A tourist visiting Swat Valley first reaches Saidu Sharif, the capital city and its twin city Mingora. Saidu Sharif is the capital city of Swat. It is situated near the swat river is between the villages of Kanju and Dherai of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Its GPS coordinates are 34°45'0N 72°21'0E and it has an altitude of 970 meters (3182 feet). The capital city is the centre of the administration control and all the regional government affairs are managed in the government buildings. Saidu Sharif has also a medical college.
Mingora is the commercial hub of Swat. It is located 2 km from the capital city of Saidu Shairf. The city is famous for its shopping and has a number of mineral reserves as well such as emerald reserves in hills northward of the town.