Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...

is located in the north-west region of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. It is known as the tourist hotspot for adventurers and explorers. The province has a varied landscape ranging from rugged mountains,

valleys A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

, hills and dense agricultural farms. The region is well known for its ancestral roots. There are a number of Buddhist archaeological sites from the Gandhara civilisation such as Takht Bhai and

Pushkalavati Pushkalavati ( ps, پشکلاوتي; Urdu: ; Sanskrit: ; Prākrit: ; grc, Πευκελαῶτις ) or Pushkaravati (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ), and later Shaikhan Dheri ( ps, شېخان ډېرۍ; ur, ), was the capital of the Gandhara kingdom, ...

. There are a number of other Buddhist and Hindu archaeological sites including Bala Hisar Fort,

Butkara Stupa The Butkara Stupa (Pashto: بت کړه سټوپا) is an important Buddhist stupa near Mingora, in the area of Swat, Pakistan. It may have been built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, but it is generally dated slightly later to the 2nd century BCE ...

, Kanishka stupa,

Chakdara Chakdara (چکدرہ) is a city in Lower Dir District. It's the 2nd largest city after Timergara. It serves as the educational center of Malakand Division and the Gateway of Lower Dir District . It is located north of Malakand near the confluen ...

Panjkora Valley The Panjkora River ( ur, ) is a river in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of the northwest of Pakistan. The river runs through the mountainous northern part of the province, and forms the Kumrat Valley. It passes from Dir, Timergara and meet at ...

and

Sehri Bahlol Seri Bahlol ( ur, ), also Sahr-i Bahlol or Sahri Bahlol, is a city and archaeological site located near Takht-i-Bahi, in Mardan District, about 70 kilometer north-west of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. History Seri Bahlol is a histor ...

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

is the provincial capital of

. The city is home to a number of sites including Bala Hisar Fort,

Peshawar Museum The Peshawar Museum ( ur, پشاور میوزیم ''(colloquial)''; پشاور عجائب گھر ''(official)'') is a museum located in Peshawar, capital of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Peshawar Museum is notable for its colle ...

, archaeological site of Gor Khuttree, Mohabbat Khan Mosque, old city of

Sethi Mohallah Sethi Mohallah ( ur, سیٹھی محلہ), sometimes called Sethian Mohallah, is an old and traditionally arranged neighbourhood in the old city of Peshawar, Pakistan. The mohallah contains seven South Asian mansions built by the Sethi family tha ...

Jamrud Fort The Jamrud Fort is located beside Bab-e-Khyber at the entrance to the Khyber Pass from the Peshawar side in the tribal district of Khyber KPK, Pakistan. After death of Sardar General Hari Singh Nalwa Khalsa Sarkar Wazir Jawahar Singh nominate ...

, the Sphola Stupa and the most famous market of Qissa Khawani. The city of

Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan (; bal, , Urdu and skr, , ps, ډېره اسماعيل خان), abbreviated as D.I. Khan, is a city and capital of Dera Ismail Khan District, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 37th largest city of Pakistan ...

is known to be the entrance into the province from Punjab and Balochistan. The city is famous for its Hindu ruins at

Kafir Kot Kafir Kot or Kafirkot (; ) is an ancient Hindu Temple complex in the Dera Ismail Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It consists of the ruins of five temples and a large fort. The Kafir Kot complex in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is often referr ...

. The Buddhist ruins at

Shahbaz Garhi Shahbaz Garhi, or Shahbazgarhi, is a village and historic site located in Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is at an altitude of 293 metres (964 feet). It is about 12 km from Mardan city. It has mountains, green trees, ...

are also famous in the city of

Mardan Mardān (Pashto and ; Urdu ; Pashto: ) is a city in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Located in the Valley of Peshawar, Mardan is the second-largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (after Peshawar). It is a fast-growing ...

. Heading towards North, the region of

Swat valley Swat District (, ps, سوات ولسوالۍ, ) is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. With a population of 2,309,570 per the 2017 national census, Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prov ...

comes, which is a lush green paradise for the travelers, full of charming and picturesque spots like

Marghazar Marghuzar, or Marghazar is a hill station located in the Swat District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and is 13 kilometers away from Saidu Sharif. Marghuzar, translated as "green land", contains green valleys, cold springs, and ...

Miandam Miandam is a hill station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, in the foothills of Hindu Kush mountains. It is located at a distance of 55 km away from Mingora the capital of Swat Valley, and from Saidu Sharif. Miandam is enriched in medici ...

Malam Jabba Malam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba, Urdu: مالم جبہ) is a Hill Station and ski resort in the Hindu Kush mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad ...

Gabina Jabba Gabin Jabba ( ps, ګبين جبه), which means in Pashto honey marshes, is located approximately 65 km from Mingora on Matta sakhra road Swat valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the province of Pakistan. It is an area in Swat valley, with green mea ...

