The Ultimate Guide to Hiking Rakaposhi Base Camp (2024)

Imagine this: pitching your tent at the edge of a massive glacier with next to no one around. Going to sleep to the constant roar of avalanches high above you (don’t worry, they’re at a safe distance). Waking up to the view of not one, but two 7000+ metre peaks.

Welcome to Rakaposhi Base Camp. It’s truly awesome!  

Want to hike to Rakaposhi Base Camp? We don’t blame you. Read on for our complete guide to the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek, featuring everything you need to know to tackle this epic trip – including side trips to Diran Base Camp and Kacheli Lake. 

Rakaposhi Base Camp Trek Overview 

• Location: Nagar region, Gilgit-Baltistan province, Pakistan
• Length: 13 km (each way)
• Time: 2 – 3 days total
• Elevation gain: 1500 metres
• Season: May – September 
• Type: Out and back 
• Walking options: Independent and guided
• Booking Required: No
• Sleeping: Camping
• Start: Minapin
• Finish: Minapin
• Difficulty: Moderate 
• What to expect: Classic Karakoram scenery (think crazy high mountains) and an insane view of the massive Minapin Glacier

Rakaposhi Mountain

Rakaposhi Mountain is a big and powerful mountain. At 7788 metres, Rakaposhi is the 27th highest mountain in the world.

Rakaposhi isn’t just tall – it’s the only mountain in the world with more than 5,000 meters between its base camp and the summit, so it feels really, really tall. 

It’s also famous for its frequent avalanches (making it super dangerous to actually climb). At Rakaposhi Base Camp, you’ll hear them a lot. Like, A LOT. But don’t worry, they don’t come down to the actual base camp, so you’re safe. 

Side note: if you’re keen, you can even sign up for a tour to climb Rakaposhi! That’s badass, man.

What is The Rakaposhi Base Camp Trek? 

The Rakaposhi Base Camp trek is a hike to a high-altitude grassy summer pasture at the base of the mighty Rakaposhi Mountain.

Rakaposhi Base Camp sits at 3500 metres, so this is a great hike to acclimatise if you’ve just arrived in Pakistan. 

The Rakaposhi Base Camp trek is one of the most accessible hikes in the Karakoram Range. Fortunately, that accessibility doesn’t take away from its sheer beauty.

And while the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek is becoming one of the more popular hikes in Pakistan, it’s still Pakistan, so don’t expect to feel overcrowded. 

Rakaposhi Base Camp has a ‘make-your-own-adventure’ feel to it: you can tackle only Rakaposhi Base Camp, or tack on a few extra side trips – notably to Diran Base Camp and Kacheli Lake. The choice is yours, my friend! 

Want more epic hikes in Pakistan? Check out our guide on Jahaz Banda and Katora Lake

Rakaposhi Base Camp Location

Rakaposhi Base Camp is located in northern Pakistan, in the Nagar region of Gilgit-Baltistan province. 

The nearest village to Rakaposhi Base Camp is Minapin. Minapin is 75 km northeast of Gilgit, the administrative capital of Gilgit-Baltistan province. 

Best time to do the Rakaposhi Base Camp Trek 

The best time to hike to Rakaposhi Base Camp is from June to September. These months are Northern Pakistan’s spring and summer, so the weather will be the warmest during this time and there is a greater likelihood of clear, sunny days. 

You can potentially hike to Rakaposhi in May or October, but the weather will be noticeably cooler and you must be prepared for nights below zero.

In May, you’ll have to seek local advice about snow, as there may be too much snow at the Rakaposhi Base Camp to either make it or spend the night. 

Outside of this time frame, it will be very cold (think very subzero) and snowy, so unless you’re super skilled in mountaineering, not the ideal time for trekking in some of the highest mountains in the world. 

Looking for another epic hike? Read about the Ak Suu Traverse in Kyrgyzstan

Transportation: How to Get to Minapin 

To hike to Rakaposhi Base Camp, you first need to get to Minapin.

Minapin is 75 km from Gilgit City and a 2 km detour off the Karakoram Highway (KKH). 

From Gilgit to the KKH turnoff for Minapin, it will take anywhere from 1.5 – 2 hours (this all depends on how crazy your driver is). 

To get to Minapin from Gilgit, you can take a shared taxi or minivan from Gilgit’s north bus station. 

Minivans theoretically leave on schedule (3.00 pm), but in reality, they just often leave when full. This can be a long time. Welcome to Pakistan! 

