Fairy Meadows: the jeep track, costs and when it is open

You reach Fairy Meadows by a 15 km jeep track from Raikot Bridge on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) to Tato village, then a 5 km walk of 3 to 4 hours. Only local operators may drive the track. There is no official jeep fare: travellers have reported between Rs 8,500 (2021) and Rs 22,500 (2024) per jeep for the round trip.

The track is dangerous. On 1 June 2026 a tourist jeep fell into the Tattu Nala ravine, and police said all seven people on board died. We found no official opening dates, so check the road before you travel.

What is Fairy Meadows, and where is it?

Fairy Meadows is a grassland at the foot of Nanga Parbat, in the Raikot valley of Diamer district, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Locals call it Joot. German climbers named it Märchenwiese, “fairy tale meadows”, according to the GB Tourism Department.

It sits at about 3,300 metres (10,800 ft). Climbers use it as a base for the Raikot face of Nanga Parbat, which GB Tourism lists at 8,126 m, the world’s 9th highest mountain. The Government of Pakistan declared Fairy Meadows a national park in 1995.

The local language is Shina, but English and Urdu are widely spoken. GB Tourism calls Fairy Meadows Diamer’s “most pleasing destination for national and international tourists”.

How do you get from Islamabad to Fairy Meadows?

The trip has three legs: a long drive to Raikot Bridge, the jeep track to Tato, and the walk up.

To Raikot Bridge. Raikot Bridge is about 400 km from Islamabad and about 80 km from Gilgit, according to the trekking blog Against the Compass. One traveller took about 90 minutes from Gilgit by minivan. GB Tourism says you can drive into GB by the KKH, Babusar Pass or Shandur Pass. NATCO and private companies also run daily buses from Rawalpindi and Islamabad to Gilgit.

Which road to take. Babusar Pass is a summer route: it reopened on 25 May 2026 after its winter closure, and it usually closes in winter because of snow and avalanche risk. The other way up is the KKH, which the UK advises against on one stretch (see below).

For coaches, flights and trains between cities, see our guide to intercity travel in Pakistan.

How long is the Fairy Meadows jeep track?

GB Tourism puts the track at 15 km, from Raikot Bridge to Tato. It is a narrow gravel mountain road, open only to local tour operators who carry tourists. GB Tourism says the World Health Organization called it the second deadliest road on the planet in 2013.

Travellers describe it the same way:

• Time: about two hours, with about 1,300 m of climb (Sailingstone Travel, a travel blog).
• No walking: in 2021 the Against the Compass writer was told walking the jeep road was not allowed, and had to register with the police at Raikot Bridge.
• The road stays rough by choice: a Dawn columnist wrote in April 2025 that locals refuse to have the road improved, because it would hurt the income of over 100 taxi drivers and horse-owners.

Other guides give 8 km or 12 km for the track. We follow GB Tourism’s 15 km, which Sailingstone’s 15 to 16 km supports.

How much does the Fairy Meadows jeep cost?

We found no official fare list. The drivers at Raikot Bridge work as a group and set one price per jeep for the round trip, not per person. Here is what travellers reported:

Tour operator websites quote other 2026 figures, but we couldn’t check them against any official list, so we leave them out. Agree the full price at the bridge, including the return date, before you get in.

Can you share a jeep? Sharing is the only way to cut the cost, says Sailingstone. The same driver takes you up and brings you down, so everyone in the jeep must leave on the same day. A police officer told that writer that foreign and Pakistani tourists may not share a jeep. This is one traveller’s account; we found no written rule.

What does a Fairy Meadows trip cost in total?

We couldn’t find reliable, dated prices for rooms or food at Fairy Meadows, so we don’t give a full trip cost. The extras travellers did report:

• Parking at Raikot Bridge: Rs 2,500 a night, from a 2024 reader on Against the Compass.
• Porter for your bags from Tato: about Rs 5,000, optional (Sailingstone).

Carry enough cash for the jeep, the porter and your stay. To pay for the rest of your trip, see our guide to using foreign cards and ATMs in Pakistan.

How hard is the Fairy Meadows trek?

The walk from Tato is about 5 km and takes 3 to 4 hours, according to GB Tourism. Sailingstone measured about 874 m of climb and took around three hours. A Dawn columnist did the climb on horseback, on a narrow track of rocks and mud.

From Fairy Meadows you can walk further towards Nanga Parbat:

• Beyal: under 2 hours beyond Fairy Meadows.
• Nanga Parbat Base Camp: about 4 hours one way, or an 8-hour round trip.

These times come from Against the Compass, updated in July 2026. If you are planning a harder trek, see our K2 Base Camp trek guide.

Is Fairy Meadows safe?

The jeep track is the main risk, and floods and landslides can cut the road in summer.

The June 2026 accident. On 1 June 2026, at around 3pm, a tourist jeep heading to Fairy Meadows fell into a ravine on Tattu Raikot Road and was swept away in Tattu Nala. Pakistan Today reported the same day that police said all seven people on board, including the driver, had died. Dawn’s reports on 1 and 2 June still called them missing and said an investigation into the cause had started. Six were tourists: four from Punjab and two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Floods in 2025. In July 2025, Diamer was the district worst hit by floods in GB. Dawn reported on 27 July 2025 that officials said most tourists trapped in Fairy Meadows had been rescued. A Dawn editorial on 11 August 2025 said the “fragile access roads of Fairy Meadows, Ghanche and Diamir” had been clogged by landslides, leaving many tourists stranded.

For the wider picture, read our guide on whether Pakistan is safe to visit and our travel insurance guide.

Is Fairy Meadows open, and when is the best time to visit?

We couldn’t find an official opening date or season for Fairy Meadows as of October 2026. Other sites quote a GB government page with season dates, but it no longer opens, so we don’t rely on it.

What the sources do show:

If you go late in the year, phone the Tourist Police (1422) before you set off and ask whether the jeeps are running. Our guide to the best time to visit northern Pakistan covers the seasons across GB.

Do foreigners need a permit for Fairy Meadows?

We found no permit requirement for Fairy Meadows itself. In 2021, the Against the Compass writer had to register with the police at Raikot Bridge. Check the visa rules first in our Pakistan visa guide, and see our guide to the best SIM for visitors, since a local SIM helps you call ahead.

Fairy Meadows or Hunza and Skardu?

Fairy Meadows is a walk-in trip: you can’t drive to your hotel, and by GB Tourism’s and travellers’ timings the jeep and the walk take about 5 to 6 hours up. If you would rather skip the jeep track, compare two other GB trips in Hunza or Skardu.

More guides: Swat or Naran Kaghan, places to visit in winter, all Where to Go guides.