5.0
I travel with Pakistan Travel Diaries on 12th March to Kashmir. I was amazed with the services in Neelum Valley Tour Package that I opted for. Wonderful and satisfactory service 💥
Noor Sehar
Verified Traveller
Ratti Gali Arang Kel Tour 4 Days 3 Nights from Lahore
5.0 (3 reviews)4 Days / 3 Nights·easy·Group Tours·Kashmir
Tour Overview
Our Ratti Gali Arang Kel tour covers the two best-known trips in the upper Neelum Valley in 4 days and 3 nights from Lahore. You walk to Ratti Gali Lake on one day and take the cable car up to Arang Kel on the next, with all three nights in Keran.
We leave Lahore at 11 pm the night before day one and pick up Islamabad guests on the way. Breakfast is in Muzaffarabad at about 8 am. We then drive up the valley, stopping at Dhani Waterfall and Kutton Waterfall, and check in at Keran. Keran is on the Line of Control, and the two sides of Kashmir are only the width of the river apart.
Day two is for Ratti Gali Lake: a short drive to Dowarian, about two hours by jeep to the base camp and roughly an hour on foot to the lake at about 3,700 m. On day three we drive past Sharda to Kel, cross the Neelum River by cable car and walk up for about half an hour to the village and meadows of Arang Kel. That evening there is a BBQ, a bonfire and music at the hotel.
Day four is the drive home, with a short stop in Muzaffarabad, and we reach Lahore by about 11 pm. Three nights in Keran, breakfast and dinner as per the itinerary, the Ratti Gali jeep, transport to Kel, tolls and a tour guide are included. Rooms are shared by 3 to 4 people.
Tour Highlights
6 experiences- Dhani and Kutton waterfalls on the way up
- Keran, on the Line of Control
- Jeep from Dowarian and walk to Ratti Gali Lake (about 3,700 m)
- Cable car across the Neelum River at Kel
- Arang Kel village and meadows
- BBQ, bonfire and music night in Keran
Journey Route
4 Days / 3 Nights · 8 stops
From
PKR 21,000 / person
- Duration
- 4 Days / 3 Nights
- Group size
- 1 to 12 travellers
- Difficulty
- easy
- From Lahore
- PKR 21,000 per person
- Child, 3 to 9 years
- PKR 14,500
- Child under 3
- Free
- Couple in a private room
- PKR 49,500 per couple
- Vehicle
- Toyota Coaster
- Rooms
- 3 nights in Keran, 3 to 4 people per room
Day by day
Ratti Gali Arang Kel tour itinerary
Times are a guide and can shift with the road and the weather.
Day 1
Muzaffarabad and the waterfalls to Keran
We leave Lahore at 11 pm the night before from Thokar Niaz Baig or Barkat Market, and Islamabad guests join on the way. Breakfast is in Muzaffarabad at about 8 am. We then drive up the Neelum Valley, stopping at Dhani Waterfall around 10 am and then at Kutton Waterfall, and carry on to Keran. After check-in and some rest there is time to look around Keran, where the river marks the Line of Control. Dinner and the night are at the hotel.
Day 2
Jeep to Ratti Gali Lake
Breakfast is at 8 am, then a 30-minute drive to Dowarian, where we switch to jeeps. The track to the Ratti Gali base camp takes about two hours, and from there it is roughly an hour on foot to the lake. After time at the lake we walk back to the base camp, take the jeeps down to Dowarian and drive back to Keran for dinner and the night.
Day 3
Kel cable car and Arang Kel
Breakfast is at 7 am and we leave at 8:30 am for Kel, passing Sharda on the way. At Kel we take the cable car across the Neelum River, then walk uphill for about half an hour to Arang Kel. You get time to walk around the village and the meadows before we come back down and drive to Keran. From 8 pm to midnight there is a BBQ dinner, a bonfire and music at the hotel.
Day 4
Keran to Lahore
Breakfast is at 7:30 am and we leave Keran at 8:30 am. After a short stop in Muzaffarabad we drive on to Islamabad, where Islamabad guests get off, and reach Lahore by about 11 pm.
