Azad Kashmir Tour Packages
Kashmir is a piece of heaven on Earth. There are several valleys in the region of Azad Kashmir. Without a doubt, the most beautiful among them would be Neelum Valley. The beauty of this valley and other scenic places in Azad Kashmir has encouraged us to introduce the Neelum Valley Tour Packages 2024 and the Kashmir Tour Packages 2024. These packages are well-researched and planned for a stress-free, luxurious, and adventurous experience.
Client Category of Customized Neelum Valley Trips and Kashmir Trips:
- Neelum Valley Couple / Honeymoon Tour Packages are designed to help the newlyweds cherish the new life together with all the luxury and solitude, surrounded by beautiful nature.
- Neelum Valley Family Tour Packages are designed to ensure a fun, luxurious, and secure environment for your loved ones to intensify the blood bond and acquire memories for a lifetime.
- Neelum Valley Student / Friends Group Tour Packages are designed to have all the fun, engaging activities and games for laughing together, dancing together, and, more importantly, exploring the adventurous destinations together without the hassle of planning all the bits of the tour. You only have to decide what to pack for that memorable tour with your besties.
- Neelum Valley Corporate Groups Tour Packages are designed to create an environment for the employees to develop a closer connection with each other, enhance their potential for team building, and entertain themselves with nature outside their usual office environment.
We have
- Neelum Valley Tours from Lahore
- Neelum Valley Tours from Karachi
- Neelum Valley Tours from Islamabad
You can also customize these tours from other cities in Pakistan.
Neelum Valley
Neelum Valley is Pakistan's northmost part of Kashmir, an actual piece of heaven on Earth. It starts from Patihka Town in Muzaffarabad and ends at Kel Town, as does the Neelum Valley Road, and then we enter Gurez Valley. The road is asphalt till the Dowarian Bazaar and unpaved onwards till Kel. On this road, you will witness the Line of Control with Indian-Occupied Kashmir, on and off, throughout your journey with the heaven-like views of Kashmir Valley. Neelum Valley shares its boundary with Khaybar Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, and Indian-Occupied Kashmir at the Line Of Control. Before the partition of the sub-continent, Neelum Valley was known as the Kishanganga Valley. The part of Neelum in India is still known with this name. The river flowing through the valley is known as the Neelum River.
Keran Village
Keran is a small village of Neelum, which is a unique tourist attraction, as the other part of the village is located in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir. You can see people, tiny houses, tourist camps, and gazing animals on the other side, but no one can cross the river because of the Line of Control between the two countries. There are several hotels, camping sights, restaurants, shops, and local houses in Keran. If you are an adventure lover, camping beside the Neelum River in Keran is highly recommended.
Upper Neelum
Upper Neelum is another beautiful village in Neelum Valley. It is accessed by road from Keran. It takes almost 25-30 minutes by car or jeep. You can also trek to Upper Neelum. The village gives us an aerial view of Keran and Indian-Occupied Kashmir. There are several hotels and camping options available at Upper Neelum.
Sharda Village
Sharda is another village in Neelum Valley that holds much historical significance. The two mountains that shadow Sharda Valley are said to be named after the Hindu devi (goddess) sisters Shardi and Nardi. Hence, the name Sharda is believed to have originated from Shardi. There is a temple located in the valley known as Sharda Peeth. It holds significance for Buddhists and Hindus as this temple was used as a university for research at the time. The Sanskrit scripture is also said to be written here at Sharda University or Sharda Peeth Temple. Sharda Village has several hotels, restaurants, shops, and local houses. A jeep track of almost 4 to 5 hours, starting from Sharda Valley, takes us to the Noori Nar Pass. Noori is a jeepable pass between Neelum Valley, Kashmir, and Jalkhad in Kaghan Valley.
Arangkel
Arangkel is a beautiful hilltop meadow with a small village where Kashmiri people live. A thick forest, along with snow-capped mountains, crown this valley. These mountains border with the Indian-Occupied Kashmir. Arangkel can be accessed from Kel Village (located on the Neelum road) by doing a 2-3 hours trek, or you can take a Doli ride from Kel, and after that, the hike will be easy of almost 30-45 minutes. There are several hotels and restaurants to entertain the tourists at the top. There are two jeep tracks from Kel Village, one to Shounter Valley and the other to Gurez Valley.
