Fairy Meadows trek & Nanga Parbat Base Camp – A complete guide

By Joan Torres 64 Comments Last updated on September 9, 2024

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It was the holy month of Ramadan, so Fairy Meadows, one of the most popular destinations in Pakistan, was practically empty, except for a few foreigners and their respective armed escorts, who had been assigned to protect them the previous day at Raikot Bridge.

The day before had been a pretty long and exhausting journey, as I had to hitchhike several times, by then ascending a very dusty and exhausting trail.

But finally, there I was, in a campsite located at 3,300 meters above sea level, having a cup of coffee with fresh milk, while observing in astonishment, a striking peak 8,125 meters high called Nanga Parbat.

For more things to do, read my 1-month itinerary to Pakistan

Fairy Meadows trek

In this Fairy Meadows travel guide you will find:

Table of Contents

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Introduction to Nanga Parbat

Nanga Parbat, also called the Killer Mountain, is an 8,125-meter high mountain that figures as the second highest peak in Pakistan (after K2) and the eighth in the world. Its hair-raising name is due to the fact that, throughout the years, Nanga Parbat has taken the lives of many climbers who tried to climb it unsuccessfully. Nanga Parbat is also considered one of the hardest mountains to climb in the world.

However, despite having such a terrifying name, the Nanga Parbat Base Camp is surprisingly accessible for even inexperienced trekkers, as it is located only 4 hours away from Fairy Meadows, a campsite which is normally used as a base to organize treks to the base camp.

Fairy Meadows is in a green lush plain from where you get striking views of Nanga Parbat, starting from a vast glacier which, gradually, ascends to the foot of that huge ice block.

Raikot glacier and Nanga Parbat
Raikot glacier and Nanga Parbat

Nevertheless, due to its high accessibility, Fairy Meadows is also the most commercial spot in Pakistan, with prices higher than the Pakistani average, and it is inhabited by a group of locals who prioritize money before hospitality, something unheard of in Pakistan.

But this shouldn’t keep you back, as the Fairy Meadows trek and Nanga Parbat Base Camp are some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.

Fairy Meadows trek & Nanga Parbat Base Camp – Map

Fairy Meadows trek

Located in Gilgit-Baltistan, north Pakistan, getting to Fairy Meadows doesn’t require any kind of mountain experience as, except for the last 6 or 7km, most of the way can be done by 4×4.

1 – Getting to Raikot bridge

Everyone who goes to FM will have to pass Raikot Bridge, the place on the Karakoram Highway from where you access the mountains towards FM.

Raikot Bridge is located 80km from Gilgit and 400km from Islamabad. The bus that goes from Islamabad to Gilgit can leave you there, no problem.

In Gilgit, buses to Raikot Bridge leave from the main bus station (Location: 35.898824, 74.369927). Personally, I hitchhiked from Gilgit, as it is significantly faster than going by public transport.

Once you are at the bridge, you’ll have to register with the police, who will also assign you a personal armed escort. 

Really, why?

In 2013, a group of terrorists killed 9 foreigners. It was the first and only attack that has ever happened in Gilgit-Baltistan.

To understand it better, you should read: is Pakistan safe?

Local Fairy Meadows road
A local I met on the way

2 – Fairy Meadows road

The only legal way to go along Fairy Meadows road is by local Jeep. In summer 2021, they are charging 8,500PKR for a round trip, a cost that can be divided by up to 5 passengers. The journey takes 2 hours.

What if you are only 2 or 3 people? You can wait for someone to show up but, from what I’ve heard, some travelers have waited for hours, but no one else showed up.

Wait, do you have to buy a round-trip ticket? Some of the locals from FM are the scum of Pakistan, who force you to buy a round trip ticket, so on the way back, you can’t share it with anyone you might meet at the camp.

Can I go walking? No, the police will not allow you for security reasons. However, this law doesn’t make sense, as the road is extremely narrow and it’s built on a cliff 1,000 meters high, which also makes it one of the most dangerous roads I’ve ever been on. Walking would be definitely safer. Welcome to Pakistan 🙂

Can I skip the police checkpoint? I managed to skip it, started to walk from there and, after three hours, a Jeep picked me up. I was very lucky. If you also want to skip it, you should come hitchhiking and tell the driver not to stop at the police checkpoint. If you come by bus, the driver will definitely inform the police.

