Why visit Fairy Meadows
German climbers called this meadow Märchenwiese, the fairy-tale meadow, and the name stuck; locally it is known as Joot. From its grass and pine forest you look straight up at the Raikot face of Nanga Parbat, which climbs some 7,000 metres from the Indus valley. The summit you see is the North Peak, as the true 8,126-metre top is hidden just behind it. Declared a national park in 1995, the meadow is now part of Nanga Parbat National Park.
How to reach Fairy Meadows from Islamabad
Drive the Karakoram Highway to Raikot Bridge, beyond Chilas, usually with a night on the road in Besham or Chilas. From the bridge a narrow 15 km jeep track climbs to Tato village. Only local jeeps are allowed on it, so you leave your own vehicle at the bridge for a ride of about 90 minutes. From Tato a 5 km trail takes three to four hours on foot to the meadow.
Things to do at Fairy Meadows
- Beyal Camp: a walk of about two hours through forest and beside the Raikot Glacier to a smaller meadow at around 3,500 metres.
- Nanga Parbat base camp: a 14 km round trip from Fairy Meadows to about 3,967 metres, which takes most walkers 8 to 10 hours.
- Sunrise on the Raikot face: first light turns the ice gold while the meadow is still in shadow.
- Night skies: far from any town, clear nights here are dark and full of stars.
Best time to visit Fairy Meadows
The visitor season runs from spring to early autumn, and June to September is the most comfortable window. In May there can still be patches of snow on the track and trail, and after mid-September the first snow may fall higher up. Fairy Meadows weather changes quickly at this height: days in summer are mild, but nights can drop close to freezing, so pack warm layers.
Fairy Meadows trips with us
Fairy Meadows is part of our 11 Days Hiking and Trekking Adventure. For more walking routes in the north, see our trekking and hiking tours, or read more about Nanga Parbat and its other base camps.
Plan your trip to Fairy Meadows
Choose a tour above, or tell us your dates and we will arrange the drive to Raikot Bridge, the local jeep to Tato, a guide for the trail and a place to stay on the meadow.
Small Group Tour