Places to Visit in Khushab: Soon Valley, Amb and Lakes

Most of the places worth visiting in Khushab district are in Soon Valley, in the north-west of the district: three lakes (Uchali, Khabeki and Jahlar), the forested Kanhatti Garden, the Amb Sharif temples and Sakesar, the highest peak in the Salt Range. The district also includes part of the Thal desert and the river Jhelum, but visitors rarely go there. This guide ranks and groups the sights, with a note on what to skip.

Khushab district covers about 6,511 sq km and has four tehsils: Khushab, Noorpur Thal, Quaidabad and Naushera. The administrative capital is Jauharabad. Almost everything below sits in Naushera and Quaidabad tehsils.

Soon Valley

Soon Valley runs from Padhrar to Sakesar and is about 56 km long and 14 km wide on average, according to Wikipedia. Naushera is its largest town. The Awan tribe has lived there since ancient times. It is the reason most people visit Khushab, and our Soon Valley guide is the place to start.

Uchali Lake

Uchali is a saline lake beneath Sakesar, formed because the range has no drainage, according to the district website, and it offers boat rentals. Wikipedia notes that Siberian and Central Asian birds winter here. It is usually the first stop. See Uchali Lake.

Khabeki Lake

Khabeki lies near Khabeki village. Wikipedia describes it as about a kilometre wide and two long, attracting rare white-headed ducks. The district website lists routes in via Naushera, Kallar Kahar and Talagang. It is a good base for the valley. See Khabeki Lake.

Jahlar Lake

Jahlar is about 18 km from Naushera via Suraki village, according to the district website. It says the water is acidic and has no aquatic life, so this is a place to see and not to swim in. It can be reached from Naushera or from Sargodha. See Jahlar Lake.

Kanhatti Garden

Kanhatti has waterfalls, hiking trails and camping facilities, according to the district website, set in forest near Khabeki. It is one of the more popular day stops. See Kanhatti Garden, and camping in Soon Valley if you want to stay overnight.

Amb Sharif temples

The Amb temples are 9th to 10th century Hindu Shahi ruins in Quaidabad tehsil. The main temple is about 15 to 20 m tall. The approach can be rough, so read our Amb Sharif temples guide before going.

Sakesar

Sakesar is the highest peak in the Salt Range, about 1,522 m by the district figure, and the only mountain in this part of Punjab that gets winter snow, per Wikipedia. The summit holds a Pakistan Air Force base and is restricted. See our Sakesar guide for what is open.

Smaller and lesser-known places

• Daep Sharif, a spring and shrine area. See Daep Sharif.
• Akrand fort, described by one guide as covered in dense forest with a single way in along the road to Kanhatti. We did not find enough to say more, so ask locally before planning around it.
• Nurshingh Phowaar, which the district website describes as a place of temples and springs where the temples are intact but deteriorating. We found little visitor information, so treat it as a local tip.

Khushab town and the sweet

Khushab town itself is old: the name is Persian for sweet water, and it appears in Babur's memoirs, according to Wikipedia. Visitors stop mainly for the local sweet; see our Khushab dhodha guide.

How to group them

• One day: Uchali, Khabeki and Kanhatti. Our Soon Valley guide has the loop.
• Two days: add Amb and the Sakesar slopes. See our 2-day itinerary.
• Getting there: see our routes from Islamabad and Lahore.

Where to stay and when to go

Stay in Soon Valley, near Khabeki or Naushera. See where to stay in Soon Valley. One guide recommends autumn to spring, with bird-watching best from October. See the best time to visit Soon Valley.

Is Khushab worth a trip?

Yes, if you like lakes, walking and quiet places within reach of Islamabad and Lahore. No if you expect a hill station with a lot of facilities: services are basic and the sights are spread out. We found little visitor information for the Thal and river side of the district.

Frequently asked questions