“Butkara 1” is famous for its centrally located Stupa built by the then Mauryan emperor
“Ashoka” in the 3rd century BC and it went through many reconstruction phases till 10th century BC and
over 200 little stupas were built around the main Stupa by wealthy pilgrims later on.

‘’Butkara 3” remains are just 7 minutes walking distance from Butkara 1. According to
historians, Butkara 1 was mainly used as a shrine by the monks and after their pilgrimage, the monks
would then walk towards Butkara 3 and would performs their prayers at the main Stupa.
After exploring the 2 historical archaeological sites, we shall stop for lunch near Saidu Sharif and then
make our way towards White palace Marghazar.

The White palace is a well know tourist destination in Swat valley for its unique architecture
and history. The white marble used in this beautiful building is also used in “Taj Mahal”. The then Wali of
Swat built this resort for his summer vacations and is now used as a tourist resort. Queen Elizabeth II of
England also visited the palace in 1961 and stayed here for 3 days. After sightseeing and enjoying a cup
of tea at the Palace, we shall continue our journey to Islampur village.

Islampur village is famous for its handmade shawls and other locally produced items all over
Pakistan. After a relaxing time at the village and witnessing firsthand experience of production process
of many handmade items, we shall return back to Mingora/Fizaghat or Saidu Sharif.