you’ve probably come across photos of a still, mirror-like lake sitting in an open valley with bare mountains behind it. That’s Blind Lake, and it’s one of the easiest scenic stops to add to a Skardu trip because it sits right along the road toward Shigar, not tucked away somewhere that needs a special detour. A Blind Lake Skardu tour usually takes half a day, and it works well on its own or paired with a stop at Sarfaranga Cold Desert on the same outing.

This guide covers where the lake actually is, how long the drive really takes (the numbers you’ll find online don’t always agree), what a visit involves, and what to check before you go.

Where Blind Lake Actually Is

Blind Lake is not in Skardu city itself. It sits in Shigar District, along the road that connects Skardu to Shigar town, and it gets marketed as a “Skardu attraction” simply because Skardu is the nearest city and the usual starting point for visitors. The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan’s tourism department describes it the same way: a scenic lake on the route from Skardu toward Shigar.

Locally the lake is also known as Jarba Zhou Lake or Zharba Tso. The name “Blind Lake” comes from the fact that it has no obvious visible inlet or outlet. It doesn’t have a river running in or a stream draining out that you can see from the shore, which is unusual enough that locals gave it the name. The Indus River and the Shigar River both run through the surrounding area, and the lake is generally understood to connect to the water table fed by these rivers, though there’s no single confirmed source you can point to and say “that’s where the water comes from.”

One thing worth clearing up directly: Blind Lake is sometimes confused online with Sheosar Lake, a much higher, much larger lake inside Deosai National Park. They are two completely different places, in different districts, at very different elevations. If a page tells you Blind Lake is “also known as Sheosar Lake,” that page has made an error.

On elevation, you’ll see a range of numbers floating around, including some that put the lake above 4,000 meters. That doesn’t line up with the surrounding Shigar valley floor, which sits at roughly 2,300 to 2,500 meters according to government and geographic sources. Rather than repeat a number that doesn’t check out, it’s more honest to say the lake sits at a moderate valley elevation typical of the Shigar area, not at the high-altitude range of places like Deosai.

Quick Tour Facts

Detail	Information
Tour name	Blind Lake Skardu Tour
Destination	Blind Lake (also called Jarba Zhou Lake or Zharba Lake), Shigar District
Departure / return	Skardu City
Duration	Half day, or a full day if combined with Shigar Valley or Sarfaranga Cold Desert
Distance from Skardu	Roughly 25 to 32 km by road
Drive time	Roughly 30 to 60 minutes each way, depending on road and weather conditions
Tour type	Nature and sightseeing
Difficulty	Easy to moderate
Transport	Private car, SUV, or 4×4
Best season	April to October
Price	Contact for current pricing

What the Drive and the Visit Actually Involve

This is where you’ll find the most disagreement between sources, so it’s worth addressing directly. Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and several Skardu-based tour operators, put the drive at around 30 minutes from Skardu. Others describe it closer to 45 to 60 minutes, which is plausible depending on traffic, road works, or where exactly in Skardu you start from. At least one older blog claims a three-hour drive, which doesn’t match the actual road distance and appears to be inaccurate. A distance-calculator tool even returns 574 km for the same route, which is an obvious geocoding error, not a real figure. For planning purposes, budget 30 to 60 minutes each way on a normal day, and build in extra time if there’s been recent rain, snowmelt, or road maintenance on the Skardu-Shigar road.

Once you arrive, the visit itself is straightforward. There’s a parking area near the lake, and visitor reviews mention a small entrance fee to access the lakeside area, along with a handful of food stalls selling snacks and drinks, and basic toilet facilities. These details can change from season to season and shouldn’t be treated as fixed, so it’s worth confirming current entrance arrangements with your driver or tour operator on the day.

Most visitors walk along part of the shoreline, take photos, and spend anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour at the lake itself. One visitor review mentions walking the full 9 km perimeter of the lake, but described it as a tough, uneven walk over loose rock, not something typically recommended for a casual half-day stop. If you want the scenery without the full walk, sticking to the main accessible section near the parking area is enough to get the photos and the atmosphere most people come for.

You may see claims online about boating, jet skiing, or fishing at Blind Lake. These aren’t confirmed by any reliable source we could verify, including the more detailed visitor reviews, and they shouldn’t be assumed as available. If water activities matter to your trip, ask your operator directly before booking rather than relying on what a blog post says.

