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Naran Kaghan is the nearest proper mountain destination from Islamabad. Situated 285 kilometres away at 2409 metres, Naran is your base for visiting Saif-ul-Malook Lake at 3224 metres, Lulusar Lake at 3410 metres and Babusar Top at 4173 metres, all accessible by Jeep.
Each year from July through August, it becomes the most commercialized mountain destination in the north. Price gouging occurs and hotel rooms that would normally be available fill up, as do the roads around Lahore and Karachi. Having a solid package will avoid these hassles.
HospitalityTours.com.pk arranges Naran Kaghan packages from Islamabad. Vehicle, driver, hotel booked by name, jeep hire for the lake, pass runs, and a schedule that gets you to Saif-ul-Malook before the crowd builds are all parts of our packages. Contact us on WhatsApp with your date and group size information. Our contact information is available at the bottom.
The Kaghan Valley is filled with the Kunhar River and stretches from Balakot at around 900 metres to Babusar Top at 4173 metres. It is one of the steepest accessible valleys in Pakistan.
Balakot has been rebuilt after the 2005 earthquake and has fuel and supplies. Shogran (2,362 m) sits a bit off the main road and also has its own lakes and meadows. Naran (2,409 m) is the base. It takes 6-7 hours to get there from Islamabad with normal traffic. Jeep tracks take the place of the roads above Naran and go to the three lakes and the pass.
The Valley's main draw is Saif-ul-Malook. Sitting at 3,224 m, the lake reflects Malika Parbat (one of the highest peaks at 5,290 m) when the water is still. The lake is also famous for the poetry of Mian Muhammad Bakhsh of Punjab, which preceded the development of tourism. It is located near Naran and can be reached via a jeep track.
Located 9 km away from Naran, Saif-ul-Malook's reflection of the mountains in its still water has made it a tourist attraction and a calmer alternative to Lulusar Lake (3,410 m). It is the source of the Kunhar River and is easier to access than Saif-ul-Malook.
Babusar Top (4,173 m) is the pass that connects Kaghan Valley to the Karakoram Highway at Chilas, which shortens the Islamabad to Gilgit drive. It typically opens in late June and closes in mid-October due to snowfall.
Ansoo Lake, standing at around 4,050 meters, is one of the harder treks. It takes anywhere between 7 and 9 hours to trek to this lake from Naran and is part of the journey without roads. With its teardrop shape, high position, and few to no visitors, this is an ideal destination for hikers who look beyond the convenience of a well-catered yet easy-to-reach destination.
For longer trips, you have options to include Shogran, Siri Paye, and the Lalazar Plateau. Shogran is easily accessed from the Naran highway and offers blossoms throughout the spring. Packages also include Siri Paye meadows in the summer season with plenty of opportunities for horse riding.
3-day package: Goes from Islamabad to Naran on day 1, reaching in the afternoon. On day 2, take a jeep to Saif-ul-Malook in the morning and either Babusar Pass or Lulusar on the return journey, if Babusar Pass is part of the itinerary. Day 3 is the return journey to Islamabad. This package includes stops at a few attractions of the Valley on the way through rather than having to take the main road. This is ideal for quick trips.
4-day package: This is more family-friendly and intended for novice travelers. On day 1, go from Islamabad to Naran. Day 2 is for Saif-ul-Malook. Day 3 is reserved for Babusar Top and Lulusar. Day 4 is for Shogran and Siri Paye.
5-day package: This is the ideal package for couples and small traveling groups. The package combines everything listed above with an extra day that can be reserved for the Ansoo Lake trek or simply relaxing by the Kunhar River.
Seven-day package. Designed for those who want Shogran, Naran, the Ansoo trek and Lalazar, and who have a week to spare away from Islamabad. The ultimate Kaghan experience.
Budget packages include transport in a private car from Islamabad to Naran, a guesthouse or basic hotel in the town, local jeep hire to Saif-ul-Malook, and hotel breakfast. They come with minimal meals, and you are on your own for dinner.
Standard packages include a named hotel in Naran, a private jeep with a driver who has done the Babusar road before, breakfast and dinner, a guide for Saif-ul-Malook, and a private jeep to the lake early in the morning. This package is worth it, as there is a big difference between arriving at the lake at nine in the morning with your own driver versus at noon on a shared jeep.
Premium packages include an overnight stay in Shogran, horseback riding at Siri Paye, fishing permits on the Kunhar, all meals, and scheduling to get you to Saif-ul-Malook at sunrise and return before the crowd descends to the lake for the day.
As there are no chains in Naran, hotel selection is more important here than it would be in a city. The three hotels mentioned in reliable sources are the Pine Park Hotel, Arcadian Riverside, and Dream Inn Naran. All three are on or close to the river. Especially the riverside rooms.
Shogran has a PTDC Motel that runs throughout the year and smaller guesthouses. If the package includes a Shogran stay, confirm the property you will stay at instead of accepting “a local hotel”, as this can refer to any hotel within the area.
Book your Naran stay three to four months in advance for the months of July and August. The Valley fills up with people from Lahore and Karachi over the weekend of Eid and the holiday of 14 August. By April, all the good rooms are unavailable.
