8 Things to do in Islamabad, Pakistan + Top Tips
Last updated on: 8 June 2022
The modern city of Islamabad is unlike any other city you will find in Pakistan. From modern malls to stunning mosques, read here about the top things to do in Islamabad!
Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, is unlike any other city of Pakistan! Unlike most major cities in Pakistan, Islamabad does not have any buildings or sights dating back hundreds of years as this city is not even a century old. Islamabad was built in the 1960s to replace Karachi as the capital. The city was carefully planned and as a result you have a modern and organised city filled with green parks and nature. And while the city might not have history dating back hundreds of years, it is still filled stunning sights and plenty of things to keep you busy for a couple of days. Keep on reading to find out which things to do in Islamabad deserve a spot on your Pakistan itinerary…
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First Impressions of Islamabad Video
OUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF ISLAMABAD
Curious what Islamabad is like? Watch our vlog on Youtube where we take you with us as during a day of exploring Islamabad! You can find the full Pakistan series, including vlogs on Lahore and Islamabad, here.
X Things to do in Islamabad
Faisal Mosque
One of Islamabad’s must see sights is the Faisal Mosque. Located in front of the Margalla Hills mountains you can not find a better setting for a mosque as beautiful as the Faisal Mosque. With a sleek and modern design the Faisal Mosque is unlike any other mosque we had ever seen. The Faisal Mosque opened its doors in 1988 and to this date is one of the largest mosques in the world with a capacity of 300,000 worshippers! The pictures honestly don’t do the grandiosity of this mosque any justice. We unfortunately could not visit the inside as it was closed, but had a great time admiring the architecture from the outside, as well as spending some time with the friendly locals hanging around in the courtyard of the mosque!
Practical Info
Address | Shah Faisal Ave, E-8, Islamabad
Entry Fee | There is no entry fee but you do have to pay to store your shoes, we paid 100 Rs. for both our shoes
Good to Know | You will be required to dress modestly and to take off your shoes before entering the mosque and the courtyard
Pakistan Monument
Located on top of a hill overlooking Islamabad you will find the beautiful Pakistan Monument, constructed to symbolize the unity of the Pakistani people. The construction of this monument started in 2004 and was completed in 2007, adding another stunning sight to Islamabad’s skyline. The four large petal shaped like structures symbolize the four different cultures of the people of Pakistan: the Punjabi, the Balochi, the Sindhi and the Pakhtun. The three smaller shaped petals symbolize: the minorities, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. These seven petals together stand together to protected the star and crescent of Pakistan! The Pakistan Monument is a must see sight when visiting Islamabad, and to be honest the views from the monument are worth the trip alone!
Practical Info
Address | Shakarparian Hills، Srinagar Hwy, Islamabad
Opening Hours | Unclear, we found several different opening hours online
Entry Fee | The entry fee to the Pakistan Monument is 250 Rs. per person ($1.28)
Good to Know | Close to the Pakistan Monument you will find Lok Virsa or the Heritage museum. You can easily combine both in one visit if you’d like to learn more about the history and cultures of Pakistan!
Have Breakfast at Loafology
Been craving some good coffee? Have breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, at Loafology! Loafology is located centrally to many hotels (including both of the hotels we stayed at) and is a great cafe to grab a pastry, a coffee or enjoy a full meal. The atmosphere is great here, the food is good and the staff is incredibly kind. If you are looking for a great place to work, or perhaps just some good internet, then this is also the place to be. We tested the internet here and even while the whole cafe was packed we had an internet speed of 62.5 Mbps download speed and 92.4 Mbps upload speed, the fastest internet speed we have found so far in Pakistan!
Practical Info
Address | 108-W Jinnah Avenue, Block I G 7/2 Blue Area, Islamabad
Opening Hours | Daily from 8AM - 11PM
Good to Know | If you are staying at The 108 Hotel you will get breakfast included from this cafe!
Saidpur Village
If you are looking to escape the modern life of Islamabad you might want to take a quick taxi to Saidpur Village. Saidpur village is a small village located in the mountains of Pakistan that dates back all the way to the Mughal empire. This village has become a famous tourist spot for locals as well as foreigners. We briefly stopped by to enjoy some drinks and admire some of the architecture!
Monal Restaurant
Located on top of Margalla Hills you will find one of Islamabad’s (if not Pakistan’s) most stunning restaurants: The Monal. The Monal is located at a height of ±1100 m and overlooks the whole of Islamabad. This is the spot to grab a meal if you love dining with a view. We had lunch here and loved the experience. The staff was kind, the service was quick (it wasn’t too busy when we went) and the food was delicious and reasonably priced! On our next visit to Islamabad we will for sure stop here again to perhaps enjoy the view around sunset instead!
Practical Info
Address | 9KM Pir Sohawa Rd, Islamabad
Opening Hours | Daily from 1PM - 1AM
Good to Know |Monal is a more upscale restaurant, men are expected to wear a button up shirt here. Also, it gets very windy up here so bring a sweater if you easily get cold!