The full package
What's Included
Everything covered by the price — and the few things to budget for separately.
Included
- Air-conditioned Toyota Coaster or high-roof from Lahore, with pickup in Islamabad
- 3 nights in a hotel in Keran, 3 to 4 people per room
- Breakfast and dinner as per the itinerary
- Shared jeep from Dowarian to Ratti Gali base camp and back
- Transport from Keran to Kel and back
- BBQ dinner, bonfire and music night
- All tolls and taxes
- Tour guide for the whole trip
Not Included
- Cable car ticket at Kel
- Meals not in the itinerary
- Mineral water, snacks and drinks
- Shopping and personal expenses
- Anything not listed above
Gallery
Travellers' Voices
Guest Reviews
★ 5.0 · 3 reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Ratti Gali Arang Kel tour leave from?
The coaster leaves Lahore at 11 pm the night before day one, from Thokar Niaz Baig or Barkat Market. Islamabad guests are picked up on the way. We confirm the exact pickup point when you book. Departures run through the season, WhatsApp us for the next date. You are back in Lahore by about 11 pm on day 4. There is no extra charge for joining in Islamabad. The pickup point is near the motorway or GT Road so the coaster stays on its route, and we share the exact spot with booked guests before departure.
How hard are the walks?
Ratti Gali is the harder one: roughly an hour uphill from the base camp at about 3,700 m, after a two-hour jeep ride. Arang Kel is about half an hour of steep walking after the cable car. Take it slowly and both are fine for most people.
Are the jeep and the cable car included?
The shared jeep from Dowarian to Ratti Gali base camp and the transport from Keran to Kel are included. The cable car ticket at Kel is not, and you pay it at the station.
How much does this tour cost?
PKR 21,000 per person in a room shared by 3 to 4 people. Children aged 3 to 9 pay PKR 14,500 and children under 3 travel free. A couple who want a room to themselves pay PKR 49,500 in total.
Where will we stay?
All three nights are in a hotel in Keran. We book it based on availability for your dates and confirm the name a few days before departure. Rooms are shared by 3 to 4 people.
Show 6 more questions
Can foreign nationals join this tour?
Pakistani citizens only need their CNIC. Foreign passport holders need permission for some areas near the Line of Control, and parts of the Neelum Valley, including Keran, are right on it. Tell us your nationality when you book and we will check what is possible for your dates.
What should I pack?
Warm clothes even in summer, because nights in the upper Neelum Valley are cold. Bring walking shoes with a good grip, a cap, sunscreen and any medicines you take. Carry cash, since there are few ATMs, and a power bank, because mobile coverage is patchy after Athmuqam.
What is the cancellation policy?
A 30% advance confirms your seat. Cancel more than 7 days before departure and we refund 75% of what you paid; 5 to 7 days before, we refund 50%. Cancellations in the last 4 days, and no-shows, are not refunded.
What are Ratti Gali Lake and Arang Kel like?
Ratti Gali Lake is at about 3,700 m, above Dowarian. The jeep ride is rough and takes about two hours each way, and the walk from the base camp is roughly an hour uphill. This is the harder of the two days. Arang Kel is a village on a high meadow above Kel. The cable car takes you across the river, and the steep walk up to the village takes about half an hour. The cable car ticket is paid at the station.
When is the best time to go on the Ratti Gali Arang Kel Tour 4 Days 3 Nights?
The Ratti Gali jeep track is usually open from July to September, once the snow has melted, so this tour runs in those months. Arang Kel can be visited from May to October. Heavy snow closes the valley beyond Kel from about December to March.
Is there a shorter, longer or different option than the Ratti Gali Arang Kel Tour 4 Days 3 Nights?
With one day less, pick one of the two: the 3-day Ratti Gali Lake tour or the 3-day Arang Kel tour, which also runs outside the Ratti Gali season. For open meadows instead of Arang Kel, the 4-day Ratti Gali tour with Baboon Valley stays in Kutton.
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