Murree is a popular hill station, summer resort, famous tourist attraction and the administrative centre of Murree Tehsil Pakistan. It is located in the Pir Panjal Range, nearly 60 kilometres away towards the North of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Murree is most loved and noticed for its pleasant summers and snowy winters and the various local seasonal delicacies. It is one of the most popular destinations for vacations and visits. Murree resides on an altitude of nearly 7500 ft. Murree was the summer capital of the British Raj in the Punjab Province.

If we talk about the accessibility to Murree, there are basically two main roads that lead to Murree; the old Murree Road (Highway) and the new ISB-Murree Expressway, as shown in the pictures below.

Expressway

 The whole tehsil of Murree consists of a number of popular places, each with their own specialty and a unique tourist attraction. Further described is the one by one detailed analysis of each of these locations, based on the placed which come first on our route to Murree.

 

GHORA GALI

Ghora Gali is one of the tourist mountain resort towns of the Galyat area of Northern Pakistan. It has an elevation of nearly 1690 meters and is located in the northeastern top of the Punjab Province.  There are many attractions in Ghora Gali including the Tomb of Doomat Khan, a leader of the Dhond Abbasi tribe, as well as Lawrence College, which was established initially as an asylum for orphans of British troops killed in the wars. Murree brewery too was setup here in 1860 to produce beer for the British troops.

Lawrence College

Ghora Gali is also equipped with an 1100m long chairlift which has a route from Ghora Gali to Pindi Point. The area is rich with pine trees and tropical vegetation with exquisite flora and fauna to be viewed and experienced.

Ghora Gali is also famous for its local delicious “Pakoray” and horse rides. Horse riding has become a major recreation in this city with time. During visits it is pertinent for one to experience this thrill and unique experience. Many people choose horse rides after getting tired from the long walks.

 

 KULDANA

Situated at 7500 feet above sea level and spreading across an area of 6 square kilometers, Kuldana is a part of the famous Murree hills.

Kuldana is a place in Punjab Province with a very small population located there. Upper Topa, Lower Topa and Murree are some of the nearby places in Kuldana.

Kuldana is covered with dense pine forests and vegetation and is aligned with the Murree-Nathiagali road starting from the Sunny Bank and ending at Kali Mitti.

 

MALL ROAD

Mall Road Murree is a popular tourist attraction. It is basically a street with various shops consisting of popular souvenirs, hand crafted artifacts, dry fruits and popular restaurants serving mouth watering dishes, most noticeably fish and chicken karahi’s. Apart from that, it’s one end has the General Post Office on it followed by numerous hotels and rest houses to facilitate the tourists with the conform of affordable and luxurious rooms.

KASHMIR POINT

Kashmir Point is on a 15 minutes’ walk from the GPO at a total distance of one km. You will also go through Cadet College Murree which passes through the Murree Residence area. Kashmir Point is a beautiful place. The area is surrounded by the beautiful Kashmir Mountains and lush green trees. It is the most crowded area of Murree because the rush of mall road also comes to Kashmir Point. As of now there are various food courts and shops being constructed to cater for the rising tourist attraction in this area. Mobile signal coverage, lodgings and medical facilities are not a problem in this area. Sights of new buildings being constructed are now very common.

PINDI POINT

Pindi point is one of the first spots to visit in Murree. Located at a 15 minutes’ walk from Mall Road, it is a popular tourist attraction. Pindi point has a beautiful view of mountains and an eye soothing greenery. The reason it is called Pindi point is because one can see the whole of Pindi from this point. The view is breathtakingly beautiful and is a very common place for a good photography session.

There is a 1.5 km chairlift from Pindi Point to Bansara providing excellent view along the way with tall pine trees and lush green vegetation. Pindi point is well equipped with cafes and playgrounds for children as well as good rest homes and mobile network facilities.

 

BARIAN

Barian is located on the Punjab Border and the North West Frontier Province. It is a section of the Circle Bakote region located on the Himalaya foothills. The Union Council of Palak starts from this region. Barian is located quite close to Murree and was the Summer Capital of Punjab in the British Raj period.

 

 

CHANGALA TOP

Changla Gali is one of the tourist mountain resort (hill station) towns of the Galyat area of Pakistan. It has an altitude on 2559metres. During the British rule it was the headquarters of the Northern Command School of Musketry.