, Jarogo Waterfall and Kalam sub valley are worth seen areas. Lake Saiful Malook naran 05

One of the most important cities in the province is

Mansehra Mansehra is a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and the headquarters of Mansehra District. It is the 71st largest city of Pakistan and 7th largest city in the province. The name of the city (written in Hindko, Urdu and Goj ...

. The city is a major stop for tourists setting out to the

Northern Areas Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

and

Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (; ), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger Ka ...

. The city is connected by the famous

Karakoram Highway The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in ...

which ends up in China. Along the route there are several stops including the

Kaghan Valley The Kaghan Valley ( ur, ) is an alpine valley located in the Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The valley covers a distance of across northern Pakistan, rising from its lowest elevation of to its highest point at the Babusar ...

Balakot Balakot (; ur, ; ) is a town in Mansehra District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The town was destroyed during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, but was later rebuilt with the assistance of the Government of Pakistan and Saudi P ...

, Naran,

Shogran Shogran ( ur, ) is a hill station situated on a plateau in the Kaghan Valley, northern Pakistan at a height of above sea level. It is located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Shogran is located away from Balakot Balakot (; ur, ...

, Lake Saiful Mulook and

Babusar Top Babusar Pass or Babusar Top (Urdu: درہ بابوسر) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in Pakistan at the north of the 150 km (93 miles) long Kaghan Valley, connecting it via the Thak Nala with Chilas on the Karakoram Highway (KKH). I ...

. There are also several other sites within the province which attract a large number of tourist every year including

Ayubia Ayubia National Park ( ur, ), also known as Ayubia ( ur, ), is a protected area of located in Abbottabad District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It was declared a national park in 1984. Ayubia was named after Muhammad Ayub Khan (19 ...

Batkhela Batkhela ( ps, بټ خيله, ur, بٹ خیلہ) is the main tehsil, city and capital of Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. According to the 6th Population & Housing Census - the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the population of Batkhela ...

Saidu Sharif Saidū Sharīf (Pashto/Urdu: ) is the capital of Swat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The city also serves as the capital city of Malakand Division. It was named after Saidu Baba, a prominent leader of the former Yusufza ...

Kalam Valley Kalam ( Kalami, Pashto, & ur, ) is a valley located from Mingora in the northern upper section of Swat valley along the banks of the Swat River in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The Swat River was formed as a result of the co ...

and

Hindu Kush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Provinc ...

mountain range in Chitral. There are also several mountain passes that run through the province. One of the most famous is the

Khyber Pass The Khyber Pass (خیبر درہ) is a mountain pass in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, on the border with the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. It connects the town of Landi Kotal to the Valley of Peshawar at Jamrud by traversing pa ...

which links

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

with Pakistan. The

trade route A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a sing ...

sees a large number of trucks and lorries importing and exporting goods in and out of the region. The

Babusar Pass Babusar Pass or Babusar Top (Urdu: درہ بابوسر) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in Pakistan at the north of the 150 km (93 miles) long Kaghan Valley, connecting it via the Thak Nala with Chilas on the Karakoram Highway (KKH). I ...

is another mountain pass connecting the Thak Nala with

Chilas Chilas ( ur, ) is a city and is the divisional capital of Diamer District located in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, on the Indus River. It is part of the Silk Road connected by the Karakoram Highway and N-90 National Highway, which link it to Islam ...

on the

Karakorum Highway The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in ...

. The

Lowari Pass Lowari Pass ( ur, درہ لواری), or Lowari Top, (el. 10,230 ft.) is a high mountain pass that connects Chitral with Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lowari Top is a relatively low pass, by far the lowest pass to enter Chitral, ...

is another pass which connects Chitral with Dir via the

Lowari Tunnel Lowari Tunnel ( ur, , ''Lowari Sarang'') is a vehicular tunnel under the Lowari Pass of the Hindu Kush mountains, between Dir and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is operated by the National Highway Authority and carr ...

. The highest mountain pass in Pakistan is

Shandur Pass Shandur Pass( ur, ) is a pass located in Ghizer, District of Gilgit Baltistan . It is often called 'Roof of the World. During the annual ' Shandur Polo Festival,' there are polo matches played in Shandur Polo Ground on Shandur Top, between the ...

which connects Chitral to

Gilgit Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a h ...

and is known as the ''Roof of the World''. The pass is the center of three mountain ranges –

Hindukush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Provinc ...

Pamir Pamir may refer to: Geographical features * Pamir Mountains, a mountain range in Central Asia ** Pamir-Alay, a mountain system in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, part of the Pamir Mountains *A pamir (valley) is a high plateau or valley surro ...

and

Karakoram The Karakoram is a mountain range in Kashmir region spanning the borders of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range falls under the ...

Places of interest

Valleys

Chitral Valley Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...

Kumrat Valley Kumrat ( ur, ) is a valley in the Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Kumrat Valley is located about 45 minutes away from the town of Thal on the banks of the Panjkora River, and is among the most popular tourist spots i ...

