Azad Kashmir

Kashmir

Where paradise meets peace

Weather now in Keran, Neelum Valley 1,524 m

Live weather loads here.

When it snows: Heavy snow through the winter, still likely in February; snow lingers above Sharda into March. 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.

The place

Where paradise meets peace

Lower, greener and softer than the Karakoram, Azad Kashmir is the north for travellers who would rather walk under pines than over scree. The Neelum river runs the length of it.

Region: Azad Kashmir
Best time: May to September. The high lakes clear of snow later than the valley floor, usually from late June.
Getting there: Road from Islamabad through Muzaffarabad, then up the Neelum valley. No flights.

Highlights

What people come for

Neelum Valley

A river road that climbs slowly past Keran and Sharda, with the water never out of earshot.

Arang Kel

A meadow village above Kel, reached by chairlift and then on foot, and worth staying the night for.

Sharda

Riverside ruins of an old centre of learning, with some of the best light in the valley.

Ratti Gali and the high lakes

Alpine lakes above the treeline, open for a short season and reached by jeep and foot.

Plan your trip

Getting there, seasons and what to expect

Getting to the Neelum valley

There are no flights, so every trip starts by road. Muzaffarabad is about 130 km from Islamabad through Murree and the Kohala bridge, usually 3 to 4 hours depending on traffic in the Murree hills. From Lahore it is about 410 km, most of it on the motorway to Islamabad. From Muzaffarabad the Neelum road follows the river north: Keran is about 90 km and roughly three hours further, Sharda about 40 km beyond Keran, and Kel another 20 km after that. In practice that makes Keran a full day from Islamabad, and Sharda or Kel a very long one, which is why most plans break the drive in Keran or Sharda. The valley is a dead end for ordinary traffic, so you return the same way, and the drive back from Kel to Islamabad is another long day.

Neelum month by month

May to September is the main season. In April and May the lower valley is green while the upper villages and the passes still hold snow. June and July are the busiest months, with school holidays and Eid crowds on the road through Murree. July and August bring monsoon rain and landslides; the NDMA lists the link roads to Sharda, Athmuqam and Arang Kel among the stretches most at risk, as it did in early June 2026. Ratti Gali Lake, at 3,683 m, is usually reached from about July to September, once the snow has gone from the track and the shore. September and October are clear, quieter and colder at night. The first snow usually comes in November, and through the winter the upper valley above Kel is often cut off, so check before booking a winter trip.

How many days does Neelum need?

Three days is the least for a worthwhile trip: one day up to Keran or Sharda, one day for the river villages and the old ruins at Sharda, and one day back. Five days lets you reach Kel and spend a night at Arang Kel, which is how our five-day Neelum Valley trip runs, with the long drive back broken in Muzaffarabad. Add one or two days for Ratti Gali Lake, which is a long jeep ride and walk from Dowarian, or for the unpaved road from Kel to Taobat near the top of the valley. Because everything lies on one road with the same road back, an extra day costs less driving than it does in most northern trips, and it takes the pressure off if a rockfall holds you up.

Roads, jeeps and the walk to Arang Kel

The Neelum road is paved most of the way to Kel, but it is narrow, broken in places, and exposed to falling rock and landslides. On 30 March 2026 a rockfall at Kel Seri closed the Kel to Sharda road for about 30 hours until army and public works crews cleared it. Arang Kel, at 2,554 m, has no road: from Kel a chairlift carries you part of the way up, and the rest is a steep walk, usually 30 minutes to an hour. Walking the whole way from Kel takes longer. Above Kel, the road to Taobat is unpaved and needs a jeep. For Ratti Gali, jeeps cover most of the 16 to 19 km from Dowarian. After a fatal jeep crash on that track in July 2024, the district administration took unfit and modified vehicles off the road.

