Itineraries
Murree and Nathia Gali Trip Plan from Lahore
A three-day Murree and Nathia Gali trip plan from Lahore, covering the drive, a day at Ayubia in between, and where to base yourself each night.
Tour package · 2 days
Murree, Nathia Gali and Ayubia weekend
Murree is the closest hill station to Islamabad, and the Galiyat beyond it, Nathia Gali, Dunga Gali and Ayubia, are the quieter half of the same ridge. This weekend drives up through Murree, rides the Patriata chairlift when it is running, sleeps in Nathia Gali at about 2,400 m and walks the level Pipeline Track through Ayubia National Park. Walkers can add Mukshpuri or Miranjani, the two highest tops in the Galiyat. From Lahore the motorway adds four and a half to five hours each way, so we suggest coming to Islamabad the evening before.
- Duration
- 2 days, 1 nights
- Pickup from
- Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore
- Best months
- March to November; December to February for snow, under the winter traffic rules
- Effort
- Easy: road travel and a level 4 km forest walk, with an optional steeper hike
- Highest point
- About 2,400 m at Nathia Gali; 2,800 m at Mukshpuri or 2,992 m at Miranjani on the optional hikes
- Price
- On request
The route
Day by day
- The TDCP chairlift at Patriata in New Murree, and its cable car when that is running
- A night in Nathia Gali, with St Matthew's, the wooden church from the British period
- The Pipeline Track, about 4 km of level, shaded path from Dunga Gali to Ayubia
- Ayubia National Park, 33 square kilometres of protected forest
- Optional hikes to Mukshpuri (2,800 m) from Dunga Gali or Miranjani (2,992 m) from Nathia Gali
- The ridge road through Changla Gali and Khaira Gali between Murree and Nathia Gali
Good for: Families, Couples, Friends, A weekend from Islamabad or Lahore.
A private trip for your group. Dates, pace and hotels are set around you and confirmed in writing with your quote.
Travel note, October 2026: the first snow of the winter fell on Nathia Gali, Ayubia and the other Galiyat on 24 and 25 October, about 15 cm by the Galiyat Development Authority's count. Ploughs cleared the Abbottabad to Nathia Gali road, and traffic police asked tourists not to drive in the hills after sunset. Expect cold nights from now on, and from December the Murree snow rules below.
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Day 1
Islamabad to Murree, Patriata and Nathia Gali
We collect you in the morning and take the Murree Expressway to Murree, about 60 km. At weekends the last stretch into Murree can be very slow, so an early start matters. Patriata, about 20 km beyond Murree, has the TDCP chairlift and cable car. The cable car was suspended in June 2026 for a new rope to be fitted, and both lifts close for maintenance some weeks each year, so we check what is running that morning. After lunch we follow the ridge road north through Changla Gali and Khaira Gali to Nathia Gali, about 35 km, in time for an evening walk.
Drive: About 60 km to Murree, 20 km to Patriata, then 35 km to Nathia Gali · Night: Nathia Gali
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Day 2
The Pipeline Track and home
After breakfast we drop you at Dunga Gali, about 4 km from Nathia Gali, for the Pipeline Track: roughly 4 km of level, shaded path through Ayubia National Park, an easy hour or so at a family pace. The car meets you at Ayubia. Fit walkers can instead climb Mukshpuri from Dunga Gali or Miranjani from Nathia Gali, each half a day there and back. We leave for home by mid-afternoon to be off the hill roads before dark, choosing between the Murree road and the longer Abbottabad and Hazara Motorway route depending on traffic.
Drive: About 85 to 140 km home, depending on the route
The detail
What your quote covers
What is included
- Private car or coaster with driver, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle when snow calls for one
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- One night in a Nathia Gali hotel, on a twin or family-share basis
- Breakfast
- Drop at Dunga Gali and pickup at Ayubia for the Pipeline Track
- A tour coordinator on call throughout
What is not
- Lunches and dinners
- Patriata chairlift and cable car tickets, and the Ayubia park entry fee, paid at the gate
- A local guide for Mukshpuri or Miranjani, if you want one
- Personal costs such as snacks, shopping and tips
- Travel and medical insurance
Good to know before you book
What are the winter rules for Murree and the Galiyat?
After 23 people died in cars trapped by snow in January 2022, the authorities now count vehicles entering Murree in heavy snow and stop tourist traffic when the roads are full; in January 2026 only tourists with confirmed hotel bookings were let in. Murree traffic police ask drivers to use four-wheel-drive vehicles in snowfall, keep tanks full and carry warm clothing, and the Galiyat police say to avoid the hills after dark. We book your room before you leave and plan to arrive in daylight.
Is the Ayubia chairlift running?
The Galiyat Development Authority closed it in October 2021 on safety grounds; it was installed in 1965. In July 2026 the chief minister's special assistant on tourism said restoration work was complete and it would reopen soon, but we have not been able to confirm that it is carrying passengers. Patriata, near Murree, is the chairlift we plan around. If Ayubia is running on your day, we can stop there on the way home.
How hard are the walks?
The Pipeline Track is level and easy, suitable for grandparents and children who can walk an hour or so, but it is an earth track: muddy after rain and often under snow and ice from December to February, when it is not suitable for pushchairs. Mukshpuri and Miranjani are proper climbs on steep forest paths. Wear shoes with good grip, carry water, start in the morning and turn back if cloud or fog comes down.
Can we do this weekend from Lahore?
Yes, but it is a lot of driving for two days. The M-2 motorway from Lahore to Islamabad is 375 km, four and a half to five hours, before the hills begin. We suggest driving up on Friday evening and spending the night in Islamabad, or asking us for a three-day version with a second night in the Galiyat.
Which months are best?
April to June has long, mild days for walking. July and August are the monsoon months, with fog, heavy showers and the odd landslide, but the forest is at its greenest. September to November is usually drier and clearer, and the first snow can come in late October, as it did in 2026. December to February is snow season, with the busiest weekends and the traffic rules above.
Before you go
Read up on the route
Galiyat
Driving in Galiyat Snow: Chains, Black Ice and When to Turn Back
Galiyat snow driving done safely: where black ice forms, fitting and using chains, parking in snow, what to do if you are stuck, and when to turn back.
Murree Hills
Patriata Chairlift and Cable Car: Tickets, Timings and Tips
Patriata chairlift and cable car ticket prices for 2026, opening hours, how long the queue takes, when it closes for weather and maintenance, and what is at the top.
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