Jun – Jul · Shandur Pass, 3,700 m
Shandur Polo Festival
June or July · dates set each spring
Plan a trip around it →01 /The festival
At 3,700 metres on the Shandur Pass, between Gilgit and Chitral, sits the highest polo ground in the world. Every summer the two regions face off here in freestyle polo, the original mountain version of the game, played hard and fast with almost no rules.
Thousands of people camp by Shandur Lake for three days of matches, folk music and dancing, with snow-streaked peaks all around. It's loud, proud and one of the great spectacles of northern Pakistan.
What you'll see
- 01Freestyle polo on the world's highest polo ground
- 02Gilgit versus Chitral, with fans to match
- 03Folk music, dancing and a tent city by the lake
- 04Sunrise over Shandur Lake
02 /How we do it
Skip the scramble for a tent. We run a private camp near the ground with real beds, hot food and warm layers, and get you to the stands without the chaos. Then we slow it all down with a few quiet days in Chitral's valleys.
03 /Good to know
When
June or July, usually over three days. Dates are announced each spring; in 2026 it ran 11–13 June.
Weather
Sunny days and cold nights near freezing at 3,700 m. The wind can pick up fast.
What to pack
Warm layers, a sun hat, sunscreen and a head torch for camp.
Pair it with
7 days · 6 nightsChitral
Chitral & the Hindu Kush
Hot springs, old forts and the high road towards Shandur.
From
$1,090
PKR 307,000 · per person
Jun – Jul
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.
