A 50-minute flight from Peshawar takes you to the north-western extremity of Pakistan and the exotic valley of Chitral, towered over by the majestic 7,708 meter Tirich Mir.
In three narrow valleys about 40 km from Chitral town live the Kalash people, known the world over for their ancient traditions and their love of dance and music.
Until 1969 Chitral was a princely state ruled by its Mehtars from the fort beside the Chitral river. The valley is a land of high pastures, apricot orchards and stone-and-timber villages, with the Hindukush to the north and west and the Shandur Pass leading east towards Gilgit.
Is Chitral – Kafir Kalash right for you?
- Suggested time
- 4 – 6 days
- Activity level
- Easy to moderate — village walks and mountain roads
- Best for
- Kalash culture and festivals, beneath the peaks of the Hindukush
Combines well withSwat ValleyPeshawar
Compare Chitral – Kafir Kalash with another destination →Places to see
Tirich Mir
At 7,708 meters, the highest peak of the Hindukush, towering over the Chitral valley.
Chitral Fort
The old seat of the Mehtars on the bank of the Chitral river, famous for the siege of 1895.
Shahi Mosque
The royal mosque beside the fort, built in 1924 in the Mughal style.
The Kalash valleys
Three narrow valleys — Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir — home to the Kalash, with their distinctive festivals, dress, dance and music.
Bumburet
The largest and most visited of the Kalash valleys, with wooden villages stacked up the hillsides among walnut trees.
Garam Chashma
Hot sulphur springs in a valley north-west of Chitral town, long used for bathing.
Shandur Pass
A high, lake-dotted plateau on the road to Gilgit, home to what is often called the highest polo ground in the world.
Good to know
- Kalash festivals
- The Kalash celebrate Chilam Joshi in spring (mid-May), Uchal at harvest time in summer, and Chaumos at the winter solstice in December — with music, dancing and feasting.
- Shandur Polo Festival
- Every July the teams of Chitral and Gilgit meet on the Shandur Pass for a free-style polo tournament, with music and a tented camp.
- Visiting the Kalash
- Respect local customs: ask before photographing people, especially women, and keep away from sacred places unless invited.
- Activities
- Chitral is popular for trekking and mountaineering, and has facilities for trout fishing and several sulphur springs.
- Getting there
- Fly from Peshawar (about 50 minutes, weather permitting) or travel by road via Dir and the Lowari Tunnel. There are a number of hotels in Chitral town.
Header photo: The Kalash valleys — Akhtar Hassan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons