AOA PW Members
I am posting first time here for your valuable suggestions. We are planning a trip to northern areas from Karachi 19-Aug to 28-Aug, covering Neelum Valley and Kaghan Valley. We will be a family of 8 adults and 2 kids (both 4 year old). Following is the itinerary I have in mind:
Day-1: 19-Aug Sat
Catch a train from Karachi to Rawalpindi (Tezgam - AC Business)
Day-2: 20-Aug Sun
Reach Rawalpindi in evening and stay at a hotel there
Someone recommended Akbar Hotel, any suggestions?
Day-3: 21-Aug Mon
Hire a hiace from RWP for Neelum and Kaghan valley tour, estimate I have received is 5500 per day without fuel for new model Hiace, is this reasonable or two Corollas will be better?
Leave for Neelum valley through Murree, Kohala, Muzaffarabad route.
Arrive at one of the locations in Neelum valley (Athmuqam, Keran, Sharda, Kel) and stay for night there
This is our first visit to Neelum valley so I require your guidance in which of the above four is better and manageable for night stay and moving ahead next day, also road conditions and availability of hotels there and if pre-booking is required.
Day-4: 22-Aug Tue
Explore neelum valley, what will be best locations to manage in this day: Sharda Univ, Arang Kel, Taobat or somewhere else. Jeeping or hiking required in any of these locations?
Return to one of the cities for night stay.
Day-5: 23-Aug Wed
Move from neelum valley to Shogran
Night stay at a hotel in Shogran
Day-6: 24-Aug Thu
Hire a jeep and visit Siri Lake and Paye Meadows
Move to Naran and night stay at a hotel there
Day-7: 25-Aug Fri
Visit Babusar top and Lulusar Lake on the way
If manageable visit one more location like Dudipatsar lake or Lalazar, any suggestions for this?
Move back to Naran hotel for night stay
Day-8: 26 Aug Sat
Hire a jeep and visit Saif ul mulook lake
Return to Rawalpindi and stay night in hotel there
Day-9: 27 Aug Sun
Catch Tezgam down at 8AM for Karachi
Day-10: 28 Aug Mon
Reach Karachi in morning
Please guide me if above plan has any issues, any overly hectic days (specially day 3, 4, 8). This is my first time planning a trip for family and our first time going to Neelum Valley. We all have been to Kaghan with colleagues or friends.
Also if hotels in any of the above locations needs to be pre-booked?
Are any of the points difficult to access with family & kids?
Should we increase a day in our plan for any unseen scenario, since train tickets have to be pre-booked for return journey?
Is there any benefit if I reverse my plan and visit Kaghan first and Neelum next (road trip and distances wise)?
My estimate of total cost of trip is around Rs. 250,000 with following breakup:
Train = 96k
Hotels - 3 rooms average 8k per day = 64k
Hiace for 6 days = 33k
Fuel for 6 days = 12k
Food at average 5k per day = 45k
Does this look reasonable estimate?
Hope to get feedback from experts here.
Regards
Umair
