Islamabad – the beautiful capital of Pakistan – is usually a foreigner’s first port of call (it’s that or Karachi), as most international flights would arrive here. Founded in 1960, this city was built as a contrast to Karachi – where population numbers continued to boom and a distinct lack of urban planning abound. In contrast, Islamabad was envisioned to be the serene, green, and less populated sister famous for “going to sleep at 10pm” – the city that never sleeps Islamabad is not

I love Islamabad though – with its abundant attractions (both natural and man-made), the relaxed and peaceful atmosphere (I feel pretty safe walking around – even at night. Effect of Islamabad being the Pakistan seat of government = excellent law and order), and as a gateway into the other pretty sites of north Pakistan (such as Muree, Nathiagali, and Gilgit) as well as historic sites (such as Taxila and Takht-i-Bahi)

[Another reason to love Islamabad? All the embassies are here. In fact, I spent a weekend in Islamabad trying to fix my Philippine passport when it got wet (don’t ask how…) So if ever you encounter problems, rush to Islamabad and complain to your embassy! Haha – do note though that private cars can’t enter the enclave unless you pre-register the license plate and driver details with your embassy the day before. Otherwise, you can opt to take the public shuttle in (for a minimal fee)]

So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the wonders of Islamabad – through a one-day tour of this amazing city!

As with Karachi and Lahore, you can opt to go around Islamabad either via Uber/Careem (I much prefer Careem in Pakistan as the maps infrastructure is better) or via private car (which you can rent – personal preference would be Avis as it’s trusted and relatively cheap, or through your hotel). Unlike Karachi and Lahore, I can actually whole-heartedly recommend Careem here (except maybe when you’re headed up Monal, as I’m unsure you can get a Careem there) – as the entire area is pretty safe so I had no qualms waiting around for a car

Are you ready? First stop – an early morning hike up Margallah Hills! To be honest, I’d chosen to head to Islamabad for a weekend (from Lahore) because I was keen to surround myself with nature for a change – Lahore is great, but there are barely any trees and all you see for miles and miles on end are buildings and dusty roads. Islamabad, on the other hand, is famous for their lush greenery – surrounded by hills on two sides, where even their immaculately planned streets are flanked by trees

There are multiple trails up Margallah Hills – with varying levels of difficulty and length. As for me, I wanted to do a short, easy-ish hike to start off my day so I chose the most popular one (Trail 2) – which starts from the zoo park and ends at Daman-e-Koh (a viewing point that provides beautiful panoramic views of Islamabad).

If you wish to do the same, just ask your driver to drop you off at the zoo park entrance. If you’ve hired him for the day (like I did), ask him to then head to Daman-e-Koh (so you don’t have to hike down again haha!), and from there – you can head to Monal – Lahore’s most famous restaurant, perched atop Margallah Hills!

And, off we go! I started at 9AM from the zoo park. There are two ways to get to Daman-e-Koh from there – one is to just follow the car road (which you obviously should NOT do, as there are zero views to be had and I wouldn’t consider that a hike…) while the other is the actual hike itself (to get here, you’ll have to pass through the parking lot and the zoo – just ask the folks there where the trail can be found). Around this time, a policeman tried to stop me and impress upon me the dangers of hiking up alone (I assume the problem was that I was alone AND a female). I insisted I really wanted to hike up and that I had pepper spray with me in case I encountered any suspicious activities, and he left me alone half-mollified (but probably thinking I was crazy)

Up I went! As first it was really chill, slight incline going up surrounded by trees and shrubbery – it was great! I would advise folks to wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, and rubber shoes going up (essentially proper attire) – both for propriety but also because snakes and other creepy crawlies supposedly abound here. Sadly (but not sadly for me), there have been less snake sightings lately due to all the construction happening in the hill areas. I know, it’s super sad because we’re disrupting nature – but I’m thankful I didn’t have any snake encounters while hiking

After awhile, the hike becomes A LOT MORE STEEP. Darn, it’s still well-paved but the incline increases A LOT. There are actually a couple of shortcuts which I skipped because it looked really steep – some of the hikers opted to do those trails instead, but I stuck to the well-worn path traversed by families, old folks, children, and unfit people (haha, you know which category I belong to!)

At last, after ~150 minutes, I arrive at Daman-e-Koh – congratulations to me!!! I think this trail can actually be done in two hours, but I was slow and took frequent breaks, so additional 30 minutes for me!

