How to Hike the Fairy Meadows, Pakistan (2024)

Hiking Itinerary for Fairy Meadows

Fairy Meadows to Beyal Camp (2 hours one way)

Length: 2 hours one way
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 3,500m

Our first trail begins with a well-leveled path through a thick forest out of Fairy Meadows and along the ridge, with a view of Nanga Parbat and Raikot glacier on your left.

The trail continues on a flat landscape for about an hour through the forest, passing several streams until you reach an opening where you will see a village overshadowed by Nanga Parbat from a distance.

Congratulations, you have reached the Beyal camp. You can grab a cup of coffee or continue on for about 30 minutes further along the trail, and you will arrive at a viewpoint at 3,667m where you will be able to see the Raikot Glacier and Nanga Parbat up close.

This part of the trail is just a simple stroll, so it is perfect for those who are not looking to hike a lot. However, if you want to hike further, you can continue on the trail to Nanga Parbat Base Camp.

Beyal Camp to Nanga Parbat Base Camp (3 hrs one way)

Length: 3 hours one way
Difficulty: Hard
Elevation: 3,967m

From the viewpoint 30 minutes past Beyal camp, you will have to climb up a ridge for another 30 minutes and walk across the rocky glacier in order to get to the base camp. Be very careful at this point as the trail becomes steeper and rockier, but also more and more scenic. Following the glacier, you will have to climb up again onto a glass plain where you will find the Nanga Parbat base camp, standing at over 3,900m.

You will no longer feel like walking through a fairy-tale forest; instead, you will be surrounded by ice blocks and rocks.

Disclaimer: I tried to get to the base camp with a couple of people, but it was snowing heavily, and we had to turn back just after reaching the viewpoint. Maybe you will have better luck than I did.

When to Go?

The best time to hike Fairy Meadows is either April-May or September-October, preferably on weekdays, as these are considered shoulder seasons. Even though the weather might be a bit colder than during the midsummer months, you are more likely to have the place to yourself. Fairy Meadows is a very popular tourist attraction among the locals, and it can get very crowded. So, avoid peak times like the midsummer months or public holidays.

What to Pack for Hiking in Fairy Meadows?

When it comes to hiking, great preparation goes a long way. Here are some things to prepare before you make the trip:

• Good Sturdy Shoes: The trails are pretty simple and well-leveled, with a few steep spots, so a regular shoe with good grip should be fine. Depending on when you are traveling to Fairy Meadows, you might have to walk on a snow-covered trail, so prepare accordingly. You are fine with normal shoes in early October. This Timberland Shoes are my go-to hiking boots in most situations.
• Weather-proof Jackets: Better safe than sorry. Like most mountains in this region, it can rain or snow and be extremely windy at any time, so it is always smart to be prepared for the worst weather. Here are jackets I recommend you get for the trip: fleece jacket and the beautiful orange Columbia outer-shell jacket.
• Get Maps.Me: Maps.me is the best app you can have on your phone, especially when hiking. The app is available on both Android and iOS. With its offline capabilities and comprehensive list of available hiking trails, you will never get lost here.
• Prepare Snacks: Food at Fairy Meadows can be quite expensive (150 - 500 PKR), so if you want to save money, buy some snacks beforehand. Snacks are also great for the trail, especially if you plan to hike all the way to Nanga Parbat in one day because you will have to take lunch with you. Water can be refilled for free at the Greenland resort if you decide to stay there. Otherwise, all the accommodations sell water, or you can always refill it from the water stream. I always carry my 2-liter hydration pack, which I recommend so you don't have to stop to stay hydrated.
• A Daypack: You will need a daypack to carry all your gear with you when you are out and about. During this trip, I used the classic Herschel Supply's Little America Backpack to carry everything with me. It is light with good capacity and stylish as hell.

How to Get to Fairy Meadows?

There are several stages that you will have to go through before reaching Fairy Meadows.

First, you will have to get to Gilgit, the capital city of Gilgit-Baltistan province in the north of Pakistan. From there, get to the Raikot Bridge, and then you will have to rent a jeep to get to the trailhead. After that, you will have to hike up to Fairy Meadows.

