Swat – Switzerland of Pakistan
Swat is a land of magnificent scenic beauty and rich historical past. Its lush green fertile valleys, towering mountains, rushing streams, ice cold lakes, fruit orchards and flower-filled slopes are some of the gifts nature has bestowed upon this Ancient land. In the North, mountains rise and squeeze the river. Pine forested snow-capped peaks are dominated by 5918 m high Falaksair.
Swat offers some of the best trekking and fishing sites. The region has been a fairly civilized place for 35 centuries and its archaeological sites range from prehistoric caves to Aryan to Buddhist, Hindu Shahi monasteries. Buddhism flourished (550B.C -200 A.D) and swat boasts of having more than 1200 monasteries at one time. Its valleys were invaded time and again by war horses and bone chilling clash of swords and shields. It is the land where great generals of the world like Alexander, Great Mughals Babar and Akbar fought their battles of conquest.
It is the land that was desired, admired and loved equally well by saints’ scholars, spies, artisans and kings. This lovely mountain-region is now well connected with other parts of the country by air and by road. Swat museum offers interesting antiques of the Gandhara period.
05 Days Swat Valley Tour
Tour Itinerary
Day 01: Departure from Islamabad to Swat in the Morning. Departure for Swat. Enroute visit Takht Bhai (the largest Buddhist monastery in Pakistan). On arrival transfer to hotel and check in. Overnight stay in hotel at Saidu Sharif.
Day 02: Drive towards White Palace, The White Palace of Marghazar was built in 1940 by the first king of Swat, Miangul Abdul Wadud (Badshah Sahib) in the small town of Marghazar situated at about 13 kilometers away from Saidu Sharif. The name “White Palace” was given to the palace as it was built of white marble. The palace now serves as a hotel. The White Palace at Marghazar was the summer residence of the Wali of Swat, Miangul Jehanzeb. Located at 7,000 feet above sea level on Marghazar Hill, it was later converted into a tourist resort. Continue drive to Malam Jabba is a hill station in the Hindu Kush Mountain range nearly 40 kms from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is 314 kms from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport. Malam Jabba is home to one of the very few ski resorts in Pakistan. The area also contains two Buddhist stupas and six monasteries that are scattered around the resort. The presence of the monuments at such a height indicates that the area has been inhabited for over 2000 years. Night stay in Maalam Jabba
Day 03: We will drive along the river with surrounding green hills. We will reach Behrain at 2 pm. Bahrain is 10 kilometers north of Madyan and only slightly higher, at about 1,400 meters (4,500 feet). It is another popular riverside tourist resort, with bazaars worth exploring for their handicrafts. Some of the houses have carved wooden doors, pillars and balconies. These show a remarkable variety of decorative motifs, including floral scrolls and bands of ornamental diaper patterns almost identical to those seen on Buddhist shrines and quite different from the usual Muslim designs.Continue drive towards Kalam.
Kalam is a tourist destination located at a distance of 99 kms from Mingora and 32kms from Behrain in the northern upper reaches of Swat valley along the bank of Swat River. Kalam is surrounded by lush green hills, thick forests and attractions include lakes, meadows and waterfalls. It is the source of Swat River.
Day 04: Drive towards Mahodand lake. Mahodand Lake is a lake located in the upper Usho Valley at a distance of about 40 km from Kalam. The lake is accessible by a four-wheel drive vehicle (jeep). One can go fishing and boating. On the way, one can enjoy beautiful waterfalls and glaciers and wonderful landscapes. Stay in Mahodand for 3-4hrs where temperature remains about 6 Celsius normally in summers. Night Stay at Kalam
Day 05: we drive back to Islamabad.
