Photo: Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism DepartmentField guides / Baltistan Division / Skardu & Baltistan / Sarfaranga Cold Desert
Field guide · Nature
Baltistan Division
Shigar District · Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Sarfaranga Cold Desert
A cold desert at 2,300 m where the Shigar valley opens into Skardu, home of an annual jeep rally.
Sarfaranga is a high cold desert at about 2,300 m (7,500 ft), where the Shigar River meets the Indus and the Shigar valley opens into the Skardu valley. It takes its name from Sarfaranga village, of some 1,500 people, on its eastern edge by the Shigar River.
Why go
- ✦Dunes at the Shigar–Indus confluence
- ✦The annual Sarfaranga jeep rally
- ✦On the road from Skardu to Shigar
- ✦Sunset from the top of the dunes
About
Since 2017 the desert has hosted the Sarfaranga Cold Desert Jeep Rally each year, with more than 100 jeep drivers and bikers, including women, alongside freestyle polo, rafting, local music and food. Summers are mild and dry; winters are harsh, with temperatures below −25 °C. The Katpana desert lies across the Indus.
How to Reach
On the road from Skardu to Shigar, where the Shigar valley meets the Indus.
Responsible Travel
Use Leave No Trace principles, carry out all rubbish, avoid disturbing wildlife and livestock, and respect private/community land.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, April to October; the rally is held once a year.
Getting there, On the road from Skardu to Shigar, where the Shigar valley meets the Indus.
Allow, Two to three hours, longer at rally time.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Sarfaranga Cold Desert, within 5 km.
Nothing else genuinely close by (within 5 km of Sarfaranga Cold Desert) is published yet.
