LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Gilgit to Chitral & the Kalasha Valleys
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ONE WEEK
Spend a week travelling 340km through stunning mountains and hidden valley kingdoms.
When it’s not hosting the famous polo tournament, the Shandur Pass is a little-visited barren plain, but if you have a jeep at your disposal it’s a spectacular way to combine two of Northern Pakistan’s premier destinations.
From the Karakoram Highway (KKH) hub of Gilgit head up the stunning valley of the Gilgit (aka Ghizer) River – a swirling glacial-melt torrent in summer and a brilliant blue cascade in autumn. There are plenty of reasons to linger and take a detour, and the old valley kingdoms of Punial, Yasin and Ishkoman provide endless trekking opportunities. It’s best to break the journey before the pass; choose Khalti Lake, a natural dam on the Ghizar River with excellent fishing, or serene Phander, overlooking a patchwork of fields and the gently meandering river. From Phander the road deteriorates, and the going gets tough.
Accommodation options thin out at Teru, about 5km from Barsat, the last village before the pass. After Barsat enter the stunning Langar Valley, complete with grazing yaks, before crossing the 3800m Shandur Pass. Over the pass, the road descends quickly through crumbling terrain to the village of Sor Laspur, before circling north around Buni Zom (6551m) to the Mastuj River valley and, eventually Chitral town. Chitral is the base for walks in the Hindukush, particularly the isolated valley sanctuaries of Rumbur, Bumboret and Birir, home to the Kalasha.
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