Trip types
Northern Areas Trip with Kids: Toddlers on the Road
Taking toddlers and young children to the northern areas: what age is safe at altitude, pacing drives around naps, car sickness, food and nappies on the road.
Tour package · 7 days
Family trip to the north, 7 days
This is our easiest week in the mountains for families with small children and grandparents: two nights in Naran in the Kaghan valley, two in Kalam at the top of Swat, and two in Mingora, Swat's main town, which break up the longer drives. We chose Naran and Swat over Naran and Hunza because Hunza by road means crossing the Babusar Pass at 4,173 m in each direction, with a drive of 9 to 10 hours from Naran to Hunza, and the pass is open only in summer. On this route the one long day, Naran to Swat, is mostly on the Hazara and Swat motorways, and the only jeep ride is the short one to Lake Saif-ul-Malook.
- Duration
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Pickup from
- Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore
- Best months
- Late May to mid October
- Effort
- Easy: one long road day, one short jeep ride and gentle walks
- Highest point
- 3,224 m at Lake Saif-ul-Malook; no night higher than Naran at about 2,400 m
- Price
- On request
The route
Day by day
- Lake Saif-ul-Malook at 3,224 m, above the tree line, reached by a short jeep ride from Naran
- Two nights in Naran on the Kunhar River at about 2,400 m
- An optional easy drive up the paved road to Lulusar Lake (3,410 m)
- Kalam at about 2,000 m, where the Ushu and Gabral rivers meet to form the Swat River
- The Ushu valley above Kalam, with forest walks a short drive from the town
- Madyan and Bahrain on the Swat River, and the Swat Museum in Saidu Sharif
Good for: Families with young children, Grandparents, Joint families, A first trip north.
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 season in both valleys is ending. The road to Lake Saif-ul-Malook and most Naran hotels close with the first heavy snow, usually in November, and the Hazara hills had their first snow on 24 and 25 October. We run this trip from late May to mid October, so you can ask now for a quote for next season. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also been under an emergency and governor's rule since 11 October 2026; we check the route with the police the day before departure.
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Day 1
Islamabad to Naran
We collect you early. The Hazara Motorway takes you past Abbottabad to Mansehra, and the N15 then follows the Kunhar River through Balakot, Kiwai and Kaghan to Naran at about 2,400 m. It is about 250 km, and with breakfast, lunch and stops for the children it takes 6 to 8 hours. The stretch from Kaghan to Naran is slow and crowded in the peak weeks, which is why we leave early. Families from Lahore can come to Islamabad the evening before, and we can book that night for you.
Drive: About 250 km; 6 to 8 hours with stops · Night: Naran
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Day 2
Lake Saif-ul-Malook
The 9 km track from Naran to the lake is a jeep route, so we hire a local jeep for the morning. The lake is at 3,224 m, above the tree line, and it is cold even in July, so bring jackets for everyone. In monsoon weeks the district administration can limit visiting hours (9:30 am to 4 pm in August 2026) or close the road after heavy rain. You are back in Naran for lunch, with the afternoon to rest. If everyone still has energy, Lulusar Lake (3,410 m), about 50 km up the paved road towards Babusar, makes an easy drive.
Drive: About 9 km each way by jeep · Night: Naran
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Day 3
Naran to Mingora, Swat
This is the one long day. We drive back down the valley to Mansehra, about 120 km and some 3 hours, then take the Hazara Motorway, the M-1 and the Swat Motorway to Chakdara and on to Mingora. In all it is about 300 km and 8 to 9 hours with stops. The motorway half is the easy part, with service areas and fuel stations for breaks, so we plan lunch and the longer stops there. We do not take the shorter-looking route through Battagram, Besham and Shangla, which uses the stretch of the Karakoram Highway the UK advises against.
Drive: About 300 km; 8 to 9 hours with stops · Night: Mingora
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Day 4
Mingora to Kalam
A short drive up the Swat valley, about 100 km, through Khwazakhela, Madyan and Bahrain, where we stop for tea and lunch at a restaurant, not on the river bank. Above Bahrain the road narrows and some stretches are rough after past floods, so the last 35 km or so are slow; allow 3 to 4 hours in all. Kalam is at about 2,000 m, where the Ushu and Gabral rivers meet to form the Swat River. The afternoon is free to settle in.
Drive: About 100 km; 3 to 4 hours · Night: Kalam
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Day 5
Kalam and the Ushu valley
A gentle day. In the morning we drive a short way up the Ushu valley for a walk in the forest, with the car close by for anyone who tires. Mahodand Lake, about 40 km up the same valley, is reached by a long and rough jeep track; with small children or grandparents we suggest leaving it out, and if older children want to go we arrange a jeep for them while the rest of the family stays in Kalam. The afternoon is for the Kalam bazaar and rest.
