Kaghan Valley Voyage Tips and guide

Kaghan Valley is an alpine valley in Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

• Balakot - biggest town in the valley.
• Kaghan - town after which the valley was named. Hosts union council.
• Naran - central tourist town.
• Batakundi - village offering nice mountain hikes.

• Babusar Top - site at Babusar Pass with ziplines to get some thrill.

The picturesque Kaghan Valley is surrounded by Lower Himalayas. Kunhar River starts at Babusar Pass and flows down the valley. Mountains, dales, lakes, waterfalls, streams and glaciers make a relatively unspoiled paradise. This is why it can be such a deeply satisfying experience to spend a few days in here. The valley is at its best in the summer months (May to September). In May the temperature is maximum 11 °C and minimum 3 °C.

Irish cyclist Dervla Murphy visited the valley on her 1963 bicycle trip from Ireland to India. She put her travel memories in the book called "Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle".

The valley is a nice detour from Karakoram Highway. It can reached by road via the towns of Balakot, Mansehra, and Abbottabad. It can also be reached from the capital, Islamabad. In Balakot, one may find buses and other transports to reach Kaghan or Naran. The road beyond Naran is snowbound throughout the winter. Movement is also restricted during the monsoon season.

From the other side, the valley can reached by road over Babusar Pass, coming i.e. from Chilas (4 hours and Rs 1500 to Naran, 2025), Gilgit, or China. At so called Chilas Zero Point, the Kaghan Valley road gets closed daily at 17:00 for traffic from the North (probably to limit the traffic on the narrow road) and gets opened again early morning.

When going from Islamabad to Gilgit by bus (with Faisal Movers, NATCO and some other bus companies), you may be taken through this road by surprise (you'd expect to go on KKH via Batagram and Besham). There are probably good reasons (i.e. roadworks along KKH which make you stop and wait for 2-3 hours), but if you're curious which road you'll go, ask when buying bus tickets, or leaving, or in your bus company's office.

Busses and smaller transport goes from town to town, and for destinations to the sides you can find a jeep or walk. Towns are small enough to explore on foot.

• Shogran is the most beautiful place in Kaghan Valley and ideal for spending a weekend. see Malika Parbat 5,296 m (17,375 ft), the highest mountain in Kaghan Valley, and whose shadow in the clear white water of Saiful Maluk adds to the beauty of this legendary lake. Sri/Paya and Dona Meadows are most popular spots near Shogran.
• Lake Saiful Muluk 3,212 m (10,538 ft) at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley near Naran, 6 mi (9.7 km) east of town. The water is spectacularly clear with a slight green tone, and the lake is a lovely spot for a picnic. The lake is named after a legendary prince Saiful Malook who fell in love with a fairy princess. You can access the lake from Naran by an adventurous jeep ride on a 14-km-long road (open during the summer season), about half an hour ride (get a jeep in Naran near two bridges; i.e. Rs 1500 in 2025). If the road is closed, or if you want to walk, it is an easy, gradual 3-6 hour walk. You can also take some guide with you (ask in hotel or any shops, but make a good deal). Rs 500 (2025) to enter the national park. There are some eating places there. You can walk around the lake (about 3 km), mostly by firm pathway. On the other side of the lake you'll have to cross some streams (they are shallow, you can jump over or cross on foot).
• Malika Parbat is a mountain peak visible from Lake Saiful Muluk.
• Lake Dudipatsar is another beautiful lake, remote (almost no people there) and with clean water. About 9 hr Jeep drive from Naran, on a very difficult road with no hotels or restaurants. Many prefer horse journey to the lake. If you walk, it's about 7 hours from the road.

• Fishing. Brown Trout and Mahasheer are stocked in the pure silvery waters between Kaghan and Naran. The Kunhar river's trout is considered best in the South Asia. Fishing licenses are issued by the Fisheries Department at Naran.
• Hike in the mountains around Batakundi village. You will be stunned by natural beauty.
• Walk up to Babusar Top. If you are walking directly up-valley from Naran to Babusar Pass and Babusar Top, the loveliest spots to camp on this trail is at Lulusar Lake. Located just before the final grade to Babusar Top and surrounded by tall peaks, Lulusar is just one of many high elevation lakes that sit along the crest of the ridge.

Freshly caught fish and other Pakistani dishes are made in small cafes and restaurants. Many guests houses and hotels also provide food but it is always a good idea to go around and eat from one of popular cafes in market.

In Naran there are some eating places near the market, a filling and tasty supper (local food) may cost about Rs 2100 (2025).

• Fairy Meadows, Gilgit and Hunza Valley to the north.
• Abbottabad, Taxila and Islamabad to the south. Ask around for buses and minivans.