Shandur Polo Festival: polo on the world's highest polo ground
Shandur, at about 3,700 metres between Chitral and Gilgit, hosts the world's highest polo ground and a famous polo festival every summer.
The Shandur polo ground sits on the Shandur Pass, at about 3,700 metres, between Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan. It is often called the highest polo ground in the world.
Shandur Polo Festival facts
- Height: about 3,700 m above sea level
- Teams: Chitral against Gilgit, a rivalry that draws large crowds
- When: usually in early July
- Style: freestyle mountain polo, with few rules and no umpire stopping play for most fouls
- History: polo has been played at Shandur since the 1930s
Why people go
Visitors camp by Shandur Lake for several days of matches, folk music and dancing, with mountains on every side.
Getting there
Shandur is reached by road from Chitral or Gilgit. The roads are rough in places, so most visitors travel by jeep.
Related
Tag someone who should go to Shandur next summer.