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Journey · Ghizer
Shandur Polo Festival via Ghizer
A July journey up the Ghizer valley to the high polo ground at Shandur for the annual freestyle tournament.
- Duration
- 7 days
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Season
- July
- Price
- Price to be confirmed
Photo: Ijlalahmed · CC BY-SA 4.0
Overview
Each July, teams from Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral meet on the polo ground at Shandur, often described as the highest in the world, to play the old freestyle game with few rules and fierce local pride. Around the matches come folk music, dance and a temporary town of tents.
This journey reaches Shandur from the Gilgit-Baltistan side, through Gahkuch, Gupis and Phander, and camps near the ground for the festival days. The approach doubles as a tour of Ghizer's lakes and valleys.
- Freestyle polo at the Shandur festival
- Folk music and dance around the ground
- Camping on the high Shandur plateau
- Phander Lake on the way up
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Gilgit
Arrival and briefing.
Overnight: Gilgit
Day 2
Gilgit to Phander
A long day west through Gahkuch and Gupis. Timing varies with road and weather conditions.
Overnight: Phander
Day 3
Phander
A rest and acclimatisation day by the lake.
Overnight: Phander
Day 4
Phander to Shandur
Up to the Shandur plateau and into camp near the polo ground.
Overnight: Camp, Shandur
Day 5
Festival day
Matches, music and the atmosphere of the festival.
Overnight: Camp, Shandur
Day 6
Shandur to Gahkuch
Descend through Ghizer.
Overnight: Gahkuch
Day 7
Gahkuch to Gilgit
Return to Gilgit for onward travel.
Practical information
- Suitable for
- Culture travellers, Photographers, Filmmakers, Explorers
What’s included
Included
- Private vehicle with driver
- Guide throughout
- Camping equipment and staff at Shandur
- Meals while camping
- Guesthouse accommodation in Ghizer
Not included
- Flights to and from Gilgit
- Festival seating or enclosure fees, if any
- Travel insurance
- Personal sleeping bag
- Tips and personal expenses
What to bring
Essential
- Warm sleeping bag
- Insulated jacket for cold nights
- Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for long days outdoors
- Windproof layer
- Head torch
- Earplugs for a busy campsite
- Passport and copies
Optional and useful
- Camping stool
- Telephoto lens for the matches
- Power bank
- Dust mask or buff
- Wet wipes
Good to know
Important notes and restrictions
- Festival dates are usually in early July but have moved in some years; the journey is built around the confirmed dates each year.
- Shandur lies on the boundary with Chitral (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). This concept stays on the Gilgit-Baltistan approach and returns the same way.
- Campsites are crowded during the festival and nights at around 3,700 m are cold.
Photos
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