Soon Valley Guide: Lakes, Gardens and Sakesar

Soon Valley, also called Soon Sakesar Valley, is a 56 km stretch of farmland and lakes in the western Salt Range in Khushab district, Punjab, running from Padhrar village to Sakesar peak and centred on the town of Naushera, about 200 km by road from Islamabad. It combines saltwater lakes with resident and migratory birds, a landscaped garden built around a spring, a small shrine with its own bathing ponds, and a forested drive to the highest point of the Salt Range, all within a loop that fits comfortably into a day from Islamabad or a relaxed overnight trip. This guide takes the valley's main stops in a sensible route order and covers distances, timings and what each one offers.

Getting to Soon Valley

Most visitors reach Soon Valley by road from Islamabad. The OSRM route planner sends you down the M-2 motorway and then west on the Talagang to Khushab road into the valley, about 200 km to Naushera; Wikipedia gives 230 km. Planners show under three hours, but we would allow three to three and a half with a stop. From Lahore it is about 303 km on the M-2 and the same road, and from Kallar Kahar about 70 km. There is no railway or scheduled flight into the valley, and no public transport that covers the stops themselves, so a private car, whether your own or hired with a driver, is the only practical way to see more than one place in a day. Naushera is the valley's largest town and a reasonable base if you want to break the trip rather than do it in a single long day. Fuel up before leaving the motorway corridor, since stations become sparser once you turn off towards the valley.

A route through the valley

Coming in from the Islamabad side on the Talagang road, the stops fall in roughly this order. The road distances are from OSRM.

1. Khabeki Lake comes first, about 10 km before Naushera on the road in. It is roughly a kilometre wide and two long, and has its own conservation and information centre.
2. Kanhatti Garden, which Punjab Tourism lists among the valley's resorts, is a landscaped garden built around a natural spring, with shaded walking paths and a small camping area with basic facilities. It sits off the road in the Khabeki and Uchhali part of the valley; ask in Naushera for the turning.
3. Naushera, the valley's main town and tehsil headquarters, is the natural lunch stop.
4. Daep Sharif, reached from Kufri village, between Naushera and Uchhali, with a short walk of about a kilometre to its ponds, is a smaller stop worth a detour if you have the time.
5. Uchhali Lake, about 20 km by road south-west of Naushera, is the largest of the valley's saline lakes and part of the internationally recognised Uchhali Complex wetland, important for wintering birds including the threatened white-headed duck. Our guide to Uchali Lake covers the birds, the viewpoints and camping options nearby in detail.
6. Sakesar, about 13 km beyond Uchhali, is the valley's southern high point and the highest peak in the Salt Range, at about 1,530 metres (5,010 ft). It closes out the day with a forested drive and wide views, though the actual summit is a restricted Pakistan Air Force base. Our Sakesar guide covers the drive, the walking trails below the base, and what is and isn't open to visitors.

Khabeki to Uchhali is about 30 km and Uchhali to Sakesar about 13 km, so the whole run inside the valley is short. If you come in from another direction, run the order in reverse. Either way it keeps the driving between stops sensible rather than doubling back across the valley.

Lakes and wetlands

Soon Valley's three main lakes, Uchali, Khabeki and Jahlar, together form the Ramsar-listed Uchhali Complex, designated in 1996 for its importance to migratory waterfowl arriving from Siberia and Central Asia each winter. Water levels and bird numbers vary from year to year with rainfall, so a winter visit gives the best chance of seeing the migratory species the complex is known for, while a spring visit trades birds for greener surroundings.

Gardens, shrines and forest

Kanhatti Garden and Daep Sharif give the valley a gentler, greener side away from the open lakes: shaded paths, spring-fed water and, at Daep Sharif, small bathing ponds tied to local tradition. Above them, the forest road up Sakesar is the valley's most physically different stretch, climbing through pine and olive woodland that is unusual for this part of the Salt Range, with the temperature noticeably cooler than on the valley floor.

Where to stay

Soon Valley suits a day trip from Islamabad more often than an overnight stay, but options exist if you want to slow the pace down. Rooms in the valley itself are few and simple, mostly guesthouses in and around Naushera, and Punjab Tourism's own trips to the area put guests in the TDCP motel at Kallar Kahar, about 70 km away. Book ahead rather than assuming a room will be available, particularly around weekends and public holidays when day-trippers from Islamabad and Sargodha fill the valley's few options. For tents and pitches, see our camping in Soon Valley guide.

When to visit

October to April is the most comfortable stretch, avoiding the Salt Range's hot summer, when temperatures on the valley floor regularly climb into the high 30s and low 40s°C. Within that window, winter (November to February) is best for birdwatching at the lakes, while spring (March and April) brings wildflowers and the greenest scenery of the year. Summer is not impossible, since Sakesar itself stays noticeably cooler than the valley, but expect the lower stops to be uncomfortably hot by mid-morning.

Is Soon Valley worth the trip?

For anyone interested in wetland birdlife, quiet scenery away from Pakistan's more crowded tourist routes, or a full day that mixes lakes, gardens and a forested peak, yes. It rewards a full day rather than a rushed pass-through, and the distance from Islamabad or Lahore is enough that it makes more sense as a planned trip, ideally combined with Kallar Kahar or Katas Raj on the way, than as an afterthought on a shorter journey.

If your time is limited to half a day, prioritise Khabeki, Kanhatti Garden and Uchhali Lake over trying to fit in Sakesar as well, since the drive up the mountain alone takes a meaningful chunk of the day. Our trip-planning guide can help you decide how much of Soon Valley fits into a wider Salt Range itinerary.

Frequently asked questions