Where to Go
Swat or Naran Kaghan: which valley suits a family trip
Kalam, Malam Jabba and Mahodand in Swat, or Naran, Saiful Muluk and Babusar in Kaghan? Roads, seasons, family tips and advisories, as of October 2026.
Where to Go · Travel
Malam Jabba travel guide: ski season, road, hotels and costs
Malam Jabba in Swat, October 2026: when it snows, the road from Islamabad and Mingora, chairlift and entry fees, where to stay, and flood and safety advice.
- Altitude
- 2,804 m
- From Mingora
- About 44 km (KPCTA)
- Chairlift (Aug 2023)
- Rs 1,400, entry included
- UK advice
- Against all travel to Swat (13 Oct 2026)
Summarize it for me
AI Summary
Malam Jabba is a ski resort at 2,804 m in Swat, about 44 km from Mingora and about 314 km from Islamabad. In the 2025-26 winter, snow fell from 21 December, and roads stayed open during snowfall. In August 2023 the chairlift cost Rs 1,400 with entry included, or Rs 1,100 for entry alone; we found no official 2026 prices. A Pearl-Continental hotel sits at the resort. The UK advises against all travel to Swat (updated 13 Oct 2026), and summer floods have killed people in the area.
Malam Jabba is a ski resort at 2,804 m in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 44 km from Mingora. Go in winter for snow: in the 2025-26 season fresh snow fell from 21 December 2025, and roads stayed open during snowfall. In August 2023 the chairlift cost Rs 1,400 with entry included; we found no official 2026 prices.
Foreign visitors should know that the UK advises against all travel to Swat, on a page updated on 13 October 2026.
Where is Malam Jabba?
Malam Jabba is a hill station in the Hindu Kush in Swat district. KPCTA, the KP Culture & Tourism Authority, puts it about 44 km from Mingora and marks it as suitable for families. Wikipedia gives about 40 km from Saidu Sharif, Mingora’s twin town, and about 314 km from Islamabad.
The resort is at 2,804 m and has two ski tracks of over 800 m each, APP reported in December 2025.
How do you get to Malam Jabba from Islamabad?
- Motorway Islamabad to Colonel Sher Khan interchange Start of the Swat Expressway
- Swat Expressway To Chakdara 81 km, four lanes
- Road Chakdara to Mingora Into Swat valley
- Malam Jabba road Manglor to the resort Branches off the Kalam road about 12 km from Saidu Sharif
The Swat Expressway runs 81 km from the Colonel Sher Khan interchange, through Swabi and Mardan, to Chakdara. Tourists said in 2019 that it cut the Islamabad to Swat trip by about two hours, Dawn reported. From Mingora, the Malam Jabba road leaves the Madyan to Kalam road at Manglor, about 12 km from Saidu Sharif, and climbs to the resort.
Coming by public transport? Our intercity travel guide compares coaches and flights. Driving yourself? Read our M-Tag guide first.
When does Malam Jabba get snow?
We found no official ski season dates for 2026-27. Here is what happened last winter:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 21 Dec 2025 | Fresh snow drew families from Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad to Malam Jabba and Kalam (APP) |
| Dec 2025 | Roads to Malam Jabba, Kalam, Mahodand and Gabin Jabba stayed open to all traffic during snowfall (APP) |
| Jan 2026 | New snow; a local hotel owner said all his rooms were booked (The Nation, 23 Jan 2026) |
| 9 Feb 2026 | A three-day snow festival ended in nearby Kalam (Dawn) |
TNN reported in 2023 that winter visitors come in December and January for the snow, while the busiest months are June to August. Our guide to the best time to visit northern Pakistan covers the seasons across the north.
What does the Malam Jabba ski resort cost?
The latest prices we could confirm are from August 2023, reported by TNN:
| Ticket | Price (Aug 2023) |
|---|---|
| Entry at the main gate | Rs 1,100, including Rs 200 of food inside |
| Chairlift | Rs 1,400 per person, entry included |
TNN said chairlift tickets for a family can pass Rs 10,000. Visitor reviews and travel sites quote higher 2026 prices, but none is official, so check at the gate before you queue.
Chairlift, per person
Rs 1,400 (Aug 2023)
Entry included. TNN; we found no official 2026 price list.
