Islamabad is a beautiful, clean and lush green capital of Pakistan. It is no wonder it is considered the 2nd most beautiful capital in the world. It is well developed, modern and attractive in so many ways.

Whenever I come back to Islamabad, whether that is for visiting relatives or getting my visa/passport done, there are some places I always have to visit and things I always have to do.

This time around, with Kanika by my side, obviously I had to show her those nostalgic destinations but also decided to hit new spots. Now I’m not sure if you’ve been following our Instagram series on #WhyVisitPakistan but if you ever get convinced or inspired enough to travel to Pakistan, here’s a list on 10 places to see or things to do when you visit Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan.

Since we don’t just focus on travel as it is a lifestyle blog, I’m going to separate the list into categories that will hopefully convince you take trip down here this year.

Culture & History

Obviously, when you’re traveling to a new country or city, first thing you want to do is immerse yourself and learn about the culture and history. Pakistan may be a young country (born in 1947) but it is definitely rich in history and Islamabad plays a big role in the development of that history. So these are the places to visit when you are in the capital.

1. Lok Virsa Museum

Lok Virsa is a cultural and heritage museum in Islamabad that exhibits the different lifestyles of people in Pakistan. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos inside the museum so we can’t really show any to you but be sure to take a look at their website.

As we walked through, we were quite impressed by the upkeep and quality of the exhibits here despite the really low entry fees. We really wondered how they were able to manage to do that. Maybe because this is a member of several UNESCO projects. This was by far one of our favorite cultural experience here.

2. Pakistan Monument

You can actually visit the Pakistan Monument on the same day as the Lok Virsa Museum as they are extremely close by. Just another 5 minutes drive up the road, you’ll witness the national monument, which is represented by its shape – the four main petals represents Pakistan’s four provinces (Punjab, sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) while the three smaller petals represents it’s three territories (Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas)

Also located in front of the monument is a wax museum (Pakistan Monument Museum where you can learn everything about Pakistan’s history. The museum will take about 20 minutes to go through and it is not only educational but also very entertaining and impressive. Once done, be sure to take some photos with the monument and soak in the panoramic view of Islamabad city.

On the way back, if you have time, you can even slip in a visit to the Pakistan Museum of Natural History.

3. Saidpur Village

This is surely a must visit place when you’re in Islamabad. Located on the foothills of the Maragalla mountain range, the village is from the Mughal-era and has remnants of various civilizations. Saidpur village is sort of like a heritage site but what is amazing about it is that it displays a perfect blend of traditional culture with modern lifestyle. Here you’ll find restaurants and cafes that have been well integrated around the village while keeping the authenticity and tradition.

The ambiance is extremely quaint and beautiful. While exploring, we came across children playing and smiling at us and this man playing a classical musical instrument that really added to the ambiance of the village – a beautiful symphony of sight and sound.

4. Faisal Mosque

The Faisal Mosque is definitely the most iconic structure and symbol of not just Islamabad, but all of Pakistan. It is the largest mosque in the country and can be seen from almost everywhere in Islamabad. The mosque is so massive that it covers an area of 5,000 m² and can accommodate over 250,000 worshipers in its inside and outside grounds.

It is certainly sight for sore eyes with its impressive and unique design. Usually Mosques are dome shaped but this one is shaped like a ‘desert Bedouin’s tent’.

A photo posted by Siasat.pk (@siasat.pk) on Jan 9, 2016 at 12:53am PST

This was the view of Faisal Mosque from Daman-e-koh (more on this place later).

Hopefully these pictures are enough reasons for you to come see it in person. It’s truly a grand spectacle.

Adventure & Sightseeing

Although you’ll probably find Lahore or Karachi more lively, Islamabad has some great adventures to offer thanks to its location alongside natural landscapes such as mountains and lakes.

5. Rawal Lake

If you want a nice time with family or your loved one, Rawal lake is the perfect place to visit. Although an artificial reservoir, the view is beautiful and you can even rent paddle boats or motor boats to explore the lake and nearby islands.

Other than boating and the view, the park next to the lake is perfect for picnics, bird watching and long walks with your loved ones.

The ideal time to go here would be an hour or so before sunset where you can enjoy a bit of the surrounding area and then be able to capture this!

