The Patundas Meadows Trek is a guided trip lasting 6 days in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 4,100 m. It is graded Moderate to demanding — one guided glacier crossing and a steep climb to 4,100 m — 5 days on foot with one glacier crossing. 4 fixed departures are open from $990 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
Patundas Meadows Trek — Six Days Above the Passu Glacier
Patundas is a high shelf of grass at about 4,100 m above Upper Hunza, where Wakhi herders summer their yaks and the Passu glacier, Shispare and the Passu peaks fill everything you can see. The usual way to sell it is a 12 to 15 day package out of Islamabad. If you are already in Hunza, you do not need that. Our version is six days door to door from Karimabad: Borith Lake, a guided crossing of the Passu glacier, three camps climbing through the Wakhi pastures to Patundas, and down to Passu village. It is a short trek, not an easy one: one glacier crossing and a steep day up to 4,100 m. Local hands, sat phone in camp, fair price.
- Duration
- 6 Days - 5 Nights
- Max altitude
- 4,100 m
- Grade
- Moderate – Demanding
- Days on foot
- 5
- Best season
- Summer ( June - September )
- Group size
- Max 10
Patundas Trek Price
From $990 per person in a group of four to six, Hunza to Hunza. That covers transport from your Karimabad hotel to Ghulkin and back from Passu, a licensed local guide for the glacier crossing, cook and porters, full camping equipment, all meals on trek, local community fees and a satellite phone with the crew. Flights or the road to Hunza, and hotels in Hunza before and after, are not included.
Fixed Departures
Fixed departures are scheduled dates you join as part of a group, rather than arranging your own trip.
Private & customised groups
These are private departures, priced by the size of your party rather than by a set date.
| Group size | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Solo (1 Person) | $1,890 | Private guide, cook and porters for one, on your dates. |
| (2-3 Persons) | $1,290 | A small private team for couples and friends. |
| (4-6 Persons) | $990 | Our most popular group size and the best balance of cost and pace. |
| (7-10 Persons) | $820 | Best per-person rate for clubs and larger groups. |
Can you do this trek?
Yes — if you can walk uphill for a few hours, this is well within reach.
Graded Moderate to demanding — one guided glacier crossing and a steep climb to 4,100 m.
What to expect
The highest point is 4,100 m, so altitude counts here. The itinerary is built around acclimatising and your guide sets a pace that gets you there comfortably.
One thing we do insist on: travel insurance that covers helicopter evacuation.
Travel Plan
Itinerary — Patundas Meadows
Six days from Karimabad: Borith Lake, the Passu glacier crossing to Passugar, two climbing days through Luzhdar to Patundas, then down via Mulunghil to Passu village.
Day 1Karimabad to Ghulkin & Borith Lake
2,600 m
Morning drive up the Karakoram Highway past Attabad Lake to Ghulkin, then an easy walk to Borith Lake at about 2,600 m for the first night, below the Passu glacier.
Day 2Across the Passu Glacier to Passugar
The crossing day. Your guide picks the line across the rubble-covered Passu glacier, slow and broken but not technical, then a climb up the far moraine to camp at Passugar.
Day 3Passugar to Luzhdar
A steady climb through Wakhi summer pastures with Shispare and the Passu peaks growing across the valley. Camp at Luzhdar.
Day 4Luzhdar to the Patundas Meadows
4,100 m
The steep day: up onto the Patundas shelf at about 4,100 m, with the whole Passu glacier below and the Batura Muztagh on the skyline. Camp on the meadow.
Day 5Patundas to Mulunghil
Down off the meadow by a different line through the pastures, with time to look back at the view, to camp at Mulunghil.
Day 6Mulunghil to Passu & Back to Karimabad
2,540 m
Final descent to Passu village at about 2,540 m, then the drive back down the Karakoram Highway to Karimabad by late afternoon.
What’s included in the price
Every fixed departure is all-inclusive from Islamabad. This is exactly what your $990 per person covers, and the handful of things it does not — so there is nothing to settle at the trailhead.
Included in the price
- Transport Karimabad to Ghulkin and Passu to Karimabad
- Licensed local guide
- Cook and porters
- Full camping equipment
- All meals on trek
- Local community fees
- Satellite phone with the crew and a real evacuation plan
- The same safety system we run on our expeditions
Not included
- Flights or road transfer to Hunza
- Hotels in Hunza
- Personal trekking gear
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Drinks and tips
Resources
Free guides from our local team, so you arrive ready.
