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The journey
Witness how the people of Shimshal Valley celebrate the Tagham Festival, which marks the start of the spring agricultural season after months of bone-chilling winter. Over 8 days, travel along the Karakoram Highway through Chilas, Hunza, and Gilgit to join local communities in Shimshal for festival preparations and celebrations. Experience traditional customs, try the local dish "Samn," and enjoy a cultural show with music and Wakhi dance. This journey combines mountain travel with an immersive look at a centuries-old festival in northern Pakistan.
At a glance
Day by day
Pickup from your desired location and drive to Chilas via the KKH, known as the "eighth wonder of the world."
Lunch en route at a similar hotel.
Arrive at the hotel for check-in, followed by dinner and an overnight stay.
Drive time: 8-10 hours.
Have breakfast and drive to Hunza with your Pakistani tour guide.
Stop at the Three Mountain Junction Point.
Lunch en route.
Arrive at your Hunza hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Enjoy breakfast and drive toward Shimshal Valley, where you will transfer to jeeps.
Continue the drive to Shimshal Valley.
Have lunch and rest upon arrival.
Embark on an excursion, then head back to the hotel for a BBQ dinner and an overnight stay.
Have breakfast and meet local people as they make preparations for Tagham.
Male participants go for Pish, Pish with boys.
Dinner with local families.
Have breakfast and join the locals of Shimshal Valley.
Male participants will go for Tumang, while female participants will go directly to the festival arena.
Witness the festival celebrations and enjoy the local dish "Samn" or play Jugun.
In the evening, enjoy a cultural show with music and Wakhi dance.
Return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Have breakfast and drive back to Hunza Valley.
Enjoy lunch and continue to Gilgit.
Arrive in Gilgit for dinner and an overnight stay.
Have breakfast and drive to Besham via the same KKH route.
Enjoy lunch en route.
Arrive in Besham for dinner and an overnight stay.
Enjoy an early breakfast and drive to Islamabad.
Have lunch en route.
Arrive in Lahore in the evening or at night.
The route
The fine print
Transportation: Luxury Grand Cabin Hiace from arrival to departure.
Jeeps to Shimshal Valley.
Meals: All meals during travel and at the hotels.
Accommodation: 7 nights in hotels on a twin/triple-sharing basis.
First aid: Basic first aid.
Fees: All visiting area permission fees.
International or domestic airfare.
Extras at the hotel, such as phone calls, laundry, and food.
Booking of a personal vehicle.
Any expense due to force majeure, cancellation of flights, landslides, etc.
Travel and health insurance.
COVID-19 PCR test.
The people of Shimshal Valley in particular, and those of Gojal Valley in general, have preserved the Tagham Festival for centuries.
In Shimshal, Tagham is celebrated with zeal and zest on the first day of April every year. People of the valley formally begin farming at this time, including the irrigation of agricultural lands.
The Tagham Festival starts with the preparation of a local cuisine called "Semn" in a cooking procedure known in the Wakhi language as "Pirkiten." Other traditional foods prepared during the festival include "Mul" and "Bath."
The most interesting and exciting part of the Tagham Festival is the Tumang, during which members of the "Shogun Putuk" (initiators) tribe officially announce the start of the cultivation season by setting fire to leaves of a plant called "Yarz" and by throwing wheat seeds onto the roof of an old house from inside the house through an opening in the ceiling called "Ricin" in the Wakhi language. Another major part of the Tagham Festival is a game featuring a man dressed and acting like a bull, who entertains the audience with different playful acts.
After the game, the start of the farming season is demonstrated with the Shogun Putuks plowing the field in a traditional way with the help of bulls, and small children being introduced to farming in a process called "Sk Spunder Khack." Festival-goers then eat the dishes prepared and brought together from across the village.
Dates: 29th March to 05th April 2019.
Shimshal is situated in Gojal Valley, Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan.
Logistics
Your 8 days finish where they began, in Islamabad.
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