The best place to see a markhor in Pakistan is Chitral, where Chitral Gol National Park and the Tooshi-Shasha conservancy sit just outside Chitral town and hold the biggest herds of Pakistan's national animal anywhere. The second option is the Gilgit and Astore side of Gilgit-Baltistan, where the Astor markhor lives on dry slopes above the Indus. The best season is winter, from about November to February, when snow pushes the herds down to lower ground and December's rut brings the big males into the open.
This guide covers the main markhor areas one by one, when and how sightings happen, what the community conservancies expect from visitors, and which places are realistic for a Pakistani family or group to reach.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| What it is | A large wild goat with spiral horns; Pakistan's national animal |
| Best area | Chitral: Chitral Gol National Park and Tooshi-Shasha conservancy |
| Gilgit-Baltistan | Astore, Diamer and Gilgit districts; 1,693 counted in the 2024 to 25 survey |
| Balochistan | Torghar hills (Suleiman markhor), Hazarganji-Chiltan near Quetta |
| Best months for sightings | November to February, peak rut in December |
| Easiest months to travel | May to October, but herds are higher and harder to find |
| Time of day | Early morning and late afternoon |
| What to carry | Binoculars or a spotting scope, warm layers in winter, cash |
What is a markhor, and how many are left?
The markhor is a wild goat of steep, dry mountain country, and the males carry long corkscrew horns that make them easy to tell apart from ibex. It is Pakistan's national animal. Pakistan has several forms of it: the Kashmir or flare-horned markhor in Chitral, the Astor markhor in Gilgit-Baltistan (often treated as the same animal), and the straight-horned Suleiman markhor of Balochistan and the Dera Ghazi Khan hills.
The species was close to disappearing from much of its range in the 1970s and 1980s. Numbers have since recovered enough that the IUCN moved it from Endangered to Near Threatened in 2015. Counts vary by survey and method, but recent figures give a sense of where the animals are:
- Chitral: a Dawn report in December 2020 put the district's total at about 3,400, with roughly 1,556 in Chitral Gol National Park, 1,349 in Tooshi-Shasha and 434 in Gahirait-Golen. A 2021 count gave Chitral Gol 2,278.
- Gilgit-Baltistan: the Parks and Wildlife Department's 2024 to 25 rut survey counted 1,693 Astor markhor in 24 community areas, with 656 in Astore district and 433 each in Diamer and Gilgit.
- Torghar, Balochistan: the Suleiman markhor fell to a few dozen animals in the mid-1980s and had passed 1,600 by 2000 after a community programme began there.
Where is the best place to see markhor in Pakistan?
Chitral Gol National Park
Chitral Gol is the classic markhor park, a valley climbing straight up from Chitral town into the Hindu Kush. It holds the largest single population, and a jeep and a local guide can get you to good viewing ground in a day. Our Chitral Gol National Park guide covers the jeep track, the gate fee and the park's other animals, so this post won't repeat them.
Tooshi-Shasha and Gahirait-Golen conservancies
These two community conservancies lie close to Chitral town. Tooshi-Shasha covers about 20,000 hectares and Gahirait-Golen about 9,500, and both are run with village conservation committees. In winter, herds here are often watched from across the river, so you may not need to walk far at all. Ask in Chitral town or in the villages for the local wildlife watcher, who will know which slope the herd is using that week.
Gilgit, Astore and Diamer
The Astor markhor lives on lower, drier ground than the ibex, roughly 1,200 to 3,300 metres in the 2024 to 25 survey. The biggest herd counted was in Bonji (390 animals), in Astore district near where the Astore river meets the Indus. Other areas with good numbers were Tangir in Diamer (246), the Danyore, Juglot and Rahimabad area near Gilgit (117), and Haramosh (85). The Kargah valley above Gilgit town, the closest to a hotel, counted 65. Our wildlife of Gilgit-Baltistan guide has more on Kargah as a short evening outing from Gilgit.
Hunza and Nagar
Hunza is ibex country, not markhor country. The only markhor counted in Hunza-Nagar in the 2024 to 25 survey were 10 animals in the Sikandarabad, Jaffarabad and Nilt area of lower Nagar, beside the Karakoram Highway. If you are staying in Karimabad and want to try for a markhor, Gilgit's side valleys are a more realistic half day than anything in Hunza itself.
Torghar and the Balochistan hills
Torghar, in Killa Saifullah district, is the stronghold of the Suleiman markhor and the place where Pakistan's community trophy hunting model began in the 1980s. It is not set up for tourists, and the UK government currently advises against all travel to Balochistan. Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park, about 20 km from Quetta, protects the Chiltan wild goat, a markhor relative; see our Hazarganji-Chiltan guide for current access before you consider it.
When do markhor sightings happen?
Winter is the season. In summer, markhor spread out across high, broken ground and are hard to find. When snow falls, usually from December, they come down to lower slopes to feed, and that is when most good sightings happen. December is also the peak of the rut, when mature males join the female herds, display and fight, and are far easier to spot than at any other time of year.
Summer is easier to travel, harder to watch. From May to October roads and passes are open and the weather is mild, but the herds are higher and further from the tracks. You can still see markhor in summer with a good guide and an early start, just with less certainty and at a greater distance.
