Private trips from Lahore, Islamabad or any city, on request
Our Kumrat Valley tour packages are private road trips from Lahore, with your own car and driver, local jeeps from Thal and a riverside camp or a small hotel. There are three plans: 4 days for the forest, the waterfall and Kala Chashma; 5 days with a night on the Jahaz Banda meadows and the walk to Katora Lake; and 6 days that cross the Badgoi Pass by jeep and finish in Kalam. We can start you from Islamabad or any other city instead, and every plan can be moved around your dates.
There is no fixed group departure to Kumrat and no set price. The cost depends on the car, the number of people and whether you camp or stay in Thal, so send us your dates and group size on WhatsApp or through the contact page and we will send a plan and a quote.
Kumrat Valley is a forested valley in Upper Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the upper Panjkora River north of Thal. It is far less developed than Swat or Naran: people sleep in tents, wooden huts and small hotels rather than big resorts, and that is why most of them go. The valley floor is old deodar forest beside the river. Above it are the Jahaz Banda meadows at about 3,100 m and, around three hours further on foot, Katora Lake at about 3,500 m. Thal is 11 to 12 hours from Lahore by road, and the season runs from June to September.
Kumrat is one long valley, so the places below run from Thal at the bottom to Katora Lake at the top. Past Thal you need a jeep, and the last two places are on foot.
Kumrat is a long drive from anywhere and the last stretch is a dirt track, so we run it as a private trip rather than a coaster tour.
Day 1 is the same on every plan: the M-2 and the Swat Motorway to Chakdara, then Timergara and Dir to Thal, about 11 to 12 hours. From Islamabad take a day off each plan, because the drive to Thal is about 7 to 8 hours.
The shortest trip that is worth the drive, with two full days in the forest.
| Day | Route and stops | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lahore to Thal | Thal or a Kumrat camp |
| 2 | Jeep into the valley: the deodar forest, Kumrat waterfall and the Kala Chashma spring | Kumrat camp |
| 3 | A slow day by the river, a forest walk, and the old wooden mosque in Thal | Kumrat camp |
| 4 | Thal to Lahore, arriving at night | Home |
For walkers. The meadow night and the lake are the best of Kumrat.
| Day | Route and stops | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lahore to Thal | Thal |
| 2 | Jeep to the end of the road, then the walk up to the Jahaz Banda meadows | Jahaz Banda camp |
| 3 | Katora Lake, about three hours further up, and back to the meadows | Jahaz Banda camp |
| 4 | Walk down, jeep to the Kumrat waterfall and Kala Chashma | Kumrat camp |
| 5 | Thal to Lahore | Home |
Only from about July to September, when the Badgoi Pass jeep track is open. It joins Kumrat to Utror and Kalam on the Swat side, so you come home a different way.
| Day | Route and stops | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lahore to Thal | Thal |
| 2 | Kumrat forest, waterfall and Kala Chashma | Kumrat camp |
| 3 | Jeep over the Badgoi Pass to Utror and Kalam | Kalam |
| 4 | Mahodand Lake by jeep and Ushu Forest | Kalam |
| 5 | Kalam to Bahrain, Madyan and Mingora | Swat |
| 6 | Swat Motorway to Lahore | Home |
This is the main walk in Kumrat Valley and the reason many people come. The meadow is a moderate hike for anyone used to walking; Katora Lake is harder, at a height where you will feel short of breath. Start early, because cloud and rain often come in after midday. Take a local guide from Thal or Jandrai, warm clothes and enough water and food.
| Stage | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thal to Jandrai | By jeep; time depends on the track | End of the jeep road |
| Jandrai to Jahaz Banda | 3 to 4 hours up | Steep forest path, then open meadow at about 3,100 m |
| Jahaz Banda to Katora Lake | About 3 hours up | Rocky, above the trees; lake at about 3,500 m |
| Back down to Jandrai | Most of a day from the lake | Most people sleep a night at Jahaz Banda |
June to September is the best time to visit Kumrat Valley. June is green and quiet, July and August are the warmest and busiest, and September is clear and good for walking. From October the snow comes, and by November the valley past Thal is closed until late spring.
| Months | Weather | Road and camps | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| November to April | Deep snow, well below freezing | Valley closed past Thal; camps shut | Not for visitors |
| May | Cool; snow melting | Track opens late in the month; first camps start | Jahaz Banda still under snow |
| June | Days around 15 to 25°C, cold nights | Camps open | Green, fewer people |
| July and August | Warmest; monsoon showers | Open; muddy after rain | Busiest; best for Katora Lake |
| September | Clear and cooler | Open | Quiet; good for trekking |
| October | Cold; first snow possible | Camps closing | Only for well-equipped groups |
In summer, days in the forest are around 15 to 25°C and nights fall to 5 to 15°C, so a fleece is needed by the river every evening. At Jahaz Banda, nights can drop below 5°C even in July and August, and a sleeping bag rated for about 0°C is worth carrying. Monsoon showers in July and August make the track muddy and the river high. From October the valley turns cold quickly and snow closes it through the winter.
Thal is the end of the road for normal cars and the place to count distances to. From Thal into the forest camps is a jeep ride on top of these times.
| Route | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lahore to Thal | About 690 km | 11 to 12 hours |
| Islamabad to Thal | About 360 km | 7 to 8 hours |
| Thal to the forest camps | A short jeep ride to the first camps | Under an hour to about 3 hours, by camp and track |
| Kalam (Utror) to Thal | Over the Badgoi Pass | 3 to 6 hours by jeep, summer only |
| Karachi | Over 1,600 km by road | Fly or take the train to Islamabad or Lahore first |
From Lahore, take the M-2 to Islamabad, the M-1 towards Peshawar and the Swat Motorway north to Chakdara. At Chakdara leave the Swat road and take the N-45 north through Timergara towards Dir. Before Dir town, the Kumrat road turns off at Chutiatan and climbs the Panjkora valley through Sheringal and Biar to Thal. The stretch after the turning is a narrow mountain road, paved in parts and slow, so allow plenty of daylight.