Shared taxis don’t operate according to any schedule and leave when full. In our experience, these are a much quicker option than waiting for the minivan to fill up. They do cost a bit more but are still pretty damn cheap. 

For yet ANOTHER epic hike, read about the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda

As Minapin is a 2 km detour from the KKH, if you are in a shared taxi, you will be dropped off at the highway turnoff.

From here, you will have to either walk or hitch a ride. It shouldn’t be difficult to get a ride from the highway. We had to wait maybe 30 minutes, and as an added bonus, were taken to a wedding! 

And as always, you can just hitchhike the entire way from Gilgit. Again, this shouldn’t be too difficult and you’ll probably have some sort of fun adventure on the way. 

How much does it cost to Do The Rakaposhi Base Camp Trek?

It does not cost a lot of money to do the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek. If you are doing the trek independently, all you need to pay for is your camping and food. 

If you have your own gear, camping costs around 1500 PKR a night. If you need to rent camping gear, it costs 3000 PKR a night to camp. If you are preparing your own food, expect to pay around 500 – 1000 PKR for a couple of days’ worth of supplies. 

Since we’re living in a time of massive inflation, expect these prices to rise slightly. 

Read next: 10 Reasons to Travel to Pakistan in 2024

How difficult is the Rakaposhi Base Camp Trek?

The Rakaposhi Base Camp trek is relatively easy, for a high-altitude trek in the Karakorams. The path is clear and easy to follow, and while it consistently gains elevation (1500 metres of it), it isn’t overly steep. Anyone with a reasonable degree of physical fitness can do the hike.

The trek to Kacheli Lake and Diran Peak Base Camp also isn’t physically demanding. It does ascend to an even higher altitude, so you must be prepared to climb further.

The most challenging part about the trek to Kacheli Lake and Diran Peak Base Camp is crossing the glacier, which is very technical. This requires experience and a guide is necessary. 

Do I need a guide to do the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek?

Absolutely not! Once you pass through the village and find the trailhead to Rakaposhi Base Camp, the path is very clear and easy to follow. The path is straightforward, with no technical skills required.

If you would like to arrange a guide or any support (porters, cooks), you can do so at Osho Thang Guesthouse in Minapin (see below). 

Of course, if you want to visit Rakaposhi Base Camp on a tour, that’s totally cool. There’s an epic 12-day hiking tour that visits multiple big peak base camps. Rad!

If you plan to cross the Minapin Glacier to visit either Diran Base Camp or Kacheli Lake, you absolutely DO need a guide. The Minapin Glacier is pretty gnarly, with large and deep crevasses, and requires assistance to navigate safely. People have fallen into a crevasse and died. Guides can be arranged with the shepherds at the Rakaposhi Base Camp restaurant (see below). 

Rakaposhi Base Camp Trek Stages

The trek to Rakaposhi Base Camp is split into two sections:

Stage 1: Minapin to Hapakun Base Camp

From Minapin, you need to get to the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek trailhead. To find the trailhead, walk south through the village and follow the signs for MB Hotel. 

You can always ask the locals which way to go, as every foreigner in town is there to hike to Rakaposhi Base Camp and they will know which way to direct you. 

The trailhead is also marked on maps.me as “Rakaposhi Base Camp hiking start point”. 

At the trailhead, there is a small bridge that crosses the river near a dam. If you see this, then yay, you’re in the right spot! 

Once you cross the bridge, there is an easily identifiable jeep track. This is the start of the first major ascent. For the next 2 km, you will climb a series of medium-steep switchbacks. 

The jeep track turns into a footpath and enters a pine forest. At this point, you’ll come across a little wooden shop selling drinks. From here until Hapakun Base Camp, the trail is much flatter. 

After about 2 – 3 hours of total hiking time, you will see a sign for Hapakun Base Camp. This is a campground in a flat field about two-thirds of the way, with pre-set-up tents.

If you have time, you can visit the Diran Glacier from Hapakun Base Camp. Note that you cannot walk on this glacier, but you can reach out and touch it. 

Before heading off, be sure to fill up your water bottles at Hapakun Base Camp (read more about the water situation below). 

Stage 2: Hapakun to Rakaposhi Base Camp

Once you leave Hapakun Base Camp, the trail climbs steeply again.

It tapers off for a bit, before one final climb up the ridge until you reach the Minapin Glacier. From Hapakun Base Camp, it should take about 1 – 2 hours to reach the Minapin Glacier. 

