This 7-day Azad Kashmir itinerary is a loop from Islamabad: up the Neelum Valley to Keran, Sharda, Kel and Arang Kel, back down to Muzaffarabad and Pir Chinasi, then across to Rawalakot for Banjosa Lake and Toli Pir, and home over the Jhelum at Azad Pattan. It suits a family or group with a car and driver between late May and early October, and involves about 25 to 30 hours of driving in the week.
Below is the day-by-day plan with drive times and where to sleep, followed by what to change if the weather, the roads or the 2026 protests get in the way.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Route | Islamabad, Keran, Sharda, Kel, Arang Kel, Muzaffarabad, Pir Chinasi, Rawalakot, Banjosa, Toli Pir, Islamabad |
| Best months | Late May to early October; September is the most settled |
| Longest day | Day 1, Islamabad to Keran, about 7 to 8 hours |
| Highest point | Toli Pir, about 2,700 m; Arang Kel about 2,550 m |
| Vehicle | A sound car to Kel in summer; a local jeep for anything beyond |
| Documents | CNIC for every adult; foreign nationals need an NOC for the Neelum Valley |
| Before you go | Check the news for strikes and LoC tension, especially for Rawalakot |
The plan at a glance
| Day | Route | Driving | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Islamabad to Keran via Muzaffarabad | 7 to 8 hours | Keran |
| 2 | Keran to Sharda and Kel, up to Arang Kel | About 3 hours | Arang Kel |
| 3 | Arang Kel, then back down to Keran | About 3 hours | Keran |
| 4 | Keran to Muzaffarabad, Pir Chinasi in the afternoon | About 3 hours, plus 2 for Pir Chinasi | Muzaffarabad |
| 5 | Muzaffarabad to Rawalakot via Kohala and Bagh, Banjosa at dusk | 4 to 5 hours | Banjosa or Rawalakot |
| 6 | Toli Pir and back | 2.5 to 3 hours | Rawalakot |
| 7 | Rawalakot to Islamabad via Azad Pattan | 3 to 4 hours | Home |
The loop goes in by Kohala and out by Azad Pattan, so you don't drive the same road twice. It works just as well in reverse.
Day 1: Islamabad to Keran
Leave Islamabad by 6 am. The first stage, over the Murree hills and down to the Jhelum at Kohala, is about 135 km and three and a half to four hours to Muzaffarabad. Stop there for lunch and fuel, and withdraw enough cash for the whole Neelum stretch.
From Muzaffarabad it is another 93 km, about three hours, up the Neelum road through Patika, Nauseri and Athmuqam to Keran. Aim to arrive by late afternoon.
Keran sits on the river at about 1,500 metres, with Indian-administered Kashmir directly across the water. Riverside hotels line the road here, and it is the most comfortable first stop in the valley. If seven or eight hours is too much for your group, sleep the first night in Muzaffarabad and add a day to the trip; the rest of the plan stays the same.
Day 2: Sharda, Kel and up to Arang Kel
A short driving day with a lot to see. From Keran to Sharda is about 40 km, one and a half to two hours on a narrower road. At Sharda, walk up to the ruins of Sharada Peeth, a temple and centre of learning that flourished between roughly the 6th and 12th centuries, above the river at about 1,980 metres.
From Sharda it is 19 km, about an hour, to Kel. Leave the car in Kel, take the chairlift up, and walk the last steep half hour to Arang Kel, a meadow village at about 2,550 metres. The chairlift runs in daylight only, so be at the bottom by mid-afternoon.
Sleep at Arang Kel. The guesthouses and huts are simple, but the meadow in the evening and early morning, after the day visitors have gone, is the reason to come. Pack one small bag for the night and leave the rest in the car. Our Arang Kel guide covers the walk and the places to stay.
Day 3: Arang Kel and back to Keran
Walk the meadow and the woods above it first thing, then come down by chairlift in the late morning. Drive back to Keran, about three hours, stopping wherever the river is worth stopping for.
If you would rather not repeat Keran, Sharda has hotels too and makes a shorter day, but it adds a couple of hours to Day 4.
