Hotels in Chitral

Chitral town sits at about 1,500 metres on the Chitral river, with Tirich Mir at 7,708 metres visible from the bazaar on a clear morning. Accommodation is modest and concentrated in town, with a handful of mid-range hotels and guesthouses near the polo ground and the old fort. The Kalash valleys, Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir, are 35 to 45 kilometres south-west via Ayun and have their own guesthouses, which is where most visitors actually stay. Garam Chashma to the north has hot springs and basic rooms.

Rooms run Rs 5,000 to Rs 11,000 in Chitral town and Rs 4,500 to Rs 12,000 in the Kalash valley guesthouses, with the better Bumburet properties at the top of that. Rates rise sharply around the Kalash festivals, particularly Chilam Joshi in May, when Bumburet fills entirely and rooms need booking a month or more ahead. Jeep hire from Chitral to Bumburet runs Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 return; the last stretch of that road is rough and not suited to ordinary cars.

The Lowari Tunnel, roughly 8.5 kilometres under the old Lowari Pass, changed Chitral fundamentally by keeping the Dir road open through winter. Before it, the district was cut off by snow for months. The tunnel still closes occasionally for maintenance or when approach roads are snowbound, so confirm status before travelling in January and February. From Islamabad by road allow ten to twelve hours. Shandur Pass at 3,700 metres, the jeep route east to Gilgit, is normally passable only from about June to October.

May to October is the practical season. Spring in the Kalash valleys around Chilam Joshi is the busiest and most photographed period. July and August are warm in Chitral town and pleasant in the side valleys. The Shandur Polo Festival in early July draws crowds to the pass itself, which needs camping rather than hotels. Autumn is quiet and clear. Visitors to the Kalash valleys should note that these are lived-in communities, and photography of people requires asking first.