Overview

Few roads in Pakistan carry the reputation of the route between Chitral and Gilgit — a jeep track that climbs to the Shandur Pass, often called the “Roof of the World,” before dropping down into Ghizer District on the Gilgit-Baltistan side. At roughly 3,700m, Shandur is home to the highest polo ground in the world, a flat plateau beside Shandur Lake that hosts the legendary Shandur Polo Festival each July — a tradition dating back to 1936, when British political agent Major Cobb organized the first tournament here. For three days each summer, teams from Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan compete in a fast, free-style version of polo in front of thousands of spectators, accompanied by traditional music and a temporary market of merchants from across the north.

This jeep safari follows that same historic crossing, whether or not your trip lines up with festival dates. From Chitral, the route runs through Mastuj and Laspur before the long climb to Shandur itself, then descends into Ghizer District through Phander Valley — known locally as “Little Kashmir” for its lakes and green fields — and on through Gupis and Gakhuch to Gilgit. It’s a genuinely remote route; much of it sees far less traffic than the Karakoram Highway, and the landscape shifts dramatically along the way, from Chitral’s river valleys to Shandur’s stark, wind-blown plateau to Ghizer’s lakes and orchards.

The Shandur road is only open roughly from late April to early November, closed the rest of the year by snow — this itinerary is built entirely around that seasonal window.