Peshawar: two and a half thousand years at the mouth of the Khyber
One of the oldest continuously lived-in cities in South Asia, and once home to a stupa that may have been the tallest building on earth.
Read itKhyber Pakhtunkhwa
Chitral: under Tirich Mir, at the end of the road
A former princely state behind the Lowari Pass, with its own language, a fort with a famous siege, and the Kalash valleys an hour away.
Chitral: under Tirich Mir, at the end of the road
Chitral sits at 1,494 metres on the Chitral river, in the far north-west of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with Tirich Mir — the highest peak of the Hindu Kush — standing over it.
It is remote in a way that the rest of the north is not. Until the Lowari tunnel opened, the pass closed with snow and the valley was cut off by road for months at a time.
A short history
Chitral was an independent monarchy under a ruler titled the Mehtar. It acceded to Pakistan after 1947 and was fully integrated as a district between 1969 and 1972.
The event it is known for is the siege of 1895, when a British and Kashmiri garrison was besieged in Chitral Fort for a month during the Chitral Expedition. Afterwards the British installed the young Shuja ul-Mulk as Mehtar, and he ruled for the next forty-one years.
Khowar is the language of the valley, spoken by something like 98 per cent of the population. It is not closely related to Pashto or to the languages further east.
Places worth your time
- Chitral Fort
- On the river bank, and the site of the 1895 siege. The Mehtar's family still owns it.
- Shahi Masjid
- Next to the fort, and the most photographed building in the valley.
- The Kalash valleys
- Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir — three side valleys an hour or so from town, home to the Kalash, who follow their own religion and calendar. Visit with a local guide and with respect; this is a living community, not an exhibit.
- Tirich Mir viewpoints
- Visible from the town on a clear morning, and better from the higher ground behind it.
- Shandur Pass
- East toward Gilgit, at around 3,700 metres, and the site of the summer polo tournament.
Before you go
May to October. The Lowari tunnel has made the road viable year-round, but check conditions. Flights from Islamabad are weather-dependent. Allow a full day each way.
Also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Nearby
Mardan: the monastery on the hill at Takht-i-Bahi
The best-preserved Buddhist monastic complex in all of what was Gandhara, standing on a ridge above the plain for two thousand years.
Read itAbbottabad: the green hills on the way north
A hill town at 1,256 metres in the Hazara valley, with more rain than anywhere else on this list and the road to Kaghan running through it.
Read itTravel guides
Before you go
- Where to Stay in Kalash Valley: Guesthouses and Hotels7 min
- Shandur Polo Festival: Dates, Travel and Tips8 min
- Shandur Pass: Lake, Plateau, Camping and the Road8 min
- Rumbur Valley: A Quieter Kalash Valley and Where to Stay7 min
- Places to Visit in Chitral: Town, Kalash and Upper Chitral8 min
- Peshawar to Chitral: Road and Bus Options8 min
Timeless beauty · Serene waters · Living culture
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