Daman-e-Koh is a popular viewing point and hill top garden – about ~2,400 ft above sea level and ~500 ft above the city of Islamabad. Its position / height affords tourists like me a beautiful panoramic view of Islamabad – and you can see the glinting façade of Faisal Mosque (the largest mosque in South Asia) from here!

I lounged around the park for ~30minutes, to take in the view but really, it was for me to catch my breath after that hike… From here, I met up with my driver (who was sleeping at the parking lot) and we went off to Monal

To get to Monal, your car will go up a long winding road which will afford more and more beautiful views the higher up you go! Stunning, isn’t it? Reminds me of the road up Baguio, Philippines!

Monal’s located Pir Sohawa (within the Monal Village) and provides stunning views of the city along with amazingly yummy food! The real star of the show is this: ridiculous cheese oozing naan paired with a fantabulous view of the city. To best enjoy the views, request for seats outside, perched at the edge

The Lahore fish is SUPERB as well – so try that for lunch too!

Once you’re well-fed, it’s time to head down to Saidpur Village – one of the oldest villages in Pakistan, which has been lovingly restored, one stone at a time. There are a couple of stores within the village – some of my favorites include a sceneries painting shop, which manages to capture the vibrancy of the scenes being painted. Likewise, this place is perfect for souvenir shopping so ready your wallets (mostly cash only)

From here, it’s time to head to Faisal Mosque, the largest mosque in South Asia and the sixth largest in the world. I expect these titles to change pretty soon though – as I feel like the Muslim countries are engaging in huge infrastructure projects aimed at building bigger, grander buildings – chief of which would be mosques

Either way, the beautiful gleaming white mosque is certainly a wonder to behold – not just because it’s beautiful but because the architecture is a departure from the traditional domes and arches found on mosques. Instead, the building mimics a desert tent situated between four thin minarets

I had the privilege to attend a friend’s nikah within the mosque – and I can say the interior is quite lovely as well. A nikah is a main wedding ceremony where a marriage contract is signed by both the bride and the groom in presence of family members and close friends. Do note that females cannot enter unless you are properly attired in a shalwar kameez, with a shawl covering your hair. Likewise, I believe they won’t allow you to enter if you don’t have official business within the mosque

It’s now time to head to the Pakistan Monument – which is surprisingly pretty, especially when compared to Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. I Googled, and it’s even prettier at night when it’s all lit up! Anyway, the four main petals represent the four provinces of Pakistan (Balochistan, KPK, Punjab, and Sindh), while the three smaller petals represent the three territories (Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and the Tribal Areas) – thank you very much Wikipedia!

When you’re in these tourist places, expect Pakistanis to approach you to ask for photos. While Islamabad is quite cosmopolitan and these types of occurrences won’t happen in restaurants or hotels, they still do in tourist places where you have a mix of local population present. Don’t worry though – if you don’t want to have your photo taken, just smile politely and say no. Be warned though, once you let someone take a photo with you, they’ll all come running – and they can be quite persistent…

There’s apparently a museum here as well which narrates the history of the Pakistan Movement, which is quite nice. I didn’t bother entering however, as I wanted to catch the sunset at Rawal Lake, our next stop!

Tada – here’s a photo of Rawal Lake, the calm before the storm… Literally. Was shooed away a few minutes later because foreigners aren’t allowed here apparently – since you can take photos of their waters, which might pose a security risk

Ohwell, to calm my nerves (and ease my hunger pangs haha!), I went straight to Chaaye Khana – a famous tea place here in Islamabad to try the jasmine blueberry leaf tea as well as French toast. The tea was sweet but not cloying, and the French toast was superb (but definitely for sharing!)

To cap off a day of exploration – I dropped by The Warehouse, a chic newly opened restaurant that’s been getting rave reviews for their burgers (well-deserved by my estimation!) and cheesecake. If you don’t feel like having burgers, check out Kohsar Market – which is supposedly the area for expats, so expect high end restaurants and cafes – perfect for destressing after a long day under the sun!

And that’s a wrap – of course, beyond the immediate attractions within Lahore, there are dozens of other places you can check out as well – all within ~1-4 hours away. If you’re interested, do check out my other Pakistan posts!

Interested to know more? Read my other Pakistan blog, and enjoy!

• Pakistan: A logistics and travel guide for first-time travelers
• Lahore: Exploring Pakistan’s cultural capital
• Karachi: Exploring Pakistan’s business capital
• Day trips from Lahore and Islamabad: Exploring Pakistan’s North
• Wagah Ceremony: Celebrating Indo-Pakistani relations
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Reliving history and the beginnings of civilization
• Taxila and Takht-i-Bahi: Tracing the footsteps of explorers