Treks in Swat: Day Hikes to Multi-Day Lake Routes

The best treks in Swat start from the upper valley around Kalam. For an easy half day, walk in the Ushu forest or from Mahodand to Saifullah Lake. For a proper day hike, Kundol Lake from Utror and Desan meadows from Kalam are the classics. For something harder, Izmis, Daral and Bishigram lakes need a very long day or two, and the Kachikani Pass to Chitral is a serious glaciated trek of about a week. The season for all the high routes is June to September.

This guide sorts Swat's walking by difficulty, with the starting village, time and season for each, so you can match a route to your group. Our guide to the lakes of Swat goes into more detail on each lake.

Easy walks: an hour to half a day

These suit families, older walkers and anyone who wants mountain air without a big day.

• The Ushu forest, from Kalam. A few kilometres above Kalam on the road to Matiltan, paths wander through tall deodar and pine above the river. Walk for an hour or three, and turn round when you like. Start: Kalam or Ushu. Season: May to October.
• Mahodand to Saifullah Lake. Once the jeep has brought you to Mahodand, a walk of up to half an hour leads to Saifullah Lake at about 2,910 metres. Start: Mahodand, about two hours by jeep from Kalam. Season: June to early October.
• The Jahanabad Buddha. A path through orchards and up old stone steps climbs to a 7th-century Buddha carved into a cliff, 30 to 45 minutes up. Start: the Malam Jabba road beyond Manglor. Season: all year except after snow; best in spring and autumn. Our Buddhist sites trail covers the carving.
• Kharkhari Lake. From where the jeep track up the Gabral valley ends, the lake is an hour or two on foot. Start: Gabral valley, by jeep from Kalam. Season: June to September.

Classic day hikes

These need a fit walker, an early start and a full day.

Kundol Lake, from Utror

Kundol, at about 3,000 metres, is Swat's favourite hiking lake. Take a jeep from Kalam to Utror, about an hour. From Utror, where jeeps can't get further, it is an hour and a half to two hours on foot to the summer settlement of Ladu, then about two hours up to the lake. Expect three to four hours up from the road end and two to three down, with stream crossings that can be awkward early in the season.

• Start: Utror, reached from Kalam
• Difficulty: moderate
• Best months: late June to September

Desan meadows, from Kalam

Desan is a wide stretch of high pasture on the slopes above Kalam, with views across to the peaks at the head of the valley. On foot from the town it is roughly five hours up and two to three down, a long day with a big climb. Many visitors take a jeep part of the way and walk the rest, which shortens it to a comfortable half day.

• Start: Kalam
• Difficulty: moderate on foot, easy with a jeep
• Best months: June to September

Hard days and overnight treks

These are for experienced walkers with a local guide, and several are better split over two days with a tent.

• Spin Khwar, a smaller lake near Kundol, about three hours up from Ladu. It combines with Kundol into a good two-day trip with a night by the lake. Start: Utror.
• Izmis, above the treeline south-west of Utror. A jeep road runs part of the way to a valley called Loypanrghalay, then it is three to six hours on foot. Start: Utror.
• Daral Lake, at about 3,500 metres west of Bahrain. From the Bahrain side it is eight to nine hours or more, usually done over two days. The alternative approach from Gabin Jabba above Matta takes six to eight hours but passes through hills where militants were reported in 2026, so we would avoid it this year. Start: Bahrain.
• Bishigram Lake, at about 3,500 metres east of Madyan. After 40 to 50 minutes by vehicle from Madyan, the walk from the village of Kas takes five to seven hours and climbs about 1,500 metres. Best as two days. Start: Madyan.

The expedition: Kachikani Pass to Chitral

Above Mahodand, the Ushu river climbs in a series of steps, each with a flat pasture or small lake and a summer settlement, towards the Kachikani Pass on the watershed with Chitral. Crossing it to Sor Laspur in upper Chitral is one of the classic Hindu Kush treks: several days on foot over a glaciated pass of well over 4,500 metres, with moraine, crevasses and steep snow on the far side.

This is not a walk to improvise. It needs an experienced trekking outfitter, a guide who knows the glacier, porters, and a group that has already done high-altitude trekking. Outfitters' itineraries run to about ten days including the travel from Islamabad, and the pass is realistically crossable only in the height of summer.

When to trek in Swat

In July and August, start at dawn and plan to be off the high ground by early afternoon, when storms tend to build. After heavy rain, streams that were knee-deep in the morning can become impassable, and roads to the trailheads can close. Our guide to Swat in the monsoon covers the flood risk.

How to organise a trek

• Base yourself in Kalam for the upper-valley routes. Jeeps for Utror, Gabral and Mahodand are hired there; our Kalam hotels guide covers where to sleep.
• Hire a local guide from Utror, Kalam, Bahrain or Madyan for anything beyond the easy walks. Trails are unmarked and junctions easy to miss. Porters can be hard to find in summer, when many men are with their livestock, so arrange them in advance.
• Carry your own camping gear for overnight routes, or book it through an outfitter. There are no lodges at the lakes.
• Pack for cold and rain: warm layers, a waterproof jacket, proper boots, water purification and food for the whole day.
• Tell someone your plan. Leave your route and return time with your hotel. Mobile signal fades quickly beyond the villages.

Which trek suits you?

• Families with children or older parents: the Ushu forest and Mahodand to Saifullah.
• Fit beginners: Desan with a jeep for the first part, then Kundol once you know how you handle the height.
• Regular hikers from Islamabad's Margalla trails: Kundol, then Spin Khwar or Izmis with a night out.
• Experienced trekkers: Daral or Bishigram over two days, and the Kachikani Pass with an outfitter.

If Swat's security situation makes you hesitate this year, the trekking in Gilgit-Baltistan is the obvious alternative; our guide to the best treks in Gilgit-Baltistan covers routes of every grade.

Is trekking in Swat safe in 2026?

The mountain risks are the usual ones: weather, flooded streams, falls and, in 2026, a fatal glacier collapse near Mahodand in July. Security is the bigger question this year. Militants were reported in the hills of Matta, Charbagh and Khwazakhela, the mountains between Swat and Upper Dir, over the summer, and on 2 August a suicide bomber attacked the police station in Kabal, near Mingora, during a peace rally, killing 17 people. The UK government advises its nationals against all travel to Swat.

Pakistani trekkers still walk in upper Swat, especially around Kalam and Utror. Check the local news and ask police in Kalam or Bahrain about your route before you set off, keep to well-used trails with a local guide, and avoid the remote side valleys near Matta. If you are an overseas visitor, your government's advice may say not to go, and travelling against it can void your travel insurance. The Swat Valley page has the wider picture.

Frequently asked questions