A Weekend in Murree: Old Charm, New Memories

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Murree gets a lot of stick. “Too crowded.” “Too touristy.” “Just go to Nathiagali instead.” All true, sometimes. But Murree done well — with a smart itinerary, off-peak timing, and a hotel outside the Mall Road madness — is still a beautiful weekend.

Where we stay (and where we don’t)

We avoid Mall Road. The hotels on the main strip during summer weekends are loud, overpriced, and the parking situation alone can ruin your trip. Our pick is a small property on the Patriata Road, about 12 minutes’ drive out. Lower prices, parking included, valley view, and you can drive to Mall Road in 15 minutes if you want.

A weekend itinerary that works

• Friday evening: Leave Islamabad by 4 p.m. Reach Murree by 7. Dinner at the hotel.
• Saturday morning: Drive to Patriata. Cable car up. Walk around. Lunch at one of the small restaurants near the top.
• Saturday afternoon: Drive to Bhurban. Optional — coffee at PC if you want the “old Murree” ambience, or skip and continue to Nathiagali for a quieter walk.
• Saturday evening: Back to Mall Road for an hour. Old bookstore. Tea. Photos. Then back to hotel.
• Sunday morning: Slow breakfast. Drive home via Kuldana road to avoid the worst of the traffic.

What I tell first-timers

Murree is not a destination. It’s a base. Treat it like one and you’ll have a great weekend. Treat it like the destination and you’ll spend most of it in traffic.

Practical notes

• Avoid Eid weekends and the first week of summer holidays. Genuinely.
• Don’t drive Mall Road in your own car. Park at the hotel, walk or take a chair-car.
• Layers. Even in May. Evenings drop to 8°C.
• Snow in January and February is now unreliable due to climate shifts. Don’t bank on it for a planned snow trip.

What the weekend costs with us

Two nights, group of 12, Hiace transport, mid-range hotel double-occupancy, all meals, Patriata cable car: PKR 18,500 per person. We don’t run Murree on Eid weekends.