Photo: Usama javaid · CC BY-SA 4.0Area guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Galiyat & Murree
Area guide
Galiyat & Murree
Pine-forest hill stations an hour or two from Islamabad
Region
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
When to go
Spring and autumn for walking
Getting there
Murree is about 60 km from Islamabad on the Murree Expressway, 1.5-2 hours. The winding Galiyat road links Murree and Abbottabad through Nathia Gali and Ayubia. Travel midweek if you can.
Places
13 field guides
Overview
About Galiyat & Murree
The Galiyat is a narrow hill tract 50-80 km north-east of Islamabad, on both sides of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Punjab border between Abbottabad and Murree. Murree, built in the 1850s as the summer capital of British Punjab, sits at about 2,300 m; Nathia Gali, higher and cooler, is at the centre of the tract.
Murree is about 60 km from Islamabad on the Murree Expressway, 1.5-2 hours. The winding Galiyat road links Murree and Abbottabad through Nathia Gali and Ayubia. Travel midweek if you can.
Two sides of the hills
Murree is the busy, famous one; the Galiyat towns along the road to Abbottabad, such as Nathia Gali and Ayubia, are quieter bases for forest walks. The name comes from gali, an alley between two mountains, and many of the towns carry it.
Beating the traffic
Weekend and public-holiday traffic on the Expressway and in Murree can be heavy, and winter snow brings closures. Midweek travel and an early start make the difference.
Top sights in Galiyat & Murree
All 13 places →Stories from Galiyat & Murree
All stories →
Best Family Trips in Northern Pakistan: Weekend to Week
The easiest mountain trips for families, from Murree and Nathia Gali within three hours of Islamabad to Shogran, Kalam and Hunza: drive times, altitude, best months and where to stay.
Memory Lane - Cecil Murree
I happened to walk into Cecil Murree for a cup of coffee after many years, and it instantly brought back vivid memori...
Resorts
All resorts →
Curated Journeys
All tours →
Ayubia Day Trip From Islamabad
A single day out of Islamabad into the Galyat, leaving F-8/4 at seven in the morning. The pipeline track and its tunnel
Ayubia From Lahore
A twelve-seat group run from Lahore every Friday, leaving Liberty at six in the morning by Toyota Grand Cabin. Two night
Private Escape to Ayubia From Lahore
Three days in the Galyat with the driving, the rooms and the mornings arranged around you rather than a group. A private
Galiyat & Murree: Questions Travellers Ask
What is there to see in Galiyat & Murree?
13 places in Galiyat & Murree have their own field guide here, the most in parks and gardens (12) and mosques, shrines and tombs (1).
When is the best time to visit Galiyat & Murree?
Spring and autumn for walking; summer to escape the plains' heat, though it is crowded; winter for snow, with ice, fog and possible traffic restrictions.
How do you get to Galiyat & Murree?
Murree is about 60 km from Islamabad on the Murree Expressway, 1.5-2 hours. The winding Galiyat road links Murree and Abbottabad through Nathia Gali and Ayubia. Travel midweek if you can.
What day trips can you take from Galiyat & Murree?
6 within about 22 km of Galiyat & Murree, all listed on this page: Kohala Bridge (about 1 km outside), Umbrella Waterfall (about 3 km outside), Sajikot Waterfall (about 4 km outside), Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Bala Kot (about 5 km outside), Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Mansehra (about 6 km outside) and Mansehra Rock Edicts (about 6 km outside).
The complete guide
Everything to See in Galiyat & Murree
All 13 places in Galiyat & Murree with their own field guide, grouped by kind.
Mosques, shrines and tombs · 1
Parks and gardens · 12
Ayubia National ParkAyubia National Park, 33 km² of protected pine and oak forest in the Galiyat, at about 2,400 m in Abbottabad District.
BhurbanA hill-station resort area above Murree on the Murree Expressway, pine forest, a golf course, and cloud-wreathed valley views.
Dunga GaliDunga Gali in the Galyat, 2,500 m up in Ayubia National Park: pine forest, the Pipeline Track and the climb to Mushkpuri Top.
GaliyatThe hill tract between Abbottabad and Murree, 50–80 km from Islamabad, dotted with “gali” resorts.
KhanaspurKhanaspur, a quiet Galyat hill resort near Ayubia, once a British infantry post, surrounded by pine forest.
MiranjaniMiranjani, at 2,992 m the highest peak of the Galyat, in Ayubia National Park — a forest hike from Nathia Gali with wide Himalayan views.
Murree & the GaliyatPakistan's most popular hill station, pine ridges, the Mall Road, and a gateway to the cooler Galiyat resorts.
Mushkpuri TopMushkpuri Top above Dunga Gali, the Galyat's second-highest peak at 2,800 m: a popular forest-and-meadow hike with views of Nanga Parbat.
Nathia GaliA Galiyat hill station at 2,410 m among pine and oak forest, with walks to Miranjani and Mukshpuri and a wooden British-era church.
Patriata (New Murree)A chairlift and cable car up a pine ridge south of Murree, with an amusement park at the top, one of the most popular family stops on the Murree Expressway.
Shimla Hill, AbbottabadShimla Hill, the pine-covered viewpoint in the middle of Abbottabad, 2.3 km from the city centre, looking out over the valley.
ThandianiA high, pine-covered hill station northeast of Abbottabad with wide Hazara views and a quieter atmosphere than the main Galiyat corridor.
Around Galiyat & Murree: day trips · 6
Outside Galiyat & Murree, straight-line distance from its boundary.
Kohala Bridge~1 km outside Galiyat & Murree
Umbrella Waterfall~3 km outside Galiyat & Murree
Sajikot Waterfall~4 km outside Galiyat & Murree
Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Bala Kot~5 km outside Galiyat & Murree
Mansehra Rock Edicts~6 km outside Galiyat & Murree
Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Mansehra~6 km outside Galiyat & Murree