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Naran Kaghan is close to Islamabad with breath-taking views and a change in scenery. Amidst Swat and Murree valleys with their trees and hills, Kaghan has a 160 Km long valley and an ascent from the Balakot plains, about 900 meters, to Babusar Top, at 4,173 meters, where several Lahori families have made an annual pilgrimage to a glacial lake. The valley ends at the Karakoram Highway on the Pakistani side after crossing the pass.
From Islamabad, it is roughly a 285 km journey to reach Naran, which takes about 5 to 6 hours.There is nothing extraordinary about the distance or the time; however, the reward at the end of the journey is remarkable and worth it.
HospitalityTours.com.pk helps arrange Naran Kaghan tour packages from our Islamabad office. Packages include a private vehicle, confirmed hotels in Naran or Bahrain, a jeep hire for Saif-ul-Malook and Babusar runs, an itinerary that helps avoid the crowds to Lake Saif-ul-Malook, and planning based on the road conditions. We can help with other details, such as group size and tour dates. WhatsApp us or contact us at the end.
The journey to Naran is also beautiful, with changes in the scenery in the three sections.
The section of the Hazara Motorway and the stretch through Abbottabad to Mansehra is fast, smooth, and predictable. This is the section most travelers sleep through. Mansehra is the junction where the Karakoram Highway turns north, and the N-15 Kaghan road turns east. It takes approximately four to five hours to travel from Islamabad depending on traffic.
The road at Mansehra, along the Kunhar River, heads upstream and becomes hilly as it winds to Balakot at 900 meters. Balakot is the entrance to the Kaghan Valley, where travelers top up their fuel before heading to the canyon.
The road, from Balakot to Naran, follows the Kaghan River as the valley becomes narrower and the sides become steeper. It is through this section of the valley that the reputation of the valley is formed, and traffic on the Kaghan Highway, built on the weekends, backs up and becomes hour long delays. If you depart Islamabad before 6 am Monday through Friday, you can make the afternoon run to Saif-ul-Malook Lake. A Friday departure after 10 am means you will arrive close to midnight.
Saif-ul-Malook Lake at 3,224 meters is where most visitors to the Kaghan Valley name the Valley after this Lake which is about a 9km Jeep track away from Naran. The lake is framed by snow fields that cover three sides of the mountain range that includes the 5,290-meter high Malika Parbat. The landscape ranks among the big of the scope photographs.
The jeep track is not a road. A regular car cannot manage it. For every package for Saif-ul-Malook, you need to confirm a proper 4x4 jeep hire, be it your package vehicle or a local hire from Naran. The difference between arriving at 7 AM and arriving at noon is the difference between the lake in silence and the lake with a hundred other jeeps.
At about 3410 meters and 50 kilometers from Naran off the Babusar road. Wide than Saif-ul-Malook and usually quiet because it involves a long drive in contrast to lake jeeps. It is the Source of River Kunhar. Lulusar Lake can be covered with Babusar Top if the pass is part of the itinerary.
At 4173 meters, the pass that connects Kaghan Valley to Karakorum Highway in Chilas. The pass is normally open from late June to mid October depending on snow fall every year. Babusar crossing is one of the most amazing drives ever. You cross a pass on the edge of Himalayas and drop on Karakorum Highway where you witness large mountain of Karakoram.
For packaged tours including Naran with Hunza or Gilgit, Babusar is an efficient route going north. From Islamabad to Naran to Babusar to Chilas and continuing north to Gilgit can be a two to three day drive. It converts a separate trip to Naran and a separate trip to the north into one continuous trip.
At around 4050 meters and reached by a 7 to 9 hour trek from near Naran. A tad high but shaped like a tear. It's good for hardcore travelers. This lake probably has the hardest access of all lakes in the areas and requires a full day of trekking. A guide is necessary.
At around 3800 meters, a 2 day trek starting from Jalkhad above Naran. Considered one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes of the Kaghan valley, it is surrounded by a flowering meadow that is in full bloom in the months of July. A camping spot, guide and proper footwear are all needed.
Shogran is at approximately 2362 meters and is located off the main N-15 road on a side road before Naran. It is a hill station in a hill station. Meadows and horse riding. A walking trail is available to the Paye ridge from which the entire Kaghan valley may be viewed. The Paye ridge provides views back over the Kaghan valley. It deserves a night stay and it functions well as a stop on the way to Islamabad as it is situated on the main highway just prior to accessing the motorway.
Bahrain rests at approximately 1,400 metres and is the trade centre of Daral and Swat river convergence. It also has workshops along their Bazaar Road. Lalazar Plateau, needing access via Naran, offers relaxing views for travelers needing the cool air offered by its forests and campsites.
The first package is for Four days and Three nights, the first day to be spent at Naran, the second day after sunrise spent going to Saif-ul-Malook and an afternoon trip to Lulusar, the third day for Babusar Top and also Siri Paye based on group size, and the last day back to Islamabad.
The second package is for Five days and Four nights, and includes an overnight stay in Shogran, which adds the ridge, horse back riding and the Shogran Meadow at the expense of an extra driving day.
The third package is for Six days and Five nights. Here, there are first two days at Shogran, the third and fourth days at Naran, and the middle days with Saif-ul-Malook, Babusar and Lulusar. Ansoo Lake trek is included if the group is fit. The return is on the sixth day.