Swat Valley Swat District (, ps, سوات ولسوالۍ, ) is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. With a population of 2,309,570 per the 2017 national census, Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prov ...

Lakes

The following are the accessible lakes ; *

Ansoo Lake Ansoo Lake (which literally translates to teardrop lake), is a tear-shaped lake located in Kaghan Valley in Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the province of Pakistan. It is located at an elevation of above sea level and considered one of t ...

Daral Lake Daral Lake () also known Daral Dand is an alpine scenic lake in the hill top of Bahrain a region of Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Province of Pakistan. It is situated to the northeast of Saidgai Lake. The lake appears as giant amoeba like ...

Dudipatsar Dudipatsar Lake ( ur, ), also known as Dudipat Lake, is a lake encircled by snow clad peaks in Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park. The lake lies in the north end of the Kaghan Valley, in the Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in north ...

Kundol Lake Kundol Lake ( ur, ) also known as ''Kundol Dand'', is a lake in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, which is located in the north of Utror valley at a distance of away from Kalam. Similarly, there is a well known story about the lake whi ...

Mahodand Lake Mahodand Lake ( ur, ; ps, د ماهو ډنډ - "Lake of Fishes") is a lake located in the upper Usho Valley at a distance of about from Kalam in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The lake is accessible by a four-wheel dr ...

Jabba Zomalu Lake Jabba Zomalu Lake is an alpine glacial lake located in the Ushu valley of Kalam Upper Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. I ...

Katora Lake Katora Lake is an alpine glacial lake located in the upper reaches of Jahaz Banda, Kumrat valley in Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Province of Pakistan. The lake is fed by the surrounding melting glacier waters. The word Katora means ...

Lake Saiful Muluk Saiful Muluk ( ur, ) is a mountainous lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley, near the town of Naran in the Saiful Muluk National Park. At an elevation of 3,224 m (10,578 feet) above sea level, the lake is located above the tree l ...

Lulusar Lulusar (), (), or Lalusar, is a group of mountain peaks and a lake in the Kaghan Valley in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Lulusar Lake Lulusar Lake (also spelled Lulusir) is a lake at , and is the primary headwaters of the Kunh ...

Pyala Lake Pyala Lake is a round lake in Jalkhand, Kaghan Valley, Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is about from Naran. See also * Payala Lake Ghazi Ghat * Ansu Lake * Lulusar Lake *Kaghan Valley The Kaghan Valley ( ur, ) is an alpine vall ...

National Parks

Broghil Valley National Park Broghil Valley National Park ( ur, بروغل) is located in the upper northern reaches of the Chitral District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. Geography Broghil Valley is from the main town of Chitral a ...

* Chitral National Park *

Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park Lulusar-Dodipat National Park is located in the Kaghan Valley in Mansehra District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The park was created in 2003. The scenic Dudipatsar Lake and Lulusar Lake and peaks are in the park. Flora and fauna The flora ...

Saiful Muluk National Park Saiful Muluk National Park ( ur, ) is situated in the Kaghan Valley within the Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The park was officially declared in 2003,

* Sheikh Buddin National Park

Historic Places

* Bala Hissar Fort *

Chitral Fort The Chitral Fort is a fortification in Chitral town, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The fort is situated on the banks of the Chitral River. The fort has a commanding position on the river and is believed to have been built in 1774 during the reig ...

Mahabat Khan Mosque The Mahabat Khan Mosque (Pashto and ur, مہابت خان مسجد) ( hnd, مہابت خان مسیت), sometimes spelt Mohabbat Khan Mosque, is a 17th-century Mughal-era mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan. The mosque was built in 1630, and named aft ...

Takht-i-Bahi Takht-i-Bahi ( Persian/ ur, , translation=throne of the water spring), is an Indo-Parthian archaeological site of an ancient Buddhist monastery in Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The site is considered among the most important relics of Bu ...

Gallery

File:Kandarat.JPG,

File:Bilot Fort Temple - Closeup of Temple 2.jpg, Kafirkot File:KhyberRailway 01.jpg, The famous Khyber steam train safari File:Jazz banda dir Swat.jpg,

Jahaz Banda Jahaz Banda ( ps, ), also spelt Jaz Banda, is a large meadow in the upper reaches of Kumrat Valley, Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at an altitude of 3,100 m above sea level. The region is surrounded ...

File:Siri Paye Shogran Valley View 2.jpg,

File:Kalam, Swat (Pakistan).jpg,

Kalam valley Kalam ( Kalami, Pashto, & ur, ) is a valley located from Mingora in the northern upper section of Swat valley along the banks of the Swat River in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The Swat River was formed as a result of the co ...

File:Atror, Swat KPK (Pakistan).jpg,

File:Miandam Swat Sub-valley.JPG, Miandam

References

External links

Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP)Tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTDC
{{Khyber Pakhtunkhwa topics