Kundal Shahi Waterfall
Kundal Shahi Waterfall can be accessed from the Neelum Valley Road through Kundal Shahi Bazaar. This waterfall is also known as the Kutton Waterfall. The distance from Kundal Shahi Bazaar to the Kutton Waterfall is almost 1.7 km. The height of this waterfall will give you chills for a moment. The water that forms Kundal Shahi Waterfall flows as Jagran Nala, which originates from Baboon Valley.
Kutton
Kutton is another village in Neelum Valley. Going further into the valley after Kundal Shahi, we reach Kutton Valley, more famously known as Kutton Resort and Jagran Resort, as there is a resort in Kutton that the AJK Government runs.
Ratti Gali Lake
Ratti Gali Lake is a glacial lake in Neelum Valley, bordering Kaghan Valley. It is undoubtedly the most scenic lake in the region. The jeep track to the Ratti Gali Basecamp starts from the Dowarian village on the Neelum Valley road. The starting part of this track is asphalt but steep and becomes a rough ride onwards. It takes almost 2:30-3:00 hours. The jeep ride itself is an adventure. At Ratti Galli Basecamp, you can hire camps to stay for the night. Kitchen camps serve basic food to tourists. From Ratti Gali Basecamp, a steep track leads up to the lake. It takes almost 1-2 hours to hike up to the lake. There is another lake you can witness on the way, known as Chota Sar, where "Chota" means small and "Sar" means lake in the local language.
Patlian Lake
Patlian Lake is a glacial lake in Neelum Valley. The jeep track for Patlian Lake starts from Lawat Town in Neelum Valley. The road is asphalt until Lawat Bala, and then get ready for an ultimate off-road experience. The jeep will take you to the Patlian Lake Basecamp, and you can hike up to the lake from the base camp. The hike takes almost 1.5 to 2 hours. You can rent out a camp for the night at the base camp. Kitchen camps are also available.
Baboon Valley
Baboon Top is a lush green summer destination in Neelum Valley, Kashmir. Two routes in Neelum Valley lead to Baboon Valley, one from Kutton Jagran and another from Keran. Baboon Valley is a less explored valley in Neelum, but it is rapidly gaining the tourists’ attention. You can hire jeeps from both Keran and Jagran to reach Baboon Top in almost 3 to 4 hours. Both the tracks are rough and ragged.
Shounter Valley
Shounter Valley is a hidden gem of Kashmir. Taking the first left turn from Kel and going further into the Neelum Valley will lead you to Shounter. The government of Pakistan has planned the construction of a tunnel road from Kel, Kashmir, to Astor in Gilgit Baltistan. This project includes a 12.6 km long tunnel that will pass right from the Shounter Valley and Chitta Katha Lake. It will be the longest tunnel in Pakistan. A few main attractions of Shounter Valley are Spoon Lake, also known as Shounter Lake, Chitta Katha Lake, Hari Parbat, and the Kel-Astore track.
Chitta Katha Lake
Chitta Katha Lake is a natural glacial lake shadowed by the mighty Hari Parbat. It is located at the highest points of Shounter Valley Kashmir. The elevation of this lake is around 13,500 feet. Like Sharda and other parts of Neelum Valley, Hindus consider this place sacred. A jeep track from Shounter Valley leads us to the Hoz Village. A two-day trek from Hoz takes us to Chitta Katha Lake via Deck 1 and 2 camping sites. These camping sites have very basic facilities available.
Gurez Valley
Taking the right turn from Neelum Valley road after Kel will lead us to the Gurez Valley. It starts from Kel and ends at the Taobat Village. Some of the villages in Gurez Valley are Halmat, Kareem Abad, Sardai, Seri, Phullawai, Jander Seri, and Janwai. It borders the Neelum Valley with Gilgit Baltistan. Some parts of Gurez are in Indian Kashmir. If you wish to visit Neelum Valley, don't miss Gurez.
