Deosai Plains Safari

Deosai is a national park and a high plateau averaging over 4,000 metres, cut off by snow for most of the year and open roughly from June to September. In that window it turns to open grassland and wildflowers, threaded with glacial streams and standing water at Sheosar Lake.

It is protected habitat for the Himalayan brown bear, along with golden marmots and a wide range of alpine birds. The crossing between Skardu and Astore can be done in a long day, or broken with a night camped on the plateau — which is the version worth doing if the weather is settled.