A holiday in mesmerizing Kaghan Valley is a cherished experience! Kaghan valley is considered one of the most beautiful destinations located in Mansehra District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A valley that spread over an area of 160 kilometers is a well-known destination for Pakistani and foreign tourists because of its enchanting natural scenes, meadows, and clear water lakes. Clearwater and cold water lakes and streams, pine tree forests, alpine meadows, and Kunhar River are the worth visiting features of this beautiful Kaghan valley. Balakot, Paras, Mahandari, Kaghan and Naran are situated around the bank of the river that attracts thousands of visitors.
The road beyond Balakot is suitable for vehicles, up to Naran but a couple of glaciers with heavy snowpack in the early tourist season are difficult to cross with cars. Cars, vans and coaches are allowed from mid-June on Naran road. If you are driving yourself, try to start early in the morning to safely reach your destination well before evening.
For those using public transport, there are several bus companies with direct services to Balakot from Lahore and Rawalpindi n regular basis. PTDC operates daily air-conditioned bus service to Naran from Flashman’s Hotel in Rawalpindi at 9.00 am. For bookings contact these numbers 051-9272017 and 9272004. To reach different Balakot, Kewai, Shogran, Kaghan, and Naran for various day trips lost private jeeps are also available on rent.
The best season for spending vacations in Kaghan Valley begins in mid-May and closes in mid-October. The summer season from June to September is ideal, with maximum temperatures ranging from 5 C to 20 C. The road beyond Naran is snow packed in all the winters, but from mid-June to mid-October, it remains open. In monsoon season (mid-July-mid August) vehicle movement is every so often banned due to land sliding and downpours in the lower Kaghan Valley. For weather updates, please visit the official website of the Pakistan Metrological Department www.pakmet.com.pk before planning your visit.
Without visiting legendary Lake Saiful Muluk visit to Kaghan valley is incomplete. The lake is named after Prince Saiful Muluk, who fell in love with a fairy from the mountains. This enchanting crystal clear water lake is located at the height of 10,500 feet and is surrounded by remarkable snow dressed gigantic mountains and surmounted by the peak of Malika Parbat. The grand Malika Parbat has a height of 5291 meters so it is the highest peak in Kaghan Valley, for this reason, this is called “Queen of the Mountains”.
Naran is located at the height of 7,888 feet above sea level and 82 kilometers away from Balakot. Naran is the main centre of attraction for tourists in the Kaghan Valley. This town is situated on the bank of the Kunhar River at a point where the river gets quite smooth for trout fishing (trout, a cold water fish) and rafting.
Siri Paye is a wonderful destination to visit. To see a striking view of the lush green meadow with Malika Parbat take a route of a rugged eight-kilometer road to climb 2300 feet through thick pine forest to reach the top of Paya point. One can also see varieties of wild alpine flowers on the lush slopes of Paya to fill your soul with pleasure. From here you can then hike to Makra Mountain (Spider), which is 12743 feet above the sea level. To reach Kaghan Valley and Azad Kashmir's Neelum Valley trekkers have to climb about 2000 feet. But before hiking take safety measures to avoid any problem and take necessary items with you. Sari is a beautiful lake that you can visit on the way to Paya to take some rest and refresh. A small forest rest house and some tea stalls are also available for travellers for rest and refreshment purposes.
Lulusar is cluster of mountains and a lake in the Kaghan Valley, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is elevated 3,410 meters above the sea level. Beautiful Lulusar lake is situated at a distance of 48 kilometers from Naran, on Naran-Babusar road which is adorned with fragrant blue and gold wild flowers makes it magical tourist destination.
Shogran is a beautiful hilltop located on a lush green elevation in the Kaghan Valley (in Northern Pakistan). It is situated at an altitude of 2,362 metres above sea level. Shogran is located 34 kilometres away from Balakot and the route from Islamabad to Kiwai is paved (which is almost 212 kilometres). Shogran remains open for visitors in summers and winters due to its pleasant weather. The minimum and maximum temperature range in Shogran is about 20 °C (68 °F) to 3 °C (37 °F).
Height: 2,362 m
Peak Season: June-August
Territory: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
District: Mansehra District
The Babusar top is the highest point in the Kaghan Valley. It is present at an altitude of 4,173 meters or 13,690 feet above the sea level. The tourist season starts from July to September if you plan to visit Naran & Kaghan valley this year. The roads beyond Naran are usually open till the Babusar pass or top. During the months of May to September, the temperature ranges from 11 C (52 F) - 3 C (37 F) while during winter and monsoon seasons movement is restricted if roads are not clear.
Altitude: 4,173 meters
Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan
PTDC Motel, PTDC or Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation is an organization of the ...