Swat is reached from Islamabad either via the Swat Motorway (M-16), which now connects to the Karakoram Highway network — about a 4–5 hour drive — or by the older route through Mardan and Malakand Pass, which is slower but more interesting. Daewoo and other private bus companies run several daily services to Mingora.
There is a small airport at Saidu Sharif with sporadic PIA flights from Islamabad; schedules and operators change often. The valley road north of Mingora leads through Khwazakhela, Madyan, and Bahrain to Kalam, the gateway for the upper valley; this is paved as far as Kalam and rough beyond. Allow time — landslides can close stretches without warning.