Who runs it matters for prices. The KP government leased the chairlifts and ski resort to a private company, Samsons, in 2014, TNN reported. KPCTA says the new chairlift and ski resort opened in 2016; militants had destroyed the old hotel and chairlift in 2008, according to Wikipedia. Fees have caused disputes before: in April 2021 the Peshawar High Court’s Mingora bench barred the resort from charging its then Rs 300 entry fee, and the resort shut its chairlift and zipline for a time, ARY News reported.
What you can do: skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey and curling in winter, The Nation reported in January 2026, with trekking and horse riding also popular in the area.
Where to stay in Malam Jabba
The resort has a Pearl-Continental hotel, run under a management contract with the resort’s operator, Samsons, according to a 2018 Profit report. Its website lists twin rooms of about 30 m², family rooms of 43 m² and suites. Rooms fill up after snowfall: one local hotel owner said all his rooms were booked in January 2026.
We didn’t find reliable, dated room prices. Book ahead for snow weekends, and compare with hotels in Mingora, 44 km away.
Malam Jabba or Kalam?
Both are in Swat and both get snow. Kalam is further up the valley, on the N-95 road, which the KP chief minister said in June 2026 was still damaged at seven places from the 2022 floods. We couldn’t find an official Malam Jabba to Kalam distance. Read our Swat vs Naran Kaghan comparison for more on Kalam, and our list of places to visit in Pakistan in winter for other snow trips, including Murree in winter.
Is Malam Jabba safe?
The main risks are the roads and, in summer, floods.
- Floods. In July 2025 flash floods in the Sodher area of Malam Jabba swept away two children, and a 7-year-old boy died, ARY News reported. In June 2025 the Swat River flooded a picnic spot on the Mingora bypass, and rescue officials said at least 13 tourists drowned.
- Police. Tourism Police are deployed at key spots around Malam Jabba and Kalam, The Nation reported in January 2026.
- Check the weather and road before you leave Mingora, especially after heavy snow or rain.
- Carry tyre chains in winter and get your car checked.
- Stay away from streams and rivers after heavy rain.
- Ask the price at the gate for entry, chairlift and activities before you pay.
For the wider picture, read is Pakistan safe to visit and our travel insurance guide.
More guides: Neelum Valley, Fairy Meadows, all Where to Go guides.
Questions people ask
Where is Malam Jabba?
In Swat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 44 km from Mingora according to the KP tourism authority. The road leaves the Kalam road at Manglor, about 12 km from Saidu Sharif.
What is the Malam Jabba chairlift ticket price?
Rs 1,400 per person in August 2023, with entry included; entry alone was Rs 1,100, including Rs 200 of food. We found no official 2026 price list, so check at the gate.
When does Malam Jabba get snow?
In the 2025-26 winter, fresh snow fell on 21 December 2025 and again in January 2026. TNN reported in 2023 that winter visitors come in December and January.
How far is Malam Jabba from Islamabad?
About 314 km, according to Wikipedia. The Swat Expressway, 81 km from the Colonel Sher Khan interchange to Chakdara, cut the Islamabad to Swat trip by about two hours, tourists told Dawn in 2019.
Is Malam Jabba safe?
The main risks are winter roads and summer floods: in July 2025 flash floods in Malam Jabba's Sodher area killed a 7-year-old boy. Foreign visitors should note that the UK advises against all travel to Swat (page updated 13 Oct 2026).
Sources
- Malam Jabba, Culture & Tourism Authority Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Kalam, Malam Jabba become magnet for winter tourists, The Nation (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Snowfall draws tourists to Malam Jabba and Kalam, Aaj News (APP) (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- Roads open during snowfall in Swat, Associated Press of Pakistan (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- Controversy over chairlift fees at Malam Jabba, TNN (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Malam Jabba ski resort closed after PHC order, ARY News (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Pearl Continental Hotel Malam Jabba, Pearl-Continental Hotels & Resorts (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Pearl Continental to start operations at Malam Jabba ski resort, Profit (Pakistan Today) (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Pakistan travel advice: warnings and insurance, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Swat Expressway, Dawn (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- 4 children die as flash floods wreak havoc again in Swat, ARY News (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Swat River flood at Mingora bypass, Dawn (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- KP CM asks federal govt to rehab Kalam road urgently, The News (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Kalam snow festival, Dawn (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Malam Jabba, Wikipedia (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
Photo: Mehlab Jameel / CC BY-SA 4.0
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