Region
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa · Swat
Duration
6 days · 5 nights
Style
Budget Friendly
Group
Private · 2 to 6 guests
Overview
Swat is the easiest way to see real mountain Pakistan in under a week, five hours from Islamabad on the new motorway and you are in pine forest. We combine the Buddhist heritage sites in Mingora and Saidu Sharif (the Swat Museum, Butkara Stupa, the seated Buddha at Jehanabad) with three nights in Kalam at the head of the valley, plus day-trips to Mahodand Lake and the Ushu meadows.
Highlights
- Swat Museum and the Gandharan Buddhist sites of Butkara and Jehanabad
- Three nights at Hidden Place Kalam or PTDC Motel Kalam
- Jeep ride to Mahodand Lake (2,865 m)
- Ushu pine forest and the upper Swat river
- Optional Malam Jabba cable car and ski resort visit
Itinerary
Day by day
Day 1
Islamabad to Mingora (Swat)
5-hour drive on the Swat Motorway. Check in at Serena Swat (Saidu Sharif). Evening walk along the river.
Day 2
Buddhist Swat
Swat Museum, Butkara Stupa, the seated Buddha of Jehanabad (rock-carving, 7th c.). Lunch with a Pashtun host family.
Day 3
Drive to Kalam (3 hrs)
Up the Swat valley through Bahrain to Kalam at 2,000 m. Afternoon walk in Ushu forest.
Day 4
Mahodand Lake
Full-day jeep excursion to Mahodand Lake at 2,865 m. Trout lunch at the lake. Return to Kalam.
Day 5
Kalam free day · drive back to Mingora
Morning at leisure. Afternoon drive back to Mingora.
Day 6
Return to Islamabad · departure
5-hour drive back. Evening flight or transfer.
Inclusions & exclusions
Included
- +5 nights accommodation, twin-share
- +Private 4x4 with Pashto-speaking driver
- +Local jeep for the Mahodand day-trip
- +All breakfasts and dinners, 3 lunches
- +Swat Museum entry and Buddhist site permits
Not included
- −International flights
- −Visa and insurance
- −Beverages
- −Tips
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