12D 11N Shandur Polo Festival Tour

Seasonal & Festival

Festivals in Pakistan follow the seasons, from the Kalash spring festival of Chilam Joshi in May to polo on the world's highest polo ground at Shandur and the Uchal harvest celebrations in August. Our festival tours time your trip around these events, with local guides and stays close to the celebrations.

Why plan a trip around a festival

Festivals are when the valleys come together. Families return home, music and dancing move into the open, and visitors see traditions that are hard to find on an ordinary day. In the Kalash valleys of Chitral, three main festivals mark spring, harvest and the winter solstice. High in the mountains, the Shandur Polo Festival brings teams from Gilgit and Chitral together on a pass at around 3,700 metres.

Cultural festivals in Pakistan worth planning around

  • Chilam Joshi (mid-May): the Kalash spring festival, with days of dancing and singing in the villages of Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir. Join our 8D 7N Chilam Joshi Festival tour.
  • Shandur Polo Festival (June or July): polo matches between Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral on the Shandur Polo Ground, the highest in the world. Dates are announced each year, and in 2026 the festival was held in mid-June. See the 12D 11N Shandur Polo Festival Tour.
  • Uchal (August): the Kalash summer festival that gives thanks for the wheat and barley harvest, the focus of our 8D 7N Uchal Festival trip.
  • Chaumos (December): the Kalash winter festival, held around the solstice.
  • Basant (February, Lahore): the spring kite festival returned to Lahore in February 2026 after a long ban, under strict rules set by the Punjab government.

Seasonal highlights across the year

  • Spring: cherry and apricot blossom covers Hunza from late March to mid-April.
  • Summer: the high pastures, the Deosai Plains and the mountain passes open, and the festival calendar moves to Shandur and the Kalash valleys.
  • Autumn: poplars and orchards turn gold in Hunza and Skardu from October.

Tips for festival travel in Pakistan

Festival dates move with local calendars and official announcements, so we confirm them before you book flights. Rooms near Shandur and in the Kalash valleys are limited in festival weeks, which makes early planning worthwhile. Always ask before photographing people, especially Kalash women during ceremonies. The Kalash festivals are religious occasions as well as celebrations, so dress modestly and follow your guide's lead on where visitors can stand.

Plan your festival trip

Tell us your dates and the festival you would like to see, and we will build a private or small-group trip around it. For more ideas by season, browse our tours by month.