Shispare peak rising above the Passu Glacier in Upper Hunza, Pakistan
Passu Peak rising above the crevassed Passu Glacier
The jagged Passu Cones (Tupopdan) rising above the Hunza valley
High viewpoint looking down over the length of Attabad Lake in Upper Hunza
Snow and ice on the Passu massif above Passu village in upper Hunza

Patundas Meadows Trek — Six Days Above the Passu Glacier

The Patundas Meadows Trek is a 6 days guided trip 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 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 days5 nights
Max altitude
4,100 mhighest point
Grade
Moderate to demanding — one guided glacier crossing and a steep climb to 4,100 m
Days on foot
5 days on foot with one glacier crossingthe rest is travel
Group size
Max 1min age 14
Best season
June – Septemberopen June – September
Departures open
4next 19 Jun 2027

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. 4 dates are currently open, each capped at 10 people. Every date is the same price, $990 per person. A $150 deposit reserves a place. The availability column shows how many places are left on each date.

DepartureDatesPriceAvailabilityDepositBook
Group 0119 Jun – 24 Jun2027$990 /person10 of 10 places$150Book now
Group 0217 Jul – 22 Jul2027$990 /person10 of 10 places$150Book now
Group 0321 Aug – 26 Aug2027$990 /person10 of 10 places$150Book now
Group 0411 Sep – 16 Sep2027$990 /person10 of 10 places$150Book now

Private & customised groups

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 $1,890 for Solo (1 Person) down to $820/pp for 7-10 Persons. What each band covers is set out in the table.

Group sizePriceWhat it includes
Solo (1 Person)$1,890Private guide, cook and porters for one, on your dates.
(2-3 Persons)$1,290/ppA small private team for couples and friends.
(4-6 Persons)$990/ppOur most popular group size and the best balance of cost and pace.
(7-10 Persons)$820/ppBest 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.

5 days on foot with one glacier crossingDays on footthe rest is travel
4,100 mhighest pointWe build in time to acclimatise.
14minimum age

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.

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 — 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.
6 days

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.

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.

A steady climb through Wakhi summer pastures with Shispare and the Passu peaks growing across the valley. Camp at Luzhdar.

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.

Down off the meadow by a different line through the pastures, with time to look back at the view, to camp at Mulunghil.

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

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 $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

Four steps from here to the mountains

  1. 1Pick your dateA fixed departure above, or private dates you choose.
  2. 2Send the requestThe form on this page, or WhatsApp. Name, party size, date.
  3. 3Pay $150 per personThat holds your place. We reply within 24 hours.
  4. 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 Patundas 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

  • 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.

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