Kalasha Valleys Getting there & around

Getting there & around

There are no villages called Rumbur, Bumboret or Birir. Rather, passenger jeeps drive to a particular valley, dropping passengers off at successive villages (or hotels). Jeeps from Chitral to Bumboret depart at least twice a day, and daily to Rumbur (both Rs 50, 2½ hours), travelling via the (Muslim) gateway village of Ayun on the Chitral River. For more information see p227. About 8km from Ayun, the valley forks, left to Bumboret and right to Rumbur. There’s a police checkpost here, where you’ll need to show your Chitral registration and pay the Rs 200 toll levied on all visitors. This permits you to visit all three valleys. The approach roads are rough but very scenic, with the Bumboret road often looking over fields and streams, while the Rumbur road appears hewn straight from the sheer walls of the valley.

Transport to Birir is less frequent. The mouth of Birir Valley is at Gahiret, about 7km south of Ayun. Catch any Drosh-bound vehicle from Chitral and get off at the Gahiret bridge over the Chitral River. Passenger jeeps sometimes leave from here (or Ayun itself), otherwise it’s a 2½-hour walk into the valley. The Birir police post is at Guru village; beyond here the road peters out.

When leaving the Kalasha valleys, it’s wise to let your guesthouse know the day before travel, as they will be able to advise on what time the passenger jeeps will pass by your front door so you can be ready to flag them down. Jeeps tend to leave for Chitral in the early morning.

One-way jeep hire from Chitral costs Rs 1800 (Bumboret) and Rs 1600 (Rumbur or Birir). A jeep from Bumboret to Rumbur costs around Rs 1400 return.