Best Camping Spots in Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Rules

Camping in Gilgit-Baltistan works best at a few established places: the lodge campsites at Fairy Meadows and Beyal, the fixed trek camps below Rakaposhi, the Rama meadows above Astore, the Basho meadows near Skardu, and the tent village that goes up at Shandur for the polo festival. The rules have tightened. The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department says camping is allowed in designated areas with a permit, and night camping on Deosai, once the best-known camp in the north, has been banned since a bear attack in September 2025. Bring a warm sleeping bag: at 3,000 metres and above, nights are cold even in July.

This guide covers the rules, the best spots and how to reach them, what the nights are like through the season, where to find gear, and how to camp safely.

The rules: where can you camp?

The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department's own guidance is short: camping is allowed in designated camping areas, visitors are required to obtain a permit from the department before setting up their tents, and everyone should follow Leave No Trace and take their waste away. Commercial campsites, tent villages and glamping sites need a licence from the department under a 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan law.

In practice that means:

• Use an established site where one exists: a lodge's camping ground, a licensed camp or a recognised trek campsite.
• Ask before pitching anywhere else. Most meadows and pastures are village land, grazed in summer. Ask in the nearest village, and at the forest department where there is one, as in Naltar.
• National parks have their own rules. Ask at the park checkpoint what is permitted that season rather than assuming.
• Stay away from border areas and army posts, including the top of the Khunjerab Pass.

If a local official, a village elder or a park ranger asks you to move, move.

What happened to camping on Deosai?

For years Deosai was the classic camp in the north, with tents at Bara Pani, Kala Pani and Sheosar Lake. In September 2025 a Himalayan brown bear attacked and injured a visitor camping near Bara Pani, and the Gilgit-Baltistan government banned camping on the plateau at night. In December 2025 it also banned seasonal hotels and other commercial activity inside the park from the 2026 season.

So Deosai is now a day trip for most people. Rules like these can change from year to year; check with the forest and wildlife department in Skardu or at the park checkpoint before planning a night there, and never pitch a tent on the plateau on the off-chance. Our Deosai National Park guide has the background.

The best camping spots

Fairy Meadows and Beyal

The easiest good camping in Gilgit-Baltistan. Several lodges on the meadow set aside ground for tents, with their own tents and bedding for hire or a pitch for yours, and you get the use of the lodge's dining room. A pitch for your own tent was about PKR 1,000 to 2,000 a night in 2025–26 reports. Beyal, higher up and closer to Nanga Parbat, has a handful of basic camps. Our Fairy Meadows hotels guide covers the lodges.

Rakaposhi base camp

From Minapin in Nagar, a well-used trail climbs to Hapakun, a campsite two to three hours up, and on to Tagaphari, the base camp at about 3,300 metres below Rakaposhi and Diran. Most walkers split the climb of about 1,250 metres over two days and camp at the fixed sites, which have water. Local guides and porters are available in Minapin.

Rama, above Astore

A meadow and forest about 11 km above Astore by jeep, with Rama Lake a further climb and views of Nanga Parbat. Camping here is a long-standing summer tradition; ask locally where tents are currently allowed.

Basho meadows, near Skardu

A side valley west of Skardu, reached by a rough jeep track from the Skardu road, with meadows and forest roughly between 2,700 and 3,000 metres. It is quiet and green, and much less visited than Deosai. Go with a local jeep and driver.

The Naltar lakes

Camping near the lakes above Naltar Bala is possible in summer. Ask in Naltar Bala whether you need permission from the forest department, and don't camp on the lakeshore itself.

Shandur, at festival time

A tent village goes up on the pass for the polo festival, which was held on 11 to 13 June in 2026. Nights at about 3,700 metres can drop below freezing, and facilities are basic and crowded; our Shandur Polo Festival guide covers the camps.

How cold does it get?

Colder than people expect, because the campsites are high:

• July and August: around 10°C at night at 3,300 metres, as at Fairy Meadows, and colder at Beyal or Shandur.
• June and September: a few degrees colder, around 6°C at Fairy Meadows.
• May and October: below freezing at most campsites. Snow can fall on any high camp.

The ground takes more heat from you than the air, so a good mat matters as much as the bag. Afternoon storms are common in summer, so pitch before mid-afternoon and make sure the tent is properly waterproof.

Gear: bring it or hire it

Bring your own if you can: you know it works. If you are flying, remember that gas canisters are not allowed on aircraft, so plan to buy fuel locally or eat at a lodge.

If you need to hire, trekking and tour operators in Skardu, Gilgit and Karimabad rent out tents and sleeping bags, and the lodges at Fairy Meadows hire tents with bedding. Quality varies, so check the zips and poles, and ask what temperature the sleeping bag is rated for.

A basic list:

• A waterproof tent that stands up to wind
• A sleeping bag rated to around 0°C for summer, and colder for Shandur, May or October
• An insulated sleeping mat
• Warm layers, a hat and gloves for the evening
• A head torch and a power bank; there is no signal at most high camps
• Water purification tablets or a filter
• Strong rubbish bags, to carry every scrap out

Camping safely

• Bears. Himalayan brown bears live on Deosai and bears are found in other high valleys too. Cook away from the tent, keep food sealed and never leave rubbish out.
• Water. Don't camp in dry stream beds or on low river banks. Flash floods and glacial lake outbursts come down side streams with little warning, and the tourism department's advice is not to stop near streams and riverbanks in bad weather.
• Rockfall. Pitch away from the foot of loose slopes.
• Altitude. Sleeping high is harder than visiting high. Our guide to altitude sickness in Gilgit-Baltistan explains how to pace a trip.
• Tell someone. Leave your plan and return time with your hotel or driver.

Is camping the right choice?

It suits groups of friends, trekkers and families with older children who have camped before. A night at Fairy Meadows or below Rakaposhi under a clear sky is one of the best things you can do in the north.

It suits small children, older parents and first-time campers less, because the nights are cold and the facilities basic. For them, a lodge cabin at Fairy Meadows or a valley hotel with a day trip gives the same views with a warm bed. If you want a route that fits a night or two of camping around lodges and hotels, tell us the shape of your trip and we will draft it day by day. Our travel guide covers the altitude and weather that shape any trip north.

Frequently asked questions