Day 4: Muzaffarabad and Pir Chinasi
Drive down from Keran to Muzaffarabad, about three hours, and check in by lunchtime. In the afternoon, drive up to Pir Chinasi, about 30 km of steep road to the shrine of Syed Hussain Shah Bukhari at about 2,900 metres. Allow roughly an hour each way. The late-afternoon light over Muzaffarabad is the best of the day, and you should be back in the city before dark.
Muzaffarabad has the widest choice of hotels in Azad Kashmir, from simple city hotels to the Pearl Continental.
Day 5: Muzaffarabad to Rawalakot and Banjosa
The road back to Kohala, then south through Dhirkot and Bagh to Rawalakot, is about 140 km of mountain road. Allow four to five hours with a lunch stop in Bagh.
Rawalakot sits at about 1,640 metres, and Banjosa Lake is 18 km beyond it, at about 1,980 metres in pine forest. Get there in the late afternoon, when the day visitors are leaving. You can sleep in the government rest houses and huts by the lake if you have booked ahead, or in a hotel in Rawalakot. Our Banjosa Lake guide has the details.
Day 6: Toli Pir
Toli Pir is about 30 km from Rawalakot, on a narrow road that climbs the whole way to open meadows at about 2,700 metres, where three ridges meet. Allow well over an hour each way and a couple of hours at the top, and start early so the drive down is done in good light.
Spend the afternoon back in Rawalakot or at Banjosa, and have an early night before the drive home.
Day 7: Rawalakot to Islamabad
The direct road drops from Rawalakot to the Jhelum at Azad Pattan and climbs through Kahuta to Islamabad: about 120 km, three to four hours. Leave after breakfast and you will be home by early afternoon, with daylight to spare if a landslide or a checkpoint holds you up.
What to change if things go wrong
If Rawalakot is disrupted. Since June 2026, Rawalakot has been the centre of protests in Azad Kashmir, with strikes, road blockades and the longest internet shutdown in the territory. If the situation has not settled, drop Days 5 and 6 and give the time to the Neelum Valley instead: a second night at Arang Kel or in Sharda, and a jeep day from Kel towards Taobat. Return from Muzaffarabad to Islamabad the way you came. Our guide to whether Azad Kashmir is safe explains the current situation.
If the Neelum Valley is closed. Checkpoints have turned tourists back during India–Pakistan tension, as in May 2025. Swap the valley for two nights in Muzaffarabad with Pir Chinasi, then the Rawalakot half of the loop at a gentler pace.
If a landslide blocks the road. July and August bring the most. Keep Day 3 or Day 6 as a buffer, and never make up lost time by driving after dark.
Who this itinerary suits, and who it doesn't
It suits families and groups who want both sides of Azad Kashmir, the high river valley and the gentler pine hills of Poonch, and who don't mind several long driving days. It works best with a hired car and an experienced mountain driver, so nobody in the family spends the week behind the wheel.
It doesn't suit anyone short of time or patience for the road. If a week of driving sounds like too much, a five-day Neelum trip is calmer: our Neelum Valley Escape covers Keran, Sharda, Kel and Arang Kel in five days with a driver and guide. For rough budgets, see our Azad Kashmir trip cost guide, and for help shaping your own dates and route, our trip planning page.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 days enough for Azad Kashmir?
Seven days is enough for the Neelum Valley as far as Arang Kel plus Muzaffarabad and the Rawalakot area, at a steady pace. Leepa, Taobat and the high lakes such as Ratti Gali need extra days.
Can I do this itinerary in my own car?
Yes, in summer, as far as Kel and on all the roads to Rawalakot and Toli Pir, if the car is in good order and the driver is experienced on mountain roads. Beyond Kel, and to the high lakes, hire a local jeep.
Where should I stay in Neelum Valley on a week-long trip?
Keran for the first and third nights, with the most comfortable riverside hotels, and Arang Kel for one night in between. Sharda is a good alternative to a second night in Keran.
What is the best month for this itinerary?
September, when the monsoon has cleared and the crowds have gone, with June a close second. May and October work too, with colder nights at Arang Kel and Toli Pir.
Do I need a permit for this route?
Pakistani citizens need only their CNIC, shown at checkpoints and hotels. Foreign nationals need an NOC to travel up the Neelum Valley, arranged weeks in advance.