Getting to Gilgit

There are several ways you can get to Gilgit from Islamabad. You can fly to Gilgit via Pakistan International Airways. They run twice a day from Islamabad for around $113 USD. You might be able to find it cheaper through Expedia or Skyscanner as they may have some third-party discounts for you.

You can also take an overnight bus to Gilgit from Islamabad, which will cost you around 2,500 PKR and take 18 hours. The good thing about taking a bus is that you have the option to drop off directly at the Raikot Bridge before the bus arrives in Gilgit, provided you don't have a lot of stuff to carry.

If you would like to shed some weight off your backpack and leave some stuff before the hike, I would suggest you go directly to Gilgit, stay one night there, and leave your stuff at your guesthouse. I had no problem leaving half of my stuff at the Madina Hotel 2.

• How to Get to Gilgit from Islamabad
• 6 Best Places To Visit When In Islamabad

Getting to Raikot Bridge (1 hr by car)

Raikot Bridge is located 80km south of Gilgit, and it will take you approximately an hour to reach there. You can either hire a taxi to drop you off at the bridge or take a bus heading towards Chilas from the NATCO bus terminal shown below.

Personally, it is faster to either take a taxi yourself or hitchhike your way to the bridge. For the taxi, do not pay more than 1,000 PKR for the trip.

Getting to Fairy Meadows Trail Head (1.5 hrs by jeep)

This is where it will get expensive, especially for independent travelers like us. You see, from the Raikot Bridge, you will need to take a local jeep up the mountains, and it will cost you 7,600 PKR per jeep for a round trip. The jeep can be shared with the locals or other travelers, with up to 5 passengers. You can wait for some other travelers to show up at the bridge if you have the time, but if you arrive late and don't want to hike in the dark, you will have to bite the bullet and pay for the entire jeep yourself.

Once paid, the jeep will take you through one of the bumpiest roads you will ever experience in Pakistan. The roads zigzag their way up the rocky mountain for about 1.5 hours, and you will arrive at a village where the trailhead begins.

Just before you leave, your driver will ask you for the date of your return and the exact time you will arrive back. Make sure you give your driver the correct details and be sure to stick to them. This is essential for the driver as they will have to come back and pick you up. Also, remember your driver's face!

Getting to Fairy Meadows (2 hrs by walk)

From the village, the trail gradually climbs for about 2 hours, and then it ascends steeply for about 30 minutes until you arrive at Fairy Meadows.

Further Reading for Pakistan

I hope this guide will help you plan your trip to Pakistan. I have written a ton more articles about Pakistan, and here's a selection of them to help you further plan your trip to Pakistan.

• Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Pakistan? One Month Travel Itinerary for Pakistan.
• If you do not have one month to spare, you can spend 2 weeks traveling the Karakoram Highway from Islamabad to Sost. Here's a complete travel guide and a 2-week itinerary for traveling the Karakoram Highway.
• Lahore is a beautiful city full of stunning Mughal and British architectures that have stood the test of time. If you are looking for things to do in Lahore, here’s 7 amazing things to do in Lahore.
• Islamabad is the new capital city of Pakistan, built with a modern mindset in mind and it shows. Here's 6 best things to do in Islamabad.
• Are you ready to go hiking in Pakistan? First, you will have to get to Gilgit-Baltistan, and here's a complete travel guide on how to get to Gilgit from Islamabad.
• Another great hike you can do is the Rakaposhi Base Camp hike that will take you up atop the Nagar Valley with an unbeatable view of the Minapin Glacier. Here’s a complete hiking guide to Rakaposhi Base Camp in one day.
• The Hunza Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in Pakistan. The capital city of the Hunza Valley is Karimabad which is a perfect base for you to explore the Valley. Here’s 5 awesome things to do in Karimabad, Hunza Valley.
• You can also watch my travel videos about South Asia here: Sri Lanka travel video, Nepal travel video, and Pakistan travel video.
• Want to know where to go after Pakistan? How about exploring the Golden Triangle in India, doing some trekking in Nepal, or going off the beaten path to explore Sri Lanka by train?
• For all articles about Pakistan, visit Pakistan Travel Guide page.
• Looking for more travel guides for South Asia? You can find more on my South Asia Travel Guide page.
• For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.