Thandiani to Miranjani Guesthouse via Dagri

This is a two-night camping trip in the beautiful Galiyat region. We started our adventure from Thandiani and walked through a dense forest of Beeran Gali and Dagri to reach the forest guesthouse at the beginning of the Miranjani trek.

To reach the starting point of our hike, we hitchhiked to reach Thandiani Road from Abbottabad. A little before reaching Thandiani's top, take a sharp right turn and go up a hill for half a kilometer. There, you will find a trail that passes by the forest guesthouse and takes you deep into the forest. The trek was about 10 kilometers long, and luckily, it was mostly downhill, so it wouldn’t be too hard. If you have camping gear, you can camp at Beeran Gali Forest Guesthouse for the night. Here, you can also refill your water and grab some snacks from the local shops.

If you decide not to camp at Beeran Gali, you can continue hiking to Dagri. But be prepared, this trail is over 15 15-kilometer-long trek and goes uphill, making the total trek distance more than 25 kilometers in one setting. The path can be narrow in places, and it's easy to get lost in the thick forest if it gets dark. The only camping spot between Beeran Gali and Dagri is the Dagri Guesthouse.

Note: From Dagri Forest Guesthouse, there's a short 600-meter trek to a stream where you can get water. It is better to refill your water reservoirs here otherwise you won't be getting any water source in the next 13KMs or so.

Dagri Bungalow, was by the British before partition as a residence for Galiyat security personnel. Now it stands as a damaged structure. Post-partition, it was transferred to the Ministry of Forests and briefly served as a rest house. Today, it is unusable due to the 2005 earthquake. However, the surrounding area serves as a campsite for trekkers, and there's a small wooden hut nearby with a few functional rooms.

In local language, Dagri is "the home of leopards". The place is known of its presence of Leopards. Back in the Mughal Era, a census was done to estimate the number of leopards in the region. It is best not to hike alone late in the evening as it is a nocturnal animal and you are likely to encounter one. Though leopard is a shy animal and does not attack humans, female leopards can get violent if they have cub(s) with them.

If it's your second day and you camped at Beeran Gali, you should head to Miranjani Top and set up camp there. Just be aware that there might not be any water sources along the way, so use your water wisely. However, at Miranjani Top, you can buy mineral water bottles from local vendors.

We decided not to camp at Dagri as we left Beerin Gali at 6 in the morning and reached Dagri around 12PM. Since we had 6 hours of daylight, we decided to move ahead. From Dagri, we decided to reach the final destination, Forest Guesthouse of Mirnjani -- making the total length 30KM+.

From the guesthouse of Miranjani, you book a Suzuki or take a bus ride to Nathiagali.

Note: Keep in mind that this trek is known for its wildlife. You might come across leopards or wild boars, so it's best to have 2-3 hikers with you for safety.