Rama Lake Astore: Hike, Access and Camping

Rama Lake is a glacier-fed lake at about 3,500 metres under the eastern side of the Nanga Parbat massif, above Astore town in Gilgit-Baltistan. To reach it you take a jeep from Astore up to Rama meadows, about an hour's drive, then walk roughly 4 km to the lake, which takes most people one and a half to two hours each way. The trail is usually clear of heavy snow from late June to September.

The drive is short and the walk is moderate, which makes this one of the easier ways in Gilgit-Baltistan to stand beside a high glacial lake. This guide covers the jeep ride, the walk, how hard it is, and where to camp.

How do you get to Rama Lake?

The trip has three stages: reaching Astore, driving up to Rama, and walking to the lake.

Reaching Astore. Astore town sits at about 2,550 metres, off the Karakoram Highway south of Gilgit. From Islamabad it is a long two-day drive, or you can fly to Gilgit and drive about four hours from there. Our guide to driving from Islamabad to Astore covers the routes and where to stop overnight.

Astore to Rama meadows. A steep, narrow road climbs west out of Astore through village fields and into the forest. It is short, but it gains about 750 metres, and after rain the unpaved and broken sections get slippery. Local jeeps do the run all through the summer and are easy to find in Astore. Some people take their own high-clearance cars up in dry weather; an ordinary sedan is a poor choice.

Rama meadows to the lake. The road proper ends at the meadows, where the rest houses, guesthouses and campsites are. From here the lake is on foot. Some local jeeps go a little further up a rough track towards the head of the valley, which shortens the walk, but the track is narrow and not always passable.

The walk from Rama meadows to the lake

The route follows the stream up the valley towards the glaciers under the Chongra peaks, the eastern outliers of Nanga Parbat. It is a path rather than a waymarked trail, so if you are unsure of the way, ask at the meadow before you set off.

A typical walk runs like this:

1. Leave the meadow by 8 or 9 in the morning. Cloud often builds over the peaks as the day goes on, and the lake looks best in the morning light.
2. Through the last of the forest. The path climbs gently beside the stream, past the edge of the pines and junipers.
3. Across the glacier tongues. Higher up you cross the ends of small glaciers and, early in the season, old snow. The crossings are short; go carefully and keep children close.
4. The final climb. A short, steeper pull, and the lake appears as you come round a ridge, below the ice.
5. An hour at the lake, then the same way down, which is quicker.

Plan on four to five hours for the round trip from the meadow, including time at the lake. The height gain is modest, about 200 metres between the meadow and the lake, but the ground is rough and there are small ups and downs along the way.

The lake itself is turquoise, fed by the Chongra glaciers above it. On a still, clear morning the peaks reflect in the water, and the colour dulls quickly once the sun goes behind cloud.

How hard is the Rama Lake hike?

For a reasonably fit adult it is a moderate half-day walk. You don't need to be a trekker, but you do need decent shoes and a steady pace.

A few things make it harder than the distance suggests:

• The altitude. You are walking between 3,300 and 3,500 metres. Most people feel it as heavier breathing on the climbs. If you drove up from the Karakoram Highway the same day, give yourself a night at Rama or Astore before the walk.
• The glacier crossings. Short, but the ice is uneven and can be slick in the early morning. Early in the season, when more snow is lying, they take longer.
• The weather. It can go from sunshine to cold rain in an hour. Turn back if cloud comes down over the path.

Children who are used to walking usually manage it well. For older parents or anyone with a heart or lung condition, the meadow itself is the better goal, and it is worth asking a doctor before the trip. Our travel guide has more on altitude in the north.

Camping at Rama: the meadow or the lake?

Most people who camp stay in the meadow. There are established campsites among the trees, water from the stream, and rest houses and guesthouses nearby for meals and toilets. It is sheltered, it is where local people expect campers to be, and it makes the lake an easy morning walk.

Camping at the lake is possible if you carry full gear up, and the sunrise on the water is the reward. It is noticeably colder than the meadow, exposed to wind off the ice, and a long way from help. Only do it with a proper cold-weather tent and sleeping bag, and ask at the meadow before you go up whether camping at the lake is allowed that season.

Wherever you camp:

• Use a gas or kerosene stove. The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department asks visitors not to burn firewood.
• Carry all your rubbish back down to Astore. There is no collection at the lake.
• Keep away from the edge of the ice and the lake shore under it.

For the rest houses, guesthouses and the forest around the meadows, see our guide to Rama meadows.

When is the best time for Rama Lake?

Late June to September is the season for the walk. The meadow and the lake are under snow for much of the year, and in May and early June there is often still snow on the upper path and ice on the lake.

July and August are the greenest months and the busiest, especially around Eid and the school holidays. Astore itself is fairly dry in summer, but storms and landslides on the roads into the valley can still hold you up; in July 2026 the Astore road was cut for six days by river erosion. September is quieter, with clearer skies and cold nights.

By October the nights at Rama are freezing and the path can ice over. Our guide to the best time to visit Astore valley covers when Rama, Minimarg and the Deosai road open and close.

What to carry for the walk

• A warm layer and a waterproof jacket, even on a sunny morning
• Walking shoes or boots with a good grip; trainers are fine in dry weather, but they slip on the ice
• Water and snacks; don't count on buying anything above the meadow
• Sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen
• Cash for the jeep and for tea in the meadow, since there are no card machines or ATMs at Rama

Is Rama Lake worth the trip?

If you are already in Astore, yes. It is the easiest high lake in the valley to reach, and the combination of forest, meadow and ice under Nanga Parbat is hard to match without a much longer trek.

It is less convincing as a destination on its own from Islamabad. Astore is a long way from anywhere, and a trip built around one half-day walk means four days on the road for a morning at the lake. It makes more sense as part of a few days in the valley with the Rupal side of Nanga Parbat or Deosai. Comparing it with Fairy Meadows: Rama has no long jeep ride on a ledge above a gorge and no two- to four-hour walk just to reach the meadow, but it also has fewer facilities.

If you want help fitting Astore into a wider trip through Gilgit-Baltistan, send us your dates on our trip planning page.

Frequently asked questions