Time of day matters more than the month. Markhor are active in the early morning and late afternoon and rest in cover through the middle of the day. Be at your viewing point by first light, or come back for the last two hours before dark.
What are the rules in the conservancies?
Most of the markhor you can see live in community-managed areas rather than in fenced parks. The model is the same across Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan and Torghar: villages agree to stop poaching and to protect the herds, and in return they receive the bulk of the money from a small number of trophy hunting permits each year. In Gilgit-Baltistan and in the Chitral conservancies, about 80% of the permit fee goes to the community, which spends it on schools, water schemes and paying its own wildlife watchers.
The permits are expensive. In the 2025 to 26 auction in Gilgit, one Astor markhor permit for the Nanga Parbat conservancy sold for US$370,000, more than PKR 10 crore and the highest fee ever paid for a hunting licence, beating the US$271,000 paid in Chitral the season before. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported a record US$1.9 million from its 2025 to 26 permits. Only a handful of old males are allowed each year, on quotas set from the annual winter surveys.
For a visitor, this means:
- Hunting is only by permit. Shooting or trapping any wild ungulate outside the scheme is poaching, and village watchers take it seriously.
- Ask before you walk up a nullah. These are village lands. Asking for the local watcher is polite, and he will usually find the herd faster than you.
- Keep your distance. Markhor in winter are short of food. Pushing a herd uphill in snow costs it energy it cannot spare, so watch from a road, ridge or the far side of a river.
- Never feed them, and keep dogs away.
- Drones: we could not find a published rule for drones in these conservancies. Don't fly near herds, and ask the watcher or wildlife department first.
How do you plan a markhor trip?
From Islamabad, Chitral is a long day by road through Dir and the Lowari Tunnel, or a short flight when one is running; our Islamabad to Chitral flights guide covers what is operating in 2026. In winter, check the weather at Lowari and in Chitral before you leave, and see our Chitral in winter guide for what is open. From Lahore or Karachi, fly to Islamabad first.
For Gilgit and Astore, fly or drive to Gilgit. Danyore and Kargah are minutes from town. Bonji and the Astore side need a jeep and an early start.
A few things make the difference between a distant dot and a proper sighting:
- Hire a local guide or wildlife watcher. They know where the herd slept and which slope it will feed on.
- Carry optics. A pair of 8x or 10x binoculars is the minimum; a spotting scope on a tripod is much better, and many guides carry one.
- Dress for a cold wait. Winter dawn in Chitral or Gilgit is well below freezing, and you may stand still for an hour.
- Give it two mornings. Weather, cloud or a herd that has moved can spoil one session; two attempts make success far more likely.
Is it safe to go markhor watching?
Pakistani visitors travel to Chitral, Gilgit and Astore every season. Even so, check the current situation before you go. As of September 2026, the UK government advises against all travel on the N45 from Mardan to Chitral city, the main road in, and within 10 miles of the Afghan border, and against all travel to Balochistan, which covers Torghar and the Quetta parks. Gilgit-Baltistan is not on that list, but for remote valleys such as Tangir in Diamer, ask in Chilas or Gilgit about the local situation before going.
If you hold a foreign passport, check your own government's advice, because travelling against it can void your travel insurance. Everyone should check local news and current police advice before setting out.
Is a markhor trip worth it?
It suits keen wildlife watchers, photographers with a long lens, and anyone who wants to see the national animal properly rather than on a banknote. Chitral in winter is quiet, and the sightings can be close and long.
It doesn't suit families who want a relaxed summer holiday with lakes and meadows. In summer a markhor is usually a distant shape on a hillside, and young children will rarely enjoy the cold dawn waits that winter viewing needs. If that is you, a summer trip to Khunjerab, where ibex and marmots are easier to see from the road, is a better wildlife day. Our experiences page lists other ways to build wildlife into a northern trip.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to see markhor in Pakistan?
Chitral, in Chitral Gol National Park and the Tooshi-Shasha conservancy next to Chitral town. In Gilgit-Baltistan, Bonji in Astore and the valleys around Gilgit hold the most Astor markhor.
What is the best time to see markhor?
November to February, and especially December, when snow brings herds to lower slopes and the rut brings mature males into view. Go at dawn or in the late afternoon.
How many markhor are there in Pakistan?
There is no single current national count. Recent surveys put Chitral at around 3,400 (2020), Gilgit-Baltistan's Astor markhor at 1,693 (2024 to 25), and Torghar's Suleiman markhor above 1,600 as early as 2000.
Can you see markhor in Hunza?
Rarely. The 2024 to 25 survey counted only 10 markhor in lower Nagar and none in Hunza district, which is ibex territory. The valleys around Gilgit are a better bet.
Why is markhor hunting allowed in Pakistan?
A few permits for old males are auctioned each year, and about 80% of the money goes to the villages that protect the herds. The scheme is credited with the markhor's recovery from near extinction.
Do I need a permit to watch markhor?
Not for watching, as far as we could find. National parks such as Chitral Gol charge an entry fee at the gate, and in community conservancies you should ask for the village wildlife watcher before walking onto their land.
