9 days
Easy
Hunza Valley and the Khunjerab Pass
Nine days from Islamabad: fly to Gilgit, stay in Karimabad and Passu, and drive the Karakoram Highway to the China border.
Quoted in USD on request
View itineraryTour for international travellers
Fairy Meadows and the Nanga Parbat Viewpoint
Fairy Meadows is a grass clearing at about 3,300 m, set in pine forest and facing the north side of Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain in the world. No road reaches it: you fly from Islamabad to Gilgit, drive south to Raikot Bridge on the Indus, ride a local jeep up a rough track and walk the last stretch, with a guide and all arrangements made for you.
- Duration
- 7 days
- Starts and ends
- Islamabad
- Best months
- June to September
- Effort
- Moderate: a three-hour uphill walk to 3,300 m and a day walk on mountain paths
- Highest point
- 3,300 m at Fairy Meadows, a little higher on the walk to Beyal Camp
- Price
- Quoted in USD
The route
Day by day
- Nanga Parbat (8,126 m) from the meadow at sunrise and sunset
- The jeep track from Raikot Bridge, driven only by local drivers
- A day walk through forest to Beyal Camp and the viewpoint over the Raikot Glacier
- Two nights in wooden cabins at 3,300 m
- The Kargah Buddha and the meeting point of three mountain ranges near Gilgit
This is a private tour. Dates, pace and hotels are set for your group and confirmed in writing with your quote.
Travel advice, October 2026: As of October 2026 the UK Foreign Office (advice updated 22 September 2026) advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, up to the junction with the Babusar road; Raikot Bridge is beyond that junction on the Gilgit side, and we reach it from Gilgit without stopping in Chilas, so the standard route stays outside the advised-against stretch. Fairy Meadows is in Diamer district, where militants killed ten foreign climbers and a Pakistani guide at the Diamir base camp on 23 June 2013, and foreign visitors are given a police escort for that reason. The summer road option over Babusar runs through Mansehra district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which Canadian and US advice tells travellers to avoid, so if you choose it check your own government's advice first, because your insurance may not cover it. Check your own government's current advice before you book.
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Day 1
Arrive in Islamabad
We collect you from Islamabad International Airport and drive about 35 km to your hotel. Use the day to rest. In the evening your guide checks your walking boots and warm clothing with you and explains how the next days work.
Overnight: Islamabad
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Day 2
Fly to Gilgit
The flight to Gilgit takes about an hour and goes only in clear weather. In the afternoon we visit the Kargah Buddha, a standing figure about 15 m high cut into a cliff in the 7th century, 10 km from the town, and walk through the bazaar. Gilgit is at 1,500 m, so this is an easy first night on the way up.
Overnight: Gilgit
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Day 3
Raikot Bridge, the jeep track and the walk up
We drive about 80 km south on the Karakoram Highway, 1.5 to 2 hours, passing the point near Juglot where the Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Himalaya meet. At Raikot Bridge foreign visitors register with the police, and we change to a local jeep for the 15 km gravel track to Tato village, which takes 1.5 to 2 hours. From the end of the track it is a walk of about 5 km, around three hours and uphill most of the way through pine forest, to Fairy Meadows at 3,300 m.
Overnight: Fairy Meadows
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Day 4
Beyal Camp and the Nanga Parbat viewpoint
A day on foot with the north face of Nanga Parbat in front of you. The path runs through forest to Beyal Camp, less than two hours from Fairy Meadows, and on to a viewpoint above the Raikot Glacier. Fit walkers can continue towards the base camp, about four hours each way from Fairy Meadows, if the weather and the group's pace allow; everyone returns to the cabins for the night.
Overnight: Fairy Meadows
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Day 5
Walk down and return to Gilgit
After a last morning view of the mountain we walk down to the jeep track, which is quicker than the climb, and ride back to Raikot Bridge. From there it is about 80 km back to Gilgit. A more comfortable hotel is welcome after two simple nights.
Overnight: Gilgit
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Day 6
Fly to Islamabad
We take the morning flight to Islamabad and spend the afternoon at the Faisal Mosque and the Pakistan Monument. In summer the journey can instead be made by road over the Babusar Pass (4,173 m): Raikot Bridge to Naran is about 160 km and 5 to 6 hours, and Naran to Islamabad about 245 km and 6 to 7 hours. See the notes below before choosing it.
Overnight: Islamabad
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Day 7
Spare day and departure
A buffer day for weather, either on the mountain or for the flight. If it has not been needed, the morning is free before your airport transfer.
The detail
What your quote covers
What is included
- Airport pickup and drop-off in Pakistan
- Private vehicle with an experienced driver for the whole route
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Accommodation on a twin-share basis with breakfast
- Entry tickets, park fees and permits named in the itinerary
- Visa support letter for your Pakistan e-visa
- Local jeep both ways on the Fairy Meadows track
- Porter or pack animal for one main bag per person on the walk
- All meals at Fairy Meadows
- Police registration at Raikot Bridge
- Booking of the domestic flights, and rebooking if weather cancels them
What is not
- International flights
- Pakistan visa fee
- Travel insurance, which every traveller must carry
- Lunches and dinners unless stated
- Domestic flights, quoted separately with your itinerary
- Tips and personal expenses
- A riding horse on the walk, which depends on what is available locally
- Extra nights or transport caused by flight cancellations or road closures beyond the spare day in the plan
Good to know before you book
How do I get to Fairy Meadows and back?
In four stages: a flight from Islamabad to Gilgit, a drive of about 80 km to Raikot Bridge, a local jeep up the track to Tato, and a walk of about three hours. The way back is the same in reverse. In summer you can travel by road over the Babusar Pass in one or both directions instead of flying, with a night in Naran each way; coming in by road adds a day, because Naran to Raikot Bridge is too long a drive to combine with the jeep and the walk.
What is the jeep track like?
It is a narrow, unsurfaced road cut into a steep hillside, with long drops on one side and no barriers. Only local drivers who know it are allowed to drive it, and visitors may not walk it. The ride takes 1.5 to 2 hours and is rough. If you are very uneasy with heights you should think carefully about this trip, because there is no other way in.
How fit do I need to be?
You should be able to walk uphill for three hours at your own pace on a stony path, with a small day pack. Your main bag is carried for you. Fairy Meadows is at 3,300 m, high enough for a mild headache on the first evening, so we spend the night before in Gilgit at 1,500 m and take the climb slowly. The walk on Day 4 is as long or as short as you want.
Where do we sleep and eat at Fairy Meadows?
In simple wooden cabins. Facilities are basic, so expect simple washrooms and little hot water or electricity. Meals are cooked on site and are plain and filling, typically rice, lentils, vegetables and bread. Nights are cold at this height, so bring a warm jacket, hat and gloves. In Gilgit and Islamabad we use comfortable hotels.
Are there special rules for foreign visitors?
Yes. Foreign nationals register with the police at Raikot Bridge and are given an armed police escort for the visit. This has been the practice since an attack on climbers at a base camp on the far side of Nanga Parbat in 2013. No trekking permit is needed for this walk, and your Pakistan visa is applied for online at visa.nadra.gov.pk before you travel.
What if a flight is cancelled or the pass is closed?
If the Gilgit flight does not go, we take the next day's flight and use the spare day, or fly to Skardu and drive about 200 km to Raikot Bridge. The Babusar Pass is normally open from about late June to October and can shut early after snow; when it is closed and flights are not operating, we wait rather than use the Karakoram Highway through Dasu and Besham. Rain or rockfall can also close the jeep track for a time, and the spare day covers that too.
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