Chinari is a small riverside bazaar town in Azad Kashmir's Jhelum Valley district, about 51 km by road east of Muzaffarabad and 8 km short of Chakothi, the last town before the Line of Control. It sits at roughly 1,040 metres on the Jhelum, on the paved valley road, and is the jumping-off point for a jeep ride up to Cham waterfall. Most visitors use it as a tea or lunch stop rather than a place to stay.
This guide covers where Chinari sits on the valley road, the waterfall trip, food and rooms, the weather by season, and the security picture, which matters more here than in most of Azad Kashmir because the town is so close to the LoC.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| District | Jhelum Valley (Hattian Bala), Azad Kashmir |
| Altitude | About 1,040 m |
| From Muzaffarabad | About 51 km, 1 to 1.5 hours |
| From Islamabad | About 177 km via Murree and Kohala, 4.5 to 5.5 hours |
| To Chakothi | About 8 km further east |
| Cham waterfall | About an hour by local jeep each way, on a dirt road |
| Distance to the LoC | Roughly 10 km (about 6 miles), by our reading of the map |
| Rooms | A few small hotels in the bazaar |
Weather now in Leepa Valley 1,921 m
Live weather loads here.
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated every 30 minutes. Mountain weather changes fast: check again before you set off.
Where Chinari sits on the Jhelum Valley road
The road east from Muzaffarabad follows the Jhelum upstream through Garhi Dupatta, about 25 km out, and Hattian Bala, about 42 km out, before reaching Chinari. All the distances here are measured on OpenStreetMap road data; drive times are our estimate for a car in normal traffic.
Hattian Bala is the district headquarters. Jhelum Valley became its own district in July 2009, when it was split from Muzaffarabad, and it has three tehsils: Hattian Bala, Chikkar and Leepa. The road to Leepa Valley leaves the main road at Naily, a few kilometres past Hattian Bala and about 6 km short of Chinari, so if you are heading for Leepa you will not pass through Chinari at all.
Beyond Chinari the valley road runs another 8 km to Chakothi, where the old cross-LoC bus and trade crossing to Uri used to operate. Our Chakothi guide covers that end of the road, and our Jhelum Valley route guide covers the whole drive stage by stage.
Cham waterfall: the reason to stop longer
The main reason to give Chinari more than half an hour is Cham waterfall (also written Chamb or Nori Cham) in the hills above the town. Writing in The Friday Times in 2020, a travel writer described it as probably the biggest waterfall in Azad Kashmir, at about 300 metres. That is one writer's estimate, not a surveyed height, but every account agrees it is a tall, multi-stage fall in a steep side valley.
There is no paved road. A 2017 travel account describes a dirt track climbing for about an hour by local Datsun pickup from Chinari, ending near Chamb village, which sits close to the border and has an army presence. The same writer advised leaving ordinary cars in Chinari. That matches what we would expect of a side road in this terrain: after rain it is slippery and rutted, and some sections are narrow with drops.
How to do it:
- Hire a jeep or pickup in Chinari bazaar. Agree the price, the waiting time at the falls and the return time before you set off. No 2025 or 2026 fare has been published that we could find, so ask two drivers.
- Carry your CNIC. Expect at least one checkpoint near the border, and follow whatever the soldiers on duty ask.
- Allow three hours for the round trip, including time at the falls.
- Go in the morning. Afternoon cloud and storms are common in summer, and you want to be back on the main road well before dark.
Two smaller falls are closer to the road. The same Friday Times piece mentions Jaskul waterfall about 2 km from Chinari and a fall it calls Amra Sawan, between Sawan and Chinari; ask locally for directions.
Food and where to stay
Chinari's bazaar has small restaurants and tea stalls, several with the river close by, serving plain Pakistani food: daal, chicken curry, roti and tea. It is a working valley town, not a resort, so don't expect a long menu or late opening.
