The Astore Valley & Rama Lake Tour is a guided trip lasting 4 days in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, topping out at 4,140 m. It is graded Easy to Moderate — high-altitude 4x4, short optional walks — short day walks. 3 fixed departures are open from $560 per person, all-inclusive from Islamabad.
Astore Valley & Rama Lake Tour — 4 Days over Deosai
Rama Lake is the view Astore keeps for people who make the effort: a green-blue lake at 3,300 m in a bowl of pines, with the Chongra peaks and the eastern wall of Nanga Parbat standing over it. Getting there is the trip — across the Deosai Plateau from Skardu, over Sheosar Lake, and down into a valley that most Skardu itineraries drive straight past.
Four days by 4x4, with real walking kept short and optional: forty-five minutes from Rama Meadows to the lake, and village time in Tarashing under the Rupal Face — the biggest mountain wall on earth, rising more than four kilometres above the valley floor. You sleep in Astore town and Rama, eat in local houses and small hotels, and travel with a Skardu driver-guide who has crossed Deosai more times than he can count.
This is jeep country, honestly sold: long days on rough tracks, basic but clean rooms, and scenery that repays every kilometre. Local hands, real safety, fair price.
- Duration
- 4 Days - 3 Nights
- Max altitude
- 4,140 m
- Grade
- Easy – Moderate
- Days on foot
- 0
- Best season
- Summer ( mid-June - September )
- Group size
- Max 6
Astore & Rama Lake Tour Price
From $560 per person in a group of four to six — 4x4 with driver-guide throughout, all fuel and Deosai park fees, three nights in Astore and Rama, and all meals. Couples and solo travellers pay more per head because the jeep is the cost; exact quotes on WhatsApp within the hour.
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) | $1,250 | Private 4x4 and driver-guide to yourself — the jeep is the cost, the valley is the reward. |
| (2-3 Persons) | $700 | One jeep, shared. The best balance of price and flexibility for couples and small groups. |
| (4-6 Persons) | $560 | Full jeep, best per-person rate. Families welcome — the walking is short and optional. |
Is this trip right for you?
Yes — this is one of the easiest trips to say yes to.
Graded Easy to Moderate — high-altitude 4x4, short optional walks.
Good to know
The highest point is 4,140 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 — Astore Valley & Rama Lake
Four jeep days in a loop from Skardu: the Deosai Plateau and Sheosar Lake, Astore town, Rama Meadows and the lake, and Tarashing under the Rupal Face, returning across the plateau.
Day 1Skardu to Astore across the Deosai Plateau
4,140 m
Up onto the second-highest plateau on earth: brown bears if you are lucky, wildflowers if it is July, Sheosar Lake either way. Down the Chilim side to Astore town for the night.
Day 2Astore to Rama Meadows & Rama Lake
3,300 m
The jeep track climbs through pine forest to Rama Meadows. A 45-minute walk brings you to the lake, with the Chongra peaks and Nanga Parbat's eastern wall above the water. Night at Rama or Astore.
Day 3Tarashing & the Rupal Face
2,900 m
Into the Rupal Valley to Tarashing village, directly beneath the biggest mountain wall on earth — more than 4,000 m of Nanga Parbat in one view. Village walk, apricot orchards, back to Astore.
Day 4Astore to Skardu over Deosai
2,230 m
Recross the plateau with morning light on the lakes, brew tea at Bara Pani, and drop back into Skardu by late afternoon.
What’s included in the price
Every fixed departure is all-inclusive from Islamabad. This is exactly what your $560 per person covers, and the handful of things it does not — so there is nothing to settle at the trailhead.
Included in the price
- All 4x4 transport and fuel from Skardu return
- Driver-guide
- Deosai National Park entry fees
- Three nights' accommodation and all meals
Not included
- Flights to Skardu
- Personal spending
- Drinks
- Tips for the driver-guide
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 $560 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 Astore & Rama Lake Tour
Booking & Payment
A deposit of 10% of the trip price confirms your dates and jeep. Balance is payable on arrival in Skardu.
Book through our website or directly on WhatsApp — we confirm within the hour in season.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel 30+ days before departure: full refund of the deposit. 7-29 days: half the deposit. Under 7 days: the deposit is forfeit.
If the Deosai road closes for weather, we reroute via the KKH where possible or refund in full — your call.
Transportation Details
Land Cruiser or equivalent 4x4 with an experienced Deosai driver-guide throughout. The plateau crossing is rough track; the Astore and Rama roads are steep and unpaved. That is the country — we drive it every week.
Health & Altitude
The Deosai crossing tops out at about 4,140 m but we cross in daytime and sleep at 2,600-3,300m. Anyone with a heart or lung condition should ask their doctor first; children from six travel comfortably.
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 do you reach Rama Lake?
From Astore town, jeeps climb to Rama village and the meadows at about 3,200 m; the lake is a 45-minute walk from the jeep track. We run the whole circuit from Skardu across the Deosai Plateau, which turns the transfer itself into the safari.
How much does the tour cost?
From $560 per person for groups of four to six, all ground transport by 4x4, rooms, meals and a driver-guide included. Smaller groups pay more per head because the jeep is the main cost.
When is the best time?
Mid-June to September. The Deosai crossing opens when the snow clears in June, the meadows are greenest in July, and September brings the sharpest mountain light. Outside those months the plateau road is closed and Astore is reached the long way via the KKH.
Will I see Nanga Parbat?
Two ways: the eastern (Rakhiot) side above Rama Lake, and the Rupal Face from Tarashing — more than 4,000 m of wall in a single view. Both depend on clear weather, which is most reliable in the mornings.
Is it suitable for families?
Yes. The walking is short and optional, and the jeep days, while long, break at Sheosar Lake and the Deosai streams. The altitude tops out at about 4,140 m crossing the plateau — we keep the crossing to daytime and sleep much lower.
What visa do I need?
A standard Pakistan tourist visa. No permits are needed for Deosai, Astore or Rama — park entry fees are included in the price.