Pairing It with Sarfaranga Cold Desert

Because Blind Lake sits on the Shigar road, it pairs naturally with a stop at Sarfaranga Cold Desert, one of the highest cold deserts in the world at roughly 2,300 meters (7,500 feet), and only about 20 to 40 minutes from Skardu depending on which section you visit. A typical combined outing looks like this: leave Skardu in the morning, stop at Sarfaranga first for photos on the dunes while the light is still soft, continue on to Blind Lake for an hour or so by the water, and head back to Skardu by early afternoon. This keeps the whole trip within half a day without rushing either stop.

Recommended Skardu Tour Packages for Every Traveler

Explore our recommended Skardu tour packages, carefully designed for solo travelers, families, couples, and groups. Choose from flexible Budget, Standard, and Luxury options to match your travel style and budget.

Tour(s)	Mode of Transport	Budget	Standard	Luxury
Skardu Honeymoon Packages	By Road	PKR 90,500	PKR 115,000	PKR 194,000
Hunza Tour Package	By Air	PKR 100,500	PKR 140,500	PKR 220,000
Soq Valley Skardu Tour	By Road	PKR 9,500	PKR 12,500	PKR 15,000
Baltit Fort Hunza: Karimabad’s Historic Landmark	By Road	PKR 20,000	PKR 30,000	PKR 40,000
Marsur Rock Skardu Tour	By Air	PKR 115,000	PKR 136,000	PKR 25,000
Satpara Lake Skardu	By Air	PKR 130,000	PKR 150,000	PKR 235,000
Deosai National Park Skardu Tour	By Road	PKR 168,000	PKR 250,000	PKR 390,000

Best Time to Visit

Spring through autumn, roughly April to October, is when the road and the lake are most reliably accessible. Summer (June to September) tends to offer the most stable weather and the easiest sightseeing conditions, with clear water and good light for photography. Spring brings greener surroundings but can still carry cooler mornings. Autumn is quieter, with fewer other visitors around, though days get shorter. Winter access and conditions can vary significantly depending on snowfall and road maintenance, so if you’re planning a winter visit, confirm current road status with your operator before finalizing dates.

Cost, Inclusions, and Exclusions

Pricing for this tour depends on group size, vehicle type, and season, so contact the operator directly for a current quote rather than relying on a fixed number here.

Getting There

The tour starts and ends in Skardu city. Private car, SUV, or 4×4 transport is recommended over public transport, since it lets you set your own timing for photo stops and lets your driver adjust the route if road conditions change. If you’re combining Blind Lake with Sarfaranga or a wider Shigar Valley tour, a private vehicle also avoids the hassle of arranging separate local transport at each stop.

Difficulty and Fitness Requirements

This is an easy to moderate outing. Most of the visit involves walking on flat or gently uneven ground near the parking area, which anyone in reasonably good health can manage. If you plan to walk further along the rocky shoreline, expect uneven footing and bring proper shoes. There’s no technical trekking involved and no significant altitude gain from Skardu, so this tour suits families, older travelers, and first-timers to the region.

What to Bring

• Comfortable, closed-toe shoes for uneven ground near the shore
• Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, since there’s little shade around the lake
• A light jacket or warm layer, since mornings and evenings can be cool even in summer
• Water, since there’s no guarantee of consistent bottled water availability at every stop
• Cash in small denominations, since card payment is unlikely to be available at the lake itself
• A camera or phone with a wide lens for the reflection shots the lake is known for

Important Travel Information

Mobile signal can be inconsistent once you’re outside Skardu city, so don’t rely on live navigation the whole way; your driver’s local knowledge matters more than an app here. Road and weather conditions on the Skardu-Shigar road should be checked before departure, especially outside the main summer season. There’s no ATM near the lake, so withdraw cash in Skardu before setting out. If you plan to combine this with camping or an overnight stay in Shigar, confirm accommodation and any local permissions in advance rather than assuming availability on arrival.

Booking Information

To book, contact the tour team with your preferred travel date, number of travelers, pickup location in Skardu, transportation preference, and whether you’d like to combine the trip with Sarfaranga Cold Desert or a wider Shigar Valley tour. Confirming these details in advance helps the operator arrange the right vehicle and timing for your group.