Taobat Village
Taobat is the most beautiful village in the valley. This village borders with the Kishan Ganga Valley in Indian Occupied Kashmir. There are several hotels available in Taobat for families and backpackers. It also has a small Trout Fish Farm, which provides Trout Fish for the villagers and tourists.
Wazwan - The Cuisine of Kashmir
The local cuisine of Kashmir is known as Wazwan. In Kashmiri Language, Waz means "cook" or "cooking," and Wan means "shop." Wazwan contains almost 36-40 dishes made with organic ingredients, primarily using mutton. Other than this, how can one forget about the Kashmiri Chaye with Kashmiri Kulcha? It's a treat to the taste buds.
Kashmir to Kaghan Routes
There are two routes between Kashmir and Kaghan Valleys:
1: The first one starts from the Muzaffarabad city of Kashmir and connects it with Kaghan Valley through Garhi Habibullah City at Bissian Balakot. It is almost 28 to 30 km long track, which takes nearly 1 to 1.5 hours. This route is suitable for all sorts of vehicles.
2: The second one starts from Baramullah Point in Sharda Neelum Valle, Kashmir, and connects it with Kaghan Valley at the Jalkhad Village. This is a 4x4 jeep track that passes through the Noori Nar Pass. It is a steep and narrow jeep track, which takes nearly 4 to 5 hours to cover the distance of almost 48 km. It is one of the most dangerous jeep tracks in Pakistan.
Things to do in Azad Kashmir
FAQ's
Neelum Valley is in the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is in the northernmost part of Azad Kashmir. Neelum Valley shares its boundary with KPK, GB, Muzaffarabad, and Indian-Occupied Kashmir at the Line Of Control.
Azad Kashmir is in the northeast part of Pakistan. It has 10 Districts. Azad Kashmir shares its boundary with the Gilgit Baltistan, KPK, and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and with Indian-Occupied Kashmir at LOC.
The best time to visit Neelum is during summer, from May to July, when the weather is pleasant, and the views are clear. August brings monsoon, so you can witness cloudy skies and freshly washed green fields covered with wildflowers. September brings heavy rainfall, and it is advised to travel with all the precautions during this time. December welcomes the winter in the valley, and all gets covered in white for the coming months.
In winter, one can go up to Keran on almost all vehicles, but sometimes due to heavy snow spells, the roads get closed often, but that’s a rare case, and Arangkel is the last point that stays open throughout the year for tourists. Ratti Gali Lake, Patlian Lake, Taobat (Gurez Valley), Baboon Valley, and Shounter Valley remain closed in winter.
There are various accommodation options available in Neelum Valley, including hotels, guesthouses, resorts, and camping sites. Many of the accommodations are of basic level, but more luxurious options are also available, including private properties and government-run guesthouses.
Yes, it is safe to travel, and the people are friendly and caring. It is always advised to research before traveling for the first time.
The highest peak in Neelum Valley is Sarwali Peak, at 6,326 meters. It is located at the boundary of Neelum Valley with Shounter Valley.
Credit card usage is limited, and several banks have ATMs, but it is advised to carry enough cash.
Network coverage in Neelum Valley is available in the main areas around the Neelum Valley road, but signals go down in upper regions. Scom and Uphone work in different areas of the valley.
Nearby regions mainly influence the food available in Neelum Valley. The food items available here are Chicken Tikka, BBQ, Biriyani, Chicken Karahi, Daal, and various vegetables. Several restaurants offer fast food as well.
You can reach Neelum Valley by taking a bus or car from Muzaffarabad or by taking a flight to Islamabad and then traveling by road. You can also join our weekly Neelum Valley Tours or customize your Neelum Valley Tours with us.
Neelum Valley’s primary income source is agriculture, tourism, hotel management, and other small businesses like small shops selling daily-use goods, transporters, and restaurant managers.
The local languages spoken in Neelum Valley are Hindko or Pahari. In the upper parts of the valley, some groups also speak Shina Language, whereas many people also speak Urdu.