Changla is located in Seer Gharbi which is a union council of the Abbottabad District. It is located 16 kilometers north from the more famous Galyat town of Murree in Rawalpindi District.

 

AYUBIA

Ayubia National Park is a popular tourist attraction situated in the Abbottabad District in the KPK province of northern Pakistan. Ayubia was named after the second President of Pakistan, field marshal Ayub Khan.

Ayubia is dense with vegetation of coniferous forests and pine trees with an impressive elevation of 8000 feet above the sea level.

Thandiani, Nathiagali, Ayubia and Khansapur are a few areas surrounding Ayubia. The park gradually has been developed as a resort complex from a combination of four mini resorts of Khaira Gali, Khansapur and Ghora Gali.

The area is fully equipped with all possible facilities of telecommunication and transportation. The weather is cold and pleasant in summers but very harsh in winters and the extensive snow causes problems for the inmates of this area.

 

NATHIAGALI

Nathia Gali is a mountain resort town located in Hazara KPK Pakistan. It is an extension of the Galiyat range which is known for its ample hill stations and is closely interrelated.

athiagali is known for its beautiful scenic beauty, serene surroundings, pleasant hiking tracks and weather. The greater altitude contributes to a cooler weather situated at 34 kilometers at one hour’s drive away from both Murree and Abbottabad and takes 2 hours to reach from Islamabad. It is an excellent place to retreat for quality time and meditation. The greenery and view of this area is quite similar to an author’s description of a far away fairyland world.

Mobile network signals are not an issue except for a few patches; lodgings facilities too are available along with medical facilities.

LOWER TOPA

Lower Topa is yet another popular tourist spot, with a good snowy winter and pleasant summer seasons. The area boasts of its pride, i.e. “PAF Public School Lower Topa” which is placed on a mountain hilltop near Patriata. This institution is known as the elite air force institution with the sole aim of grooming young cadets into future combat pilots. Every year millions of candidates compete to secure an admission in this prestigious institute.

 The Lower Topa view point is a popular destination in this area. Tourists enjoy an excellent view of the mountains and the greenery while sipping on a hot mug of local coffee or tea.

PATRIATA

Patriata, also known as “New Murree” is a hill station in the northern side of Punjab and is situated 15 kilometres north-east of the famous Murree hills. Patriata is situated in “Murree Tehsil”, which is a sub-division of the Rawalpindi district. It is at an altitude of about 7500 feet above sea level. This gives Patriata one of the most pleasant and cool weathers in the country and it not uncommon to see people rush for Patriata to spend a few days vacation amongst the blistering summer heat.

Tourist attractions include the chair lift and cable car recreational facilities which take the tourists on a long journey of serenity and peace. The chairlift gives the feeling of gliding through the clouds in a silent demeanor. It is indeed a must experience event. The Patriata area is dense with rainforest vegetation and is known to host monkeys and leopards in its dense forests. Sightings have often been reported. Roads in this region have been developed to excellence and the tourists can enjoy an effortless and smooth drive around the area. Facilities such as telecommunication and lodgings are also available easily.

Following is a view from the chairlift at Patriata.

 

GHARIYAL

Ghariyal is known as the “army residential” area. This is where the army personnel come to live with their families. There is also an army unit situated here. There are attractive army huts constructed here for the army personnel and their families. Military exercises are often conducted here as well.  Suffice is to say that the base camp of Murree is in Ghariyal

BHURBAN

Bhurban is a small town named after a nearby forest. It is one of the supreme tourist attractions of the northern region of Pakistan. Pearl Continental Bhurban is a major development with respect to tourism and tourist facilities in this area and is a popular destination for honeymooners and family vacationers.  It is approximately 9 kilometers away from Murree hills.

Bhurban is situated between Kashmir Road and Murree at an impressive height of 6000 feet. However due to the construction of the Islamabad-Murree expressway it is accessible by road in only 45 minutes from Islamabad.

Bhurban is known as one of the most picturesque places in the country. The green valleys and hills and natural beauty is mind blowing and very beautiful. People looking for solitude and serenity are best advised to visit this area and explore its unique flora and fauna and the rare species of birds and vegetation found in this area. Since after PC Bhurban many other hotels have been constructed here as well to cater for a lower lodgings cost for people of the lower class.

The traditional Bhurban families consist of Sheraals, Saidwals, Mumdals, Tapyal and Janyals and Jogyals.