By the way, Fairy Meadows road is one of the most scenic roads in Pakistan.

Keep reading: Backpacking in Pakistan: Ultimate itinerary

Road to Fairy Meadwos
Crazy (and beautiful) roads

3 – Getting to Fairy Meadows

The Jeep will drop you some kilometers before your final destination, from where you will need to start ascending (on foot) for 2 to 3 hours through an alpine forest until you get to the FM campsite.

Once you are at the top, leave your backpack, relax and enjoy the most wonderful and privileged views ever.

Fairy meadows trek
Fairy Meadows!

Trekking to Nanga Parbat base camp

Going to Nanga Parbat Base camp is an 8-hour trek (round-trip).

Behal campsite

A few kilometers after Fairy Meadows, there is a second campsite called Behal, where I recommend spending the second night, as it is much quieter and has even better views than the previous camp.

Behal camp site, Fairy Meadows
Behal camp site

Getting to Nanga Parbat Base Camp

After Behal, the trail gets tougher, although more rewarding. From an alpine forest, the way becomes an arid but impressive landscape, surrounded by snow and ice blocks.

You are at the Nanga Parbat Base Camp, where the silence is only interrupted by the sound of the occasional avalanches, which can be heard from very far away.

Trekking Nanga Parbat
Almost at Nanga Parbat Base Camp!
Nanga Parbat base camp
At Nanga Parbat base camp!

More information for visiting Fairy Meadows

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

Trekking Fairy Meadows
My occasional fancy shit :p

Water and food

All campsites offer meals but normally, they just serve a very basic dal withrice at a ridiculously expensive price for Pakistan: 350PKR ($3.30).

On the other hand, bottled water is sold at 150PKR, so you had better bring your own purifying pills.

Accommodation

Fairy Meadows has a wide range of different types of accommodation, from tents to luxury bungalows. A tent plus a sleeping bag typically costs 500PKR ($4.70) per night, whereas a basic bungalow (sleeping bag on the floor) costs 1000PKR ($9.50), which can be split by several people. Bear in mind that prices can change depending on the season and, as in all Pakistan, they are highly negotiable.

Don’t forget to check our travel guide to Pakistan.

As well as all our Pakistan articles:

Nanga Parbat base camp

64 comments

Thanks, Alex. I actually checked with them and they told me that they cover Pakistan as long as it is not related to terrorism, war or hostility. Where did you get this information?

Goodness Joan. What a fabulous collection of images. I am thinking of the 3 bucks for a meal. Here in NYC I have to just about pay someone 3 USD just to walk down the stairs LOL. I have become more used to NYC-NJ prices spending more time home recently but I do miss the cost of stuff in countries like India, Nepal and SE Asia, etc.

Excellent article and really informative at the same time. It’s great to read something fresh. You take remarkable pictures. Sadly, I have never get the opportunity to tour these lovely places, but willing to. Hope my time will come soon.

Nice Post! I am planning to go to that area in early April. Do you think it is a good season or it might be too cold and campsites still not open?

I think you can definitely go but yes, it will be cold at night plus it may be cloudy. I went to Pakistan in April as well but didn’t head north until May or so. For how long are you in Pakistan? I would first explore Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, etc and by the end of the trip, go to Gilgit-Baltistan

Nice post with good effort. Fairy Meadows is adventure place in Pakistan. You must visit to fairy meadows if you plan tour to northern areas of pakistan. You can plan your trip either yourself or by any tours providing company in pakistan.

hi! wha do you think of fairy meadows in mid september? also, i’m terrified of that road to tatu, is it really that bad?