The last package is the Ansoo Lake trek package and is for three nights. The package is for confirmed fit persons only and the cost is inclusive of a guide.
There is also a Dudipatsar Camping package for four or five nights, with two trekking days and camping at the plateau near the lake. The Camping package includes a guide, cook and camping gear.
Babusar crossing extension. Travel route from Naran to Hunza or Skardu via Bahusar Top joined as a single route. Two nights in Naran, Babusar crossing, continue north. Adds one of the most dramatic road crossings in Pakistan to the beginning of a northern trip.
Winter Kaghan. October to November, when the upper valley gets early snow, and there are fewer visitors. The road is open to Naran, and sometimes to Lulusar, before the season closes. December onwards, Naran is shut and Shogran becomes the accessible snowfall stop.
The quality of the stay is is determined primarily by the hotel in Naran because, even though the rooms in the hotels in Naran are not visible in the pictures, the quality of the rooms is significant, and so is the service.
Two hotels which are consistently on the top of verified sources in regard to river setting, room quality, and staff reliability are Pine Park Hotel and Arcadian Riverside. Both hotels are on the Kunhar River, and you should request a river facing room.
Shogran has accommodation ranging from PTDC, which is government managed, and functional, to private guest houses. A night at Shogran is a good break for the trip, and gives access to the meadows that the Naran stay doesn't have.
Bahrain’s riverside hotels are the mid valley option, and are suited to travellers who want a warm river setting before going to Naran. The wooden -balconied hotels directly above the water are worth the request.
The type of room comes first. They should also make you aware of the generator and hot water schedules. For July and August, bookings should be done almost four months in advance. The Eid weekend and 14 August will definitely fill up all of the bookings at the named hotels in Naran before the beginning of the tourist season.
Time to leave: Before 6 am for a weekday in the summer. It should be even before that for Eid weekends, which should be avoided as departure days entirely.
Route: The correct route is the Hazara Motorway passing through Havelian, Abbottabad, and Mansehra. There are no benefits of taking the side routes from Islamabad through Haripur which are longer.
Vehicle: A minimum of a 7 seater SUV is required for 4 to 7 people. For large groups, a coaster is required. The N-15 from Balakot to Naran is passable in any car. The tracks to Saif-ul-Malook, Babusar and Lulusar require a 4x4 with sufficient clearance.
Fuel: Fill in Mansehra. There are stations in Balakot, but the one in Mansehra is more reliable. For the Babusar run, there are no reliable fueling points above Naran.
Cash: Carry from Islamabad. Naran ATMs are unreliable and limited during the peak season.
International tourists can visit the Kaghan Valley without permits. Check posts along the way will require the registration of passports which is a processing time of a few minutes. Some foreign nationals have said they were requested to have a police liaison near the Kohistan border region; confirm with your operator the current protocol before traveling.
The lake and mountain tour does not usually require a tour guide for regular routes. You will need a tour guide for Ansoo and Dudipatsar treks and for the Babusar crossing in unpredictable weather. Here, you need a driver who knows when to come back, in addition to the vehicle.
Confirm Babusar Top is open before you make final arrangements. It closes due to snow and opens much later in the year. A Babusar package should specify what will happen if the pass is closed when you are due.
Check whether the Saif-ul-Malook jeep hire is booked or if you have to pay when you get there. If you need to pay onsite, check so you know the cost.
Confirm your hotel booking, and ask for a reference number. Verbal confirmations will not work during peak season when you are booking a hotel in Naran.
Avoid the return to Islamabad on a Sunday night, especially in summer. This is the worst stretch and traffic flow of the season.
Do not go back to Islamabad via same-day Babusar crossing. If you do, it is a full day just to get you to Chilas. It also takes 10 to 11 hours to get you back to Islamabad from Babusar via Naran.
How long is the drive from Islamabad to Naran? It is around 285 kilometers and takes 5 to 6 hours on N-15 and the Hazara Motorway in good conditions.
What is the best time to go to Naran Kaghan? You are looking to go in May, June or September. May and June would be best to avoid the big rush of summer and September would be best for cool air. July and August would draw a big rush and frustrate you by causing big delays on the already long road.
Can you visit Naran as a day trip? The answer is yes but the trip would be over 10 hours and only 4 or 5 hours at the destination. It's not worth it as a day trip so make it at least an overnight trip.
Do I really need a 4x4? You will always need a 4x4 if you go to Saif-ul-Malook, Babusar, or Lulusar. Any other places you can go and enjoy if you have a normal car, no worries!
When can I go to Babusar Top? Approximately, you can go from late June to mid October. Depending on the year, it can vary due to the snowfall. You will want to look at the status and see if it is confirmed open before you make your plans.
Can I visit Naran and then go to Hunza or Skardu? Yes you can. To do so, you will need Babusar to be open and be prepared to drive a 4x4. After that, a minimum of 2 nights in Naran is required to continue your trip north.
Is Naran safe for families? Yes. An enjoyable trip for the whole family. Saif-ul-Malook is a jeep ride and no climbing is needed. There is a long valley in Naran that is easy for all fitness levels to enjoy, but be careful with the altitude when taking kids to Babusar.
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