KP Camping Pods: Locations, Prices and Booking

KP camping pods are small wooden huts run by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority at scenic spots across the province, including Sharan in the Kaghan valley, Thandiani above Abbottabad, Gabin Jabba in Swat and Bumburet in the Kalash valleys. Each sleeps two to four people, and in 2025 the tourism department put the price at roughly PKR 3,500 to 5,000 a night. You book through the authority, not through hotel websites, and the KP tourism helpline, 1422, is the simplest place to start.

The pods are a good idea with a patchy record: some sites are well kept and busy, some have closed and reopened, and several are in districts with serious security advisories. This guide sets out where they are, what you get, how booking works, and which ones make sense for a trip now.

What is a KP camping pod?

A pod is a small wooden hut, usually in a forest clearing or on the edge of a meadow, with two or four beds. The idea, started by the provincial tourism corporation several years ago, was to put clean, cheap and safe beds in beautiful places that had no hotels, without building anything permanent.

What you find inside varies by site and by how recently the pods were refurbished. Expect:

• Beds and bedding for two or four, with blankets. Nights are cold at 2,500 metres even in July, so bring a warm layer anyway.
• A washroom, attached in most pods. Ask whether there is hot water, which is not guaranteed.
• Power, often from solar panels, enough for lights and charging phones. Don't count on it for a heater or a kettle.
• At some sites, a small kitchen area, and a caretaker who can arrange tea and simple meals.

What you don't get is a hotel: there is no room service, often no restaurant on site, and mobile signal can be weak or absent. Private operators also sell huts as "pods" or "glamping". Those are separate businesses with their own prices and standards, so check who runs the place before you pay.

Where are the pods?

In June 2025 the KPCTA listed pods at these sites. The status of individual sites changes, so confirm that yours is open when you book.

Hazara

• Sharan, Kaghan valley. A deodar and pine forest at about 2,400 metres above Paras, reached by a steep jeep track of about 16 km that needs a 4x4 and a local driver. The most popular pod site, with the walk to Manshi Top above it; our Kaghan valley guide covers the rest of the valley.
• Thandiani, Abbottabad. About 37 km beyond Abbottabad at roughly 2,750 metres, on a quiet ridge with wide views. Reachable by car, and the easiest site for a first pod night. Our hill stations guide compares it with Nathia Gali.
• Allai Maidan, Battagram. In the Allai valley of Battagram district, reached from the Karakoram Highway.

Swat, Shangla and Buner

• Gabin Jabba, Swat. A high meadow at about 2,580 metres, some 20 km from Matta. The road is rough, the last part is best done with a local driver who knows the current state of the track, and the pods were refurbished by the Upper Swat Development Authority after flood damage. It is also a base for the walk to Daral and Saidgai lakes.
• Sultanr, Swat. In the hills of Matta tehsil.
• Yakh Tangai, Shangla. In the snowy hills near Shangla Top, on the road between Swat and Besham.
• Malka Mahaban and Shaheed Sar, Buner. Two hilltop sites in Buner district.

Chitral

• Bumburet, Kalash valleys. In the largest of the three Kalash valleys, about two hours from Chitral town. See our Kalash valleys guide.
• Yarkhun Lasht, Upper Chitral. Far up the Yarkhun valley on the way to Broghil.
• Sor Laspur, Upper Chitral. The last village on the Chitral side of the Shandur Pass.

Orakzai

• Samana, on the Samana range above Hangu.

In September 2026 the authority said it was installing new pods at Acharr Sar in Shangla, Laram Top in Lower Dir and Beyun in upper Swat, to open for the next tourist season.

How much does a pod cost?

In 2025 the tourism department quoted about PKR 3,500 to 5,000 a night for a pod, depending on its size and the site. That compared with roughly PKR 7,000 to 20,000 a night for private hotel rooms in the same tourist areas at the time.

Treat those figures as a guide only. Rates differ from site to site, have gone up since the first pods opened, and some third-party listings quote much higher prices. Confirm the rate, and what it includes, when you book. On top of the pod, budget for the jeep where you need one: at Sharan, for example, the 4x4 from Paras is a separate cost and often the bigger one.

How do you book a camping pod?

1. Pick the site and check it suits you: road or jeep access, altitude, and the current security picture (see below).
2. Call the KP tourism helpline, 1422, which runs around the clock, and ask for the current pod booking contact for that site. The KPCTA also posts booking details on its official Facebook page and at kptourism.com.
3. Give your dates, the number of people and your CNIC details. Families and groups should say so, and ask whether a two-bed or four-bed pod is free.
4. Confirm the rate, what it includes and how to pay. Payment arrangements have changed over the years; get the confirmation in writing, by message, before you travel.
5. Book early for Eid and long weekends. Popular sites can fill quickly in peak weeks.

Online booking systems for the pods have come and gone over the years, so be wary of any website you cannot trace back to the KPCTA.

When are the pods open?

Most sites work from late spring to autumn. The higher ones, such as Sharan, Gabin Jabba and the Upper Chitral sites, are under snow in winter and effectively closed, and the authority has typically reopened pods ahead of the summer Eid holidays. Thandiani and Yakh Tangai get heavy snow too, and after a big fall their roads can be blocked for days.

If you want a winter night in the snow, ask the helpline which sites are open and whether the road is passable before you set off.

Is a pod right for you?

Pods suit couples, friends and families who want to sleep somewhere a hotel can't reach, for one or two nights, and who are happy with simple comforts. They suit people who like to walk: Sharan has Manshi Top above it, and Gabin Jabba has the lakes.

They suit you less if you need reliable heating and hot water, if someone in the group has mobility problems (some sites involve a jeep ride and a short walk), or if you are travelling at Eid and have not booked. For a first family trip, one night at Thandiani or Sharan, with a hotel on either side, is a sensible way to try it.

If you would like a pod night built into a longer trip, send us your plans.

Which pod sites are sensible to visit now?

Sharan and Thandiani are in Mansehra and Abbottabad districts, which are not among the areas the UK government's travel advice warns against, and they are the easiest sites to recommend.

Many of the others are in districts that carry serious warnings. The UK government currently advises against all travel to Swat, Buner, Orakzai and the Kalash valleys, against all but essential travel to Shangla, against the Karakoram Highway through Battagram, and against anywhere within 10 miles of the Afghan border, which includes parts of the upper Yarkhun valley. On 2 August 2026 a suicide bombing at a peace rally in Kabal, Swat, killed 17 people, and there were clashes with militants in Upper Dir in August 2026.

Pakistani tourists still travel to many of these places. If you plan to, check local news and current police advice first, travel in daylight and tell the caretaker when to expect you. Overseas visitors should know that their government's advice may say not to go, and that travelling against it can void travel insurance.

Frequently asked questions