Swat is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora. It was a princely state until it was dissolved in 1969. The valley is almost entirely populated by ethnic Afghans/Pashtuns. The main language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty and is popular with tourists.
People travelling from down country on their own vehicles can take the Motorway (M-1) and reach Mardan interchange from Islamabad in about 1½ hours after covering a distance of 131 km. From Mardan onwards they can travel via Takh-e-Bai, Dargai, Malakand Pass, Batkhella, Chakdara and finally reach Mingora/Saidu Sharif after covering a distance of 112 km in an additional two and a half hours. The total distance from Islamabad to Mingora/Saidu Sharif is 247 km, around 5 hours with one stop for lunch and refreshments. This route is open for all kinds of traffic throughout the year.
Swat Valley, especially lower Swat, is a year-round tourist destination. However the main tourist season for Swat begins in spring and lasts till autumn (April to October). April to May is the best time to visit Swat, when the fresh green grass carpet covers the slopes. June to August is the period when most domestic tourists from the hot plains of Punjab and Sindh escape the scorching summer heat and find refuge in the cool areas of Upper Swat. October–November is autumn when yellow and golden are the most dominating colours on the backdrop of a clear blue sky. December–March are the winter months; the road beyond Bahrain is snowbound during this time.
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