Islamabad is a planned city of wide avenues and leafy sectors, laid out in a grid below the Margalla Hills. The hills are the outer foothills of the Himalaya, covered in pine and scrub, and a national park runs right up to the city's northern edge. Leopards, barking deer and well over 200 bird species have been recorded there. With the hills so close, Islamabad is an easy place to start a trip. You can land, sleep off the flight and be on a forest trail the next morning.
Walking the Margalla Hills
The park has a network of numbered hiking trails that climb from the city to ridge-top viewpoints in one to three hours. They're steep in places but well trodden, and most people walk them early to beat the heat. A handful of limestone crags in the park have developed routes for sport climbing, popular with local climbers at weekends. Trailheads sit a short taxi ride from the hotels of central Islamabad, and you can walk up one trail and down another.
Day trips and onward routes
The ruins of Taxila, an ancient Gandharan city and a UNESCO site in neighbouring Punjab, are under an hour's drive away. The hill stations of Murree and the Galiyat, one to three hours north-east, are cooler in summer and good for forest walks. Islamabad is also where the northern flights leave for Gilgit and Skardu, the gateways to Gilgit-Baltistan and the Karakoram. By road, the Karakoram Highway begins a short drive west of the city at Hasan Abdal.
Getting there and where to stay
Islamabad International Airport is about 25 kilometres south-west of the city, around 30 to 45 minutes by road. Hotels and guesthouses cluster in the central sectors, close to the trailheads. October to April is the best time to walk, with mild days and clear views. May and June are hot, and the monsoon brings heavy storms in July and August. Two nights covers a hike and a look around, and a spare night at the end protects you against a cancelled flight from the north.
Booking on adventuro
Guided hikes here are short and easy to fit around your flights. Use the Book here tab to see live dates and prices from local centres.
