Kalam is the gateway town for upper Swat — a small alpine settlement 99 km north of Mingora where three rivers join and the road opens onto wide pine-covered hills. The bazaar runs along the river with hotels stacked above and the famous view of Mount Falak Sair to the north. In summer it is the obvious base for hiking and side trips deeper into the valley.
From Kalam you can push on to Ushu (15 km, where the upper pine forest begins), to Matiltan and Lake Mahodand (a rough jeep track through stunning country), or up to Gabral and Kandol. The town is busy with domestic tourism in June, July, and August; mid-September into October is quieter and the weather is still mostly fine.