Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon
Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon (2024-25) – 12 Days Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon, Simply said, th
General
Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon (2024-25) – 12 Days
Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon, Simply said, this is one of our wildest, most incredible excursions ever. Our small group of daring travelers experienced the Kalash winter solstice festival of Chawmos for the first time in 2006, and we were possibly among the first to witness the uncommon snow leopard in the wild. The Kalash celebrate life, the gods, and ancestors throughout this season as their most important time of the year, and few Westerners are allowed to join them for their festivities. In addition to this signature holiday, we also offer other signature adventures detailed in the table below.
Pakistan Signature Tours
Price (USD)
US$3,300
US$3,700
Pakistan Signature Tours
Price (USD)
Dates & Cost – Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon – (12 Days)
Summers are considered the best tour season in the Himalayan and Hindukush regions of Pakistan. Considering the flow of tourists and demand for Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon, we carefully choose our dates for this tour. The start and end dates in the table below are your dates of arrival and departure from Pakistan. We have at least 2 guaranteed departures every year. Our dates and costs for Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon are given below.
Start Dates
End Dates
Price (USD)
Availablity
Deposit
Registration
Start Dates
End Dates
Price (USD)
Availablity
Deposit
Registration
Holiday Information
Foreign travelers (non-Pakistani)
- Implementation of Covid SOPs/Guidelines & Complimentary Safety Pack (sanitizer, 1 mask & glove per day)
- Licensed professional guide (government requirement)
- Airport transfer on first and last day in Islamabad
- All domestic road transfers
- All hotel accommodation (twin sharing rooms)
- All camping accommodation (twin sharing dome tents)
- All hotel meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- All trekking meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- All camping site fees
- Trekking logistics (tents, non-personal equipments and tools)
- Support staff (cook, assistant(s) etc)
- Porters for trekking equipments, kitchen (supplies, tools, equipments, crockery, gas) and personal luggage (12.5kg)
Domestic travelers (Pakistani Nationals)
- Licensed professional guide
- Road transport (Islamabad to Islamabad)
- Hotel accommodation according to itinerary
- Hotel meals according to itinerary
- All camping accommodation (twin sharing dome tents)
- All camping meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- All camping site fees
- Trekking logistics (kitchen tents, non-personal equipments and tools)
- Support staff (cook, assistant(s) etc – according to need)
- Porters for trekking equipments and kitchen (supplies, tools, equipments, crockery, gas)
Foreign travelers (non-Pakistani)
- Travel Insurance (recommendations only)
- Visa to Pakistan (supporting documents will be offered)
- International airfare
- Personal equipment (warm clothes, hiking boots, etc)
- Tips for guides, porters, staff, etc
- Miscellaneous (drinks, phone calls, laundry, souvenir etc)
Domestic travelers (Pakistani Nationals)
- Airport transfers in Islamabad (can be arranged – additional charges)
- Sightseeing in Islamabad and surrounding areas (can be arranged – additional charges)
- Hotel accommodation in Islamabad (can be arranged – additional charges)
- Hotel meals in Islamabad (can be arranged – additional charges)
- Travel insurance (recommendations can be requested)
- Visa to Pakistan (not required)
- International airfare for overseas Pakistani
- Personal equipments (warm clothes, hiking boots etc)
- Porters for personal luggage (can be arranged – additional charges)
- Tips for guides, porters, staff etc
- Miscellaneous (drinks, phone calls, laundry, souvenir etc)
Highlights – Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon
Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon has a lot to offer. Given below are the main highlights of Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon
- Swat Valley Sightseeing
- Experience the culture of the ethnic minority community of Kalash
- Participate and dance to the tunes of Kalasha music
- Enjoy Kalasha and Pakistani cuisine
- Hear stories from Kalasha community members including men and women
- Juniper, Oak, and Pine forests in Kalash
- Explore Ayun Valley
- Hike Chitral Gol
- Sightseeing of Chitral Town
- View of hundreds of peaks including Tirich Mir (7,708m) in the Hindukush Range
- Rivers (Kunar, Dir, Chitral), tributaries and streams
- Malakand pass, Lowari Pass (3,118 m) or Lowari Tunnel (10.4 kms)
- Valleys of Khyber including Dir, Chitral, and Kalash
- Views of forts (Malakand, Nagar, Ayun & Chitral) and Mosques (Shahi Masjid)
- Churchil Picket, Malakand
- Sightseeing in Islamabad & Rawalpindi
- Make new friends
- Discounted culture travel
Itinerary – Pakistan: Under a Pagan Moon
The itinerary for our holiday is given below.
Today's tour begins in Islamabad, also known as the "City of Islam," Pakistan's capital. The political and economic center of the nation, it took Karachi's place in 1967. The Margalla Hills serve as a lovely background for this metropolis where the old and the new coexist. Modern structures and shopping centers can be found along leafy green boulevards, which are also interspersed with historic homes and mosques. Anyone arriving earlier than scheduled might want to take a stroll and become acquainted with the city because the group aircraft doesn't arrive until late in the evening.
Taking a drive over the Northwest Frontier and into the stunning Swat Valley, we will begin our journey north today. This area was previously off-limits to tourists from other countries, but it has lately become accessible once more, giving us a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the area's early Buddhist history. We will visit the local museum, which is filled with exquisite Gandharan antiques, as well as other Buddhist sites after we have checked into our accommodation.
