Home/Tours/9 Day Kalash Valleys & Hindu Kush Cultural Tour
Unique Living Culture
9 Day Kalash Valleys & Hindu Kush Cultural Tour
9 Days / 8 Nights By Road From Islamabad 4.9 · 13 reviews
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Best travel period:April October (festivals May, Aug, Dec)Open full forecast
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The Kalash of Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir maintain a pre Islamic religion and way of life found nowhere else on earth, roughly 4,000 people in three Hindu Kush valleys. This tour gives them proper time rather than the rushed day visit most itineraries allow, paired with Chitral, Peshawar and the Gandhara heritage on the way through.
Quick Facts
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Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1, Islamabad arrival
Airport transfer, briefing and an afternoon at Faisal Mosque and the Margalla viewpoint.
Day 2, Taxila & Peshawar
Gandhara ruins and the Taxila Museum en route to Peshawar. Evening in the old city.
Day 3, Takht i Bahi & drive to Dir
The UNESCO listed hilltop monastery at Takht i Bahi, then north toward Dir for the night.
Days 4 to 6, The Kalash Valleys
Through the Lowari Tunnel to Chitral and on to Bumburet. Three days across Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir, village life, traditional dress, and the Kalash graveyards and altars, with a guide who can explain what you are seeing.
Day 7, Chitral town
Chitral Fort, the Shahi Mosque and the bazaar, with Tirich Mir on the skyline in clear weather.
Days 8 to 9, Return to Islamabad
Drive south via Lowari and Swat, overnight en route, arriving Islamabad on Day 9.
Tour Highlights
Bumburet, Rumbur & Birir ValleysKalash Traditional Village LifeChitral Fort & Hindu Kush ViewsPeshawar Old City & Qissa KhwaniTakht i Bahi Buddhist Monastery
What's Included
Private vehicle and driver throughout
Hotel accommodation with breakfast daily
English speaking guide
Kalash valley entry permits and NOC
Airport transfers and e visa invitation letter
Not Included
International flights
Pakistan visa fee
Lunches and dinners
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Tour Information
Duration
9 Days / 8 Nights
Travel Mode
By Road
Max Altitude
3,118m (Lowari)
Group Size
1 to 8 people
Best Time
April October (festivals May, Aug, Dec)
Visa Support
Invitation letter provided
Where You'll Stay
Kalash valley guesthouse
3 nights in Bumburet, simple but well located among the valleys.
Chitral hotel
1 night in Chitral town.
Peshawar & Dir hotels
3 nights at comfortable properties en route.
Questions About This Tour
Yes, with care. The Kalash welcome visitors and tourism supports the valleys, but this is a living community, not an exhibit. Always ask before photographing people, dress modestly, and do not enter religious spaces uninvited, our guides brief you properly on Day 4.
Chilam Joshi in mid May is the most visited, with dancing and full traditional dress. It is also the busiest. Uchal in August and Chaumos in December are quieter and, some travellers find, more genuine. We can build the trip around any of them.
The Kalash valleys require an entry permit, and foreign nationals travelling in parts of Chitral may need an NOC. Both are arranged as standard on this package.