Kohala Bridge crosses the Jhelum river at Kohala, about 41 km by road beyond Murree and 39 km short of Muzaffarabad, and it is where the main road from Islamabad enters Azad Kashmir. Almost everyone driving from Islamabad or Lahore to Muzaffarabad, Bagh or the Neelum valley crosses here. From central Islamabad it is about 88 km, which we measured on OpenStreetMap routing, usually an hour and a half to two hours depending on Murree traffic.
This guide covers the bridge's history, the crossing today, the alternative route when Kohala is jammed, the riverside stops and how to time the drive.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Crosses | The Jhelum river |
| Islamabad to Kohala | About 88 km via the Murree Expressway |
| Murree to Kohala | About 41 km |
| Kohala to Muzaffarabad | About 39 km |
| Islamabad to Muzaffarabad via Kohala | About 126 to 131 km |
| Other route | Via Mansehra and Garhi Habibullah, about 192 km from Islamabad |
| Bring | CNIC for Pakistanis; passport and visa for foreign nationals |
Weather now in Muzaffarabad 737 m
Live weather loads here.
When it snows: Rare in the city; the hills around it get snow. More on the seasons
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated every 30 minutes. Mountain weather changes fast: check again before you set off.
Distances were measured on OpenStreetMap data (OSRM) in October 2026; Wikipedia gives 38 km from Murree and 35 km to Muzaffarabad, the difference being where in each town you start counting.
Why there is a bridge at Kohala at all
Kohala sits at a natural crossing point on the Jhelum, on one of the old land routes between Punjab and Kashmir. Caravans from Kashmir reportedly stopped here after crossing the river to rest their animals, and one theory links the name to Kohala Devi, a goddess worshipped on the riverbanks before Islam arrived. Under British rule it had a rest house, a telegraph office opened in 1880 and a bazaar that stayed busy until 1947, when Kohala became a border town between Pakistan and the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Today three jurisdictions meet around the crossing. Kohala town is on the Punjab side, the present bridge stands at the edge of Birote Kalan in Abbottabad district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and across the river is Azad Kashmir.
A river that has taken bridges down
The bridge has had a difficult relationship with the Jhelum:
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1877 | First bridge built |
| 1890 | Destroyed by flood |
| 1899 | A transportable steel bridge put up |
| 1990 | Swept away in a flood |
| 1993 | The present bridge built, a little upstream, at Birote Kalan |
That history is worth keeping in mind if you are crossing in the monsoon. This is a river that has taken two bridges down, and heavy rain upstream raises it fast.
The crossing today
The present bridge is a two-lane crossing on the main Murree to Muzaffarabad road, used by cars, coasters and vans all day. On the far side the road continues into AJK along the Jhelum to Muzaffarabad, about 39 km on.
Expect an ID check on the way into Azad Kashmir, so keep your CNIC to hand. Foreign nationals should carry a passport and visa and check whether they need a No Objection Certificate for the areas beyond Muzaffarabad; our NOC for Azad Kashmir guide explains the current rules.
Traffic backs up on busy days, particularly around Eid and on summer weekends when the whole Murree road is heavier. Give yourself extra time on those dates.
The other way in: via Mansehra and Garhi Habibullah
Kohala is not the only road to Muzaffarabad. The second route leaves the Hazara Motorway at Mansehra and crosses into AJK at Garhi Habibullah. From Islamabad it is about 192 km, against about 126 km via Kohala, so it is slower in normal conditions. It makes sense in three cases:
- If you are coming from Abbottabad, since Abbottabad to Muzaffarabad by Mansehra is only about 84 km.
- If you are combining AJK with Naran and Kaghan, since Mansehra is on the way.
- If Murree is gridlocked, as it can be on snow weekends and Eid holidays, or the Kohala road is blocked.
Our Abbottabad to Muzaffarabad guide covers that road, and Islamabad to Muzaffarabad compares the two.
Riverside stops at Kohala
The stretch of road on both sides of the bridge has long been a natural place to stop. Dhabas and small roadside restaurants sit above the riverbank on both approaches, serving simple food, tea and cold drinks. None of them are destinations in their own right; they are working stops for a drive that still has mountain road ahead of it. Our best food in Muzaffarabad guide is better if you want a proper meal.
If you are travelling with children or anyone prone to travel sickness, Kohala is a sensible place to pause: the road down from Murree is a long run of bends, and the road on to Muzaffarabad follows the river's curves.
Traffic tips for the Kohala crossing
- Leave early. An early start from Islamabad gets you through Murree and Kohala before the traffic builds.
- Avoid peak days if you can. Eid, long weekends and summer Fridays and Saturdays bring the heaviest queues.
- Fill up in Islamabad or Murree, so a queue at Kohala is not also a fuel worry.
- Keep ID accessible rather than packed away.
- Check the weather in the monsoon. Heavy rain upstream affects river levels and can bring landslides onto the approach roads.
- Check AJK news before you set off. During the 2026 protests the AJK government asked tourists to stay away from 5 to 20 June, and road blockades and internet shutdowns followed.
Is Kohala worth stopping for on its own?
Not as a destination, but as a waypoint, yes. It marks the real start of Azad Kashmir for anyone driving up from Punjab, and a short stop for tea is a sensible break in a drive of three hours or more from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad. For what to do once you are through, see places to visit in Muzaffarabad, and for the wider region, our Kashmir destination page.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kohala Bridge?
It crosses the Jhelum at Kohala, about 41 km by road beyond Murree and 39 km before Muzaffarabad, about 88 km from central Islamabad.
Do you need ID to cross Kohala Bridge?
Yes. Expect an ID check on the way into Azad Kashmir. Pakistani travellers should carry their CNIC, and foreign nationals their passport and visa.
Has Kohala Bridge been destroyed by floods before?
Yes, twice. The first bridge, built in 1877, was destroyed in 1890, and its 1899 replacement was swept away in 1990. The current bridge dates from 1993.
Is there another road to Muzaffarabad besides Kohala?
Yes, via Mansehra and Garhi Habibullah. It is about 192 km from Islamabad against about 126 km via Kohala, but it is shorter from Abbottabad.
Is the road through Kohala to Muzaffarabad safe?
The road is used daily. As of September 2026 the UK government advises against all but essential travel to Azad Kashmir generally, and against all travel within 10 miles of the Line of Control. The 2026 protests also brought road blockades, so check current advice and local news, and watch for monsoon landslides.
