Photo: Obaid747 · CC BY-SA 3.0Area guides / Azad Jammu and Kashmir / Muzaffarabad & Leepa
Area guide
Muzaffarabad & Leepa
AJK's capital, the Jhelum Valley and the rice terraces of Leepa
Region
Azad Jammu and Kashmir
When to go
March to November for the city and Jhelum Valley
Getting there
Muzaffarabad is 2.5-3 hours by road from Islamabad via the Muzaffarabad Expressway. Leepa is a few hours further on a winding seasonal road over the Reshian Pass; check conditions before setting out.
Places
12 field guides
Overview
About Muzaffarabad & Leepa
Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, stands where the Neelum meets the Jhelum. East of it the Jhelum Valley road leads toward Leepa, a fertile valley of terraced rice fields and carved wooden houses about 83 km from the city, reached over the Reshian Pass.
Muzaffarabad is 2.5-3 hours by road from Islamabad via the Muzaffarabad Expressway. Leepa is a few hours further on a winding seasonal road over the Reshian Pass; check conditions before setting out.
Muzaffarabad
For most travellers the city is a gateway, but the Red Fort above the Neelum and the half-day climb to Pir Chinasi make it worth a night. The Neelum road north starts here.
Resorts
All resorts →GreenPak stays in this area are listed on the region guide.
Muzaffarabad & Leepa: Questions Travellers Ask
What is there to see in Muzaffarabad & Leepa?
12 places in Muzaffarabad & Leepa have their own field guide here, the most in parks and gardens (8), forts, gates and palaces (3) and landmarks and buildings (1).
When is the best time to visit Muzaffarabad & Leepa?
March to November for the city and Jhelum Valley; May to October for Leepa, whose road closes with the first heavy snow. Autumn turns the terraces gold.
How do you get to Muzaffarabad & Leepa?
Muzaffarabad is 2.5-3 hours by road from Islamabad via the Muzaffarabad Expressway. Leepa is a few hours further on a winding seasonal road over the Reshian Pass; check conditions before setting out.
What day trips can you take from Muzaffarabad & Leepa?
7 within about 30 km of Muzaffarabad & Leepa, all listed on this page: Zar Dheri, Mansehra (about 15 km outside), Musa ka Musalla (about 19 km outside) and 5 parks and gardens.
The complete guide
Everything to See in Muzaffarabad & Leepa
All 12 places in Muzaffarabad & Leepa with their own field guide, grouped by kind.
Forts, gates and palaces · 3
Ranbir Singh Baradari, DomelA Dogra-era pavilion of 1885 at Domel, Muzaffarabad, where the Neelum meets the Jhelum.
Red Fort (Muzaffarabad Fort)A 16th-century fort above the Neelum River in Muzaffarabad, its red sandstone ramparts overlooking the city and the river gorge below.
Saraa-e-Akbari (Black Fort), MuzaffarabadA Mughal sarai above the Neelum in Muzaffarabad, built by Ali Mardan Khan and now called the Black Fort.
Parks and gardens · 8
ChikarA cool hill station about 46 km from Muzaffarabad via Hattian Bala, and the access point for Zalzal Lake and the trek up to Ganga Choti.
Dao KhanA quiet mountain retreat at roughly 2,490m about 4km above Reshian, where cool forests and open views offer a slower alternative to the main Leepa route.
Dhani WaterfallA tall waterfall dropping straight onto the Neelum road about 40 km from Muzaffarabad, one of the valley's most-photographed roadside stops.
Jhelum ValleyA river corridor east of Muzaffarabad where the Jhelum runs beneath steep green mountains through Garhi Dupatta, Hattian Bala, and Chinari, and the gateway toward Leepa Valley.
Leepa ValleyTerraced rice fields, apple orchards and wooden Kashmiri houses in one of Azad Kashmir's loveliest valleys, open from late spring to autumn.
Pir ChinasiA hilltop shrine and viewpoint at around 2,900 m above Muzaffarabad, with sweeping panoramas over the Jhelum and Neelum valleys.
ReshianA riverside mountain settlement at about 1,674m, roughly 67km from Muzaffarabad, marking the main gateway from Jhelum Valley toward the high road into Leepa.
Zalzal LakeA lake near Chikar formed when the 2005 earthquake's landslides blocked a valley and buried four villages, now a quiet, sobering beauty spot.
Landmarks and buildings · 1
Around Muzaffarabad & Leepa: day trips · 7
Outside Muzaffarabad & Leepa, straight-line distance from its boundary.
Ganga Choti~1 km outside Muzaffarabad & Leepa
Sudhan Gali~1 km outside Muzaffarabad & Leepa
Panjal Mastan National Park~3 km outside Muzaffarabad & Leepa
Dheer Kot (Dhirkot)~4 km outside Muzaffarabad & Leepa
Zar Dheri, Mansehra~15 km outside Muzaffarabad & Leepa
Siran Valley~18 km outside Muzaffarabad & Leepa
Musa ka Musalla~19 km outside Muzaffarabad & Leepa