- Trekking gear list what to pack
- Trekking medicine & altitude staying well up high
- Maps, books, visa & permits planning your trip
Why Karakoram Venture
Because the people who take you up this mountain are from it. Our guides grew up in these valleys, and they are our own team — not a booking desk handing you to whoever is cheapest that week. Every one of them holds a guide licence from DTS Gilgit-Baltistan and the Federal DTS, renewed each year, and worked at least five years in the region before applying for it. Most also hold Wilderness First Aid.
Because the safety is real, and we will name it rather than imply it. A satellite phone travels in every camp, we hold established helicopter-rescue contacts for this region, and we tell you exactly which travel insurance to carry. Budget operators cut precisely these things, because you cannot see them on a web page.
Because the price is honest. Local infrastructure is why $990 per person covers the trip from Islamabad rather than a stripped-down base rate. Exactly what it includes — and the handful of things it does not — is set out above.
How to book this trip
More About the Patundas Trek
Booking & Payment
A deposit of 10% of the trip price confirms your place. Balance is due 30 days before departure.
Book through our website or directly on WhatsApp. We confirm within the hour in season.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel 60+ days before departure for a full refund of the deposit. 30-59 days: half the deposit. Under 30 days: the deposit is forfeit.
If we cancel a departure for operational reasons, you receive a full refund or a transfer to another date, your choice. Cancellations for weather or road and flight closures follow our force majeure terms: a free transfer or a credit valid for 24 months, plus a refund of every cost we can recover.
Permits & Documentation
Patundas is in an open zone: a standard Pakistan visa works and no restricted-area NOC is needed. We handle local registration and community fees.
Health & Fitness
Moderate to demanding: five days on foot, one guided glacier crossing and a steep climb to about 4,100 m. No technical climbing. Solid hill fitness required. Minimum age 14.
Travel insurance covering trekking to 4,500 m is mandatory and arranged by you.
Important Notes
Carry at least 2 recent passport-size photos for verification and documentation.
A valid passport (foreign nationals) or CNIC (Pakistani nationals) is mandatory for booking and travel.
Keep your original passport or CNIC with you throughout the tour for security checks and hotel check-ins.
Foreign nationals need a valid passport and the correct visa; any NOC and trekking/restricted-area permits are arranged by Karakoram Venture.
Special Information
Professional and experienced Tour Manager available from start to end of the trip.
Delicious and fresh daily meals included from Day 1 until departure.
No complimentary meals provided on flights or during transit stops.
Follow updated state travel policies carefully for a hassle-free journey.
Transportation Details
Comfortable and spacious A/C Coaches for long trips and intercity travel.
Sturdy 4x4 jeeps for mountain roads and sightseeing (up to 7 pax per vehicle).
Reliable 4x4 vehicles (Land Cruiser / Prado) for off-road and high-altitude excursions.
Arrival & Departure Guidelines
Day 1: Report at the designated airport on time as per schedule.
Final Day: Depart after successfully completing the full itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high is Patundas?
The meadow is usually given as about 4,100 m, with some sources quoting up to about 4,300 m for the higher viewpoint shelf. Either way you sleep at around 4,100 m on the top night.
Why six days when others sell 12 to 15?
Those packages include the drive from Islamabad, Hunza sightseeing and the drive back. The trek itself is about five days on foot. If you are already in Hunza, our six-day version is the trek without the padding.
Do we cross a glacier?
Yes, the Passu glacier, once, with your guide choosing the line across the rubble-covered ice. It is not technical, but it is broken and slow, and it is the reason this trek is never done without a local guide.
What will I see from Patundas?
The Passu glacier below, Shispare (7,611 m) and the Passu peaks across the valley, and on clear days the long line of the Batura Muztagh. Wakhi herders bring yaks up to these pastures in summer.
How fit do I need to be?
Solid hill fitness. Five days on foot, a long glacier day and a steep climb to 4,100 m. No climbing skills needed; prior trekking above 3,500 m helps.
When is the season?
June to September. Snow lingers on the upper pastures in May, and the herders come down in autumn.
