Chitral
Islamabad to Chitral by Road via the Lowari Tunnel
The Islamabad to Chitral drive via Chakdara, Dir and the Lowari tunnel: distance, realistic timings, tunnel hours and where to break the journey.
Tour package · 6 days
Chitral and the Kalash valleys in 6 days
Chitral is the far north-west corner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and three side valleys south of the town are home to the Kalasha, who keep their own faith, dress and festivals. This six-day trip drives from Islamabad on the motorways and the N45 through Dir and the Lowari Tunnel, spends three nights in Chitral town and two in Bumburet, and visits Rumbur, Birir and the hot springs at Garam Chashma. The two road days are long, so we start before dawn and keep the days in between short.
- Duration
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Pickup from
- Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar
- Best months
- April to October, plus the Kalash festivals in May, August and December
- Effort
- Easy to moderate: two very long road days, slow valley roads and short village walks
- Highest point
- Below 2,600 m throughout; Chitral town is at about 1,500 m
- Price
- On request
The route
Day by day
- The Lowari Tunnel, 10.4 km in two bores, which keeps Chitral open by road all year
- Kalasha villages, wooden houses and the Kalasha Dur museum in Bumburet, the largest of the three valleys
- Rumbur and Birir, the two smaller and quieter Kalash valleys
- The hot sulphur springs at Garam Chashma, 48 km up the valley from Chitral
- The Shahi Mosque, completed in 1924, and Chitral Fort, besieged for a month in 1895
- Optional dates for the Kalash festivals: Chilam Joshi in May, Uchal in August or Chawmos in December
Good for: Culture and history, Couples and friends, Families with older children.
A private trip for your group. Dates, pace and hotels are set around you and confirmed in writing with your quote.
Travel note, October 2026: the federal government imposed an emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 11 October 2026 and authorised the army to assist the civil administration. In the first days protesters and police containers closed roads into Peshawar and parts of the M-1 near Swabi, which this route uses, and mobile service was cut in Swabi. Local restrictions can still be imposed at short notice. Late October and November are still a good time for Chitral, with clear days and cold nights. We confirm the road, the Lowari Tunnel and the police advice the day before you leave.
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Day 1
Islamabad to Chitral
We leave Islamabad before dawn. The M1 and the Swat Motorway take you to Chakdara, and from there the N45 runs through Timergara and Dir town, climbs to the Lowari Tunnel and drops into the Chitral valley. It is about 400 km, and with stops for breakfast, lunch, prayers and the police checks it usually takes 10 to 12 hours. The NHA was still resurfacing parts of the Chakdara to Lowari road in early 2026, so expect slow stretches. We plan the day so that Dir and the tunnel are behind you in daylight.
Drive: About 400 km; 10 to 12 hours with stops · Night: Chitral
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Day 2
Garam Chashma and Chitral town
A slower day. In the morning we drive about 48 km up the valley north-west of Chitral to Garam Chashma, where hot sulphur springs rise beside the village and bathhouses let you soak. The village is close to the Afghan border, so expect police checks and do not go beyond it. In the afternoon, back in Chitral, you visit the Shahi Mosque, completed in 1924 for the ruler Shuja ul-Mulk, which stands beside Chitral Fort on the river bank. The fort is still the property of the former ruling family and is usually seen from outside.
Drive: About 48 km each way on a slow mountain road · Night: Chitral
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Day 3
Chitral to Bumburet
We drive about 20 km south along the Chitral River to Ayun, where the side road to the Kalash valleys begins. Beyond Ayun the road is narrow and slow, and if it is in poor shape after rain we change to a local jeep. Bumburet is about 35 km from Chitral town in all. A valley entry fee is collected at the check post. In the afternoon you walk through Kalasha villages and visit the Kalasha Dur museum, which explains the houses, dress and festivals you will see over the next two days.
Drive: About 35 km; slow beyond Ayun · Night: Bumburet
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Day 4
Rumbur valley
Rumbur is a side valley that joins Bumburet near its mouth, and it is smaller and quieter, with fewer hotels and more of ordinary village life. We drive down to the junction and up the Rumbur road, then walk between the villages and fields. Your coordinator can arrange a local Kalasha guide, which we recommend: they can explain the shrines, the graveyards and the places that visitors must not enter. You return to Bumburet for a second night, with the evening free.