Hi Joan,
I’ll be traveling to Pakistan in September, so obviously all your articles are incredibly helpful in order to prepare for the trip. So first of all, thanks for that and all your effort to provide so much info for your like-minded adventurous travelers!
Do you know if it is possible to stay at Behal without bringing a tent, do they have a guesthouse or any kind of accomodation there?
Thanks and looking forward to your next trip – always an inspiration 🙂
Best
Annika

Hi Annika, thanks for your comment! There were some bungalows but I went there in May and I can’t remember whether they were opened or not. However, Behal is less than 2 hours walk from Fairy Meadows and the locals from Fairy Meadows will certainly know whether it is open or not. Enjoy!

Hi Joan,
I’m from karachi and am planning to go to FM, then beyal camp and then hopefully nanga parbat base camp. I’m a little confused, is there accomadation available in beyal camp and nanga parbat base camp? Or I would have to trek to nanga parbat base camp and come back within a day and then stay at beyal camp. And is the trek to FM and beyal camp tough for a 40 year old? My mother is also interested in going :).

Thank you

Hi there
There’s accommodation in Beyal, yes.
There are people in their 40s who are able to climb K2 and there are people in their 40s who can’t even climb the stairs of their 2nd floor apartment. It really depends on how fit you are but generally speaking, it’s a trek for beginners.

Fam, if you’re gonna be so ungrateful about the locals of Fairy Meadows, don’t go to Pakistan. White people like you take every ounce of privilege you have and benefit from the colonial hangover that Pakistanis suffer and STILL you have a disgusting attitude. Locals in Fairy Meadows need to transport food, water, accommodation for YOU by jeep which is very expensive, hence the reason why FM might be more costly. Please stop being so gross and privileged, and do us all a favor and don’t come to Pakistan again. Nasty white people.

Hey, Troll. Fortunately, all the beautiful Pakistani people I met welcome me in Pakistan over and over and, luckily, I didn’t bump into any racist like you 😉

Joan, I really enjoyed your article. I am from Rawalpindi, Pakistan and lately, I have been very much interested in trekking to Nanga Parbat Base Camp. Your article is very helpful and comprehensive. About the locals, I haven’t checked it myself, but I can vouch for the fact that some people definitely put money before hospitality or let’s say even basic courtesy. There are people who definitely try to fleece if you don’t know any better and haven’t done your homework. I and other Pakistani will always support the truth. In the end, if we can not extend basic courtesy and honesty to each other, it kills the very purpose of travelling, living together and enjoying each other’s company. The only way forward is that we take care of one another.

Hope I can make it to the Nanga Parbat Base Camp one day! The majestic beauty of the mountains is very compelling! Nothing comes close!

Hello Joan. Your blog just became one of the websites I visited the most these days. My friends and i (four guys) will visit Gilgit Baltistan end of March (March 22nd until April 5th, by road from Lahore). I read for several times that it will be very cold and north Pakistan will be still covered by snow.
My itinerary will go like this Lahore-Islamabad-Fairy Meadows-Gilgit-Hunza-Karimabad-Skardu-Passu-Sost & Khunjerab-Astore (if possible)-Back to Lahore, and we will do it in 15 days. Can we explore this area in our time there?
Looking forward to your reply. Thanks. 🙂

Hi Akbar, it is hard to say, as the period you are going is really the transition between winter and spring, but I visited Astore in April and it was fine. It was cold indeed and there was some snow but nothing particularly bothering. If you aren’t going for trekking, you should be fine. The KKH is totally open and, in that season, you will be able to access some side valleys.

Hi Joan
Thank you very much for the wonderful insights. These are amazing information, in fact, the best on the net. My travel concerns to FM and beyond all ironed out thanks to you. I am travelling end June, though the most busiest of times, but really looking forward to it.
God bless you.
Swaleh
P.S. you take wonderful photos.

Hi Swaleh,
I don’t believe in any God but I only do good karma, will it be good for the trip ? Will I still be blessed ?

Hi Stanley
My apologies for this reply. Unfortunately for some reason I missed your comment until today 🙂 Good Karma is probably what is most needed in our societies nowadays. Of course it will be good for the trip and I am sure you will meet many locals who will replicate your sentiments many folds. It is customary for us here in Pakistan to give “Dua” to people you meet or speak to hence my statement.
Didn’t mean to offend anyone. Apologies if it as well.

