Gilgit to Fairy Meadows: Route, Timing and the Jeep

Gilgit to Fairy Meadows is a one-day journey: about 80 km south on the Karakoram Highway to Raikot Bridge, 1.5 to 2 hours by car, then a local jeep 15 km up to Tato and a walk of two to four hours to the meadow. The whole thing takes six to eight hours, so leave Gilgit by 9 or 10 am at the latest and aim to be at Raikot Bridge by early afternoon, which leaves enough daylight for the jeep and the walk.

Gilgit has the nearest airport to Fairy Meadows with regular flights, and it is the natural starting point if you fly in from Islamabad or come down from Hunza. This guide covers the drive, how to time the jeep, getting there without a car, and the trip back.

The drive south from Gilgit

From Gilgit you join the Karakoram Highway and head south, following the Gilgit river down to its meeting with the Indus. It is paved all the way, and a much easier drive than the Kohistan stretch below Chilas. The landmarks, in order:

1. The Skardu road turn-off at Alam Bridge, where the road to Skardu leaves the highway to the east.
2. The junction of three mountain ranges, about 40 km from Gilgit near Jaglot, where a monument marks the meeting of the Himalaya, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush above the confluence of the Gilgit and Indus rivers.
3. Jaglot, a roadside town with shops and tea.
4. Talechi, where the Astore road branches off and the roadside Nanga Parbat viewpoint looks south to the mountain you are about to walk towards.
5. Raikot Bridge, about 12 km further on, where the highway crosses the Indus and the Fairy Meadows jeeps wait.

On the way down, keep the stops short: a quarter of an hour at the viewpoint is plenty. Save the junction and the viewpoint for a longer look on the way back, when the jeep's timing no longer matters.

Before you leave, fill the tank and withdraw enough cash for the jeep, your rooms, food and any horses. Gilgit is the last place on this route to count on an ATM, and there is none at Raikot Bridge or on the meadow.

Timing the jeep connection

Everything after Raikot Bridge is slow, so work backwards from dusk. The jeep takes 1.5 to 2 hours to Tato, and the walk takes most fit adults two to three hours, up to four with children or older parents. The path runs through forest for much of the way, so it gets dark there before the open valley does. In June and July the sun sets at about 7 pm; by mid-September it sets around 6 pm, and the margin shrinks.

A day that works, leaving Gilgit at 9 am:

If you reach Raikot Bridge after about 3 pm, don't go up that day. Sleep at one of the simple hotels at the bridge and take the jeep in the morning, rather than walking the last stretch in the dark.

The jeeps are run by a local drivers' union at a fixed fare per jeep for the round trip, and you agree your return day when you book. Our Fairy Meadows jeep track guide covers the fare, the rules and the safety record.

Flying in: Islamabad to Gilgit and on the same day

The quickest way to Fairy Meadows from the south is the PIA flight to Gilgit, scheduled at a little over an hour, followed by the drive above. Gilgit airport is only about 2 km from the city, so if a morning flight lands on time you can be on the road south within an hour and on the meadow the same evening.

The flight only operates in good visibility and is often cancelled, so don't build a plan that only works if it flies on time. Keep a spare day, and have a hotel in Gilgit in mind in case you land too late to reach Raikot Bridge by early afternoon. Our guide to the Islamabad to Gilgit flight covers fares and how to plan around cancellations.

Coming from Hunza

Karimabad is 2 to 3 hours from Gilgit, so Hunza to Fairy Meadows is a long but possible day. Leave Karimabad by 7 am, pass Gilgit without stopping, and you should reach Raikot Bridge around midday. If you can't leave that early, sleep in Gilgit and go on in the morning.

Without a car of your own

You don't need a car to make this trip:

• A hired car and driver from Gilgit. Hotels in Gilgit can arrange one. The driver can either wait at Raikot Bridge or in Chilas while you are on the meadow, or drop you and come back on the day you return. Agree which, and the price, before you leave.
• Shared vans towards Chilas. Shared vans and cars heading for Chilas leave from Gilgit's general bus stand in Jutial in the morning. Tell the driver you want Raikot Bridge. They tend to leave when full, so get there early.
• Coming back by shared transport. At Raikot Bridge, vans and cars heading north to Gilgit pass through during the day. Ask at the tea shops by the bridge, and don't leave it late in the afternoon.

Coming back to Gilgit

The return mirrors the journey up. Walk down from the meadow in the morning, meet the jeep at Tato by late morning, and you are at Raikot Bridge by early afternoon and back in Gilgit by late afternoon. That leaves time for the viewpoint and the junction of the three ranges on the way.

Confirm the jeep pick-up time the evening before, through your lodge if your phone has no signal. If heavy rain has fallen, ask about the jeep track and the Karakoram Highway before you start down, and don't book a flight out of Gilgit for the same afternoon.

What can go wrong

• The flight doesn't go. Wait for the next one or drive; either way, the day's plan moves back.
• A slide closes the highway. The highway around Raikot Bridge, and the Tatta Pani stretch just beyond it towards Chilas, is prone to slides, above all in July and August. Check the Karakoram Highway road status before you leave Gilgit.
• Rain on the jeep track. Heavy rain can close the track to Tato for hours or days. If it is pouring, wait rather than pressing a driver to go.
• Arriving at Raikot Bridge too late. Stay the night at the bridge rather than walking in the dark.
• Heavy bags. Everything you carry goes up in a bouncing jeep and then on your back or a horse. Leave what you don't need at your Gilgit hotel; our Fairy Meadows packing list covers what to take.

Is Gilgit the best starting point?

Gilgit is the best base if you are flying, if you are combining Fairy Meadows with Hunza, or if you want to avoid driving the long road from Islamabad. The drive to Raikot Bridge is short and easy, and Gilgit has more hotels, shops and ATMs than anywhere closer.

If you are driving up from Islamabad or Lahore, going to Gilgit first adds about 80 km each way for no gain; stop in Chilas or at Raikot Bridge instead. And whichever way you come, give the meadow two nights if you can. Our Fairy Meadows destination page explains why the mountain rewards a second morning.

Frequently asked questions