Drive: Short drives between the two valleys · Night: Bumburet
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Day 5
Birir and back to Chitral
Birir is the third Kalash valley, a side valley of the main Kunar valley south of Bumburet, reached by its own road. It sees the fewest visitors of the three. After a walk through the village we drive back up the main valley to Chitral for the night, so that the long drive home starts from the town. If anyone would rather rest, this is the day to drop Birir and spend the afternoon in the Chitral bazaar instead.
Drive: Valley roads; a few hours in all · Night: Chitral
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Day 6
Chitral to Islamabad
Another early start for the drive home through the Lowari Tunnel, Dir and the Swat Motorway. We aim to be through Dir and the Malakand area in daylight and to reach Islamabad in the evening, 10 to 12 hours after leaving Chitral. Drop-offs in Peshawar and Rawalpindi are on the way. If the police or the weather close the road, we wait in Chitral rather than drive at night, and the extra night is arranged with you.
Drive: About 400 km; 10 to 12 hours with stops
The detail
What your quote covers
What is included
- Private car or coaster with an experienced mountain driver for the whole trip
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- Hotel or guesthouse rooms for five nights, on a twin or family-share basis
- Breakfast every day
- Local jeep in the Kalash valleys wherever the road needs one
- The driver's food and lodging
- A tour coordinator on call throughout, who checks the road and the tunnel before each road day
What is not
- Lunches and dinners
- The Kalash valley entry fee, bath charges at Garam Chashma and other tickets, paid on the spot
- A local Kalasha guide, if you want one
- Personal costs such as snacks, shopping and tips
- Travel and medical insurance
- Extra nights caused by floods, road closures or security restrictions
Good to know before you book
Is it safe to travel to Chitral right now?
Pakistani tourists do visit Chitral and the Kalash valleys, but the road crosses Lower and Upper Dir, where police were attacked in July 2026. The UK advises its nationals against all travel on the N45 from Mardan to Chitral, Kalash valleys included, and warns of cross-border attacks south and west of Chitral. We drive only in daylight, check with local police before each road day and move dates if they advise it. Anyone with a foreign passport needs a No Objection Certificate for Chitral, so tell us early.
How long is the drive, and what is the road like?
About 400 km each way. The motorways to Chakdara are quick; after that the N45 is a two-lane mountain road through the busy bazaars of Timergara and Dir, and it is the slow part. The Lowari Tunnel was open round the clock in August 2026, although the NHA has proposed closing it for three hours at a time to manage traffic. In summer, floods can cut roads in Chitral for a day or more, which is another reason we keep the plan flexible.
Can we fly to Chitral instead?
Chitral has an airport, but Islamabad to Chitral flights have been suspended for long periods since 2025 because PIA is short of ATR aircraft and pilots, and they only operate in clear weather. We therefore plan this trip by road. If a flight is running when you book, ask us for a version that flies one way, which saves one of the two long days.
When are the Kalash festivals?
Chilam Joshi, the spring festival, is held in mid-May, usually around 13 to 16 May. Uchal, the summer festival, is usually in the second half of August, and Chawmos, the most important, runs for about two weeks around the winter solstice, roughly 7 to 22 December; parts of it are for the Kalasha alone. The Kalasha fix the exact days each year, so we confirm them before booking. Rooms in Bumburet fill quickly at festival time, and December nights are well below freezing.
How should we behave in the Kalash valleys?
These are villages, not a show. Ask before photographing anyone, and accept a refusal, especially from women. Do not enter shrines, altars or the bashali, the house where women stay during menstruation and childbirth, and do not touch graves or coffins. Dress as you would in any Pakistani village. A local guide helps you see more without causing offence, and buying from Kalasha-run shops and guesthouses keeps the money in the valleys.
What about cash, phone signal and medical care?
Bring enough cash from Chitral town; do not count on a cash machine in the Kalash valleys. Mobile data is unreliable in the valleys and on parts of the Dir road, so share your plans before setting out. Medical care is limited: in May 2026 a Senate committee heard of equipment and supply shortages in Chitral's hospitals. Carry your regular medicines and a basic first-aid kit, and tell us about any health conditions when you book.
Before you go
Read up on the route
Chitral
Is Chitral Safe for Tourists?
Is Chitral safe to visit in 2026? The picture in Chitral town and the Kalash valleys, the Afghan border, the road through Dir, checkposts and floods.
Kalash Valleys
Kalash Festival Calendar and Dates for 2026 and 2027
Kalash festival dates for 2026: Chilam Joshi ran 14 to 17 May, Uchal about 22 to 23 August, Phool falls in October and Chaumos in December. Plus 2027.
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