Winter Road Closures in Northern KPK: What Shuts and When

Winter road closures in KPK follow a steady pattern. The high passes shut for the whole winter: Babusar from about November to late May, Shandur from about November into early summer, and the old road over Lowari Top for the same months, although the Lowari tunnel beneath it keeps Chitral connected. The upper valleys close behind them: Naran and everything beyond Kaghan town from early December, Kumrat above Thal, and the side valleys above Kalam. The Galiyat, Malam Jabba, Kalam and Shangla Top stay open, but a heavy snowfall can shut each of them for hours or days.

This guide sets out which roads close, when they usually reopen, what the alternatives are, and how to check before you set off.

The passes that close for the whole winter

Babusar Pass

Babusar, at 4,173 metres, carries the N-15 from Naran over to Chilas in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is a summer road. In late November 2025 the Mansehra administration banned all travel between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan through the Kaghan valley until the next summer, and the pass reopened on 25 May 2026 after the National Highway Authority cleared the glaciers across it. Even in late May and October, snow can close the top for a day or two. Our guide to whether Babusar Top is open or closed tracks the dates.

Lowari Top and the Lowari tunnel

The old road over Lowari Top, at 3,118 metres, is normally impassable from late November to the end of May. The Lowari tunnel, opened in 2017, runs underneath it and is the reason Chitral can now be reached by road all winter. Its hours have been restricted at times, and the approach roads still climb high enough to catch snow: on 2 January 2026 the road on the Dir side was closed for several hours by snow, and travellers were left waiting in the cold. See our Lowari tunnel guide for timings.

Shandur Pass

Shandur, at about 3,720 metres, links Upper Chitral with Ghizer and Gilgit. The road over it is a summer route, closed by snow through the winter, and it can close again after late snowfall in spring: in March 2025 snow cut the Shandur road between Upper Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan more than once. In winter, reach Chitral through the Lowari tunnel and Gilgit by the Karakoram Highway.

Badgoi Pass

The jeep road over the Badgoi Pass, at 3,523 metres, joins Kumrat with Utror and Kalam. It is unpaved, needs a high-clearance 4x4, and is under snow for most of the year, so treat it as open only in high summer.

Valleys that close behind the passes

The upper Kaghan valley. Snow closes the valley from the top down. In late November 2025 visitors could still reach Naran but could go on to Batakundi and Lake Saiful Muluk only between 11 am and 3 pm, with chains fitted. On 10 December, after fresh snow, the administration banned all travel beyond Kaghan town until the summer. The police posts were withdrawn and no hotels or restaurants stayed open above. The road reopened to Naran at the end of April 2026. Our guide to whether the Naran road is open or closed has the section-by-section dates.

Kumrat. The valley above Thal is snowbound in winter, from the first heavy falls until spring. There is no winter season here; go between late May and October, and don't set off in November or April without confirmed local word that the road is open.

Above Kalam. Kalam itself stays open, but the tracks beyond it become impassable after heavy snow, and Mahodand and Utror are cut off for the winter.

Chitral's side valleys. The main road through Chitral stays open, but snow regularly blocks the roads into the side valleys. In March 2025 the roads to Garam Chashma, Bumburet and Sheshi Koh were closed, and snow cut off Laspur, Yarkhun and Broghil in Upper Chitral. If you are visiting the Kalash valleys in December for Chaumos, allow for a day's delay.

Roads that stay open but close after heavy snow

These are the winter trips people actually take, and they close for hours or days rather than months.

• The Galiyat and Thandiani. On 11 February 2026, with a foot to a foot and a half of snow on the ground, the Abbottabad to Nathia Gali and Murree road was closed to tourists, only residents were let through, the Barian to Nathia Gali road was shut every evening after 5 pm for fear of landslides, and every link road around Nathia Gali and Thandiani was blocked.
• Malam Jabba and Kalam. In January 2022, four feet of snow at Kalam and three at Malam Jabba closed both roads, trapping vehicles until tourists were moved to safety. In January 2026, reports put the snow at about 58 inches at Malam Jabba and 30 at Kalam.
• Shangla Top. The same January 2026 storm blocked the Alpuri road over Shangla Top, and rescuers had to recover a car with five people on board.
• The Karakoram Highway and the Hazara Motorway. Even these were blocked in places in January 2026, along with sections of the highway through Shangla, Mansehra and Kohistan.

What to do when your route is shut

• Heading to Gilgit-Baltistan when Babusar is closed: use the Karakoram Highway through Besham, Dasu and Chilas, or fly to Gilgit or Skardu. The UK government advises against all travel on the highway between Mansehra and Chilas; Pakistani travellers use it every day, but drive it in daylight and check the news. Our Karakoram Highway road status guide explains how to check it.
• Chitral when Shandur is closed: the N-45 through Dir and the Lowari tunnel. Dir saw clashes between police and militants in summer 2026 and the UK advises against travel on this road, so cross it in daylight and check the news first. There is no scheduled Islamabad–Chitral flight at present: PIA's planned weekly flight of April 2025 never ran for lack of bookings.
• Naran in winter: Shogran, Kaghan town and Balakot stay open for snow.
• Kumrat in winter: there is no winter alternative in Dir; go to Kalam or Malam Jabba for snow instead.
• The Galiyat after a storm: wait a day or two for the snow to stop and the main roads to be cleared, or go to Murree only if it is open to visitors.

How to check before you set off

1. Look for district notices. Closures are ordered by the deputy commissioners of Mansehra, Abbottabad, Swat, Upper Dir and the Chitral districts, and announced through the district administration and police pages and the local press.
2. Call the KP tourism helpline, 1422, which gives road and weather information for Hazara and Malakand around the clock.
3. Ask your hotel the evening before and again in the morning. Hotels in Kalam, Nathia Gali and Chitral know within hours when a road shuts.
4. Watch the forecast from the Pakistan Meteorological Department and the KP PDMA, whose helpline is 1700.

Driving when the roads are open

• Carry snow chains and practise fitting them at home. In late 2025 chains were compulsory beyond Naran before it closed.
• Leave early and be off the mountain roads by dark, when meltwater refreezes.
• Fill the tank and carry food, water and blankets. Waiting hours on a closed road is the normal winter delay.
• Keep the exhaust clear if you are stuck with the engine running, and open a window slightly. Carbon monoxide was among the causes of death when 23 people died in cars trapped by snow in Murree in January 2022.

Our travel guide has more on preparing a car for the north.

Is a winter trip worth it?

Yes, if you choose a place that stays open and keep your dates loose. The Galiyat, Malam Jabba, Kalam and Shogran all make good snow trips, and our KPK winter trip itinerary strings three of them together. What doesn't work in winter is anything that depends on a high pass or an upper valley: Naran, Babusar, Kumrat, Shandur and the lakes above Kalam are summer trips, and no amount of planning changes that.

Frequently asked questions