Noori Top is a pass at close to 4,000 metres on the ridge between the Kaghan Valley and the Neelum Valley of Azad Kashmir. An unpaved jeep track of about 47 km crosses it, from Jalkhad, 40 km above Naran on the Babusar road, down to Sharda on the Neelum river. It is usually passable only from about July to September, it needs a high-clearance 4x4 with a driver who knows it, and it takes three to four hours of driving without stops, so plan on a full day.
This guide covers when the track opens, what it is like to drive, how to arrange a jeep, the security picture on the Neelum side, and whether the crossing is worth it compared with treating Kaghan and Neelum as two separate trips.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Altitude of the pass | Roughly 3,950 m (sources vary slightly) |
| Route | Jalkhad (Kaghan Valley) to Sharda (Neelum Valley) |
| Track length | About 47 km, unpaved |
| Driving time | 3 to 4 hours without stops |
| Usually passable | About July to September |
| Vehicle | High-clearance 4x4, ideally a local jeep and driver |
| Services on the way | None: no fuel, workshops or shops |
| Sharda | 1,981 m, on the Neelum river |
Where is Noori Top?
Jalkhad is a small roadside settlement on the N-15, about 40 km above Naran on the way to Babusar. The Noori Top track leaves the paved road here, climbs a side valley and crosses the watershed at the pass, on the boundary between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir.
On the far side the track drops down the Surgan Nullah, a side valley whose stream joins the Neelum river opposite Sharda. You lose around 2,000 metres of height between the top and Sharda.
You will also see the pass called Noori Nar or Noori Pass. Noori Lake is a short walk from the top. Trekkers also cross this ridge on foot to the lakes around Ratti Gali over several days, a different undertaking from the jeep crossing; our Ratti Gali Lake guide covers the usual approach from the Neelum side.
When is the Noori Top road open?
In a normal year the track is passable from about July to September, and in some years into early October. Outside that window it is shut by snow, and in late spring the melt brings mud, rockfall and swollen streams. Treat any date, including these, as a guide: the opening depends on the winter's snow.
Two things narrow the window further:
- The Kaghan Valley road has to be open. The Mansehra–Naran–Jalkhad road was closed from November 2025 and was still being cleared of snow in late April 2026. Our guide to whether the Naran road is open explains how the valley road opens each spring.
- Monsoon rain. July and August bring heavy showers. An unpaved track at this height turns to mud quickly, and a single landslide can block it for days.
Ask drivers in Naran or Sharda the evening before. They will know whether anyone has crossed in the last day or two, which is the only status update that counts.
What is the track like?
The track is rough from start to finish. Expect loose rock, gravel, mud, stream crossings and a long series of tight hairpins. In places it is only one vehicle wide, with steep drops on the outside, and oncoming traffic has to wait at a wider spot. It is not regularly maintained, so a stretch that was fine last month may have washed out since.
There is nothing on the way: no fuel, no mechanic, no shop, and you should not count on mobile signal. Anyone crossing in their own vehicle should travel with at least one other, so that a puncture or a stuck wheel does not leave a family alone at 3,500 metres.
At the top it is cold and windy even in August, and cloud can come in fast. The climb is quick, so move slowly at the top, keep the stop short, and go down if anyone develops a bad headache or nausea.
How the crossing works
Most people cross from the Kaghan side, starting from Naran. A typical day runs like this:
- Leave Naran early, ideally by 7 in the morning. The first 40 km to Jalkhad is on the paved N-15 towards Babusar.
- Turn off at Jalkhad. From here the jeep climbs slowly on the unpaved track, stopping at stream crossings and to let others pass.
- The pass. Take your photographs, walk over to Noori Lake if everyone is feeling well, and keep the stop to under an hour.
- The descent down the Surgan Nullah, hard on the brakes and on anyone prone to car sickness.
- Sharda by the afternoon, with time to find a room before dark. From Sharda the main Neelum road runs up to Kel or back towards Muzaffarabad.
From the Sharda side the same rules apply: start early, and never set off in rain. Our guide to places to visit in the Neelum Valley covers what to see once you are across.
