# Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: places and tours > Khyber Pakhtunkhwa runs from the Gandhara Buddhist ruins near Peshawar to the Kalash valleys beneath the Hindu Kush. It is greener than the far north, more densely settled, and one of the most culturally layered parts of the country. - **Page:** https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/khyber-pakhtunkhwa - **Best time to visit:** April to October in the hills; October to March for Peshawar and the Gandhara sites - **Main city:** Peshawar - **Landscape:** Forested hills, river valleys, the Hindu Kush - **Highest point:** Tirich Mir, 7,708 m - **How you arrive:** Motorway from Islamabad to Peshawar; roads north to Swat, Chitral and Kaghan ## Two thousand years of crossroads Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sits on the old routes between Central Asia and the Indus plains, and it shows. Around the Peshawar and Mardan plains, the ruins of Gandhara, the Buddhist kingdom that blended Indian and Greek ideas of sculpture, are spread over hillsides and village fields. Takht-i-Bahi is the best preserved of them. In Swat, rock-cut Buddhas look down from the valley walls, and in Peshawar the Qissa Khwani Bazaar still works as it did when caravans came through. ## The mountain side North of Swat the land rises into the Hindu Kush. Chitral is a long valley below Tirich Mir, the highest peak in the range, and three small side valleys, Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir, are home to the Kalash, a people with their own religion, festivals and language. To the east, Naran and the Kaghan valley give an easier mountain trip, with lakes and a high road to Babusar Pass. ## Seasons and pace The hills are at their best from April to October. Peshawar and the Gandhara sites are too hot in summer, and are better from October to March. The Kalash spring festival, Chilam Joshi, falls in mid-May and the winter festival, Chaumos, in December. Roads in the north are sometimes closed by landslides after heavy rain, so we keep a day or two of slack in any itinerary here. ## Getting around Islamabad is the usual starting point. The motorway reaches Peshawar in about two hours, and Swat is a four to five hour drive. Chitral is reached through the Lowari Tunnel, which has made the road far more reliable in winter. ## Places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - [Swat Valley](https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/khyber-pakhtunkhwa/swat-valley.md): Green river valley with Buddhist carvings and a mountain end - [Kalash Valleys](https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/khyber-pakhtunkhwa/kalash-valley.md): Three valleys of the Kalash, with their own festivals and faith - [Chitral](https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/khyber-pakhtunkhwa/chitral.md): A mountain town under Tirich Mir, with a fort and a royal mosque - [Peshawar](https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/khyber-pakhtunkhwa/peshawar.md): One of the oldest living cities in South Asia - [Naran and Kaghan Valley](https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/khyber-pakhtunkhwa/naran-kaghan.md): The easiest mountain valley from Islamabad, with lakes and a high pass - [Takht-i-Bahi](https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/khyber-pakhtunkhwa/takht-i-bahi.md): A Buddhist monastery on a hill, among the best preserved in Pakistan - [Nathia Gali and Ayubia](https://hunzaexplorer.com/destinations/khyber-pakhtunkhwa/nathia-gali.md): Cool pine hills two hours from Islamabad ## Tours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - [Swat, Hunza & Peshawar Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/swat-hunza-peshawar-tour.md): 12 days, Sightseeing Tours - [Explore Swat Valley](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/explore-swat-valley.md): 7 days, Heritage Tours - [Chilam Joshi Festival](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/chilam-joshi-festival.md): 8 days, Festival Tours - [Naran & Kaghan Valley Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/naran-kaghan-valley-tour.md): 7 days, Sightseeing Tours - [Kalash Valley Sightseeing Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/kalash-valley-tour.md): 8 days, Sightseeing Tours - [Shandur Polo Festival Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/shandur-polo-festival-tour.md): 13 days, Festival Tours - [Kalash & Swat Valley Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/kalash-swat-valley-tour.md): 9 days, Sightseeing Tours - [Chitral & Hunza Valley Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/chitral-hunza-valley-tour.md): 17 days, Sightseeing Tours - [Uchal Festival Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/uchal-festival-tour.md): 1 days, Festival Tours - [Choimus Festival Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/choimus-festival-tour.md): 11 days, Festival Tours - [Chitral Cherry Blossom Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/chitral-cherry-blossom-tour.md): 12 days, Spring Tours - [Swat & Hunza Cherry Blossom](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/swat-hunza-cherry-blossom.md): 11 days, Spring Tours - [Swat & Hunza Autumn Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/swat-hunza-autumn-tour.md): 11 days, Autumn Tours - [Chitral & Hunza Autumn Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/chitral-hunza-autumn-tour.md): 16 days, Autumn Tours - [Chitral Valley Autumn Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/chitral-valley-autumn-tour.md): 1 days, Autumn Tours - [Kalash & Hunza Autumn Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/kalash-hunza-autumn-tour.md): 14 days, Autumn Tours - [Chitral Valley Sightseeing Tour](https://hunzaexplorer.com/tour/chitral-valley-sightseeing-tour.md): 12 days, Sightseeing Tours ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa safe for tourists? The areas tourists visit, including Swat, Chitral, the Kalash valleys, Naran and Peshawar, are visited by foreign travellers every season. Conditions differ by district and change over time, so we check before each departure and adjust the plan rather than take a risk. ### When can I see the Kalash festivals? Chilam Joshi, the spring festival, is held around mid-May, and Chaumos, the winter solstice festival, in December. Dates follow the Kalash calendar and are confirmed locally, so we advise booking only once they are announced. ### What are the Gandhara sites? Gandhara was a Buddhist region between roughly the 1st and 5th centuries CE, with monasteries and stupas around Peshawar, Mardan, Swat and Taxila. Takht-i-Bahi near Mardan is the best preserved, and the Peshawar Museum holds the finest collection of its sculpture.