Minimarg

Minimarg (also spelled Minimerg) is a remote village in Astore District reached via the dramatic Burzil Pass, roughly 4 hours by 4×4 from Astore town. Its name comes from the Kashmiri “menee” (frog) and “marg” (meadow) — the “Meadow of Frogs” — and it more than lives up to it, with lush grazing meadows, freshwater streams and towering peaks on every side. It sits very close to the Line of Control, and until 2022 was closed to civilian tourists for over two decades.

Because it’s a high-security military area, visits require an original CNIC (or passport for foreigners, arranged in advance) and travel is only permitted in 4×4 vehicles rented at the Chilam Chowki checkpost.