Six peaks above 7,000 m, run from Skardu by our own Balti team. Permits, oxygen, insured high-altitude porters and a turnaround policy that is actually enforced.
Six peaks above 7,000 m, run from Skardu by our own Balti team. Permits, oxygen, insured high-altitude porters and a turnaround policy that is actually enforced.
The Burji La Trek is a 7 days guided trip in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 4,880 m. It is graded Moderate to demanding — a non-technical 4,880 m pass on loose ground — 5 days on foot including an acclimatisation day. 3 fixed departures are open from $1,150 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
Stand in Skardu bazaar and look south: the notch in the ridge is Burji La, about 4,880 m, some 2,600 m above town. Climb it on foot and the ground on the far side stops rising and opens into the Deosai plateau, wildflowers to the horizon in July. On a clear dawn you see K2 and Nanga Parbat from the same spot. Other operators sell this in four days. We do not, because the altitude profile is the whole risk on this trek: we give you a full acclimatisation day at base camp and a dawn start for the pass. It is the fastest honest way in the Karakoram to find out how your body handles altitude before you commit to K2. Local Balti team, sat phone in camp, fair price.
Duration
7 days6 nights
Max altitude
4,880 mhighest point
Grade
Moderate to demanding — a non-technical 4,880 m pass on loose ground
Days on foot
5 days on foot including an acclimatisation daythe rest is travel
Group size
Max 1min age 14
Best season
July – Septemberopen July – September
Departures open
3next 10 Jul 2027
Burji La Trek Price
From $1,150 per person in a group of four to six, Skardu to Skardu. That covers jeep transfers, a licensed local guide, cook and porters, full camping equipment, all meals on trek, Deosai National Park fees, a satellite phone with the crew and the jeep pick-up at Sheosar Lake. Hotels in Skardu before and after, and flights from Islamabad, are priced separately so you can choose air or road.
Fixed Departures
Fixed departures are scheduled dates you join as part of a group, rather than arranging your own trip. 3 dates are currently open, each capped at 10 people. Every date is the same price, $1,150 per person. A $150 deposit reserves a place. The availability column shows how many places are left on each date.
These are private departures, priced by the size of your party rather than by a set date. Pick the band that matches your group and the price per person is fixed at that rate, across 4 options. The more of you who travel, the less each person pays — from $2,300 for Solo (1 Person) down to $950/pp for 7-10 Persons. What each band covers is set out in the table.
Group size
Price
What it includes
Solo (1 Person)
$2,300
Private guide, cook and porters for one, on your dates.
(2-3 Persons)
$1,500/pp
A small private team for couples and friends.
(4-6 Persons)
$1,150/pp
Our most popular group size and the best balance of cost and pace.
(7-10 Persons)
$950/pp
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 — a non-technical 4,880 m pass on loose ground. No technical climbing and no ropework.
5 days on foot including an acclimatisation dayDays on footthe rest is travel
4,880 mhighest pointWe build in time to acclimatise.
14minimum age
What to expect
The highest point is 4,880 m, so altitude counts here. The itinerary is built around acclimatising and your guide sets a pace that gets you there comfortably.
You’re ready ifyou walk or hike now and then and can manage a few hours uphill with a day pack.
Give yourself a little longer ifit has been a while since a long walk. A few hill walks beforehand and you will enjoy it far more.
This might not be your trip ifyou would rather not sleep in a tent, or you want a glacier crossing or a high pass. Tell us and we will match you to the right one.
One thing we do insist on: travel insurance that covers helicopter evacuation.
Travel Plan
Itinerary — Burji La Trek
Seven days Skardu to Skardu: an acclimatisation day in town, two days up to base camp, a rest-and-climb day, the pass at dawn, a day across Deosai and the jeep home from Sheosar Lake.
7 days
Arrive and sleep at about 2,230 m. Gear check with your guide, then the Kharpocho Fort and Manthal Buddha Rock circuit: a real acclimatisation walk disguised as sightseeing.
