Kallar Kahar vs Soon Valley: Which Salt Range Trip?

Choose Kallar Kahar if you have one day, small children or only a few hours to spare: it sits beside the M2 motorway and is the easier trip. Choose Soon Valley if you have a full weekend and want lakes, hills and quiet, and are happy to spend much of a day on the road. They are both in the Salt Range, but they are different kinds of trip.

This guide compares the two on distance, scenery, lakes, facilities and timing, so you can decide before you book. For the full detail on each, we have separate guides to Kallar Kahar and Soon Valley.

How far is each from Islamabad and Lahore?

Kallar Kahar is the near one. Travel sites quote anything from about 125 to 156 km from Islamabad, depending on where they measure from, and it is a short drive off the M2 at the Kallar Kahar interchange. A figure of about 230 km from Lahore is given by one guide. Allow a little over two hours from Islamabad and around three from Lahore, more on a holiday weekend.

Soon Valley is further. Wikipedia gives about 230 km from Islamabad and 320 km from Lahore to the valley, which is about 56 km long and 14 km wide. One travel guide puts the drive from Lahore to Khabeki Lake at 5 to 6 hours. From Kallar Kahar, one guide gives roughly 62 km to Khabeki and 89 km to Uchhali, which is about an hour's drive before you reach the first lake.

In practice, Soon Valley starts where Kallar Kahar's day trip would end. Our guide to the drive from Islamabad to Soon Valley covers the road in more detail.

Which has better scenery?

Kallar Kahar is gentle. The scenery is low salt-range hills, a lake with a lakeside promenade and the old Takht-e-Babri complex, which dates from 1555 according to the sources we checked. The Mughal emperor Babur praised the place in his memoirs as a charming spot with good air. Peacocks were once common here, though Wikipedia notes their numbers have fallen because of building and illegal capture, so don't promise children a sighting.

Soon Valley is bigger and quieter. Sakesar, the highest peak in the Salt Range, rises to about 1,525 metres, and the valley below holds saline and freshwater lakes, springs and orchards. Three of its lakes, Uchhali, Khabeki and Jahlar, form the Uchhali Complex, which is listed under the Ramsar Convention for wetlands. You get long views and few crowds, and the valley rewards a slow pace. There are separate guides to Uchhali Lake and Khabeki Lake.

Which has better lakes?

If lakes are the point, Soon Valley wins on number and character:

• Uchhali is a saline lake under Sakesar and a migratory bird sanctuary, the best known of the three.
• Khabeki is about 1 km wide and 2 km long, with a TDCP resort, boardwalk and viewing platform according to a travel guide.
• Jahlar is the least visited, and its acidic water is not suitable for swimming.

Kallar Kahar has one lake, which is easy to reach and has paths, boating and a park. It is a better place for a picnic than for a wildlife trip. Entry and boating charges there have changed over the years and published figures are undated, so carry cash and ask at the gate.

Facilities and where to stay

Kallar Kahar is well set up for a short visit: restaurants, parking and hotels close to the interchange, and a TDCP resort a few minutes from the interchange according to one guide.

Soon Valley is simpler. The same guide lists the TDCP resort at Khabeki, old colonial rest houses at Naushera, Sodhi and Phulwari, and a small hotel in Naushera. There are no big hotels, so book ahead for weekends and holidays and expect basic food and patchy phone signal in the hills. Our guide to where to stay in Soon Valley goes through the options. Camping is possible, notably at Kanhatti Garden.

Weather and best season

Both are best from autumn to spring. For Soon Valley, one guide says autumn to spring is ideal, and reports of Sakesar's climate (Wikipedia) show summer highs of about 28 to 38°C in May and June and winter nights that can fall below freezing, with the rains in July and August. For Kallar Kahar, one source suggests October to March, another March to May for nearby hikes. Avoid the monsoon months if you are driving on hill roads, and limit moving around after dark in Soon Valley, as the guides advise.

Can you combine them?

Yes, but think of it as one longer trip rather than two stops. The usual plan is to leave the M2 at Kallar Kahar, see the lake and Katas Raj, then drive on into the valley for the night, and return via the Lilla interchange. Our Salt Range road trip and two-day Soon Valley itinerary lay out that route.

Which one should you choose?

Pick Kallar Kahar for a day out with young children or elderly parents, for a first Salt Range trip, or when you only have a Saturday. It is easy, the facilities are close, and Katas Raj is within reach for the same day.

Pick Soon Valley if you have two days, enjoy lakes, hills and walking, and don't mind a long drive and simple lodging. It is the better choice for couples, friends and photographers.

Skip Soon Valley for a single day from Lahore. The drive is long, and most of the day will be spent in the car.

If you want other places across the country, see our destinations page.

Frequently asked questions