Minimarg & Domail Photography Tour
Beyond the Burzil Pass in Astore: a short summer season, emerald valleys, and Rainbow Lake at Domail.
Minimarg and Domail lie in the far south of Astore district, over the Burzil Pass at about 4,100 metres. For most of the year the pass is under snow and the valleys are cut off.
In the few summer weeks when the road is open, this is some of the greenest country in northern Pakistan: pine forest, flower meadows, clear streams, and at Domail a lake that turns every shade of green and blue as the light changes.
This is a restricted area close to the Line of Control, and access is by prior permission only. That keeps visitor numbers very low. I only plan this route when permission can be confirmed in advance.
- Best season
- July to September
- Altitude
- About 2,850 m at Minimarg; about 4,100 m at the Burzil Pass
- Base
- Astore and Minimarg
- Access
- Jeep road from Astore over the Burzil Pass, by permission
Locations
What you will photograph
Rainbow Lake, Domail
A small lake surrounded by meadow and forest, at its best in still morning air.
Minimarg village
Wooden houses and fields in a green bowl below forested ridges.
Burzil Pass
A high pass on an old caravan route, with snow walls beside the road early in the season.
Astore valley and Rama
On the way in: Rama meadow and lake below the east face of Nanga Parbat.
Light and season
When to go
- The season is short. July has snow on the pass and flowers below; September has clearer skies and the first autumn tones.
- Calm mornings are essential for the lake; wind usually rises by late morning.
See the month-by-month guide to the best time to photograph Pakistan.
From my archive
Photographs from Minimarg & Domail
Practical notes
Before you travel
- Permission is required for everyone and is not always granted, particularly for foreign nationals. I confirm it before any booking is made.
- The road over the Burzil Pass is rough and weather-dependent.
- Accommodation is basic. This is a route for photographers comfortable with simple conditions.
- It combines well with Deosai, which is reached from the same Astore road.
Plan your trip
Photograph Minimarg & Domail with me
Tell me your dates and what you want to photograph, and I will plan a private itinerary around the light. Tours are operated through Travelbug, the travel company I co-founded, which arranges transport, stays and permits.
Every tour is privately quoted. No fixed packages or departure dates.
Questions
Good to know
Where are Minimarg and Domail?
In Astore district, Gilgit-Baltistan, beyond the Burzil Pass, in the south of the region near the Line of Control.
Do I need a permit for Minimarg?
Yes. It is a restricted area and prior permission is required. Access for foreign nationals is subject to clearance and cannot be guaranteed.
When is the road open?
Roughly July to September, when the Burzil Pass is free of snow.
What is Rainbow Lake?
A small alpine lake at Domail, a short drive beyond Minimarg, known for the changing colours of its water.
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Muhammad Asmar Hussain
Award-winning Pakistani landscape photographer, Sony Brand Ambassador for Landscape Photography, TEDx speaker and Co-Founder of Travelbug. Published by National Geographic and a winner at the Sony World Photography Awards. More about Asmar.