May · Aug · Dec · Bumburet, Rumbur & Birir
Kalash festivals
Joshi mid-May · Uchal late August · Chaumos December
Plan a trip around it →01 /The festival
The Kalash are a small community of a few thousand people living in three valleys near the Afghan border, with their own language, beliefs and calendar. Their year is marked by festivals that are joyful, musical and deeply tied to the seasons.
Chilam Joshi in mid-May welcomes spring with flowers, fresh milk and three days of dancing in the open. Uchal in late August gives thanks for the summer harvest, and Chaumos in December, the biggest of them all, closes the year around the winter solstice. Each one shows village life at its most colourful.
What you'll see
- 01Circle dances and drumming in the village squares
- 02Embroidered dresses and cowrie-shell headdresses
- 03Offerings of milk, cheese, fruit and flowers
- 04Walks between Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir
02 /How we do it
We go as guests, not spectators. You'll stay with Kalash families, arrive with a local host who knows which moments are open to visitors, and learn the etiquette before you pick up a camera.
03 /Good to know
When
Joshi around 13–16 May, Uchal around 20–22 August, Chaumos around 7–22 December. Exact dates are set locally each year.
Etiquette
Dress modestly, stay out of sacred spaces unless invited, and always ask before photographing anyone, especially women.
Getting there
Fly to Chitral, then about two hours by jeep into the valleys.
Pair it with
6 days · 5 nightsBumburet, Rumbur & Birir
The Kalash Valleys
Three valleys, one ancient culture, and festivals worth planning a year around.
From
$950
PKR 268,000 · per person
May · Aug · Dec
Plan a trip around it
Tell us how you want to feel and we'll design the journey from scratch. No templates, no planning fees, no pressure.
