Top 10 Best Places to Visit in Islamabad

Capitals are a lot! But the capital of Pakistan is one of the most attractive and beautiful one in the world. There are many best places to visit in Islamabad. The variety of beautiful places in Islamabad ranges from historical to cultural, religious to secular, and picnic to attraction.

In 1960, Pakistan changed its capital from Karachi to Islamabad. Islamabad is the 9th most populous city in Pakistan. It has a population of almost 1.3 million people. The area code of Islamabad is 051. Islamabad is the only city in Pakistan which has a moderate weather throughout the year. However, if you are the one who belong to cold areas, you may visit Islamabad during the month of October and November.

Now, in the lines ahead, we will discuss some of the best places in Islamabad which are worth visiting:

FAISAL MOSQUE

If you visit Islamabad and not visiting Faisal mosque, it means you have not visited Islamabad at all. Faisal mosque is one of Islamabad best place to visit.

Faisal mosque is one of the best places to visit in Islamabad. In 1966, when king Shah Faisal of Saudi Arabia, was on the visit of Pakistan, expressed his desire to construct a beautiful mosque in Islamabad. Later on, in 1969, an international bid competition was organized, in which a Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay’s proposal won the race.

However, in 1976, King Khalid, who was King Faisal’s successor, laid the foundation of the mosque. This way, it took almost 10 years to complete. In 1986, it was opened for public.

Lok Virsa Museum

Lok Virsa Museum is known as history and cultural museum. The museum is considered one of the largest museum. It has a collection of around 100,000 artifacts. Lok virsa museum is situated near Islamabad, on the Shakarparian hills.

If you are the one who is curious about the rich culture of the country, then, this attraction is considered one of the places to visit in Islamabad.

Margalla Hill

If you are searching for best places to visit in Islamabad, the option of Margalla hills stands on the top. If you have some leisure time during day time, you may visit the spot. It is one of the breath-taking place to visit. The distance between Faisal Mosque and Margalla Hill is only 14 Km via Kotjandaan road, and it only takes 40 minutes to reach the spot. The best time to visit Margalla Hill is between 3 pm until Sun set.

Daman-e-koh

Daman-e-koh is a combination of two Persian words. It is one of Islamabad tourist places to visit. It is a garden situated on the top of the hill, in the north of Islamabad. This is a worth visiting place in Islamabad. The attraction is almost 2400 ft or 730 m above the sea level. One thing you have to take care of is that it closes 11 pm every night. Therefore, it is highly recommended to visit the place during 3 pm to 11 pm.

Rawal Lak

Rawal Lake is among the top 10 Islamabad best places to visit. It is situated near Islamabad. It is an artificial lake which is projected to store water from Korang River along with some of the other small streams of water. These small streams of water are coming down from the margalla hills. The lake fulfills the needs of water of Islamabad and Rawalpindi city. The maximum depth of the lake is around 103 ft and covers an area of 8.8 square km. The distance between Islamabad and Rawal Lake is 17 km Via Srinagar highway. 

Saidpur Village

Saidpur village is situated on the slope of Margalla Hill Islamabad. It is considered one of the oldest village in Islamabad, which dates back to the time of Mughal era. This small village was founded by Mirza Fateh Ali in 1530 AD. In the beginning, the area was known as Fatehpur Baoli. However, later on, this area was granted to Said Khan by the Mughal Emperor Akbar the great, for the services his family rendered for the Mughal family against Sher Shah Suri.

In the book of Jahangir, Tazk-e-Jahangiri, this place is known as a place beyond Rawalpindi. Overall, this serene and beautiful place is considered one of the best places to visit in Islamabad. If you are on the visit Islamabad, this is a must visit place.

Pakistan Monument

Pakistan monument is also among the best places to visit in Islamabad. It is a heritage museum situated in the west of Shakarparian hill in Islamabad. This museum was developed in to symbolize the unity of the people of Pakistan. It is considered among the top 10 islamabad famous places to visit.

On this site, the work of construction was started on 25 May 2004, and it was opened for public on 23 March, 2007. It opens on 9 AM and closes on 9 PM. Thus, it is recommended to visit the site during these hours.

Centaurus Mall

Centaurus mall Islamabad is one of the modern shopping mall. It is situated in blue area Islamabad. These are three alike buildings consist of 36 floors. This was designed by the British firm WS Atkins. These skyscrapers consist of four story shopping mall, residential towers, five star hotels, corporate offices, residential apartments, and much more.

Additionally, Centaurus mall has more than 250 shops, a play area for children which is known as, fun city, and a Cineplex, that exhibits recently Hollywood and Bollywood movies. So, if you are looking for best places to visit in Islamabad, you may go and visit this charming place.

 Rose and Jasmine Garden

Rose and Jasmine Garden or Botanical garden Islamabad, is a public garden situated in the recreational area of sports complex Aabpara, Kashmir highway. This is one of the best places to visit in Islamabad with family. It opens and closes between 9 AM and 9 PM. You may visit between these hours. This garden is spread over an area of almost 20 acre. You will like the garden as it will give you a sense of serene from the hustle and bustle of city.

The Monal

And finally comes the monal, a place that is my favorite. It is one of the best places to visit in Islamabad, which offers you all. You can have some eating, a beautiful view, an attraction and a chill out. Leave the rest, the road to the point is all that you will really enjoy.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, if you are on the visit of Islamabad or staying there and searching for the best places to visit in Islamabad, all the above mentioned places will remove your thirst. It is impossible to visit all these places in one day. However, you must have some leisure time for almost three to four days in order to visit all these scenic places.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are best places to visit in Islamabad?

Islamabad is a top notch area in Pakistan where you can have many more options to visit. You can visit Faisal Mosque, Lok Virsa Museum, Rose and Jasmine garden, the Monal, Centaurus Mall, Pakistan Monument, Saidpur Village and finally Rawal Lake.

What is the famous thing of Islamabad?

The famous thing of Islamabad is to visit the featured Faisal mosque. It is one of the famous sight of Islamabad. A must visiting place in Islamabad.

How can I spend my day in Islamabad?

One can spend one’s day in Islamabad by visiting some of the best places such as, Faisal mosque, Lok virsa museum, Margalla hill, Daman-e-koh, Rawal Lake, Saidpur village, Pakistan monument, Centaurus mall, Rose and Jasmine garden, and the monal.

What is the old name of Islamabad city?

The old name of Islamabad was Potohar region. The name Potohar region was changed to Islamabad in 1960.

Where can I see the sunset in Islamabad?

There are many best places to see the sunset. However, the best and recommended place to see the sunset is to visit Daman-e-koh.

Why Islamabad is called twin cities?

Islamabad and Rawalpindi are known as the twin cities. This is just because of the high interdependence and social and economic linkages. However, there is no any other specific criteria which distinguishes them properly.

What is the size of Islamabad?

As per some authentic resources, the area and size of Islamabad is 906.5 square kilometer or almost 350 square miles.

Which is the most developed city in Pakistan?

According to the research, it is turned out that Islamabad is considered one of the developed city of Pakistan.

Which is the second most beautiful capital of the world?

As per data and information, Islamabad is considered one of the second most beautiful capital in the world following Paris.

What is the safest area in Islamabad?

As per research and my experience, Kingdom valley and F7 areas are considered to be the safest areas of Islamabad.

What is the cleanest city in Pakistan?

The cleanest city of Pakistan is considered Islamabad. it is the only cleanest city of Pakistan which is taken great care of.