After Naran, a sedan is not safe to travel beyond. The tracks to Saif-ul-Malook and Siri Paye require a jeep with high ground clearance, and to access Babusar and Lulusar, a four-wheel drive is a necessity.
Clearly mentioned in every package should be the following: will the Jeep be hired on a per-day or per-destination basis, has the driver traversed the Babusar road this season, and is the cost of hiring a jeep included in the package or is it a supplementary service.
A package that charges a single trip cost and adds the hire of a jeep as a supplemental cost upon arrival is not the complete package that it claims to be.
The route from Islamabad to Naran is via Abbottabad and Mansehra on the N-15 and climbs the Valley. This normally takes five to six hours but can take longer with the summer traffic. This road is good enough for any vehicle to travel up to Naran.
The real problem with the road in July and August is volume. The single lanes mean queues form, and the Balakot to Naran road, which normally takes five hours, takes 8 to 9 hours because of the weekend traffic from the different cities.
Landslide spells happen during the monsoon in the upper valleys in July and August. Even though Naran is below the worst of it, heavy rain can take hours to clear both the Babusar road and the jeep track to Saif-ul-Malook. An itinerary that includes Babusar Top should have a backup plan in case the pass closes that day.
The best advice for a summer weekend trip is to leave Islamabad at 5 AM.
Babusar Top acts as the connecting link for travelers doing Naran Kaghan and a northern itinerary. From Islamabad, traveling to Naran, spending two nights, crossing Babusar, then taking the Karakoram Highway to Chilas and onward to Gilgit or Hunza saves most of a day, compared to taking the KKH all the way south of Mansehra.
This is only viable when the pass is open, which is around late June to mid-October. It is important to have a jeep for the crossing, and any good package includes this. An itinerary for Naran to Hunza or Naran to Skardu should include a crossing of Babusar instead of treating Naran as a stand-alone trip.
When looking for a family-friendly destination in the north, Naran Kaghan offers great accessibility due to the main attractions being easily accessible by Jeep. Locations like Saif-ul-Malook, Lulusar and Babusar Top require jeep rides rather than treks. In comparison to Hunza and Skardu, the Valley is lower, which makes Naran Kaghan great for children with altitude issues.
Shogran has meadows that give children activities to do other than being in the car, and horse riding is also an option. Naran has fishing opportunities with the Kunhar River, which can be arranged locally.
The most impressive reason to visit Naran Kaghan for couples is definitely for the Saif-ul-Malook sunrise and the opportunity to arrange for a separate jeep to drop tourists off in the morning before the influx of the day tourists ruins the natural views. The lake is best before the passing clouds and before the afternoon crowds.
Shogran can be the perfect destination for couples that do not want to be in a crowded area. In the meadows, which are beautiful in the springtime before the crowds of the Saturday and Sunday markets of Naran descend, couples can hike in the evenings and go fishing in the mornings.
Planning a corporate retreat? Kaghan is a manageable six-hour drive from Islamabad. Leadership retreats, offsites, or team-building trips would benefit from the scenic rivers and meadows with zero sight of a corporate environment. This secluded retreat requires booking block accommodation in advance for groups of 10-20, in addition to a planned headcount for jeep rides.
Before confirming the package, find out the name of the hotel. From a good hotel in Naran, you get nothing.
Jeep hire cost is the most common way a package quote costs more later. Find out if the jeep hire is part of the quote.
Find out the make of the vehicle being used and if the driver has used the Babusar route this season. Four-wheel drive recommended, not all-wheel drive.
Weekday bookings in the month of July and August are recommended. The town and the route are both better during the week than over the weekend.
Avoid booking a Naran package if there are no contingency plans to deal with a closed Babusar or blocked jeep route due to rain.
Cash only, ATM's are not to be relied on, and many of the small hotels and jeep operators in Naran do not accept cards.
Do not plan a return trip to Islamabad on Sunday evening in July and August; this will lead to the worst possible traffic in northern Pakistan.
Plan to carry cash.
How far away is Naran from Islamabad? Approximately 285 kilometers. It takes 5 to 6 hours to get there by car.
How much time do I need for a tour package of Naran Kaghan? You can do a tour package in 3 days as a minimum, but doing 4 or 5 days makes all the difference. 7 days is the ideal package.
What does a Naran Kaghan tour package include? A hotel in Naran, meals and a driver are included. A car from Islamabad, a jeep for the lakes and Babusar, and a guide for Dudipatsar or Ansoo are included in the trip.
When is the best time to visit Naran Kaghan? Seeing that there are a lot of tourists in July and August, May and June are the ideal months to go because it's not crowded and prices are low.
Do I need a jeep in Naran? You can go to Naran in non-4WD (regular) cars, but to get to Saif-ul-Malook, Babusar and Lulusar, you need a jeep.
Is spring a nice time to visit Naran? You can visit at this time. The upper Valley is colder, and some tracks still have snow.
Can I go to Naran and to Hunza? Yes. Take the route which crosses Babusar Top, and continue on the Karakoram Highway to Chilas and go north. This route is open from late June to mid-October.
An eight- to ten-day package will allow you to see both valleys.
We will send you the name of the hotel, the type of vehicle, details of jeep hire and the total cost with every inclusion. When comparing like for like, the deal that appears to be the best is not always the case. It depends on what is inside the package.
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