6. Margalla Hills

The Margalla hills or mountain range is part of the lesser Himalayas and is a perfect destination for adventurers, travelers and locals. There are plenty of restaurants, viewpoints and nature trails to tickle everyone’s fancy.

You can drive or hike up to Daman-e-Koh, which is located just half way up the mountain for a picturesque, panoramic view of Islamabad. This is a popular site for both tourists and locals.

Be mindful of monkeys that roam these areas though. We saw plenty at the car park stealing people’s food!

The view from bottom to top is stunning and the experience of going up and down the mountain in itself is amazing.

Eating Out

The thing about eating out in Islamabad or even Pakistan is that if you’re not from here, I recommend not eating road side foods. Even I have gotten sick when I have had it, so I opt to eat at good restaurants or eat at my grandparents house. So should you! My relatives are quite hospitable so if you’re ever in Islamabad, let me know, and I’ll hook you up with them.

However, if you’re feeling adventurous, there are street food vendors and roadside restaurants (Dhabas) all over Islamabad

Here are some restaurants I can recommend for some really good Pakistani food.

7. Islamabad Club

The Islamabad club is an exclusive club where the membership comprises mainly of government officials, diplomats and the elite of Islamabad. Now that puts most, if not all of you in a pickle, but if you’re in Islamabad for a long time, it’s worthwhile to get a membership here.

The club is equipped with swimming pools, tennis courts, gym, library and a lot more. They have a killer Sunday brunch and weekly dinner buffet setup serving delicious Pakistani and continental food across live stations and pre-cooked meals.

8. Monal

Earlier I mentioned about Margala Hills. Well if you drive/hike up further from Daman-e-koh, you will reach Monal restaurant where you can enjoy some seriously delicious kababs and other authentic Pakistani dishes like Biryani and Handi. Monal is actually touted as the #1 restaurant in Islamabad on TripAdvisor. Apart from the amazing food, the view is stunning.

9. Hotspot

Hotspot is a hip, young-crowd hangout spot that serves amazing homemade ice-cream, cakes and other delicious desserts. Ironic is the name since it serves mostly cold dishes but I guess it is a hotspot since it is always happening and buzzing. Ahhh, I see what they did there. 

You’ll find some really unique flavors here such as Kitkat, Mars and even Toblerone chocolate ice-cream among many others.

A photo posted by Kanika & Shayan | Dose of Life (@doseoflifecom) on Jan 4, 2016 at 5:29am PST

Hotspot has since expanded from its original location in F7 and you can now find smaller shops across Islamabad. We prefer the original one as the shophouse has a very vintage look and feel to it. The walls are covered with interesting posters of old Bollywood and Lollywood (Pakistani cinema) movies and even comic books.

Shopping

10. Jinnah Supermarket

My favorite place to go shopping in Islamabad is Jinnah supermarket. It is located in the F7 sector of Islamabad and is shaped like an donut with all sorts of shops in the outer circle and the inner circle has some jewelry stores and dhaba-style restaurants.

Photo credit: imusafir.pk

Jinnah is where everyone hangs out, other than Centaurus mall but I haven’t put that in the list because 1) I don’t like malls as much, 2) we have so many in Bangkok and 3) do you really want to go to a mall on your trip here?

Anyways, Jinnah market is where you should be going because you will find local brands and cheaper prices as compared to the mall.

An extra bonus just for you!

11. Sunday Bazar

Photo credit: A Journey of Love

Although called Sunday (itwar) bazar, it is actually open on other days as well. Sometimes Tuesday or Wednesday and sometimes Friday as well. This is a massive flea market in G-11 sector, which offers lots of vintage, second hand and interesting products such as clothing, accessories and gadgets. Here you will also find flowers, fruits, vegetables and meat.

You have to do a lot of exploring, searching and go through a bit of hustle & bustle to find what you like but prices here are really cheap and quality is pretty decent.

Tip: best to go here with a local as they know how to bargain with the shops. Also you might want to wear conservative clothing (which goes without saying when you’re in Pakistan anyway) because if they see you areyto a foreigner or from a well-to-do family, they give you a much higher price.

Well there you have it. 11 awesome reasons to visit Islamabad and believe us, there’s a lot more. Let us know what you think and if we’ve convinced you enough.

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