Best Family Holiday Destinations in Pakistan

The best family holiday destinations in Pakistan depend on how old the children are and how long everyone will sit in a car. For a first trip with young children, the Galiyat and Murree hills, Naran in the Kaghan valley and the big cities are the easiest. Hunza and Skardu suit families with older children and a week or more, and a few well-known places are best left for another year.

This guide sorts the options by type of trip, not by fame, and says plainly who each one suits. Our wider list of destinations has the full range if you want to look further.

How to choose a family destination

Three questions settle most choices.

How long is the drive? Murree and the Galiyat are a few hours from Islamabad. Naran is a long day from Islamabad, at around 280 km by the usual sources. Hunza and Skardu are two days by road from Islamabad, or a short flight to Skardu and Gilgit if the weather allows. Children cope with a two-hour drive far better than with an eight-hour one, and so do grandparents.

How high will you sleep? Murree is a little over 2,000 metres and Nathia Gali roughly 2,500. Naran is about 2,400 metres and Lake Saif ul Malook, above it, is about 3,200. These are gentle heights. Above 3,000 metres, watch everyone for headaches and drowsiness, and read our guide to altitude sickness in the north.

What is the season? Family holidays cluster in the school breaks in June to August, which is also when hill stations are most crowded and roads jam. Book hotels early, and expect to pay more at Eid and on long weekends.

Easy hill stations for young children

Murree and the Galiyat

Murree is the default family hill station for a reason. It is close to Islamabad and Rawalpindi, roads are paved, hotels come in every price range, and there is plenty to do without much walking: Mall Road, the chairlifts, ponies and short viewpoints. The downside is crowding. On summer weekends and after snowfall the traffic is heavy and prices climb, so our Murree travel tips and Murree with family guide are worth reading first.

The Galiyat, the string of small hill stations beyond Murree that includes Nathia Gali, Ayubia and Dunga Gali, is quieter and greener. It is a better choice for families who want pine forest, short walks and a cooler night more than shopping and restaurants. Nathia Gali is roughly 80 km from Islamabad by most sources. See Nathia Gali with family for the details.

These two suit most families, including those with toddlers and older relatives, and a long weekend is enough.

What they are less good for

Both are busy in peak season, and neither has the scale of the northern valleys. If the children are ten or older and you want big mountains, go further.

Lakes and valleys with a week

Naran and the Kaghan valley

Naran is the classic week-long family trip for people who want mountains without the extremes of altitude or distance. The valley has a paved road, a large choice of hotels, riverside walks and a busy bazaar. The main excursion is Lake Saif ul Malook, about 8 km from Naran on a jeep track that takes roughly 40 to 45 minutes each way, with a short walk at the end.

The jeep road is rough and it is worth using local drivers rather than taking your own car. Babusar Top, at about 4,170 metres, is a longer excursion and is usually open only from about June or July to September, depending on snow, so treat it as an optional extra. Our Naran travel tips cover the practicalities.

Naran is best from June to September. Earlier or later, roads and lake access can be closed by snow.

Hunza

Hunza is the northern destination that works best for families. Karimabad has hotels of every kind, a fort and a bazaar, and Attabad Lake has boat rides that children enjoy. The scenery is spectacular without demanding any walking. See our Hunza family trip guide.

The catch is the journey. By road from Islamabad it is two long days, and a flight to Gilgit is weather-dependent. Plan at least six or seven days in total, or the trip will be mostly driving. Our 9-day Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour is built around that pace.

Khunjerab Pass, at 4,693 metres, is a popular day trip from Hunza but is hard on very young children and older grandparents because of the altitude.

Skardu

Skardu has lakes, the Shangrila resort area, the cold desert at Katpana and, in summer, the high plateau of Deosai. It is a good choice for families with older children who enjoy long, scenic drives. Flights from Islamabad take about an hour and ten minutes, and Skardu airport largely depends on clear weather, so sources advise a spare day, especially between November and February. Our Skardu family trip guide goes into more detail, and the Skardu and Deosai tour covers the standard route.

Cities: the reliable family holiday

Do not overlook the cities. For families with toddlers, elderly grandparents, or a trip in December or January, a city holiday avoids altitude, cold and long mountain roads.

• Islamabad has parks, the Margalla Hills, Faisal Mosque and Lok Virsa, and is a good base for day trips. See Islamabad with family.
• Lahore offers the Walled City, Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, gardens and food, and works particularly well from November to March. See Lahore with family.
• Karachi has the beaches, the sea and a good winter climate, though heat and traffic make it tiring in summer. See Karachi with family.

Places to save for later

Fairy Meadows is one of the most famous family destinations in Pakistan, but it is a serious outing. From Raikot Bridge a local jeep goes about 15 km on a narrow, unpaved track to Tato village, and from there it is a hike of roughly 4 to 5 km, usually taken as three to four hours, up to about 3,300 metres. Families do it, but it is best with children who can walk for hours, and not for anyone with a heart or knee problem. See Fairy Meadows with family.

Khunjerab Pass is fine for teenagers and healthy adults, less so for the very young or elderly.

Is it safe to travel with family in Pakistan?

Most family trips to Murree, the Galiyat, Naran, Hunza, Skardu and the major cities are routine, and Pakistani families make them every summer. But security varies sharply between regions, and 2026 has been a difficult year in parts of the north-west.

• Swat. On 2 August 2026 a suicide bomber attacked a police station in Kabal, Swat, during a peace rally. The UK government advises against all travel to Swat, along with Upper and Lower Dir, Peshawar, the Kalash valleys and several other districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Neelum valley and Azad Kashmir. The UK advises against travel within 10 miles of the Line of Control, which covers most of the Neelum valley. Protests in Azad Kashmir from June 2026 led to deadly unrest, long phone and internet shutdowns and a request from the local government for tourists to stay away.
• Karakoram Highway. The UK advises against all travel on the highway between Mansehra and Chilas. In summer many travellers to Hunza and Fairy Meadows avoid this by using the Babusar route, and Gilgit-Baltistan itself is not on the UK list.

Before you book, check local news and current police advice for the exact route, and ask your hotel about road conditions. Visitors travelling on a foreign passport should read their own government's advice first, because travelling against it can void travel insurance.

Which destination for which family?

• Toddlers and grandparents, a weekend: Murree or the Galiyat, or a city.
• School-age children, a week in summer: Naran and Kaghan, or Hunza with a flight or a spare day.
• Teenagers who like long drives and scenery: Skardu and Deosai, or Hunza and Khunjerab.
• Winter holidays: Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad, with a day trip to Murree if snow is forecast.
• A big joint family: Book the rooms first. Most of these destinations have plenty of family rooms, but the popular months fill early. Our plan a trip page can help if you want the logistics sorted for you.

Frequently asked questions