Field guides / Gilgit-Baltistan / Shandur Polo Festival
Field guide · Nature
Shandur Polo Festival
Shandur is 'the roof of the world' to polo players, a high grassy plateau at around 3,700 m between Chitral and Gilgit, home to the highest polo ground on Earth and the legendary Shandur Polo Festival. Each July, teams from Chitral and Gilgit meet here for three days of freestyle mountain polo, played in its raw, no-rules traditional form before thousands of spectators camped on the pass.
Shandur is 'the roof of the world' to polo players, a high grassy plateau at around 3,700 m between Chitral and Gilgit, home to the highest polo ground on Earth and the legendary Shandur Polo Festival. Each July, teams from Chitral and Gilgit meet here for three days of freestyle mountain polo, played in its raw, no-rules traditional form before thousands of spectators camped on the pass. Beyond the festival, Shandur is a serene landscape of meadow, the trout-rich Shandur Lake, and an enormous sky ringed by peaks.
Why go
- ✦The highest polo ground in the world
- ✦Shandur Polo Festival (July)
- ✦Trout-filled Shandur Lake
- ✦Free-style traditional mountain polo
- ✦Chitral-to-Gilgit overland route
Polo at the Roof of the World
The Shandur festival is mountain polo at its wildest, a fast, fearless, almost rule-free version of the game that originated in these valleys, played by riders for whom it is a point of regional pride rather than a gentleman's sport. The three-day tournament between Chitral and Gilgit, with music, dancing, and a vast tented camp, is one of the great spectacles of the Pakistani calendar.
Reaching the Pass
Getting to Shandur is an expedition in itself, on rough jeep roads over high country from either Chitral or Gilgit. Around festival time the route is busy and accommodation is canvas; outside it, the plateau is empty and you will likely have the lake and meadows to yourself. Altitude and cold nights are real even in July.
The Quiet Plateau
When the crowds leave, Shandur returns to being a tranquil high meadow with its glassy, trout-stocked lake reflecting the surrounding peaks, superb for camping, fishing, and photography. It marks the watershed between the Chitral and Gilgit worlds, and crossing it is one of the classic overland journeys in northern Pakistan.
Planning tip
When to go, The festival is held in early July; the pass and plateau are accessible roughly June to September. Heavy snow closes Shandur for much of the year.
Getting there, On the rough road between Chitral and Gilgit via Mastuj and the Shandur Pass, a spectacular but demanding jeep journey from either side. The route is unpaved in stretches and best done with a local 4x4 and driver.
Allow, Plan around the festival dates if that is the goal; otherwise a stop on a multi-day Chitral-to-Gilgit overland trip.
