Valley of Swat, with its rushing torrents, lakes, fruit-laden orchards and flower-bedecked slopes is an idyllic valley. It has a rich historical past. It was described as "Udayana" (the garden) in ancient Hindu epics where Alexander of Macedon fought and won some of his major battles before crossing over to the plain of Pakistan.

Swat was once the cradle of Buddhism where at one time more than 1,400 monasteries flourished. It was the hub of the Gandhara school sculpture which was an expression of Graeco-Roman style mixed with the local Buddhist traditional sculpture.

The valley of Swat sprawls over 10,360 sq.kms. The normal temperature is maximum 21.11C and minimum 7.22C. Tourist season is all year round. The main town of the valley is Saidu Sharif with a museum which houses most archaeological finds excavated in the area.