Thanks for such informative article. I am a 63 years old female who wish to visit Pakistan in October with a small group of young friends. I jog regularly and I am generally in good health. May I know is the high altitude at 3,300m safe for me to hike? Thanks.

Hey Ming, it’s hard to say, as it depends on the type of person, but 3.3k is not that high and the ascent is very gradual. Drink loads of water, and even if you feel some headache at the beginning, it may go away in a few hours when your body gets used to it!

Correction, ” (after K2) and the eighth in the world.” It’s the 9th highest mountain in the world and in addition to that, (who prioritize money before hospitality) I would say you became pretty much of judgmental as the fact is, I’m a mountaineer and I have attempted base camps including Everest as well, so, those folks would host you with no intention of earning bucks or making some dimes when you’re in need. I do remember when I was on my way back from camp 1 to FM, I was served extravagantly and I couldn’t pay them in return, tbh. I appreciate the lack of deceit, however, the irony. Do consider the primitive facts of their survival in those glacial regions.

Hey Joan,

Great info you provide here, thank you so much. I’m planning to go to Fairy Meadow from October 16 to 18th, 2020. Would it be good? (in term of weather).

Izwan.

It’s hard to say, as October is the actual transition from one season to another. I don’t think there will be any snow, but I guess you need to be lucky to get a sunny day, 50-50

I am hoping to visit Fairy Meadows hopefully in July 2019. I read a lot about the trek from Tatu to FM being about 3 hours, but realistically any idea of actual miles covered? Also same for miles between Fairy Meadows and the Beyal Camp and then FM Base Camp. I was trying to get a realistic idea of how much I can do in 1 day. Any idea if there are any accommodations available at Fairy Meadows Base Camp or Beyal? Even if it may be tents etc. Thanks. I really enjoyed reading your blog.

Hi Nosheen, for miles covered you can download maps.me and calculate the walking route very easily.
As per accommodation, in FM there should be. In Beyal depends on the season. I went there in April and there wasn’t, but high season there will be. enjoy.

July and August are as summer as you get. I was there in 89 and there was no except the couple I travelled with and the locals. We walked up from Rakiot Bridge and I slept in the sleet under a log the first night. Pretty amazing place.

Thanks for sharing the information & promoting Pakistan especially Fairy Meadows
welcome again sir
iam also belong to fairy meadows

Hi Joan,
I will visit FM somewhere in April. Do I need to make reservations for accommodation in advance? Do you suggest a guide or agency, or just go ………..
John

Hi Joan, I am planning to go to the surrounding of Nanga parbat like Ferry meadows in september 2020. I am a solo travellers, 67 years old and i love trekking. Fist after landing in islamabad i will directly go to Murre for a ouple of days, then up the Kagan valley to the babusar pass , and hope to find a shared transport accros this pass to Chillas (Indus valley). And then another shared transport to Fairy meadow (and try to skip the escorting guard…..what are your recommandations. ??? thanks

Hi Joan,
I’m interested in photographing Northern areas of Pakistan. I know the autumn colors are fantastic but do you know if you can find wildflowers in these areas? I imagine beautiful foreground of wildflowers with Nanga Parbat in the background 🙂 Do they grow that high? I would imagine June or July to be the season but I cannot find any information online. If you knew anything I’d appreciate any information.

HI ,

Thanks for the interesting guide . I have visited fairy meadows in 2017 and love this place since that visit . it is a combo of natural landscape , mountain and adventurous trek.

Hi Joan, I and my wife are in our late 60’s, and are avid hikers. We will be in Islamabad from July 5th thru the 25th (2021). Our plans are to fly into Gilgit and then go to FM and Beyal camp.
My questions are, how bad the roads are from Gilgit to Raikot Bridge, and then from Raikot Bridg to the trailhead to FM?
Watching a few YouTube videos, most of the people who have visited FM, found jeep ride on Fairy Meadows to the FM trailhead to be grueling and dangerous; you practically sharing a road (with the width of a jeep) for both direction. Was this your experience as well?
Will appreciate your feedback. Thanks

