Shandur National Park
National Park High-altitude park featuring Shandur Pass and polo festival
A high-altitude plateau in northern Pakistan, Shandur hosts the annual Shandur Polo Festival and draws trekkers for open pastures, highland grazing lands and mountain passes.
- Festival: Held each summer in July, the festival features traditional polo matches between teams representing Chitral and teams from neighbouring regions.
What to See #
- Shandur Top: The high-elevation flat known as Shandur Top, which contains the traditional polo field and seasonal event infrastructure for the annual Shandur Polo Festival.
Tips for Visiting Shandur National Park #
- Visit Shandur in early July if you want to experience the famous Shandur Polo Festival, but otherwise plan for late June-September when the pass is open and roads are most reliable; winter access is generally impossible due to snow.
- Approach from the Chitral/Mastuj direction when possible - that route is commonly used and tends to be the shorter, simpler drive with established stopping points for fuel and supplies.
- Bring time to camp on the plateau or arrive the day before sunset: the high‑altitude views and clear night sky are what many visitors miss when they only attend the daytime festival.
- If you want to avoid the biggest crowds, skip the main festival days and visit on the margins (a day before or after) when local polo matches and village life are still visible but there are far fewer tourists.
Best Time to Visit Shandur National Park #
Visit in summer (especially July for the Shandur polo festival) when the high plateau is accessible and weather is mild for this altitude.
Weather & Climate near Shandur National Park #
Shandur National Park's climate is classified as Subarctic (Dry Summer) - Subarctic (Dry Summer) climate with cool summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in February). Temperatures range from -17°C to 20°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall.
January
January is freezing with highs of -6°C and lows of -16°C. Light rainfall and mostly overcast skies.
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February
February is the coldest month with highs of -6°C and lows of -17°C. Moderate rainfall (35 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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March
March is freezing with highs of -2°C and lows of -13°C. Moderate rainfall (49 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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April
April is freezing with highs of 4°C and lows of -5°C. The wettest month with 57 mm of rain and mostly overcast skies.
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May
May is cold with highs of 10°C and lows of 0°C. Moderate rainfall (47 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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June
June is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 5°C. Light rainfall and mostly overcast skies.
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July
July is cool with highs of 20°C and lows of 7°C. Moderate rainfall (31 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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August
August is cool with highs of 20°C and lows of 7°C. Light rainfall and partly cloudy skies.
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September
September is cold with highs of 16°C and lows of 3°C. Light rainfall and partly cloudy skies.
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October
October is cold with highs of 10°C and lows of -3°C. Light rainfall and partly cloudy skies.
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November
November is freezing with highs of 3°C and lows of -9°C. The driest month with just 11 mm and partly cloudy skies.
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December
December is freezing with highs of -3°C and lows of -14°C. Light rainfall and partly cloudy skies.
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