Sharan Forest: A Complete Travel Guide

Sharan Forest in Kaghan Valley is a popular summer destination for many around Pakistan and outside the country due to its well-maintained natural surroundings. This place offers clean, green, and pure nature without many commercial activities. The rich forest of Sharan gives you a gentle welcome every time you pay a visit. The chirping birds, the pleasant weather, and the freshest breezes make it an ideal place for nature enthusiasts.

If you want to experience nature in its peaceful and serene form, you must be a guest of this place once in a lifetime (or more often if you are an avid traveler). It is also famous among the traveler community for the Sharan Forest Winter survival trips and Sharan Forest Camping trips. You need to be fully equipped for such experiences.

Sharan Forest gained recognition among the masses with the development of Sharan Camping Pods in the area with the help of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government by the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan.

Places to Visit and Attractions Around Sharan Forest

Sharan Waterfall

Sharan Waterfall is a 45-minute to 1-hour-long downhill hike from Sharan Camping Pods. A muddy, steep track leads us to the Sharan Waterfall, which falls into the Kunhar River. The trail is not paved correctly, so taking a local guide with you is advised if you go for the first time. It is a beginner-level trek.

Once you are at the waterfall, the crystal clear water of the Kunhar River, the chirping birds, the thick forest trees, and the calm of this place will surely give you heavenly feelings.

Manshi Top

Manshi Top is at the border of Allai Valley and Kaghan Valley, at an altitude of 9000 ft. A 2-3 hour long (depending on one’s pace) steep hike in the dense Sharan Forest leads us to the majestic Manshi Top. There are multiple treks, so take a local guide if you go there for the first time. It is a beginner-level trek. 

There are two points Manshi 1 and Manshi 2. Most people trek up to Manshi 1, considering it the top, but Manshi 2 is the main destination. There is a small hut at the top for the visitors to stay for the night with all the basic facilities and a small tuck shop for snacks and tea, which the locals manage.

At the top, there are substantial grassy lands and a small water pond. The view up from the Manshi Top is what makes it so unique. On clear days you can see Allai Valley in the Northern direction, Makra Peak, Siri Paye, and Shogran in the South, Malika-e-Parbat, which has Saif-ul-Malook Lake downhills and Manoor Valley in the East, and Musa Ka Musalla Ka Musallah in the West.

Other tracks include Musa ka Musalla Track, Siran Valley Track, Rajkani Top Track, and Chambar Peak Track.

Night Stay Options at Sharan Forest / Hotels in Sharan Forest

Sharan Forest Camping Pods Resort:

The main attraction of Sharan Forest is the Camping Pods developed by the KPK Government to promote eco-tourism activities in the area. There are almost 11 pods, with a few toilets, a Kitchen tent, and a dining tent for the visitors. These pods have different occupancies, one with two beds and the other with four. They also provide extra mattresses, pillows, and blankets if needed. The pods run entirely on solar electricity, providing a minimum voltage in the sockets, which is unsuitable for charging the appliances. So better to carry your power banks.

They also have a separate area dedicated to camping and a small play area for the kids. You can use KP Tourism’s official website for Sharan Camping Pods Online booking.

Sharan Youth Hostel

Sharan Forest Youth Hostel is located a few meters from the Sharan Camping Pods area, where two British Era Youth Hostel buildings (two big halls) are renovated and maintained by Pakistan Youth Hostels Association. These halls are available for rent, or you can rent a single bed as per your requirement, best suitable for backpackers.

They also have a camping setup for adventure lovers or low-on-budget people. Recently they have built wooden pods for families. There is a dedicated kitchen camp and a dining camp for visitors. You can also cook food for yourself.

You can use the official website of the Pakistan Youth Hostels Association for bookings. 

Sharan Forest Resort

Sharan Forest Glamps / Resort is a luxury and comfortable option available in Sharan. A few glamps with different occupancies can accommodate almost 20 to 25 people at a time. Like others, they also have a small camping setup for adventure lovers. They have a kitchen from where you can order your food.

The plus point about Sharan Glamps is the view that it offers. 

Chinar Resort Sharan

Chinar Resorts Sharan is another luxury option available in Sharan for visitors. They offer deluxe and standard category rooms, a beautiful lawn, and a view to die for. They have a big dining area and a restaurant that serves quality food.

Sharan Forest Location

Sharan Forest is located in the Kaghan Valley in Northern Pakistan, bordering Allai Valley. It is at an altitude of 7950 ft above sea level. It is a neighboring tourist destination of the Shogran Valley. 

How to get to Sharan Forest / Recommended Route For Sharan Forest

If traveling from Lahore, take M2 Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, head towards M15 Hazara Motorway to reach Balakot, and then Kiwai or Paras. One can travel to Paras or Kiwai using any sort of vehicle. From there, you will take a 4×4 jeep track to Sharan Forest. This jeep track starts from Paras, a small town on the Kaghan-Babusar Road.

Jeeps are available for rent from Kiwai and Paras, which will cost you around 8000-12000 pkr per jeep, depending on whether you want to stay there for a night or return the same day.

You can also arrange your Sharan Forest Trip or hire a Local Sharan Forest Tour Guide with us to save yourself from all the hassle. For details, contact us.

Sharan Forest Road / Sharan Forest Jeep Track

A 16 km long jeep track from Paras leads us to Sharan Forest. It is a narrow, steep track, suitable only for 4×4 vehicles driven by professionals. This track gives its travelers a complete panoramic view of Kaghan-Babusar road, Shogran, Siri Paye, and the snow-capped mountains of Kaghan Valley. This track also takes us along Sharan’s dense and lush green forest.

Sharan Forest Distance

• Distance of Sharan Forest from Lahore: 624 km
• Distance of Sharan Forest from Islamabad: 250 km
• Distance of Sharan Forest from Paras: 16 km

Food Quality and Options In Sharan Forest

Small kitchen camps are available at Sharan Camping Pods and Sharan Youth Hostel. You can cook your food at the camps or order the managers to cook the food for you, which is again limited depending upon the available ration. It is advisable to bring your ration or discuss this with the management when booking, to make it easy for them to arrange the food for you.

Whereas, at Chinar Resort Sharan and Sharan Glamps, the food is available on order from their menu.

Sharan Forest Weather

The Summer Season in Sharan starts in April/May and remains till July or mid-August. During this season, the weather remains pleasant during the day with periodic rain showers, sometimes hot and sunny and often cloudy and foggy, whereas nights become pretty cold at Sharan. 

During the Monsoon Season in Sharan Forest, from July to late September/October, Sharan receives heavy rainfalls with thunderstorms. Monsoons are mostly cloudy and foggy in the forest.

During the Winter Season in Sharan Forest, this place gets heavy snow spells, and the temperature drops to 3-4 degrees and often drops to negative.

Activities at Sharan Forest

In the end, I request all the readers to respect the local tourist places in Pakistan and always buy goods from them to support the local community as they bring comfort to you through all the challenging circumstances and minimal resources, and not litter at any cost and ensure proper waste disposal.

Related Tours

2 Days Sharan Forest & Manshi Top Tour