Centaurus Mall
Looking to do some shopping? Perhaps for a new outfit, or perhaps just to browse around a bit? Then be sure to check out the Centaurus Mall. The Centaurus Mall is one of Pakistan’s largest malls and is filled with clothing shops, a supermarket, dollar stores, a food court that takes up the majority of the upper floor, a cinema, cafes and just so much more! Besides store chains such as Khaadi, Beechtree and Ethnic you will also find many international brands here including Levi’s, Nike, Adidas and Mango. With over 300 different shops available there truly is something for everyone here!
Practical Info
Address | F8, 4 Jinnah Avenue, F-8/4 F 8/4 F-8, Islamabad
Opening Hours | Daily from 11AM - 11PM
Have a Burger (or Two)
If there is one non desi food that the people of Pakistan seem to love than it must be burgers. You will find burgers everywhere, from famous Western fast food chains such as McDonalds, to local chain restaurants such as Howdy as well as basically everywhere else! Every single burger we have had during our trip to Pakistan has been absolutely delicious. Most burger places will have chicken and beef burgers available, and some will even have shrimp burgers! Here are some burger places you might like to check out in Islamabad:
Jessie’s - We personally tried the burger here and loved it, plus the fries here are super crispy!
Howdy - We tried Howdy in Lahore and loved their burger, it also seems to be one of the most popular spot to grab burgers in Islamabad!
Burger Fest - We have not tried these yet, but saw them in Mark Wiens his video of Western Food in Pakistan and it looked delicious!
Go Hiking
Islamabad is situated on the bottom of Margalla Hills an area that is filled with beautiful hiking trails. We personally did not go hiking in Islamabad as we visited during the summer (and the weather was hottttt), but if you are looking to escape the hustle and bustle from the city than it might be worth checking out! You can find more info on the different hiking trails here!
Map of Things to do in Islamabad
Where to Stay in Islamabad
We stayed in Islamabad for a total of 8 nights during our first trip. Below you can find the two hotels we stayed at, with The 108 Hotel being our preferred choice. If you prefer a more detailed review of these places, and all other places we ever stayed at, check out our Where We Stayed Page!
The 108 Hotel
The 108 Hotel was rated with an 9.2 in May 2022 on Booking.com
Located in the Blue Area between G7 and F7, The Hotel 108 it is the perfect place to stay as you are central to some of Islamabad’s most famous sights and close to many restaurants and shops. The rooms are spacious, clean and very modern. There is a comfy and large bed, a tv with Netflix, a dedicated workspace, ample storage and the plugs in this room even have USB ports built in!
However the main reason we loved our stay here was the incredibly kind staff that went above and beyond during our stay; they even called us on the morning of our stay to inform us that we could check in earlier (if we liked) as our room was all ready! We stayed here for only two nights but we know that this will be the place that we will return to on our next trip to Pakistan!
Shelton’s Ambassador
The Shelton’s Ambassador was rated with an 8.8 in May 2022 on Booking.com
The Shelton's Ambassador is located in a central area of Islamabad close to cafes, restaurants, shopping malls and central between some of Islamabad must see sights. The rooms are clean, have a comfortable bed and an a/c that works well. The rooms were pretty basic, though that is expected for the price at this location. One thing we would like to mention about this hotel is the kind staff. Everyone that worked at the hotel was extremely kind and welcoming, it was one of the things we loved most about our stay!
We would stay here again but if our budget allows us we would prefer the above mentioned 108 Hotel. You can read a more detailed review of our stay here.
Islamabad Travel Tips
best time to visit Islamabad
You can visit Islamabad all year round, but we would recommend avoiding the warmer summer months. We visited in May and temperatures around this time already reached 40 °C (104 °F). Temperatures during the months of June, July and August are similar, or can even be hotter. If we had the option we would personally pick to visit during early spring (March and early April) or late fall (late September, October, early November). January is the coldest month of the year in Islamabad and temperatures during this month can drop to a low of 7 °C (44.6 °F).
How many days do you need in Islamabad
If you are planning on visiting Islamabad we would highly recommend visiting for at least two days. Two days will allow you to explore some of the main sights of Islamabad such as the Pakistan Monument, Faisal Mosque and Saidpur Village as well as another day to do some shopping, wander through the different markets or perhaps go on a day trip!
How to get around Islamabad
One of the easiest ways to get around Islamabad in our opinion is by using Careem. Careem, similar to Uber, has an app that allows you to order a ride from wherever you are to your next destination. The best thing about Careem is that you can see the price up front, perfect in case you don’t want to haggle. Another easy benefit is that you can add your end destination and tell the driver exactly where you want to go. The app is in English making it extremely easy to order a ride!
It might be good to know that there are no rickshaws in Islamabad, one of our Careem drivers told us that they are actually not allowed in Islamabad! You will find small taxis everywhere in the city instead though, another easy way to get around the city!
Explore Pakistan With Our Travel Guides
And there you have it, everything you need to know about Lahore! We are already planning our next visit so if you have any recommendations on what to do, see or eat be sure to let us know in the comment section down below. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our other Pakistan travel guides:
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