Short jeep transfer to the trailhead above the Satpara side, then three to five hours on foot up terraced fields and open slope to camp at about 3,200 m. Hot, dry and shadeless; we start early and drink a lot.
Four to six hours on rougher ground with the valley dropping away behind you, to base camp at about 4,100 m. The day the altitude starts to speak, so we keep it short and reach camp by mid-afternoon.
Climb high, sleep low: an excursion up towards the pass and back down to camp. This is the day that makes the pass safe; skipping it is how people get into trouble.
Pre-dawn start, two to three hours to the top for the light on K2 and Nanga Parbat, an hour on the pass, then a long descent onto the Deosai plateau to camp near the lakes at about 4,050 m.
Plateau walking at around 4,000 to 4,200 m: marmots, wildflowers in July and the long empty quiet that Deosai does better than anywhere in Pakistan. Camp on the plateau.
Walk to Sheosar Lake at about 4,250 m, then jeep pick-up and the drive back to Skardu via Sadpara by late afternoon. Onward to Astore instead on request.
What’s included in the price
Every fixed departure is all-inclusive from Islamabad. This is exactly what your $1,150 per person covers, and the handful of things it does not — so there is nothing to settle at the trailhead.
Included in the price
Jeep transfers Skardu to trailhead and Sheosar Lake to Skardu
Licensed local guide
Cook and porters
Full camping equipment
All meals on trek
Deosai National Park fees
Satellite phone with the crew and a real evacuation plan
The same safety system we run on our expeditions
Not included
Islamabad-Skardu flights or road transfer
Hotels in Skardu
Personal trekking gear
Travel insurance (mandatory)
Drinks and tips
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 is certified by the Alpine Club of Pakistan, holds Wilderness First Aid, and has between five and twenty years on high-altitude ground.
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 $1,150 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
Four steps from here to the mountains
1Pick your dateA fixed departure above, or private dates you choose.
2Send the requestThe form on this page, or WhatsApp. Name, party size, date.
3Pay $150 per personThat holds your place. We reply within 24 hours.
4Balance 30 days beforeThen we take over: flights, hotels, permits, crew.
No card details on this page. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
More About the Burji La Trek
Booking & Payment
A deposit of $150 per person 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
You receive a full refund or a transfer to another date
Your choice
Permits & Documentation
Burji La and Deosai are in an open zone: no restricted-area NOC is needed and a standard Pakistan visa works. We arrange local registration and Deosai National Park fees
Health & Fitness
Moderate to demanding: five days on foot
A 4,880 m pass on loose ground and three nights above 4,000 m. No technical climbing. Solid hill fitness required. Minimum age 14
Travel insurance covering trekking to 5,000 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 Burji La?
Roughly 4,880 m (about 16,010 ft). Published figures range from about 4,816 m to 5,000 m, so treat it as approximate. Either way it is about 2,600 m above Skardu.
Can you really see K2 from Burji La?
Yes, on a clear morning: a small serrated triangle far to the north-east, with Nanga Parbat to the west, Masherbrum and the Gasherbrum group in between. It needs a clean sky, which is why we camp high and reach the pass at first light.
Why seven days when others sell four?
Because the altitude gain is the real risk here. Our version adds an acclimatisation day in Skardu and a climb-high, sleep-low day at base camp. Cutting those makes the pass day harder and less safe.
How hard is it?
Moderate to demanding. There is no technical climbing and no glacier, but the ground is loose and steep, the days are hot and dry low down and cold at camp, and you sleep above 4,000 m. Solid hill fitness is enough; prior altitude experience helps.
Is Burji La good preparation for K2 Base Camp?
It is one of the best. In a week it tells you how you handle 4,000 to 4,900 m before you commit two to three weeks and real money to the Baltoro.
When can it be trekked?
Roughly July to September. Deosai is snowbound from about November to May, and early June often still holds snow on the pass. July brings the Deosai wildflowers.
Top-Notch Service, Excellent Reviews
No reviews yet — be the first to tell us how it went.
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
_gac_
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Facebook Pixel is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
