Area guides / Azad Jammu and Kashmir / Rawalakot & Poonch

Area guide

Rawalakot & Poonch

Banjosa Lake, Toli Pir and the Pearl Valley hills

Region

Azad Jammu and Kashmir

When to go

April to October

Getting there

By road from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, commonly via the Azad Pattan corridor; journeys take longer than the distance suggests. Banjosa is an easy half-day from Rawalakot.

Places

8 field guides

Overview

About Rawalakot & Poonch

Rawalakot, the capital of Poonch District in the Pir Panjal range, is a practical base for AJK's gentler hill country. Banjosa Lake, a pine-ringed reservoir at about 1,980 m, is 18 km away, and the open grassland ridges of Toli Pir are about 30 km up the mountain road.

By road from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, commonly via the Azad Pattan corridor; journeys take longer than the distance suggests. Banjosa is an easy half-day from Rawalakot.

Day trips from Rawalakot

Stay in Rawalakot and make day trips: Banjosa for the lake and pines, Toli Pir for the ridges and views. A local driver helps on the steep hill roads.

Toward Bagh

North toward Bagh, Sudhan Gali and Las Danna climb into forest and open slopes, with Sudhan Gali the approach to the Ganga Choti trek in the May-September season.

Top sights in Rawalakot & Poonch

All 8 places →

Banjosa Lake

A calm, pine-ringed lake near Rawalakot.

Toli Pir

Rolling grassland and wide skies above Rawalakot.

Rawalakot

The Poonch town that works best as a base.

Sudhan Gali

Forest and mountain slopes beneath Ganga Choti.

Resorts

All resorts →

GreenPak stays in this area are listed on the region guide.