Where to stay in the Neelum valley

Muzaffarabad has the most hotels and makes sense for the first or last night if you arrive late or want to shorten the final drive. In the valley, Keran and Sharda have riverside guesthouses and small hotels, and Kel has a smaller cluster that suits an early start for Arang Kel. Arang Kel itself has simple wooden guesthouses with basic rooms, and a night there is the main reason many people make the trip. For Ratti Gali, plan a long day up and back from the valley floor. Since January 2025 the district administration has used a Safe Tourism app to record where visitors are staying, so expect your guesthouse to ask for your CNIC and contact details. Book ahead for June, July and the Eid weeks.

Money, signal and practicalities

Draw cash before you leave Muzaffarabad; there are some bank machines further up the valley, but they are few and may not be working when you need them, and most guesthouses and jeep drivers take cash only. Mobile coverage thins out as you go up the valley. SCOM, which covers both Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, came first for coverage and speed in the PTA's survey for the second quarter of 2026, though the survey tested only Muzaffarabad among AJK's towns. Internet service has also been cut for long periods in 2026: from early June, mobile internet was suspended across Azad Kashmir, broadband came back on 13 September after 99 days, and mobile data was restored in phases; we could not confirm that it is fully back everywhere. Tell family at home how to reach your guesthouse, and carry a power bank.

Is it safe to visit Neelum? November 2026

Pakistani families still travel to Neelum, but 2026 has been difficult. The Joint Awami Action Committee protests from June were the deadliest unrest in Azad Kashmir in years, and the AJK government asked tourists to stay away from 5 to 20 June and told those already there to leave. In May 2025, during the India-Pakistan tensions, tourists were turned back from Neelum for about two weeks. Check local news and police advice before you set out. The UK advises against all travel within 10 miles of the Line of Control, which covers Keran, Sharda and Kel, and against all but essential travel to the rest of Azad Kashmir; foreign visitors may also need advance permission for some districts. Overseas visitors should read their own government's advice, because travelling against it can void insurance.

Questions people ask

Is the Neelum valley safe to visit now?

Pakistani visitors do travel there, and as of early November 2026 we know of no general ban on tourists. But in June 2026 the AJK government asked visitors to leave during the protests, and the valley runs along the Line of Control, where tension with India has closed it to tourists before. Check local news and police advice just before you travel. Foreign visitors should check their own government's advice, which may say not to go.

How long does it take to reach Neelum from Islamabad?

Allow about 3 to 4 hours to Muzaffarabad, then roughly 3 more to Keran, so Keran is a full day. Sharda is about another 40 km and Kel another 20 km beyond that, on a slower road, so reaching Kel in one day means a very early start. Traffic in Murree at weekends and landslides after rain can add hours.

Can foreigners visit the Neelum valley?

It depends on where in the valley. The government removed the general NOC requirement for foreigners in Azad Kashmir in 2019, except for areas close to the Line of Control, and the UK advice says advance permission is needed for several AJK districts. Much of the Neelum valley lies near the Line of Control, so foreign passport holders should check the current rules and their own government's advice before planning.

When can you visit Ratti Gali Lake?

Usually from about July to September. Before July the lake and the track above Dowarian are normally still under snow, and from October the weather turns quickly. Jeeps cover most of the 16 to 19 km from Dowarian, and the rest is on foot. Go only with a registered jeep in sound condition, and start early, because the weather around the lake often turns in the afternoon.

How do you get up to Arang Kel?

From Kel, a chairlift carries you part of the way up, and you walk the rest, a steep climb that usually takes 30 minutes to an hour. You can also walk the whole way from Kel, which takes longer. There is no road for cars, so pack a small overnight bag rather than a large suitcase if you plan to stay.

Does mobile internet work in the Neelum valley?

Only in parts. Coverage is reasonable in Muzaffarabad and weaker higher up the valley, with SCOM generally the most dependable network. In 2026 the AJK authorities also suspended mobile internet for long periods during the protests, restoring it in phases from late August. Do not count on mobile data for maps or payments, and download what you need before you leave Muzaffarabad.

Tour packages