Near the end, you will see that people have made a ‘shortcut’ near a grassy grazing area. We’ve tried the trail both ways, and to be honest, this isn’t really a shortcut. It’s very, very steep, so it’s slow going.

Our advice? Take the regular trail. 

From the Minapin Glacier, the Rakaposhi Base Camp is only a few hundred metres away and spray-painted signs point you in the right direction. 

Kacheli Lake, Diran Peak Base Camp and Rakaposhi Mountain Viewpoint

From Rakaposhi Base Camp, there are a few really fun side trips you can do: Kacheli Lake, Diran Peak Base Camp and the Rakaposhi Viewpoint. 

Kacheli Lake

Kacheli Lake is a high-altitude lake hidden in the Kacheli Meadows on the other side of the Minapin Glacier.

Getting to Kacheli Lake is a full-day adventure that absolutely requires a guide. Not only does it require crossing the Minapin Glacier (with its plentiful and massive crevasses), but there’s not really a clear trail to follow. 

We didn’t find Kacheli Lake itself that amazing, but the hike to get there and back was great. Crossing the glacier is a real adventure and the perspective of Rakaposhi from the other side is incredible. You’re also treated to insane views of Diran Peak.

We absolutely recommend this side trip. 

To get to Kacheli Lake, you can hire a guide from the local shepherds at the restaurant for around 6000 PKR. We bargained HARD and couldn’t get them to budge any lower. If you want to cut costs, you can always try to find a group. 

In the end, we found this too pricey and said no, but then a random man with a horse and gun was heading there so we negotiated to cross with him. 

Was it worth it? Absolutely. 

The entire trip across the glacier, to Kacheli Lake and back to Rakaposhi Base Camp takes around 5 – 7 hours return. 

Diran Peak Base Camp

At Rakaposhi Base Camp, you will notice a pyramid-shaped mountain staring you in the face. That’s Diran Peak, a 7266-metre mountain across the Minapin Glacier. 

You can also hike to Diran Peak Base Camp. As with Kacheli Lake, this requires a full day and a guide (again, because you’re crossing the Minapin Glacier). 

It’s worth noting that you can also camp there, should you wish to and have all your own gear. 

Expect the trip to take around 5 – 6 hours return. A guide can be arranged at the shepherds’ huts/restaurant for around 4000 PKR. 

You can also combine Diran Peak Base Camp and Kacheli Lake into one big day trip, but it will cost more for the guide and take a few more hours. 

Rakaposhi Base Camp Viewpoint

And finally, from Base Camp, you can hike up to an exceptional viewpoint, where you’ll be rewarded with 360-degree views of not just Rakaposhi Mountain and Diran Peak, but also in the opposite direction towards the Batura Mustagh. From this viewpoint, you can see 8 x 7000+ metre peaks: Ultar I, Ultar II, Shisper, Sangermarmar Sar, Batura, Hachinder Chich and Passu Sar.

We really mean it when we say the view is unreal. 

The best part? It only takes 15 – 30 minutes to reach the top. Be sure to leave your bags behind and enjoy the pack-free climb to one of our favourite views, ever. 

How to find the trailhead? About 40 metres from entering the meadow, you will see a trail on the right-hand side that goes straight up. That’s it! It’s steep but short. 

How much time do I need to hike to Rakaposhi Base Camp?

There are three itinerary variations for trekking to Rakaposhi Base Camp:

Hike to Rakaposhi Base Camp in One Day

Theoretically, it is possible to do the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek in one day, but we don’t recommend this. There’s so much to explore in the area that it’s absolutely worth spending a few days to soak it all in.

By doing a day hike, you will be quite rushed and won’t have a lot of time to appreciate the beauty. And, you’ll miss out on the camping experience. Falling asleep to the avalanches and then waking up to the incredible views is an experience in itself.

Only do it in a day if this is all the time you have. 

The entire day will be 26 km of lateral distance, with 1500 metres of elevation gain and loss. It should take around 7-  10 hours total hiking time (this does not include any time spent at Rakaposhi Base Camp itself). 

Another reason we don’t recommend doing the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek in one day is the weather. Mountain weather is notoriously unpredictable and if the weather is poor on the day you choose, well, that’s it, folks. 

2 Days / 1 Night at Rakaposhi Base Camp 

At the very least, we recommend spending one night at Rakaposhi Base Camp. Camping at Base Camp is a great experience and one you won’t regret.