After breakfast, we will embark on a breathtaking journey via Chakdarra, where a young Winston Churchill witnessed battle in the 1890s, before entering the old kingdom of Chitral by the Lowari Tunnel. This afternoon, after lathering, we will have the opportunity to go local sightseeing. The British Garrison that was under siege in Chitral Fort in 1895 is now home to the guns that were transported through the Hindu Kush's high passes to end the siege. The elaborate Grand Mosque is located close to the Fort. Our major focus will be exploring the market, where the primarily Pashtun population is selling a mix of traditional and contemporary wares. Our hotel will serve dinner.
As we ascend to the area around the former hunting lodge in Chitral Gol, the area's National Park, our wildlife experience officially starts today. Since the young of the Markhor are what the elusive snow leopard is most interested in, roaming in the wild will provide us with a fantastic opportunity to see the rutting season for the renowned Markhor wild goat and we will see hundreds of them fighting and playing. If we're incredibly fortunate, we might be able to see one of these beautiful creatures. In the evening, we'll travel back to Chitral and the convenience of our hotel.
Today, after completing some registration requirements, we travel to the village of Balanguru and the Kalash Valley of Rumbor. Most tourists opt to hike the final few miles through this breathtaking valley.
We will take part in this unique festival for the following three days, which very few people from the West have ever experienced. We shall see the religious priests, or Qazis, call forth the spirits and seek their favor in addition to dancing, singing, and eating. Don't worry, it's nothing too extreme—just a bucket wash followed by offering up some pure chapattis at the Temple of Jastak Khan—but on one of the days, the women of the valley—including those who are going with us—must cleanse their souls by engaging in specific purification rituals. The guys will purify themselves in the temple of Sagi Gor on a different day, using goat blood this time. A sacrifice of more than 40 goats will be made as an offering to the gods, wine will be consumed, and the dancing will begin. Men could start donning the shalwar kameez at this point. We'll dance the night away in the village with the Kalash in the evening.
After taking in the celebrations, we can take one last stroll around the Kalash Valley before continuing on to Ayun. Depending on the weather, we might have time to take a little stroll in one of the adjacent villages.
We'll set out early this morning on our return trip to Islamabad. Traffic permitting, this could take a solid twelve hours. The Lowari tunnel has made it feasible for us to continue on this full-day picturesque drive to the capital after a lunch stop in Dir. (NB: We drive because the flight schedules to Islamabad during this time of year are inconsistent and, at best, unreliable.)
Our final full day will be spent seeing Taxila, a fascinating Buddhist university town that dates back to Alexander the Great's Gandaharan era. In the late afternoon, when we return to Islamabad, there could still be time for a little shopping trip before our farewell dinner.
We have the opportunity to visit some of Islamabad's well-known attractions today, including the Faisal Mosque, the fifth-biggest mosque in the world and the largest in Southeast Asia. We'll also set aside some time to check out the Pakistan Monument and Lok Virsa Museum. Before our goodbye meal, which comes to an end following the tour, there may also be an opportunity for some last-minute shopping, if time permits. For those traveling on the group flight, which leaves in the early hours of the next day, washrooms and changing areas will be available.
Why Register Now?
1. Early Bird Discount: The given prices for the holiday are limited-time discount offers and are subject to change. Service providers including (but not limited) to airlines and hotels increase prices in peak-season. Early reservations cost less than peak-season.
2: Limited Space in Peak Months: The peak months in the peak season attract the highest number of international guests and are therefore sold out earlier. Due to our revised Covid-19 guidelines, we have restricted our group size to a maximum of 12 travelers. We are taking registrations on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
3. Pay Balance after arrival in Pakistan: In these unusual times, we appreciate that paying the final balance for your trip may cause concern. Our policy is to only receive your final balance once you arrive in Pakistan. The only payment before arrival is the deposit.
4. Deposit valid for 3 years: We understand the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic (Covid-19). As part of our relaxed booking conditions following Covid-19, deposits are valid for 3 years.
5. Pay Minimum Deposit: The deposits for the holiday are also early-bird discounts and automatically change accordingly:
- 1st October: USD 110
- 1st November: USD 150
- 1st January: USD 180
- 1st March: USD 260
- 1st May: USD 340
Note: The same dates above apply to next season’s deposits.
Deposit (Advance) for Pakistani nationals
The deposit for Pakistani nationals is PKR 40,000 or 30% of the total price, whichever is greater. The deposit is non-refundable but valid for 3 years according to our relaxed booking conditions following Covid-19.
Refund Policy for All
Deposit: Once paid, the deposit is non-refundable (but valid for 3 years) as it will be spent on making in-country arrangements. In the case of visa rejection, a refund/partial-refund (if costs incurred) will be considered. In such cases, a valid proof of visa rejection must be submitted to our office within 72 hours of rejection. For Pakistan nationals, the deposit is non-refundable (but valid for 3 years) in all cases.
Balance: Pay the balance only after arrival in Pakistan on the first day. Payment guidelines will be shared timely.
Currency
All international travelers can pay in US Dollars (USD) or equivalent in Euros (EUR) or Pound Sterling (GBP). Pakistani travelers are charged the equivalent in Pakistani Rupees (PKR).
Single Supplement
Separate accommodation (single supplement) will cost an additional USD 523. This includes all nights. This payment should be made with the balance upon arrival in Pakistan.