Travel’s Guide to Fairy Meadows Pakistan 2021

Fairy Meadows is one of the most beautiful and perhaps few of the extraordinary natural scenes in the world. In the lap of some of the highest mountains, precisely eight humongous mountain ranges in the world, Fairy Meadows Pakistan is just what the name suggests. It is a Meadow of Fairies and habitat to some out-of-this-world beings that add to the bewitching beauty of it. Having embraced the world’s second largest mountain K-2 along with the Killer mountain Nanga Parbat, it is considered to be one of the most splendid and accessible hikes that will allow you to witness 8,000 m high mountains without doing a multi-day trek.

Since it is unlike the jeep-accessible places everywhere, Fairy Meadows asks more from you if you want to explore this wonderland and the foremost thing is to be a trek or hike lover. Here it is the natural wheels on your legs that are widely used instead of four wheeler. You will have to be fit and energetic enough to hike and trek the unsmooth paths as it is a mountainous terrain at some places but mostly it is a wide stretched lush green grass. A basecamp is a place that completely spell-bounds at the first sight and one feels utter serenity and solace being here.

The Best Time to Visit Fairy Meadows in Pakistan

The best time to hike Fairy Meadows is April to October, preferably on weekdays, as these are considered to be the shoulder seasons. The Fairy Meadows Weather might be a bit colder than during the midsummer months, you are more likely to have the place to yourself or a good arrangement for the coldness of the weather. Fairy Meadows is a very popular tourist attraction among the locals and it can get crowded at peak times like the midsummer months or during public holidays and the locals here also found of this place.

What do You need to Have for Hiking?

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. The normal trek to Fairy Meadows is quite undemanding but if you want to trek higher to explore then perhaps you need to be better equipped.

Weather-proof Jackets: It is always good to be ready and adverse situations may come any time. Like most mountains in this region, it can rain/snow or extremely windy at any time so it is advisable to be prepared for the worst weather.

Get Maps. Me: It works as the best guide Maps.me is the best app you can have on your phone, especially when hiking. The app is available on both Android and iOS and with its offline capabilities and their comprehensive list of available hiking trails, you will never get detracted or astray.

Prepare Snacks: since it is at a high altitude and the shopkeepers here have to carry items with great difficulty and labor so food items particularly here are quite expensive (150 - 500 PKR) so if you want to save money, buy some snacks beforehand. Water can be refilled for free at the Greenland resort if you decided to stay there, otherwise, all the accommodations sell water or you can always refill it from the water streams that are crystal clear and clean.
A Daypack: importantly, you will need a daypack to carry all your gear with you when you are out and about. During this trip, you will require a comfortable and fitted backpack to carry all out necessities along well-packed. Light yet the strong bag is a must.

Moreover, it is not only the Fairy Meadows Night View but the enjoyment and adventure get doubled when you have the great Nanga Parbat in the vicinity. You know about Nanga Parbat right? No! Let’s make you familiarize yourself with it.

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 that is normally used as a base to organize treks to the base camp.

How to Get There?

There are two ways to get at there. If you travel by air from Benazir International Airport Islamabad You will land at the provincial capital, Gilgit City in about 45 minutes. From here you can have a transport that will drop you almost two hours away from the Fairy Meadows basecamp because there onwards it is a hike and it is always advisable to travel by a 4x4 because these are the only fit and pertinent vehicles to the dangerous road.

On the other hand, if you travel via public transport, a bus, from Islamabad, you will be dropped at the Raikot Bridge. You will find vehicles here onward to the end of the jeepable road. The roads here are extremely dangerous yet the drivers are well-familiar and trained. 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. A camera will always remind you of this place even after you return and photographs taken here are just magical because they present an unbelievable backdrop. The mighty mountains in the background seem like a creation of an artist on paper. wish you a good journey.