Jahaz Banda Guide: The Meadow Above Kumrat
Pakistan Locals Team
23 August 2026 · 2 min read
The lowdown
- Location
- Kumrat
- Region
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Crowd level
- Quiet
The deodar forests of Kumrat get the caravans, but the valley is guarding something higher. On the ridge system above it sits Jahaz Banda, a rolling meadow plateau at roughly 3,100 metres where the trees stop, the grass takes over, and the Kohistan peaks stand in a ring you can turn all the way around in. It costs a rough jeep and a proper walk, which is exactly why it still feels the way it does.
The quick answer
From Thal, the gateway town of the Kumrat side, jeeps branch to Jandrai in roughly an hour of rough track. From Jandrai it is a 2 to 3 hour ascent on a clear path to the meadows, with horses for hire for bags or riders. Seasonal camps run July to September with bedding and food. Stay the night: sunset and the star field are the show, and Katora Lake, three to four hours further, needs the early start only sleepers on the meadow get.
Getting to the trailhead
Everything routes through Thal, 8 to 10 hours from Islamabad via the Swat Motorway, Timergara and Sheringal. Ordinary cars park in Thal; the local 4x4s handle the Jandrai track, priced per jeep and negotiated with the stand. Combine it with the Kumrat Valley proper and you have the perfect three day loop: a river night in the deodars, then the climb to the meadows.
The walk up
The trail from Jandrai climbs steadily through forest and then open slope, obvious underfoot and honest about its gradient. Fit walkers do it in two hours, families with rest stops in three. Carry water and rain cover, start before the heat, and let the horses take the bags if the group has mixed legs. The moment the plateau opens, with grass to the horizon and peaks behind, is the one the photographs undersell.
On the meadow
The summer camps are simple and sufficient: tents with bedding, dal and rice and chai, lanterns after dark. Nights are cold at 3,100 metres in every month, so treat August like autumn. The evening routine writes itself: walk the meadow rim, watch the light die on the Kohistan wall, then stand under a sky with no competition. Book through your host in peak weeks; capacity is small and that is the point.
The Katora Lake day
From the meadows the committed continue to Katora, the glacial bowl at roughly 3,500 metres, three to four hours each way over higher, rougher ground. It is a genuine full day: early start, guide worth having, weather window required. The lake rewards it with the most dramatic water in the district. Full detail in our Katora Lake guide, and the season logic in best time to visit Kumrat.
Local jeeps, camps and guides make this trip. Browse Kumrat trips with local hosts, or list your camp or trek if these meadows are your summer address.
Questions people ask
Where is Jahaz Banda?+
A high meadow plateau at roughly 3,100 metres in Upper Dir, on the ridge system next to the Kumrat Valley. The route starts from Thal: jeep to Jandrai, then a 2 to 3 hour walk up.
How hard is the Jahaz Banda trek?+
Moderate: a steady 2 to 3 hour ascent on a clear path, manageable for reasonably fit first-timers. Horses can be hired at Jandrai for bags or riders.
Can you stay overnight at Jahaz Banda?+
Yes, seasonal camps with bedding and food run on the meadows in summer, and the overnight is the whole point: sunset, stars and the Katora Lake day all need it.
How far is Katora Lake from Jahaz Banda?+
Three to four hours further on foot, a stiff high walk to the glacial bowl at roughly 3,500 metres. It is a full day from the meadows and needs an early start and fair weather.
When is Jahaz Banda open?+
July to September realistically. Snow holds the trails and closes the camps outside high summer, and early July can still be soft underfoot.
Pakistan Locals Team
The Pakistan Locals editorial team writes practical, on-the-ground travel guides to Pakistan, researched and fact-checked in consultation with our network of local hosts and guides.