Trekking Amongst Giants

Arrive into Islamabad airport where you will be met by the EBT team. (If you are arriving within 24 hours of the start of the tour); we’ll ferry you to HQ where you can chill out and freshen up.

Note: We recommend arriving into Islamabad one day early so that you can settle in and be ready to go on the morning of day one. Accommodation pre-tour is not included.

Once you arrive at the hotel, you will have the chance to freshen up and get ready for a team briefing. We’ll discuss highlights and logistics of the tour, and will follow-up with lunch at the hotel.

Upon finishing breakfast, we leave immediately for the mountains. We will be driving ¾ of the way to Raikot Bridge – gateway to the exalted Nanga Parbat – and plan on spending the night in Naran (8-12 hours).

Today we start early, bound for Raicot Bridge. From there we take a 90 minute jeep ride up one of the craziest roads in the world before starting our 3 hour trek to the beautiful Fairy Meadows. 

We will be spending two days at Fairy Meadows and will have lots of opportunities to explore the area. 

For those who want to go on an adventure, we will be organizing a hike to Nanga Parbat Base Camp* (weather permitting). This 4000 m base camp will provide some of the most epic vistas on this trip and should be seriously considered (usually all trip members join). 

At the end of every night, there will be a bonfire and plenty of open skies (hopefully). On a clear night, the Milky Way will be visible.

*Note: the optional hike to Nanga Parbat Base Camp requires a moderate level of fitness and take around 8 hours round trip (with plenty of time to chill out at base camp, eat lunch, etc).

We have two days in the Fairy Meadows and will have lots of opportunities to explore the area. You can hang out in the Meadows, read a book under a tree, or socialize with the locals.

For those who want to go on an adventure, we will be organizing a hike to Nanga Parbat Base Camp* (weather permitting). This 4000 m base camp will provide some of the most epic vistas on this trip and should be seriously considered.

At the end of every night, there will be a bonfire and plenty of open skies (hopefully). On a clear night, the Milky Way will be visible.

*Note: the optional hike to Nanga Parbat Base Camp requires a moderate level of fitness and take around 7 – 10 hours round trip (with plenty of time to chill out at base camp, eat lunch, etc).

Today, we pack our bags and head back down to the Raikot Bridge. Pending an early departure from the Meadows, we will arrive at the bridge around midday.

From the bridge, we head deeper into the mountains and make for Astore. Astore is often called the “Switzerland of Pakistan” and is adored for its pastoral, languid beauty. We anticipate being in Astore before sunset.

Upon checking into our hotel, we say a brief goodbye to Mr. Khan, our driver, as we will be using jeeps for the next few days. Mr. Khan will meet us later on in Skardu.

We pile into our fleet of jeeps and head to Deosai National Park – the second highest alpine plateau in the world (4200m) behind the Tibetan Plateau. We will be in Deosai during peak wildflower season, the likes of which are out of this world!

We will spend the day exploring Deosai and there will plenty of photo ops along the way.

After wrapping our road trip, we will then make camp in Deosai at Barah Pani (Place of Big Water). Eager hikers will have the chance to walk some more and to gain an additional 200 m to a spectacular viewpoint.

We leave Deosai at a reasonable time and drive to the largest city in Baltistan, Skardu (2-3 hours). Upon arriving at our hotel, guests will have the opportunity to take a shower and a nap.

In the early afternoon, we will leave the hotel to visit the local attractions, including the Buddha Rock (time permitting).

From Skardu, we will take a short drive through the gorgeous Shigar Valley before spending the evening in the Safa Ranga Desert. You will get to climb the bleach-white sand dunes for sunset and will be totally engulfed by the Karakorum Mountains.

On day 8, we begin the most adventurous and demanding portion of our tour – the Barah Broq trek. This is one of the most beautiful short treks in Pakistan and features high-alpine lakes, exposure to local shepherd communities, and the chance to climb Moses Peak, which offers one of the best views of the Karakorum.

We’ll make camp 4 times over the course of 4 nights: at 3300 m, 4200m, 4700m, and then back to 4200m. You will have the chance to visit several beautiful alpine lakes along the way and the view from High Camp at 4700m is particularly stunning.

Near the end of the trek, guests will also be able to attempt Moses Peak – a 5350 m viewpoint that offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. From the Moses Peak, you will see almost every notable peak in the Baltistan including Masherbrum, Gasherbrum, Nanga Parbat, and, of course, K2.

To learn more about this trek, check out our compete guide on Barah Broq.

After spending a few days in the mountains, we begin our return journey back to civilization. We will hike all the way down to the road in one day, so an early start will be required. The hike down is not nearly as demanding as the way up and a delicious lunch will be waiting you at the bottom.

Upon meeting up with our transport at the valley floor, we will return to Skardu and have a relaxing night after our trek. Tasty food and celebrations will abound.

It’s time to depart from the Karakorum today. We have an early wake-up call and a long drive ahead of us (10-12 hours). We arrive back in Naran and have a calm evening before making another long drive the next day.

This is the last big day of driving on the tour; hurray! We leave early and make a beeline for Islamabad. Drive time is 8-10 hours and we will stop for lunch along the way.

Upon arriving in Islamabad, we will freshen up and get ready for a very special dinner at one of the most famous restaurants in Pakistan. We close the tour with one last meal together and roundtable.

We arrange for transfers to Islamabad International Airport for those who are flying out on day 15. Check out of the hotel is around 11 am on Day 15. You can choose to stay on at the same hotel if you are not flying home right away, though any additional nights at the hotel are not covered by EBT.