Shogran in Winter: Snow, Access and Stays

Shogran in winter is one of the few places in the Kaghan Valley you can still reach and stay the night once the snow arrives. Snow usually falls from December to February, with early falls in November and late ones into March. The Kaghan Development Authority keeps the road up from Kiwai open with machinery, and in snow local jeeps make the climb. Some hotels stay open; phone first. Siri Paye and Makra above it are a different matter, and are no place for a casual winter visit.

This guide covers the snow months, getting up from Kiwai, where to stay, what to pack, and what has gone wrong for winter visitors in recent seasons.

When does it snow in Shogran?

Shogran sits at 2,362 metres, high enough for reliable snow in most winters. The main snow months are December, January and February. Snow often reaches the Kaghan Valley in November, as it did in early November 2025, and in some years fresh falls continue into March.

How much falls varies a great deal from year to year and storm to storm. In January 2025 Shogran received about a foot after a long dry spell; in early January 2026 and early February 2025 it had around six inches while Naran, higher up the valley, had a foot or more. Some winters are generous, others thin, so if snow is the point of the trip, watch the news and the forecast for a week before going and pick your dates late.

Why Shogran, when Naran is shut?

Beyond Kaghan town, the main valley road to Naran is closed by snow for months each winter. In 2025–26 the Mansehra–Naran–Jalkhad road was closed from November and was still being cleared in late April. Shogran, much lower down and just off the main road at Kiwai, stays reachable, which is why it draws the winter visitors who would have gone to Naran in summer.

For the rest of the valley, our guide to whether the Naran road is open explains how the closures work.

Can you get up from Kiwai in winter?

Usually, yes. The Kaghan Development Authority stations staff and machinery on the Shogran road to clear snow after each fall. In January 2025 it said it had kept the road open even to smaller vehicles, and in February 2025 its spokesperson reported the road to Shogran fully open while the road to Naran was clear only as far as Kaghan bazaar.

What that means in practice:

• After fresh snow, take a jeep. Local jeeps from Kiwai are the reliable way up. The 2026 fixed fare of PKR 4,500 return per jeep was set for the summer season, so confirm the price at the stand.
• Your own car can manage it only when the road has been cleared and is not icy, and only with a driver who has driven on snow before. Authorities ask drivers to carry chains on the valley roads in snow, and ordinary city tyres have no grip on packed ice.
• The descent is the risky part. Ice that is manageable going up in the morning can be treacherous coming down in the evening. If in doubt, leave the car at Kiwai.
• Plan to arrive in daylight. The road is no place to be in the dark in snow.

Our guide on how to reach Shogran covers the drive to Kiwai and the choice between a jeep and your own car in more detail.

Where to stay in winter

Not every hotel stays open. Those that do run with fewer staff and depend on generators and gas heaters rather than central heating.

• Phone the hotel directly before you book to confirm it is open on your dates.
• Ask exactly how rooms are heated, whether heating costs extra, and whether it runs all night.
• Ask about hot water and power. Expect hot water at set times and power cuts.
• Ask the hotel to arrange a jeep from Kiwai for your arrival.
• Book something refundable. A heavy snowfall can close the road for a day.

Gas heaters in closed rooms can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep a window slightly open while a heater runs, and turn it off before you sleep. Our guide to Shogran hotels compares the resorts and the budget options.

Siri Paye and Makra in winter

This is where winter trips go wrong.

In December 2024, more than 400 students and teachers from two universities were stranded on the Siri Paye meadows by the heaviest snowfall of that season. The jeep track from Shogran was blocked, two students suffered from the lack of oxygen, and Rescue 1122, the Kaghan Development Authority and the local administration worked through the night to bring everyone down. The same weekend, jeeps returning from Siri Paye were stuck on icy roads with tourists inside.

In February 2025, two foreign tourists skiing above Shogran strayed towards Makra Peak and spent a night out in freezing conditions before a ten-hour search by the KDA and police found them near the Makra base camp.

The lesson is simple:

• Don't go up to Siri Paye in winter unless a local jeep driver is confident, the forecast is clear, and you will be back in Shogran well before dark.
• Don't try Makra in winter without mountaineering experience, proper equipment and a local guide. Our Makra Peak trek guide explains what the winter climb involves.
• Walking and sledging around Shogran's own meadow gives you all the snow most families want, with a warm hotel a few minutes away.

What to pack for Shogran in winter

• Proper winter layers: thermal base layers, a fleece or sweater, a warm waterproof jacket, hat and gloves.
• Waterproof boots with a good grip. Trainers are soaked and slippery within minutes.
• Spare socks and gloves, because children's gloves are wet within the hour.
• A torch and a power bank, for power cuts.
• Sunglasses and sunscreen. Sun on snow is harsh even when it is cold.
• Any regular medicines, and enough cash for the stay, drawn in Balakot or before, since card payments can't be relied on up the hill.

Is Shogran worth visiting in winter?

For snow within a day's drive of Islamabad, with a proper mountain setting, yes. Shogran under snow is quieter and more dramatic than in summer, and it is one of very few places in the Kaghan Valley where you can stay the night.

It suits couples, groups of friends and families with older children who are happy to stay close to the hotel, keep plans flexible and come home a day late if the road closes. It does not suit anyone on a fixed schedule, families with babies who need a warm, reliable room, or anyone hoping to reach Siri Paye, Naran or Saif-ul-Malook.

If you mainly want to see snow and be home the same night, Murree and the Galyat are closer; our guide to where to see snow in Pakistan compares the options. For a longer winter trip, our trip planning page can help.

Frequently asked questions