Hiring a jeep, or taking your own vehicle
There is no officially notified fare for Noori Top. The Balakot administration's fixed jeep fares for 2026 cover Babusar, Lake Saif-ul-Malook, Lalazar, Shogran and Siri Paye, but not this crossing, so the price is whatever you agree.
When you negotiate, settle these points before anyone gets in:
- The whole route. Naran to Sharda, not just to the top.
- The driver's return. The jeep has to come back over the pass empty, and that is part of the price.
- Waiting and stops. How long at the top, and whether a detour to the lake is included.
- What happens if the track is blocked. Whether you turn back and pay part of the fare, or wait.
Drivers from both Naran and Sharda make the crossing. Ask your hotel for one who has done it recently.
Your own vehicle. A proper 4x4 with good ground clearance, driven by someone experienced on unpaved mountain tracks, can make it in dry weather, ideally with a second vehicle. A normal car, however well driven, should not attempt it. Some motorcyclists ride it, but a fall on the descent is a long way from help.
Is it safe?
There are two separate questions: the track and the Neelum side.
The track is manageable with an experienced driver, in dry weather, in the summer window. Avoid the three things that make it riskier: rain, a tired or inexperienced driver, and an overloaded vehicle.
The Neelum side has a security dimension that the Kaghan side does not. Much of the upper Neelum Valley lies close to the Line of Control, and in early May 2025, during the India–Pakistan confrontation, police and army checkpoints turned tourists back while only residents were allowed through. The valley reopened to visitors by mid-May 2025. In June 2026 the Azad Kashmir government also asked visitors to leave ahead of a major strike called by the Joint Awami Action Committee.
Pakistani visitors travel to Sharda every summer, and identity checks are routine, so carry your CNIC. Before you cross, check local news and current police advice in Naran or Sharda, and don't go if the valley has been closed to visitors.
Overseas visitors should know that the UK government advises against all travel to Azad Kashmir within 10 miles of the Line of Control, which covers most of the Neelum Valley, and against all but essential travel to the rest of Azad Kashmir. Check your own government's current travel advice; going against it can void your travel insurance.
Is Noori Top worth it?
For the right traveller, yes. It turns Kaghan and Neelum into one journey instead of two out-and-back trips, across country few visitors see.
It suits:
- Experienced travellers already in Naran who want to carry on into Neelum rather than drive back down through Balakot and Muzaffarabad.
- 4x4 and motorbike groups travelling with more than one vehicle.
- Anyone with spare days, because a closed track means turning round.
It does not suit families with young children or older parents, anyone who struggles with heights or car sickness, or a trip with a fixed return date. For them the sensible plan is the one most people follow: Kaghan as one trip, Neelum as another, both by paved road. Our comparison of Neelum Valley and Naran will help you choose between them, and our Neelum Valley Escape reaches Sharda, Kel and Arang Kel from Islamabad by the main valley road over five days, with no pass to cross.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Noori Top?
On the ridge between the Kaghan Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir. The jeep track to it starts at Jalkhad, about 40 km above Naran, and comes down at Sharda.
How high is Noori Top?
Close to 4,000 metres; most sources put it at around 3,950 metres. Sharda, at the Neelum end, is at 1,981 metres.
When is the Noori Top road open?
Usually from about July to September, and sometimes into early October, depending on the snow. Check with jeep drivers in Naran or Sharda the day before, because a landslide or heavy rain can close it at any time.
Can a car go to Noori Top?
No. The track is unpaved, steep and narrow, with stream crossings, and it needs a high-clearance 4x4. Most people hire a local jeep with a driver who has crossed recently.
How long does it take from Naran to Sharda via Noori Top?
The track itself takes three to four hours of driving from Jalkhad, plus about 40 km of paved road from Naran. With stops, plan on most of a day and aim to reach Sharda by mid-afternoon.
Do I need a permit to cross Noori Top?
Pakistani visitors need only their CNIC, and should expect identity checks on the Neelum side. Check current police advice before crossing, since the Neelum Valley has been closed to visitors at short notice during periods of tension.
