Malam Jabba Guide: Ski Resort, Chairlift and Views

Malam Jabba is Swat's ski resort, on a ridge about 45 km from Mingora and around 280 km, five to six hours' drive, from Islamabad. The resort's top is at about 2,800 metres. It is open all year: from late December to February, snow permitting, it is for skiing and snow, and the rest of the year for the chairlift, zipline and other rides, cool air and long views over the valley.

For families from Punjab and Islamabad it is the most accessible place in Pakistan to try skiing, and in summer it is a half-day outing from Mingora. This guide covers what the resort has, how to get there, and what to expect in each season.

What is at Malam Jabba?

The resort is a single hillside with its facilities close together:

• The chairlift, about 800 metres long, opened in 2016 to replace the one destroyed in 2008. In winter it carries skiers; the rest of the year it is a ride up for the view.
• Two ski runs of about 800 metres each. It is a small ski area by any international standard, but enough for beginners and for families trying skiing for the first time. Instruction and equipment hire are available on site in the season.
• A zipline, with two parallel lines running from the ski slope down to the hotel.
• Other rides and activities, including a giant swing, tubing slides, wall climbing and archery, and in winter ice skating and sledging.
• The Pearl-Continental hotel, a large hotel at the resort that reopened in 2020, with its own restaurants.

The resort is run by the Samsons Group, which has leased it from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government since 2014.

Beyond the resort, the ridge is walking country in summer. The hotel lists trekking routes, including an 18 km walk to Shangla Top; ask there about the route and conditions before setting off.

A short history

Malam Jabba was developed as a ski resort in the 1980s, with help from Austria. With Naltar in Gilgit-Baltistan, it is one of Pakistan's two ski resorts. In June 2008, during the militancy in Swat, militants burned the hotel, the chairlift and several buildings.

After the army cleared Swat, the provincial government leased the site to a private company to rebuild it. A new chairlift opened in 2016, and the hotel burned in 2008 reopened as a Pearl-Continental in September 2020. Today the resort is at its busiest in December and January and in the summer holidays.

How to get to Malam Jabba

From Islamabad

1. M-1 and M-16 to Chakdara. Take the M-1 towards Peshawar, turn onto the Swat Motorway at the Colonel Sher Khan interchange, and follow it to its end at Chakdara. Allow about three hours from central Islamabad.
2. N-95 to Mingora. Follow the Swat River upstream through Barikot to Mingora, about an hour.
3. North to Manglor. Carry on up the valley on the road to Kalam. At Manglor, the Malam Jabba road turns off to the right.
4. The climb. The road winds up through villages and forest to the resort, about an hour to an hour and a half from Mingora in all.

The whole drive is about 280 km and five to six hours with a short stop. Our Islamabad to Kalam route guide describes the motorways and the road to Mingora in more detail.

The Malam Jabba road is paved and winding, so take it slowly, especially on the way down. It is fine for an ordinary car in dry weather. After fresh snow, it can be blocked or icy, and then you need a 4x4 or snow chains; in January 2022 heavy snow closed it altogether for a time.

Without your own car

Coaches, including Daewoo Express, run from Islamabad to Mingora. From Mingora, the simplest way up is a car or taxi hired for the day. Many group tours to Swat also include Malam Jabba, but check whether they cover the chairlift and activity tickets, as many do not.

From Kalam

Malam Jabba is on the way to or from Kalam. Coming down from Kalam, it is several hours to Manglor, then the climb, so most people fit it in on the day they arrive in Swat or the day they leave. Our Kalam trip cost guide shows how a combined trip adds up.

What is open in each season

Winter: December to February

This is Malam Jabba's main season. When there is enough snow, the ski runs open, lessons and equipment hire are available, and the slopes fill with families sledging and throwing snowballs. January usually has the most reliable snow. December can be hit or miss, and snow is never guaranteed, since long dry spells happen even in mid-winter.

Practical points for winter:

• Check the snow before you leave, by calling the hotel you are booked with.
• Carry chains or go in a 4x4, and leave early so you are off the mountain road before dark.
• Dress for real cold. Waterproof boots, gloves and a hat, and a change of clothes for children who will get wet.
• Expect crowds at weekends and around New Year, and book rooms well ahead.

If you are going on to Kalam in winter, our guide to the best time to visit Kalam explains what is open up the valley.

Spring: March to May

The ski season usually ends with February, and the slopes are muddy for a while as the snow melts. The chairlift, zipline and other rides keep running. It is a quiet time to visit, with fresh green on the lower slopes by late spring, but check the weather, as late snow and cold rain are possible.

Summer: June to August

In summer Malam Jabba is a cool escape from the heat of the plains. The resort runs the chairlift, zipline and other rides, and the ridge is open for walking, horse riding and mountain biking. Weekends and school holidays are busy, especially around Eid and 14 August.

July and August bring monsoon cloud and rain, which can hide the views for hours and make the road slippery.

Autumn: September to November

September and October are usually settled and quiet, and often the best months for the views. The rides keep running, the nights get cold, and by November the first snow is possible at the top.

Tickets and costs

Malam Jabba charges an entry ticket and a separate ticket for each activity: the chairlift, zipline, giant swing and so on. Tickets are sold at the gate and online through Bookme, where an activity ticket includes resort entry and combined tickets for two or three activities are also sold.

Prices have risen sharply in recent years and change often, and a family doing the chairlift and the zipline can spend several thousand rupees per person. Check the current rates before you go rather than relying on a figure from a blog or an older video. Ski equipment hire and lessons are priced separately in the season.

Where to stay

• At the resort. The Pearl-Continental Malam Jabba is the large hotel at the resort itself, and waking up on the ski slope is the reason to pay for it. Book well ahead for winter weekends.
• Near the resort. Samsons Inn Lodge, about 3 km from the resort, is a cheaper option.
• In Mingora. Most people staying a night choose Mingora or the hotels along the valley road, and drive up for the day. It is cheaper and has far more places to eat, at the cost of an hour or more on the road each way.

Is Malam Jabba worth it?

In winter, for a family who wants snow, a first go at skiing and a hotel within reach of Islamabad, yes. It is the easiest place in Pakistan to do all three. Serious skiers will find it small: two short runs and one lift.

In summer, it depends on your plans. If you are in Swat anyway, a half-day at Malam Jabba is a pleasant change from the valley floor. As the whole point of a trip from Islamabad, the rides can feel a lot of ticket money for a short time on them. The upper Swat valley, with Kalam, Ushu Forest and Mahodand Lake, gives more for the same drive. Our guide to places to visit in Kalam covers the upper valley, and our Swat Valley guide covers the rest.

Frequently asked questions