Things to Do in Islamabad

Islamabad Travel Guide

While our Pakistan Adventure officially kicks off in Skardu, most people will land in Islamabad first before heading north. The city is surprisingly chill compared to the chaos of Lahore or Karachi. You can hike in the morning, drink great coffee at lunch, and watch the sunset from a mosque in the evening. If you’ve got the time, I’d highly recommend taking the time to explore it. Here are some tips and recommendations from the Elsewheria team for your time in Islamabad:

Where To Stay in Islamabad

Here are a few tried-and-trusted hotels we recommend staying at, depending on what you’re looking for:

Coyote Den Hostel (Budget)
Jasmine Inn (Mid-range, central location)
Grand Islamabad Hotel (Mid-range)
Islamabad Serena Hotel (Luxury)

You can search for more options on Airbnb, it is also a cheap and active option in Islamabad.

Things To Do In Islamabad

Most of the top things to do are close together, so you can bounce between hikes, viewpoints, and cultural spots without too much effort. If you have time to explore the city, these are the top things I’d recommend:

Faisal Mosque for sunset
Pakistan Monument (early morning is great if you want it alone, becomes busier throughout the day)
Lok Virsa Museum, very close to the monument and has a lot of cultural exhibits)
Margalla Hills, trails 3+5 are the best
Daman e Koh (viewpoint and park in the hills)
F-9 Park for running
Saidpur Village (a village a bit on the outskirts, where you can see an old Hindu temple)

Places to Eat in Islamabad

One thing that Islamabad does well is food. Karahi, kebabs, halwa puri, Afghan grills, and cafes that could hold their own in any part of the world. These are a few of my favourite spots to eat in Islamabad:

Butt Karahi (Famous karahi spot from Lahore now in Islamabad)
Khyber Shinwari in the Peshawar Mor bazaar (amazing lamb chops from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
Any Quetta cafe (there’s lots of them in the various plazas) for amazing tea and parathas
Kabul Restaurant (Famous and good Afghan/Pakistani spot)
Cheema & Chathhas (Amazing classic Punjabi breakfast)
Bistro Noir (Upscale and actually very good Western food)
Hanif Rajput Rooftop Grill (Upscale Pakistani food)
Quattro Uno (Only good and real pizza in the city)
Loafology (best coffee and cafe-style food, bread and desserts)

Things to Do in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi is just 30–40 minutes away, but it feels like a completely different world. It’s loud, colourful, with an old “real” Pakistani city feel. If you have the time, it’s worth heading over to wander the bazaars and get a taste of everyday Pakistani life.

Jamia Masjid
Wander around the Raja Bazaar
At the truck art workshop, you can even have them paint something for you. Here’s the location, there should be more than one yard: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HhxgkTUisiEU8zk59?g_st=ipc

Places to Eat in Rawalpindi

Pindi is another place that will delight your taste buds. You can probably follow your nose to source some of the best street food. But these are my favourites:

Sabir Halwa Puri (classic breakfast/lunch dish)
Dilbar Hotel (specializes in Kashmiri faves for 75+ years)
Best place to just walk around and come across food/Dhabas that look good

Places in the Vicinity of Islamabad

If you’ve given yourself a bit of extra time in Islamabad before or after the trip, these places are near Islamabad and worth the trip:

Noori Waterfall, about 45 minutes away, beautiful motorbike ride but can also be reached by car. Avoid weekends and evenings though!
Peshawar is 2 hours each way. If someone has several days and are feeling adventurous, it could be a good day trip, though it’s not for everyone
Murree is an old British hill station about 2 hours away, gets chaotic on weekends and holidays though
Nathia Gali is a bit farther at 2.5 hours away but is more scenic with a few forest hikes
The UNESCO ruins of an ancient Buddhist city, Taxila, are about 1 hour away
Khanpur Dam has some nice stays and water activities just over an hour away.

Other Things To Note

Here are a few more important bits of info about transport and money in Islamabad that will no doubt come in handy.

inDrive is the main rideshare app to get around the city/to Rawalpindi. I recommend setting this up prior to arrival, since it will ask for a phone number
A ride from or to the airport from the main Islamabad areas using inDrive should be 3000 PKR. Max we’ve paid is 4000 PKR for a taxi when inDrive was taking too long. Lots of taxis are available.
There is now (as of last week) a currency exchange at the Islamabad airport, but I can’t imagine this would have the best rates, but it could be useful out the gate (those tend to be in the Blue Area, we go to Riaz Money Exchange or others next to it)
ATMs that work with foreign cards, just in case you need: Standard Charter (only one that’s not available in GB), UBL, Bank Alfalah, Allied Bank, HBL (least reliable of these)
We won’t visit any mosques in GB, but women should bring shawls for any you check out in the ISB area