Celebrate Shandur Polo Festival

See Chitral key spots with our knowledgeable local guides

• Local Experience
• Balanced
• Some Walking
• Sightseeing

Shandur polo festival is a fantastic festival celebrated by the tribes of Gilgit and Chitral in the northern areas of Pakistan. The tribes from the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral meet at the Shandur pass every summer. Shandur Polo Festival is a game with a unique wild free-style polo played between different region teams. Shandur polo ground is considered to be the highest polo ground in the world at 3,700 meters. The polo ground is adjacent to Shandur lake. Shandur polo festival provides a unique cultural experience in the Hindukush mountain ranges. The festival also includes Folk music, dancing, and a camping village is set up. Various teams of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral have always played the game of polo closest to its original form. In the past, the British Rulers were the patrons of the game. Shandur polo festivals invite visitors to experience a traditional Polo tournament which since 1936 has been held annually in the first week of July between the teams of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. The game is held on Shandur Top, the highest polo ground globally at 3,700 meters (the pass itself is 3,800 meters).Shandur Top (el. 12,200 feet (3,700 m)) located in District Ghizer of Gilgit-Baltistan: Shandur-Top in Ghizer is often called the ‘Roof of the World’ where the Hindukush in Gilgit-Baltistan.

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