Ratti Galli Lake & Keran — 3 Days

Depart Islamabad at first light and drive east into Azad Kashmir, following the Jhelum River before picking up the Neelam Valley road. Arrive in Keran — where the turquoise Neelam divides Pakistan from Indian-held Kashmir — by early afternoon. Settle into Keran Riverside Resort, with a lunch on the terrace above the river. The afternoon is free for a riverside walk or, for those wanting extra acclimatisation, an optional hike up towards Upper Neelam. An early dinner and early night are essential: tomorrow starts at 6:00 am.

The alarm sounds at 5:30 am. Breakfast in the dark, then drive before sunrise toward the Ratti Galli trailhead above Keran. The trail climbs through juniper and wildflower meadows for roughly five kilometres, gaining 600 m of altitude, before the lake appears — a deep glacial pool at 3,700 m, rimmed by permanent snowfields and the silence of high mountains. Lunch at the lakeside, then the return hike brings you back to the vehicles by late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Keran Riverside.

A relaxed breakfast at the resort, check out, and begin the drive home. The route climbs out of the valley to Pir Chanasi — a pine-forested ridge above Muzaffarabad with panoramic views across the green hills of Azad Kashmir — where you stop for lunch. The final stretch runs along the motorway back to Islamabad, arriving by early evening.