Neelum Valley
Neelum District Of Azad Jammu And Kashmir, Running Along The Line Of Control With Indian Administered Kashmir · Keran, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
The Neelum Valley runs for some two hundred kilometres from Muzaffarabad up the Neelum River, the Kishanganga on the Indian side, through pine forest and small wooden villages to Taobat near the head of the valley. It is one of the most beautiful valleys in Kashmir and one of Pakistan's favourite summer escapes, and it is also a frontier: for long stretches the river is the Line of Control, and at Keran the villages on the far bank are in Indian-administered Kashmir, close enough to wave to. The best places are Kel, where a chairlift and a steep walk lead up to Arang Kel, a village of wooden houses on a high green meadow; Sharda, with the ruins of the ancient Sharada Peeth, once a famous centre of Hindu and Buddhist learning; and the alpine lake at Ratti Gali, reached by jeep and on foot. For years shelling across the Line kept tourists away. A 2021 ceasefire brought them back, but the frontier stays tense, and the road above Kel is rough and often blocked. Check conditions before going.
Neelum District, from Muzaffarabad up the Neelum River to Taobat, Keran, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
The valley has no gate, but it is a sensitive border area. Pakistani visitors pass army checkposts; foreigners may need prior permission (an NOC) for some areas near the Line of Control, and rules change with the security situation - confirm before travelling. The road from Muzaffarabad is paved to around Kel and rough beyond; upper valley roads and Ratti Gali are open roughly May to October. Muzaffarabad is about three hours from Islamabad.