STP-KCC-KAL
Kalash Valleys & Chitral
Nine days with the last pre-Islamic culture of the Hindu Kush
Region
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa · Chitral
Duration
9 days · 8 nights
Style
Adventure (PVT)
Group
Small group · 4 to 10 guests, or private
Overview
We base at Hindu Kush Heights (the long-running family-owned heritage lodge above Chitral town) and spend four full days inside Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir valleys. Time it for the Chilam Joshi spring festival (mid-May) or the Uchal harvest festival (late August) and you'll see ritual dance and dress unchanged for centuries. Run with named Kalash host families and a percentage of the trip cost contributed to the Kalasha Heritage and Cultural Preservation Trust.
Highlights
- All three Kalash valleys: Bumburet (most accessible), Rumbur (most traditional) and Birir (most remote)
- Stay at Hindu Kush Heights with the Khan family of Chitral
- Lowari Tunnel drive or scenic Shandur Pass route (summer)
- Chitral Fort, the Shahi Mosque and the polo ground
- Garam Chashma hot springs and the Birmoglasht summer palace ruins
Itinerary
Day by day
Day 1
Arrival · Islamabad
Welcome and overnight at Serena Islamabad.
Day 2
Fly to Chitral
Spectacular 40-minute flight past Tirich Mir (7,708 m). Transfer to Hindu Kush Heights. Afternoon walk in the gardens, evening on the terrace.
Day 3
Chitral town
Chitral Fort and the Shahi Mosque, the bazaar, polo ground and the Chitral Museum. Tea with the Mehtar family.
Day 4
Drive to Bumburet valley
Two-hour drive into the first Kalash valley. Cultural briefing with a Kalash elder, walk through Brun and Anish villages. Overnight in Bumburet.
Day 5
Rumbur valley
The most conservative of the three valleys. Visit the Kalasha Dur museum, meet the qazi (priest) of Rumbur, lunch with a host family.
Day 6
Birir valley
Long jeep ride into Birir, the most remote and least visited valley. Picnic at the high pastures. Return to Hindu Kush Heights.
Day 7
Garam Chashma & Lutkho valley
Day excursion to the Garam Chashma hot springs near the Afghan border. Lunch in a Wakhi household.
Day 8
Fly back to Islamabad
Morning flight. Afternoon free for Lok Virsa heritage museum or Faisal Mosque. Farewell dinner.
Day 9
Departure
Transfer to Islamabad International.
Inclusions & exclusions
Included
- +8 nights: 1 Islamabad, 5 Hindu Kush Heights Chitral, 2 in Kalash guest houses (or full HKH stay on request)
- +Islamabad-Chitral return flights (40 minutes; road backup available)
- +Private 4x4 with Chitrali driver and a Kalash cultural guide for valley days
- +All meals on full-board basis
- +Cultural donation to the Kalasha Heritage Trust included in the price
Not included
- −International flights
- −Visa and insurance
- −Beverages
- −Tips
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