Khaplu's main attractions are its two historic monuments — the Chaqchan Mosque and the Khaplu Palace — and the landscape that surrounds them. The town itself is small and easily covered on foot; the real rewards are in the valleys beyond, where treks into the Hushe Valley and toward Masherbrum begin.
For a day in town, start at the palace on the hill, walk down through the old bazaar, and end at the mosque by the river. The apricot orchards that surround the town are at their most spectacular in late April and early May, when they bloom white and pink against the brown rock of the mountains.