Mughal Road Travel Guide – Shopian to Poonch over Peer ki GaliDuke Kashmir Travels
The Mughal Road is an 84 km mountain road in Jammu and Kashmir, India, linking Shopian in the Kashmir valley with Poonch. It crosses the Pir Panjal at Peer ki Gali at about 3,500 m (11,500 ft) and follows the route the Mughal emperors used to enter Kashmir.
For a visitor it is a drive rather than a destination: high meadow, switchbacks and long views, with Peer ki Gali as the high point in both senses.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- Length: 84 km, Shopian to Bufliaz, then on to Poonch.
- High point: Peer ki Gali at about 3,500 m (11,500 ft) — 43 km from Bufliaz, 41 km from Shopian.
- Open: roughly April or May to November, closed by snow in winter.
- Time needed: a full day from Srinagar to Peer ki Gali and back.
- Historic route: the Mughal approach to Kashmir from the plains.
What is the Mughal Road?
The old imperial route into Kashmir, rebuilt as a modern link road. It leaves the valley at Shopian, climbs through Hirapora and Dubjan, crosses at Peer ki Gali, and comes down through Poshana and Chandimarg to Bufliaz in Poonch district.
The project was proposed in the 1950s, revived under Sheikh Abdullah in 1979, begun in 2005 and opened to the public in 2010. It halves the distance from Poonch and Rajouri to Srinagar compared with the Jammu highway.
What is there to see along the way?
Peer ki Gali is the reason people drive it. The pass sits in open meadow with the Pir Panjal on both sides, and Pir Marg above it holds snow most of the year. Aliabad Sarai, a Mughal-era rest house near the pass, was built by Ali Mardan Khan and later restored by Mughal governors; Chatta Pani on the Poonch side is a popular stop for local excursions.
A car rally is run on the road each year, and stretches near the top hold snow long enough for informal skiing in spring.
When is the Mughal Road open?
Roughly April or May to November, depending on snow. The road closes over winter and reopens when the pass is cleared. Even in season it can shut at short notice in heavy weather, and it is not a night drive: there is no lighting and few settlements between Shopian and Bufliaz.
How do you drive the Mughal Road from Srinagar?
Srinagar to Shopian is about 60 km; the pass is another 41 km on. Most visitors drive to Peer ki Gali and return the same day, which is a long but manageable outing. Continuing to Poonch makes it a one-way transfer rather than a day trip, and needs planning around the return route.
Book the Mughal Road with Duke Kashmir Travels
We are a J&K Tourism-registered agency (JKTA00003978) running our own vehicles and drivers. We run the Mughal Road as a day drive from Srinagar in season and as a transfer to Poonch and Rajouri. Tell us your dates and we will confirm whether the pass is open.
Insider tip from our local team
Check that Peer ki Gali is open on the morning you travel, not the day before — the pass is cleared and closed at short notice in shoulder season. There is no fuel between Shopian and Bufliaz, so fill up in Shopian, and plan to be off the pass before dark.