Hi Shujaul! The road to FM is definitely a crazy road, one of the craziest I have ever seen, but the locals are very experienced drivers who know it very well… That’s all I can tell you… I don’t want to scare you, and I don’t want to tell you it’s safe… It’s dangerous? Well, there’s definitely a risk… but that’s part of the experience and falling off the cliff is unlikely to happen. Have you been to Bolivia? There’s a road considered the most dangerous road in the world which is a tourist attraction by itself. Some travelers I shared the ride with told me it was pretty much the same…

Unfortunately, our onward flight from Istanbul to Islamabad got cancelled on 6th of July due to number of flights restrictions to Pakistan due to COVID. We ended up cancelling our whole trip. In hindsight, it was a good decision after all. The flights to Skardu from ISB, and from Gilgit to ISB were cancelled as well due to inclement weathers conditions, and traveling by road was also hampered by landslides. Now I understand, the provincial government of KPK have banned entrance to Gilgit area due to deteriorating COVID conditions. We will give it another try in 2022.

Slam Everyone,
Anyone planning to visit Fairy meadows & Nanga parbat base camp in June-July.
If some one is, do let me know. I am looking for a company to share the cost of traveling and accommodation.
Thank you.

Hello and thank you for all your informative posts! I just visited Fairy Meadows so here is some updated info from May 2021:
-foreigners are allowed to stay overnight in Chilas
-the Raikot bridge jeep cartel is charging PKR 8,500(!) roundtrip
-all foreigners are required to have a military escort for the entire stay. He wouldn’t even let me walk around FM without him

Hi..
>How much the total cost u spent to do FM and Nanga Parbat basecamp trip?
>Need to pro-booked accomodations in FM and Behal camp? or just walk-in?

TQ , (Fauzi – Malaysia)

Amazing story that reminded me of my early ages of trekking to Nanga Parbat Base Camp and Mazino Pass. I had great memories of the trekking from 1993.

Nice blog, me and my Japanese mate walked from Raikot Bridge to Tatto village in 1997 and back down a few days later after a few days of white out kilometres of the road had rocks, rocks slides, and parts of it crumpled apart and chasm in half and fallen off the mountain. We had skate shoes on- over prepared for those days 😅

At one stage I watched my Japanese mate hiding behind a rock wall as rocks showered down from high above and another stage I slipped off the crumbled road where it had chasm and had to stop myself sliding off the cliff before pulling myself back up with my chest scraping over the edge of the chasm road.

Unfortunately we never got to Fairy Meadow or to see Nanga Parbat due to the white out. We spent 2-3 days sleeping on the cold floor of the village school at Tattoo.

Hey Joan

Thanks really appreciate your write up

I travelling to Pakistan at the end of June starting in Skurdu then hoping to go FM onto Hunza then the all being well onto Shandhur polo festival Which is something I wanted to attend for a long time.
Then going on to see the kalash
People this is an ambitious itinerary i
Know between 29 June and 11th July from Skardu. Is it feasible

Question a) do you pay the Jeep driver at the start of journey or pay half then half on return

b) on your return how do you get to the next destination which will be Gilgit for us

Finally we can only apologise for rude person above called Disgruntled

Look forward to hearing from anyone I read many messages but not so sorry if your repeating

Hi Nasar, you have to pay the full amount and on your return, you can easily hitch a ride to Gilgit, plenty of transportation goes there.

No worries about Disgruntled, I deal with these comments all the time!

Hi Joan
I will be going to Nanga Parbat Base Camp in June and am driving myself from Islamabad in a 4 Wheel Drive. If i pay the money for the round trip will they let me take my own vehicle to Fairy Meadows? and would it be safe there?
If not is there somewhere i can park safely near Raikot bridge whilst i use their jeep transport.
Thanks in advance
Dennis

Hi Denjis, I don’t know if they will allow you, you’ll have to ask them but if not, you can park your park safely, for sure, there are a lot of national tourists coming from Islamabad with their cars as well

I traveled with 4 friends to Fairy Meadows in July, 2024.

It was very hot at Raikot bridge. Mid July at 2pm it was 41c or 106f. It took about 40 min to get a jeep, and we were charged 2.5K PKR per night to park at raikot in the monopolized parking.

