A river running between green and brown mountainsides

Azad Jammu & Kashmir · 1,500 – 3,700 m

Azad Kashmir

The Neelum river, and forest all the way up it.

The place

The Neelum river, and forest all the way up it.

The Neelum valley runs 200 kilometres north-east from Muzaffarabad along a river the colour of its name, with the Line of Control on the far bank for much of it.

Keran, Sharda, Kel and Arang Kel come in that order, each greener than the last. Ratti Gali Lake above Dowarian is the walk most people do, and it is worth the horses.

1,500
Metres above sea level: May – October
Best months: 3 – 6 days
Worth staying

Trees along the edge of a lake with mountains behind

Pine forest on a mountainside under a clear sky

Horses crossing a shallow stream in a mountain meadow

What people do here

Worth the detour.

Ratti Gali Lake

3,700 m, and a full day up from Dowarian on foot or horseback.

Arang Kel

A meadow village above Kel, reached by chairlift and then a climb.

Journeys

Ways to travel here.

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No journeys listed here yet.

Nothing is listed here yet. Try the wider region in the meantime.

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Before you go

The practical part.

Getting there: 8 hours from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad, then up the valley.
Permits: Foreign nationals need a No Objection Certificate for parts of the valley. Arrange it well ahead.
Connectivity: Intermittent. Pakistani networks only; roaming does not work near the LoC.
Seasons: Summer (June – September), Autumn (September – October)

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