Photo: Tahsin Anwar Ali · CC BY-SA 3.0Area guides / Gilgit-Baltistan / Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat
Area guide
Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat
A high meadow beneath the ninth-highest mountain on Earth
Region
Gilgit-Baltistan
When to go
May to September. Snow can linger on the trail early in the season, and the jeep track and camps close in winter.
Getting there
From the Karakoram Highway at Raikot Bridge, a local jeep climbs the narrow cliff track to Tato (about an hour), then a 3-4 hour walk up to the meadows. The Astore road leads east to Rama Lake.
Places
18 field guides
Overview
About Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat
Fairy Meadows is an alpine grassland at about 3,300 m in Diamer District, directly beneath the Rakhiot face of Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), the western anchor of the Himalaya. Declared a national park in 1995, it has been part of Nanga Parbat National Park since 2021.
From the Karakoram Highway at Raikot Bridge, a local jeep climbs the narrow cliff track to Tato (about an hour), then a 3-4 hour walk up to the meadows. The Astore road leads east to Rama Lake.
The walk in
There is no road to the meadows: the last stretch is on foot from Tato, after a jeep ride up one of the most exposed tracks in the north. Arrange the jeep locally and travel light.
Beyond the meadows
Fairy Meadows is the launching point for climbers on the Rakhiot face, and trekkers continue toward the base camp viewpoints. On the Astore side of the massif, Rama Lake is reached by road from the Astore turn-off on the Karakoram Highway.
Resorts
All resorts →GreenPak stays in this area are listed on the region guide.
Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat: Questions Travellers Ask
What is there to see in Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat?
18 places in Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat have their own field guide here, the most in parks and gardens (12) and landmarks and buildings (6).
When is the best time to visit Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat?
May to September. Snow can linger on the trail early in the season, and the jeep track and camps close in winter.
How do you get to Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat?
From the Karakoram Highway at Raikot Bridge, a local jeep climbs the narrow cliff track to Tato (about an hour), then a 3-4 hour walk up to the meadows. The Astore road leads east to Rama Lake.
What day trips can you take from Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat?
1 within about 31 km of Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat, all listed on this page: Shatial Rock Carvings (about 18 km outside).
The complete guide
Everything to See in Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat
All 18 places in Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat with their own field guide, grouped by kind.
Parks and gardens · 12
Allah Wali JheelA river bend at the end of Parishing valley, near Astore, whose loops form the word “Allah” when seen from above.
AstoreAstore, the main town of Astore District at 2,546 m, the base for Rama, Rupal and the Deosai crossing.
Burzil PassA 13,808 ft pass on the old caravan route from Gilgit to Srinagar, and the source of the Astore River.
Chilas ValleyThe divisional capital of Diamer on the Indus, on the old Silk Road and the Karakoram Highway.
Dirlay LakeA winding blue lake in the Dirlay valley of Astore, about two hours from Astore town.
Domail Rainbow LakeA lake in the meadows of Domail, Minimarg, in the upper Astore valley, reached over the Burzil Pass.
Fairy MeadowsHigh meadow route below Nanga Parbat with one of Pakistan's most famous mountain views.
Junction of Three Mountain RangesThe point near Bunji where the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush meet.
Kala PaniA remote valley of meadows and streams in Astore District.
Mazino PassA 5,377 m semi-technical pass round Nanga Parbat, linking the Rupal valley with Diamer.
MinimargMinimarg, the 'Meadow of Frogs', a village at 2,844 m south of the Burzil Pass in Astore.
Rama LakeA lake above Astore in a valley of pine, cedar and fir, on the route to Nanga Parbat's east side.
Landmarks and buildings · 6
Chilas Rock CarvingsThe Chilas rock carvings, located in Diamer District of Gilgit-Baltistan, are among the most significant archaeological treasures in Pakistan.
Hodar Rock CarvingsHundreds of carved boulders where the Hodar stream meets the Indus near Chilas: Sogdian inscriptions, animals and stupa drawings.
Nanga ParbatOne of Pakistan's major eight-thousanders, commonly approached through Fairy Meadows.
RupalRupal, the village beneath the south face of Nanga Parbat in the Astore District.
Sarwali Peak (Toshain I)At 6,424 m the highest point of Azad Kashmir, rising at the head of the Shounter valley 18 km southwest of Nanga Parbat.
Thalpan Rock CarvingsThalpan, located in the Diamer District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, is a significant archaeological site with rock carvings dating from the 9th-8th millennium BCE to the post-Buddhist period.
Around Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat: day trips · 1
Outside Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat, straight-line distance from its boundary.