From Swat, the summer jeep track over the Badgoi Pass from Utror is the short way, but only with a local driver. Otherwise you drive back down to Chakdara and round through Lower Dir.
Past Thal, the last 20 to 30 km into the valley is an unpaved track with stream crossings, loose rock and steep bits. It needs a 4x4 or one of the local jeeps that wait in Thal; a normal car will struggle and may not get through after rain. Jeep fares are set locally each season. Agree the price, whether it is one way or return, and how long the driver will wait before you load your bags.
There is a check post at the entry to the valley where your CNIC is noted. In the monsoon, landslides and high water can close parts of the track for a few hours.
Kumrat has no big hotels, and that is part of its appeal. We do not name places, because the camps change from season to season, but these are your choices.
Thal has phone signal. Past Thal, Jazz and Telenor work only in a few spots and there is no mobile data you can count on, so tell your family when you will be out of reach. There are no ATMs in the valley and few after Dir, so bring all the cash you need for jeeps, camps and food.
Kumrat has drawn large numbers of domestic tourists every summer for about ten years, mostly families and groups from Peshawar, Islamabad and Punjab, and the camps are used to them. You will pass police check posts on the road and at the valley entry, so carry your CNIC. Foreign nationals should check the current registration or NOC rules for Upper Dir before travelling.
The real risks are the track, the river and the cold: pick a good jeep, keep children back from the fast water, and do not walk to Katora Lake in bad weather. Families who are happy with basic camping manage Kumrat well.
Kalam, on the other side of the Badgoi Pass, is the easier trip: a paved road to town, hotels and day trips by jeep to Mahodand Lake. Kumrat suits people who want forest camping and walking more than comfort. For a first trip with small children or older parents, Kalam is the simpler choice. Our Swat tour packages cover Kalam, with jeep trips to Mahodand Lake.
Message us your dates, the number of people and the plan you like, on WhatsApp or through the contact page. We reply with the car, the nights and a quote for the whole group. If you would rather join a group tour with fixed dates, our Swat tour packages go to Kalam and Mahodand Lake on the other side of the same mountains, and the Kalash Valley tour packages cross the Lowari Tunnel from Dir.
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June to September. The track past Thal and the camps usually open in late May and close in October, and the valley is under deep snow from November to April. July and August are the warmest and busiest months and the best for Katora Lake; June and September are quieter.
Thal, the gateway to Kumrat, is about 690 km from Lahore, 11 to 12 hours by the M-2, M-1, Swat Motorway and the N-45 through Timergara. Add the jeep ride from Thal into the valley. Most people from Lahore break the drive or leave at night.
About 360 km to Thal, or 7 to 8 hours by the M-1, the Swat Motorway to Chakdara and the N-45 towards Dir, turning off at Chutiatan for Sheringal and Thal. The jeep ride from Thal to the forest camps comes on top of that.
A normal car with good clearance can usually reach Thal in dry weather. Past Thal, the last 20 to 30 km is an unpaved track with stream crossings and loose rock, and you need a 4x4 or a local jeep. Most visitors park in Thal and hire a jeep.
Jeep fares are set locally by the drivers in Thal and change each season, so we do not quote a fixed figure. Agree the price, whether it is one way or return, the stops and the waiting time before you set off. On a private trip with us, we arrange the jeeps and confirm the fare.
Jahaz Banda, at about 3,100 m, is 3 to 4 hours on foot from Jandrai, where the jeep road ends. Katora Lake, at about 3,500 m, is around 3 hours more over rocky ground. Most people sleep a night at Jahaz Banda and walk to the lake early the next morning.
Most visitors stay in tent camps or wooden huts run by local families along the Panjkora River. They are basic, with shared washrooms. Thal has a few small hotels with beds, hot water and phone signal. Book ahead for July weekends, when groups fill the camps.
Thal has signal, but past Thal Jazz and Telenor work only in a few spots and data is unreliable. There are no ATMs in the valley and few after Dir, so carry all the cash you need for jeeps, camps and food.
Not in any normal sense. Snow closes the valley past Thal from about November to April, the camps shut and the road from Dir can be blocked. The first camps open in late May, and the trek to Jahaz Banda is usually clear from June.
Yes, for families who are fine with basic camping. Kumrat is busy with domestic families every summer and has police check posts, so carry your CNIC. Keep children away from the fast river, use a sound jeep, and pack a first-aid kit, because medical help is hours away.
Three days from Islamabad gives you one day in the forest. From Lahore, plan four to five days to include a night at Jahaz Banda. Six days or more lets you add Katora Lake and cross the Badgoi Pass to finish in Kalam.
No. Kumrat is in Upper Dir district, on the Panjkora River, and you reach it through Lower Dir and Thal. It borders upper Swat, and in summer the Badgoi Pass jeep track links Thal with Utror near Kalam. Our Swat tour packages page covers the Swat side.
Yes, as private trips: 4 days for the forest, 5 days with Jahaz Banda and Katora Lake, or 6 days crossing the Badgoi Pass to Kalam. You get your own car and driver from Lahore, jeeps from Thal and a camp or hotel. There is no fixed group departure yet; send your dates for a quote.
Tell us your dates, group size and budget and our Lahore travel desk will tailor a package for you. Call +92 311 1696777 or send an enquiry.