Islamabad Activities: Trails, Lakes and Markets
Advisory as of 31 October 2026. Washington rates Pakistan Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) in its 16 June 2026 update and tells travellers to avoid or reconsider trips to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. London’s Foreign Office, in advice revised on 27 October 2026, leaves Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree and Taxila off its warning lists, yet it warns against all or all but essential travel to a long list of areas elsewhere, among them parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The capital has had major attacks, including the November 2025 court bombing and the 6 February 2026 blast at a Shia mosque in Tarlai, on the city’s edge. Check the US State Department page and the Foreign Office page before booking anything. Plan for police checkpoints, road closures during protests and phone-network cuts, keep away from rallies, and keep your original passport on you.
The short list
| Activity | Where | Cost and timing |
|---|---|---|
| Hill walk | Margalla Trails 3 and 5, off Margalla Road | free, daylight only |
| City viewpoint | Daman-e-Koh | free, guides quote 09:00 to 23:00 |
| Lake and aviary | Lake View Park, Rawal Lake | aviary about PKR 100 adult, PKR 50 child |
| Museums | Shakarparian | about PKR 2,000 foreign adult, closed Mondays |
| Cafes and street food | Kohsar Market and Jinnah Super Market | pay per order |
Walking in the Margalla Hills
The hills behind the city are Islamabad’s main outdoor draw. Trail 3 starts on Margalla Road opposite Sector F-6 and is steep, taking about 1.5 hours to climb. Trail 5 starts on the same road near F-5 and is the gentler choice. Rain closures are announced by the district administration, so look at the CDA adventure page before you set out.
Wildlife is part of the deal. Leopards are resident in the park, and macaques and wild boar share the trails. Go in daylight with company, avoid dawn and dusk, and aim to be back before sunset. No waterfalls exist on these trails, so do not plan a swim.
Daman-e-Koh
Daman-e-Koh looks over the city and across to Faisal Mosque, and it costs nothing to visit. Monkeys grab food from visitors’ hands, so eat away from them or keep your bag shut.
Rawal Lake
Lake View Park and its Bird Aviary sit on the shore. Getting into the park itself costs roughly PKR 20 to 50. Motorised boats on Rawal Lake have been banned by district orders on several occasions, so treat any boat ride as a bonus and expect pedal or rowing boats when the park is running them.
Museums on Shakarparian hill
The Pakistan Monument Museum and the Lok Virsa Heritage Museum are neighbours. Local adults pay PKR 200, students PKR 100, and under-7s enter free, while foreign adults pay about PKR 2,000 at each. Both are shut on Mondays, and the Monument Museum runs 10:00 to 20:00 the rest of the week. Confirm prices on the Lok Virsa site .
Places you may hear about
The Monal restaurant near Pir Sohawa stopped trading in September 2024 and its hillside site is not a visitor stop. Islamabad’s old zoo at Marghazar shut in December 2020 and is now a wildlife rescue centre closed to the public.
Getting there and around
Taxis come through the Careem, Yango and inDrive apps. Metrobus routes charge PKR 100 a trip. The airport lies 25 to 30 km southwest at Fateh Jang. A paid e-Visa through visa.nadra.gov.pk is the route for most nationalities.
Read more: Day trips from Islamabad and Walking tours .
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