Drive: Short drives only · Night: Kalam
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Day 6
Kalam to Mingora
We leave after breakfast and come down the valley at an easy pace, about 100 km, with a stop in Madyan or Bahrain. In the afternoon, if the family wants an hour indoors, the Swat Museum in Saidu Sharif, Mingora's twin town, shows Buddhist sculpture from the Gandhara sites of the valley. Breaking the return here keeps both of the last two driving days short.
Drive: About 100 km; 3 to 4 hours · Night: Mingora
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Day 7
Mingora to Islamabad
The drive home is the easiest of the longer ones: down to Chakdara, then the Swat Motorway and the M-1 to Islamabad, about 250 km and 4 to 5 hours with a stop. Leaving Mingora after breakfast, you are home by mid-afternoon, with Rawalpindi drop-offs on the way. Families going on to Lahore can continue the same day on the M-2, or stay a night in Islamabad and drive down rested.
Drive: About 250 km; 4 to 5 hours with a stop
The detail
What your quote covers
What is included
- Private car, or a coaster for larger families, with an experienced mountain driver
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- Hotel rooms for six nights, with family or connecting rooms where the hotel has them
- Breakfast every day
- Local jeep for the Lake Saif-ul-Malook visit
- The driver's food and lodging
- A tour coordinator on call throughout
What is not
- Lunches and dinners
- Entry tickets and park fees, paid at the gate
- The optional jeep trip to Mahodand Lake
- Personal costs such as snacks, shopping and tips
- Travel and medical insurance
- Extra nights caused by landslides, road closures or weather
Good to know before you book
Will the altitude affect the children or grandparents?
Every night is spent at or below about 2,400 m in Naran, and the highest point, Lake Saif-ul-Malook at 3,224 m, is a morning visit. A mild headache or breathlessness at the lake is common and passes on the way down. Small children cannot always say they feel unwell, so watch for unusual crying, vomiting or drowsiness and bring them down. Anyone with a heart or lung condition should check with their doctor before booking, and tell us.
What about motion sickness on the mountain roads?
The N15 above Balakot and the road above Bahrain are winding and slow. Children who get car-sick usually do better near the front, looking out at the road, with a light meal before setting off and a window slightly open. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about a suitable travel-sickness medicine before you leave, and keep bags, wipes and a change of clothes to hand. Ask the driver to stop whenever you need to.
Where are the toilet and food stops?
On the Hazara Motorway, the M-1 and the Swat Motorway the service areas are the most reliable places for clean toilets. On the mountain roads we stop at hotels and larger restaurants in towns such as Balakot, Kaghan, Madyan and Bahrain rather than at roadside stalls. Carry tissues, hand sanitiser, nappies or a travel potty for small children, and snacks and water in the car, because a landslide or traffic jam can hold you for an hour or more.
What medical help is there on the way?
Basic, so plan for it. Balakot, at the foot of the Kaghan valley, has a new 110-bed hospital with an emergency department and intensive care, opened in August 2026, and serious cases go on to the hospitals in Mansehra. Kalam has a small hospital, and Swat's main hospitals are in Saidu Sharif next to Mingora. Rescue 1122 answers from any phone in the province. Bring the family's regular medicines, fever medicine and rehydration salts for the children, and copies of prescriptions.
Is Swat safe for a family trip?
Families from all over Pakistan holiday in Swat every summer, but the security picture is not settled. On 2 August 2026 a suicide bomber attacked the Kabal police station in lower Swat during a peace rally, killing 17, and the UK advises its nationals against all travel to Swat. We check with local police before you set out, and if the advice changes we replace the Swat nights with Shogran, closer to Naran, which also shortens the drives.
How careful should we be near rivers and lakes?
Very. Keep children well back from the river banks: the water is fast and cold, and in June 2025 a group of tourists was swept away by a sudden flood on the Swat River near the Mingora bypass. The district administration bans swimming and bathing in the river in summer. In July 2026 a tourist boat capsized on Saifullah Lake near Kalam, killing three, so we do not book boat rides on this trip.
Before you go
Read up on the route
Practicalities
Packing for Kids on a Northern Areas Trip
What to pack for children on a Northern Areas road trip, from layered clothing and car-sickness remedies to snacks, medicine and keeping them occupied.
Kaghan Valley
Naran with Kids: Family-Friendly Plan and Tips
Taking children to Naran: which outings suit young kids, how to handle altitude and cold, and how to choose a safe, family-friendly place to stay.
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