Raikot Bridge: Parking and Jeeps for Fairy Meadows

Raikot Bridge is the point on the Karakoram Highway where you leave your own vehicle and switch to a local jeep for Fairy Meadows. It crosses the Indus in Diamer district, about 55 km east of Chilas (an hour's drive) and about 80 km south of Gilgit. From Chilas to Fairy Meadows itself is roughly 75 km: 55 km of highway, 15 km of jeep track to Tato and a 5 km walk. A small junction village has grown up around the bridge, with a handful of hotels, shops and the jeep stand itself.

For most visitors, Raikot Bridge is a stop of an hour or two rather than an overnight, but knowing where to leave the car, how the jeep booking works and when to arrive makes that stop far less stressful. This guide covers all three.

How far is Raikot Bridge from Chilas, and Chilas from Fairy Meadows?

Raikot Bridge is about 55 km from Chilas along the Karakoram Highway, heading upstream (east) beside the Indus. Route planners give just under an hour; allow an hour to an hour and a half with checkposts and slow trucks. The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department's distance chart rounds it to 50 km. The road passes the Tatta Pani slide area, so drive through it steadily and don't stop under the slope.

Fairy Meadows is further than it looks on a map, because the last two stages are slow:

So a start from Chilas at 8 am puts most walkers on the meadow by mid-afternoon. Our Fairy Meadows hike guide covers the walk from Tato.

Where to park your car

Private cars are not allowed on the jeep track up to Tato, so everyone driving their own vehicle to Fairy Meadows leaves it at Raikot Bridge. There are two practical options:

• The hotels along the highway, several of which let guests and day visitors park inside their compound, usually for a fee or as part of a room booking. This is the simplest choice if you are also eating or resting there.
• Raikot Sarai, a separate camping and cottage property just off the highway with a dedicated parking area for hikers heading up to the meadow. Parking there has been reported at around PKR 500 a night, though it is worth confirming the current rate on arrival.

Whichever you choose, agree the price before you leave, take a photo of the car and its parking spot, and don't leave valuables inside it. Police at the bridge may also ask for your details before you go up.

How the jeep stand works

The jeeps to Tato are run by a local drivers' union at a fixed fare for the round trip, not by individual owners, so there is no haggling and no discount for booking in advance. You can only arrange the jeep in person at the stand when you arrive; nothing can be booked from a distance. Agree your return day with the driver, write down their name, phone number and the jeep's number plate, and take a photo of the vehicle so you can find it again at Tato.

The ride itself climbs about 15 km of unpaved gorge road to Tato, the last village before the walk to the meadow begins. Our guide to the Fairy Meadows jeep track covers the current fare, how the seats are shared and what the ride and the safety record are actually like.

Hotels and places to stay at Raikot Bridge

The junction village around the bridge has a few hotels, small restaurants and a mosque, enough for a meal, a rest or an unplanned night if you arrive too late to go up. The best-known is Shangrila Fairymeadows Raikot Inn, part of the long-established Shangrila group, with air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant serving Pakistani, Chinese and continental food, and secure parking with CCTV. It positions itself as the natural departure point for an early jeep, with breakfast before the ride up.

Raikot Sarai, mentioned above for parking, also has simple cottages and space for tents if you prefer to camp rather than take a room.

None of these is a destination in its own right. They exist to let you eat, sleep or wait comfortably while the jeep and the day's daylight line up.

Timing your arrival

Everything after Raikot Bridge is slow: the jeep takes 1.5 to 2 hours to Tato, and the walk on from there takes most people another two to four hours. Work backwards from dusk rather than forwards from when you happen to arrive.

• Reach the bridge by early afternoon if you plan to go up the same day. Arriving much after about 2 or 3 pm leaves too little daylight for the jeep and the walk together.
• If you arrive later, stay the night at one of the hotels here rather than pushing on. Neither the jeep track nor the footpath from Tato is somewhere to be after dark.
• If you are coming from Islamabad, come over Babusar Pass and down through Chilas in summer. The other way, the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas through Besham and Dasu, is a stretch the UK government advises against all travel on (September 2026). Overseas visitors should check their own government's advice, since it can affect insurance.
• Fill the tank and draw cash before you reach the bridge. There is no fuel station or ATM at Raikot Bridge, and none on the meadow either.
• Confirm your return time with the driver before you go up, since phone signal is unreliable beyond the bridge.

Is Raikot Bridge worth stopping at for its own sake?

Not really. It is a functional stop rather than a sight: a bridge, a jeep stand, a few hotels and a view up the gorge you are about to climb. Its value is entirely practical, as the hinge point of a trip to Fairy Meadows, and the time to spend here is only as long as it takes to park, book the jeep and have a meal.

If your goal is Fairy Meadows itself, treat Raikot Bridge as a well-organised changeover rather than a destination, and put your planning effort into arriving early and matching your return jeep to the daylight. Our Fairy Meadows destination page covers the trip beyond the bridge.

Frequently asked questions