Rooms are limited. A 2017 account counted two hotels in the main bazaar, one basic and one newer, and we found nothing to suggest a big expansion since. Most visitors stay in Muzaffarabad, just over an hour away, and treat Chinari as a day out. If you do plan to sleep here, arrive early and see the room before you pay, especially on Eid weekends.
Weather by season
Chinari is low by Kashmir standards, so it is warm in summer. No public weather station publishes averages for the town; Open-Meteo's modelled ERA5 data for 2021 to 2025 suggest:
| Season | Typical day | Typical night | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| March and April | 21 to 25°C | 7 to 11°C | Wet, especially March |
| May and June | 29 to 32°C | 15 to 19°C | Moderate |
| July and August | About 30°C | About 21°C | Heaviest of the year, monsoon storms |
| September and October | 26 to 30°C | 12 to 18°C | Fairly dry, clearer skies |
| December to February | 13 to 17°C | 1 to 3°C | Wet spells in January and February; frost possible |
September and October are the best months for the waterfall trip: the track is drier, the falls still carry water from the monsoon, and the skies are clearer. July and August bring the most water over the falls but also the most landslides and road closures.
How to get there
- By car: from Muzaffarabad take the Jhelum Valley road east; it is paved all the way to Chinari. From Islamabad the usual route is through Murree and Kohala to Muzaffarabad, then east.
- By public transport: travel accounts describe direct buses and vans from Rawalpindi's Pirwadhai stand and from Muzaffarabad to Chinari and Chakothi. Timings change, so check the departure the day before.
- When to drive: the AJK Tourism Department's own website advises travelling in daylight, between 7 am and 5 pm. On this road that is sound advice.
Is Chinari safe to visit?
Chinari is very close to the Line of Control. By our reading of the map, the town is roughly 10 km, or about 6 miles, from the LoC east of Chakothi. That puts it inside the zone where the UK government, as of September 2026, advises against all travel: within 10 miles of the LoC. It also advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Azad Kashmir.
Azad Kashmir had serious unrest in 2026. The Joint Awami Action Committee protests from June were the deadliest in years, with at least 24 dead in the first two weeks and over 50 by rights groups' later counts. There were long internet and phone shutdowns, and the AJK government asked tourists to stay away from 5 to 20 June. Pakistani visitors still use the Jhelum Valley road, but check local news and current police advice before you go, and turn back if you are told to. If you hold a foreign passport, your government's advice may say not to go, and travelling against it can void your insurance.
Is Chinari worth the drive?
As a destination in itself, only if you want the waterfall and are comfortable with a rough jeep track near the border. As a lunch stop on a Jhelum Valley day out from Muzaffarabad, it works well and costs little time. It is not on the way to Leepa, so don't plan it as a stop on that trip. Families with young children, anyone who gets carsick on mountain tracks, and overseas visitors whose insurance depends on following their government's advice should skip the waterfall and, for the last group, the town itself. Our guide to Azad Kashmir safety covers the wider picture.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Chinari from Muzaffarabad?
About 51 km by road, which takes one to one and a half hours on the paved Jhelum Valley road.
What is the waterfall near Chinari called?
Cham waterfall, also spelled Chamb and sometimes called Nori Cham. It is reached by a dirt road from Chinari, about an hour each way by local jeep.
Can I drive my own car to Cham waterfall?
It is not advisable. The track is unpaved, steep in places and slippery after rain. Leave your car in Chinari and hire a local jeep or pickup.
Is Chinari on the way to Leepa Valley?
No. The Leepa road leaves the Jhelum Valley road at Naily, a few kilometres past Hattian Bala and about 6 km before Chinari.
Where can I stay in Chinari?
There are only a few small hotels in the bazaar. Most visitors stay in Muzaffarabad and visit Chinari as a day trip.
Is Chinari close to the Line of Control?
Yes. It is roughly 10 km from the LoC, inside the 10-mile zone where the UK advises against all travel. Check local advice before you go, and follow any instructions at checkpoints.
