Chilam Joshi Festival

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 975 meters

Today, we’ll travel to Swat, a stunning hill town in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, formerly known as NWFP. We will go down the recently built highway that will cut the distance between Islamabad and Swat in half. In the past, Swat served as both a Buddhist Civilization hub and a former royal kingdom. We’ll visit the bazaar, the white palace, and old Buddhist settlements’ ruins.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 1,050 meters

We shall depart today for Chitral from Swat. The 10.4-kilometer Lowari Tunnel, which connects Dir and Chitral, will be our route of travel. Prior to the tunnel’s construction, travelers had to use the Lowari Pass, and the Chitral Region was cut off from the rest of the nation for six months. We shall arrive at Ayun today. The closest communities to the Kalasha Tribes are in Ayun, which is also a lovely valley to experience and explore. We’ll be staying in the Ayun Fort, which has lovely botanical gardens and a vantage point from which to see the valley and river. The Ayun Fort will be our home for the evening.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 1,100 meters

To enjoy the Chilam Joshi Festival, we will travel to Rumbur Valley, one of the principal settlements of the Kalasha Tribe, today. One of the Kalasha Tribe’s most important festivities, it marks the arrival of spring in the area. In order to explore the distinctive culture of the Kalasha people, we shall stroll to the town center. We’ll sample Kalasha cuisine today during lunch in a local home. We’ll travel to Bumburet later in the evening and remain there.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 1,100 meters

We will begin touring the Bumburet Valley on this day. We’ll go to the neighborhood museum. The Town Centre and the Kalasha Cemetery. Later, when all the tribes have gathered in Bumburet, we shall participate in the massive festival. We will engage with the Kalasha Tribe, dance, take pictures, and personally experience this distinctive culture. We will proceed to Chitral later and spend the night at the Pamir Hotel next to the Chitral River.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 1,494 meters

We will go to Chitral Town. The historic kingdom of Chitral’s capital, Chitral Fort, will be our next stop. This fort served as the regional capital. Later, we’ll go to Chitral’s Shahi Mosque, which is located on the grounds of the fort. The next stop will be Birmoglasht, a mountaintop town. In addition to providing a bird’s-eye perspective of the valley, it also raises the possibility of seeing the local Markhor. On this day, lunch will be served at Birmoglasht. If a polo match is in progress in Chitral Town, we will head to the polo pitch and watch the exciting game. We’ll later tour Chitral Bazar. Dinner will be served at the hotel.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 2,359 meters

We will go from Chitral Town to Mastuj on this day. Mastuj is the largest settlement in the Yarkhud Valley, which borders Afghanistan and Gilgit-Baltistan on opposite sides. Along the river gorge, we shall pass a lot of Chitral villages. When we get to Mastuj, we’ll have a stroll around the community and get to know the locals. The following night will be spent at Mastuj.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 2,217 meters

We will go from Chitral to Gupis, commonly known as Khalti, on this day. Ghizer District in the Gilgit-Baltistan Region includes Khalti. We will drive through many Laspur villages as we cross the Shandur Pass. We’ll make a brief stop in Shandur, where we may explore the high alpine Shandur Lake and the world’s highest polo pitch, the Shandur Polo Ground. We will travel via the Barsit, Langar, and Teru highland grasslands and meadows. We’ll also stop for a short while in the lushly green Phandar Valley, which contains a stunning still lake. 

After arriving in Khalti, we will check into our hotel. After relaxing for a while, we will explore the neighborhood’s villages and get some great shots of the lake. On this day, one of our meals will be trout fish.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 1,500 m

We shall go from Khalti to Gilgit on this day. The regional capital of Gilgit-Baltistan is Gilgit. When we get there, we’ll go to a hotel and rest. After lunch, we’ll travel to Kargah Nala to see the well-known Buddha carving. We’ll later visit the Gilgit Bazaar and sample the ”Mantu” (dumplings). Before beginning our journey to the ”Land of Legends”—Hunza—we will unwind and spend the night in Gilgit.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 2,500 meters

Given that we are currently traveling to Hunza, today will be unique and exciting. Let me tell you that Hunza is a complete destination with stunning landscapes, glaciers, towering mountains, lakes, a rich cultural history, an international border, and the Karakoram Highway, the eighth wonder of the world. We’ll be able to witness the ancient silk road that was utilized for commerce when we head out on the Karakoram Highway. At Rakaposhi View Point, we’ll pause so that you can sip some tea or coffee and take in the cool breeze from the Mother of Mist. 

From the window seat, we will be able to see stunning peaks as we drive towards Hunza and when we arrive in Karimabad. Every nature lover will be astounded by Rakaposhi’s perspective as this highly visible mountain passes over her head. On this day, we will explore Karimabad Market, Baltit Fort, and Altit Fort. Later, we will go to the renowned Eagle’s Nest View Point to watch the sunset over the towering peaks.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 2,700 meters

We will go to Northern Hunza on this day, where we will go boating on Atabad Lake. You will be astounded by the immaculate glacial water, the hue of the lake, and the bare mountains. We shall proceed on our journey, traveling through other Upper Hunza settlements before arriving at Deh and the Khunjerab National Park. We shall go on the breathtaking Karakoram Highway adventure. On the way back, we’ll stay at Passu.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 4,693 meters

We will start this day by strolling through the Passu Village. We’ll see folks working in the field, and we’ll also stop by a local residence to see how the Wakhi Community of Pakistan lives and how their architecture is constructed. We’ll go to Borith Lake, which is another stunningly colored mountain lake. In order to feel the thrill of the mountains, we’ll also stroll on the Hussaini Suspension Bridge. We will continue on to Hopper Valley, where we will be astounded by its splendor. To reach Bualtar Glacier, we will walk. We shall enjoy the Hunza people’s dances and songs this evening.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 2,409 meters

We will depart from Hunza on this day and proceed to Besham. Another lovely hill town with lovely views is Besham. On the route, we’ll stop for brief intervals.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 540 meters

We will depart from Islamabad on this day and arrive in Islamabad. We will stop at the Taxila Museum and historic Buddhist sites from the Gandhara Civilization along the route. After that, we’ll travel another 45 minutes to Islamabad, where we’ll have our goodbye meal at the Monal Restaurant.

Today’s GPS Data Elevation: 540 meters

Every wonderful thing must eventually come to an end. Today is the day we formally say goodbye to our visitors and fellow members. The tour concludes today.