Plus, this will allow you to take your time going up and down and won’t feel so rushed. With this option, you can also fit in a trek up to the Rakaposhi Viewpoint. 

3 Days / 2 Nights at Rakaposhi Base Camp

This is the best option. By spending 3 days and 2 nights at Rakaposhi Base Camp, you have time to enjoy the hike, the scenery and the fantastic camping experience.

You’ll have time to fit in some awesome side trips to Kacheli Lake or Diran Peak Base Camp and the Rakaposhi viewpoint. You’ll really get to make the most of your time there. Hey, if you have more time than 3 days, that’s even better! 

It’s also worth noting that by allocating a few days, you’ll increase your odds of getting in some good weather, clear skies, and hence the epic views that you came for.

What to expect at Rakaposhi Base Camp

Weather

Rakaposhi Base Camp sits at high altitude, 3500 metres, so it’s important to be prepared for chilly nights even in summer. In the shoulder season (May and October), it can be downright freezing and/or covered in snow. 

We recommend packing good cold-weather gear – see our packing list below.

Camping

There are no hotels or guesthouses at Rakaposhi Base Camp, so camping is your only option. Once at the Base Camp, you can camp in the meadow or on the ridge. 

If you have your own gear, it should cost around 1500 PKR a night to camp. You will be expected to pay this to the local shepherds/restauranteurs at the meadow. 

If you don’t have your own gear, you can rent this from the local shepherds. They can provide tents and sleeping bags and it should cost around 3000 PKR (including the fee to camp). 

Pro tip: Camp on the ridge for the best views. You can’t tell from the meadow below, but up on the ridge, you’ll find a couple of flat pitches just big enough for a hiking tent. To this day, it’s still one of our favourite camping spots EVER. 

Water

You do not need to pack a ton of water for the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek. There is consistent water on the trail until you reach Hapakun Base Camp. On our way up it was clear, on our way down it was muddy brown.

There are a lot of animals around on this trek, so always treat your water with a water purification device. 

Make sure you leave Hapakun Base Camp with full water bottles because, after that, there’s no water until you reach Rakaposhi Base Camp. 

The water source at Rakaposhi Base Camp is not readily apparent. There is a small well, hidden within some rocks. Ask at the restaurant and the owner will show you where it is. It’s a bit of a walk from where you’ll be camping, so bring a water bladder to avoid making a ton of trips back and forth. 

Food

There is one “restaurant” at Rakaposhi Base Camp that can whip up basic meals. By restaurant, we mean a group of local shepherds with a tent, some tables and chairs.

Note that compared to most other places in Pakistan, these meals won’t be that cheap, but hey, you can’t beat the location. 

If you want to pack your own food, instant noodles can be found everywhere in Pakistan and are an easy meal. Hard-boiled eggs (your guesthouse in Minapin will happily prepare these for you), nuts and dried fruit are excellent options as well.

You can also purchase naan from the Rakaposhi Base Camp restaurant to round out your meal (but at 200 PKR a piece, it’s pretty pricey). 

Rubbish

Pack it out, folks! Make sure to bring a bag to collect your garbage and take it out with you. Please, please do not throw your rubbish out on the trail or on the meadow.

Safety

As long as you are physically fit and prepared for the weather, there are no major safety issues in hiking to Rakaposhi Base Camp. 

Do make sure you bring adequate clothing (including proper footwear) and gear (if camping). Also, be sure to monitor any effects of altitude.

And for the last time, if crossing the Minapin Glacier, be sure to get a guide to safely show you the way across.

Hiking is always an adventure, so make sure you have travel insurance. Get a quote from SafetyWing here or in the box below

Where to stay in Minapin

Hotel Osho Thang is the long-standing option in Minapin. The rooms are pretty comfortable, the owner speaks good English and the staff is friendly.

In spring, the courtyard is bursting with cherries and you are allowed to eat to your heart’s desire.

Be sure to bargain for the price of your room. A double room should cost around 3000 PKR a night. 

Hotel Osho Thang also has an excellent on-site restaurant. It is very popular and busy. The prices are decent and they are able to make vegetarian food. Again, if it’s spring, eat the cherries! 

If you want to book a hotel in advance, then there are two options online: Manokur e Basa Hotel and Cosy Stones. Cosy Stones is more upscale, while Manokur e Basa is highly rated and is located at the Rakaposhi Base Camp trek trailhead.

What to Pack for Rakaposhi Base Camp

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