We took a 1.75 hrs ride from raikot to the jeep stop at the base, before the FM trek. With two stops for the driver to refill the coolant tank with water. Narrow road, though improved over the last years.

Allegedly, you can take a horse up to FM. However, the local government tells the locals you must own a horse to go up, so only 11 horses at the base jeep stop vs 150 previously. Enterprising locals were renting horses and then brining up tourists prior to the change. It hard to get a horse at the jeep stop, and I was told horses are for women only. It took us 2.75 hrs to hike from jeep stop to FM with breaks. Although we confirmed a price of 18,000 PKR per jeep earlier in the month we paid 22,500 PKR per jeep to go from Raikot to the jeep stop. 2.5K surcharge was included in that price, as we were told there is an extra “fee” to come back early (we left 2 days later at 8:00). A local Pakistani friend did all of the negotiation. The jeeps can theoretically fit 6 people, but 4 people per jeep is more realistic, with large luggage and tall people in our group.

Due to heavy luggage mid trek, we hired a donkey to bring our bags up the rest of the way. It cost approximately 700 PKR per bag (7 KG) to have a donkey and guide bring them from the jeep stop to FM. We paid 250 PKR for a bottle of water at FM. We were shocked by the amount of trash and litter on the trek to FM, seeing several people simply throw their empty water bottles down the side of the mountain 🙁

Once we reached FM we stayed at the Monarch hotel, a new hotel at the top of FM, it is run by the nephew of owner of Raikot Serai. It was a good hotel with electricity, and WiFi during the day + hot water. Nice food and friendly staff. Allegedly, we were some of the first guests as the hotel opened in early July 2024. We paid 15,000 PKR for room with a king bed and private bathroom. There were also cheaper rooms with a shared bathroom, for less. For dinner we had Chicken karahi with chapati 7,000 PKR for 4 people, and 7,000 PKR for mutton biryani for 4 people. Breakfast options at Monarch were fried eggs, omelette, chapati and chai.

We were tired the next day but wanted to explore more. We paid 6000 PKR per person for a horse and guide to do a trek from FM to Nanga Parbat viewpoint, crossing through Beyal camp. It took us 8 hrs RT with stops and lunch. 2 hrs up 2 hrs down. Treked up with a horse and walked down due to soreness, from the saddle. 1 hour lunch, and 1 hour to hike RT past NP viewpoint to get a better look at the glacier.

At the Naga Parbat viewpoint, we spend 800 PKR for a plate of dal and rice. Normal city price in Islamabad might be 200 PKR, so very expensive. As you go higher the prices increase, for example, we paid 250 PKR per cup of chai in Beyal camp.

Overall this was a great trek, but at Joan mentioned, this is the most commercial spot in Pakistan. Next time, I would skip staying at FM, and just take lunch there, opting to stay the night in more basic, but rewarding accommodation at Beyal camp, which is far cleaner and has significantly fewer tourists.

Joan, thanks for the blog on your travels to the Nanga Parbat base camp. I have learned so much from your post as I research for own forthcoming trip to Gilget Baltistan with hike to Nanga Parbat the culmination.

As a seasoned hiker of Pakistani decent, I am finally heading “home” to do my last series hikes before the arthritus in my knees finally give way to other challenges. Also convinced my non hiker wife to join me so the mention of horses will give her some comfort.

Having hiked the Annpurna trail in Nepal, the Canadian Rockies around Canmore and the W trek in Patagonia, I have come across the varying costs charged for food, drink and accomodation and I’m always amazed and what you can buy and the excellent level of hospitality in these most extreme of regions. I never complain beacuse I’ve done my reaseach before travel and ensured I have the nesesary resourses to cover the trip. Also I apprecaite how hard to it is to get goods to some very remote areas. Thankful for it after a hard days trekking. Your comments are a fair reflection of your trip and I’m saddened by some of comments. It made me think of extortionate prices we pay for food and drink at cinemas and theme parks at sea level!! Anyway, to each their own.

I for one have learned a lot from you blog and very much appreciate it!!

Thank You

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