Best Places to See Snowfall in Azad Kashmir

For snowfall in Azad Kashmir that you can reach by car, the four places to know are Pir Chinasi above Muzaffarabad, Banjosa Lake and Toli Pir near Rawalakot, and Sudhan Gali on the road to Bagh. Snow usually lies at all four from late December to February, and the highest, Toli Pir and Pir Chinasi, can see it from November into March. Muzaffarabad city itself almost never gets any, so you have to drive up for it.

This guide compares the four spots, explains when the snow usually comes, and covers the part that matters most: getting up and down a snowy mountain road safely.

When does it snow in Azad Kashmir?

The hill country gets most of its snow from late December to February, with the heaviest falls often coming in late-winter storms. In late January 2026, for example, snow closed the roads to Pir Chinasi, Sudhan Gali, the upper Neelum and Leepa at the same time.

The higher you go, the longer the season. Toli Pir and Pir Chinasi can turn white in November, and in early October 2025 there was even a light fall on Makra peak above Muzaffarabad. Banjosa, lower down, is more reliably a December-to-February place. For temperatures month by month, see our Azad Kashmir weather guide.

No date is guaranteed, and some winters bring more rain and slush than snow. Watch the forecast and go a day or two after a fall, once the sky has cleared and the roads have been opened.

Pir Chinasi: the easiest snow from Muzaffarabad

Pir Chinasi is a ridge about 30 kilometres east of Muzaffarabad, topped by the shrine of Syed Hussain Shah Bukhari at about 2,900 metres. Being the highest of the four and the closest to a city makes it the most practical snow trip in Azad Kashmir.

• Getting there: Islamabad to Muzaffarabad is about 135 km and three and a half to four hours. From Muzaffarabad the road climbs steeply through Saran to the top, roughly an hour in clear conditions and much longer on snow.
• What to expect: open snowfields on the ridge and wide views over Muzaffarabad and the surrounding hills. It is exposed and very cold in the wind.
• Where to stay: in Muzaffarabad, which has the widest choice of hotels in Azad Kashmir. There is a small AJK Tourism rest house at Saran on the way up, which must be booked ahead.

The road is closed after heavy snow until it is cleared, and the last stretch can be icy for days afterwards. Our Pir Chinasi guide covers the road, the shrine and the facilities in detail.

Banjosa Lake: snow under the pines

Banjosa is a small man-made lake in pine forest, 18 kilometres from Rawalakot at about 1,980 metres. After a snowfall the trees and the rest houses around the water turn white, and in the coldest weeks the lake can freeze over.

• Getting there: Islamabad to Rawalakot is about 120 km via Kahuta and Azad Pattan, allow three to four hours, and the lake is 30 to 40 minutes further on.
• What to expect: a gentler, more sheltered snow scene than Pir Chinasi, easy to enjoy with children, and night temperatures down to around −5°C.
• Where to stay: the AJK Tourism and Archaeology Department, the Public Works Department and the Pearl Development Authority all have rest houses and huts by the lake, and Rawalakot has more hotels.

Don't walk on the frozen lake. Nobody checks the thickness of the ice. More on the lake itself is in our Banjosa Lake guide.

Toli Pir: the most snow, the hardest road

Toli Pir is the high ground north-east of Rawalakot, at about 2,700 metres, where three ridges meet in open meadows inside the Tolipir National Park. It holds snow longer than anywhere else near Rawalakot, but it is also the least accessible in midwinter.

• Getting there: about 30 km from Rawalakot on a narrow road that climbs the whole way. Allow well over an hour each way in good conditions.
• What to expect: deep snow and wide views when you can get up, and a road that is often blocked or icy from December to February. Tourists have been stranded here in winter.
• Best timing: late November, early December or March, when there is snow on the top but the road is more likely to be passable. In midwinter, ask in Rawalakot before setting off, and go only in a 4x4 with a local driver.

Our guide to places to visit in Rawalakot covers Toli Pir in summer, when it is a very different trip.

Sudhan Gali: deep snow on the Bagh road

Sudhan Gali is a village at about 2,140 metres on the road between Muzaffarabad and Bagh, below the Ganga Choti ridge. It gets some of the heaviest snow of any place with a proper road in Azad Kashmir; a UNICEF assessment after the 2005 earthquake reported about 12 feet of snow there the winter before.

• Getting there: from Muzaffarabad via Chikar, or from Bagh. Buses and vans run on the road when it is open.
• What to expect: a real mountain winter, with snow banked beside the road and far fewer visitors than Pir Chinasi.
• Where to stay: Bagh has the most choice. There are also rest houses at Sudhan Gali, which should be booked ahead.

The road over Sudhan Gali is one of the first to close in a heavy fall, as it did in January 2026. It suits people who already know winter driving, not a first snow trip.

Other snow you may hear about

• The upper Neelum Valley and Leepa get heavy snow, but in winter they are cut off for days at a time and lie along the Line of Control. They are not realistic snow trips for most families.
• Lasdana and Mahmood Gali, on the mountain roads east of Bagh, were also closed by the January 2026 snow. They get plenty of it, but they are further from help if you get stuck.

Driving to the snow safely

In January 2022, 23 people died when thousands of cars were trapped by a snowstorm in Murree, some from the cold and some from carbon monoxide after snow blocked their exhausts. The same risks apply on every snowy road in Azad Kashmir. We plan winter trips around a few rules:

1. Go after the snow, not during it. Check the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast at pmd.gov.pk and leave once a fall has stopped and the road has been cleared.
2. Use the right vehicle. A 4x4, or at least snow chains you have practised fitting, or hire a local jeep and driver for the last climb.
3. Drive in daylight only. Aim to be heading down by early afternoon; roads refreeze quickly after sunset.
4. Keep the tank full and carry water, food, blankets and a charged power bank.
5. If you are stuck, don't sit with the engine running unless the exhaust is clear of snow, and open a window a little.
6. Turn back if the police or locals tell you to, or if you are no longer sure you can get down.

Indoors, take the same care with gas heaters. Don't sleep with an unflued heater burning in a closed room.

Which snow spot should you choose?

For a first snow trip, or with young children, go to Pir Chinasi and stay in Muzaffarabad. It is the most reliable, the closest to a city, and you can turn back easily if the road is bad.

For a quieter night in the snow, Banjosa is the pick, once Rawalakot is calm again, with a rest house by the lake.

For deep snow and an adventure, Toli Pir or Sudhan Gali, but only with a 4x4, a local driver and flexible dates.

If you only have a day from Islamabad, it is possible to reach Pir Chinasi and come back, but it is a very long day on winter roads. The Galiyat and Murree are closer if a day is all you have. For how winter fits with the rest of the year, see our page on when to go.

Frequently asked questions