Weekend Getaways from Islamabad in KPK: Five Easy Escapes

The best weekend getaways from Islamabad in KPK are Khanpur Dam, about an hour away; Abbottabad and Thandiani, up the Hazara Motorway; Nathia Gali in the Galiyat, around two and a half hours; Shogran in the lower Kaghan valley, five to six hours with the jeep; and Swat, three and a half to four hours to Mingora. The first three work even if you leave on Saturday morning. Shogran and Swat need a Friday afternoon start to be worth it.

This guide takes each one in turn: how to get there, how to fill two days, and what to watch for. For weekends in Murree and Azad Kashmir, see our wider guide to weekend getaways from Islamabad.

How to choose

Start with the drive. Khanpur, Abbottabad and Nathia Gali are close enough that you can leave after Saturday breakfast and still have most of the weekend. Shogran and Swat eat half a day each way, so they suit a long weekend or a Friday you can take off.

Then think about the season. Khanpur is a summer lake, and hot by late morning in June. The Galiyat and Thandiani are best from May to October and turn into snow trips from December to February. Shogran is a summer meadow. Swat works in every month, with Malam Jabba under snow in winter.

Khanpur Dam: a lake an hour away

Khanpur Dam, finished in 1983 on the Haro river in Haripur district, holds back the lake that supplies drinking water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. It is about 50 km from the city, and it is the nearest big stretch of open water to the capital.

The draw is on the water. Operators around the lake hire out boats, speedboats and jet skis, and from the rocky banks people jump into the lake from cliffs. Nearby, on the banks of the Haro close to the dam, is Bhamala, a 2nd-century Buddhist stupa where a Buddha sculpture about 1,700 years old was unveiled in 2017.

A few things make a Khanpur day better:

• Go early. By noon in June the heat off the rocks is fierce, and weekend afternoons are crowded.
• Wear a life jacket on every boat and jet ski, and insist the operator provides one. Don't cliff-jump unless you are a strong swimmer and someone has checked the depth that day.
• Make it a day trip unless you want to camp. Most people drive back to Islamabad for dinner.

Abbottabad, Harnoi and Thandiani

Abbottabad sits at about 1,256 metres, some 120 km from Islamabad by the Hazara Motorway, and it is the gentlest weekend on this list. It is a garrison and school town with a relaxed bazaar, cool summer evenings and good roads, and it makes a comfortable base for the hills around it.

A weekend here could look like this:

1. Saturday morning: drive up the motorway, stopping at the Ilyasi Mosque in Nawan Shehr, built around 1930 beside a spring and known for the pakora stalls outside.
2. Saturday afternoon: Shimla Hill for the view over the town, then the bazaar.
3. Sunday: up to Thandiani, about 38 km north-east at 2,750 metres, a forested ridge far quieter than the Galiyat. Or, for a lazier day, Harnoi, a riverside picnic spot about 10 km out of town.

Abbottabad is also the quieter way into the Galiyat. Nathia Gali is about 32 km from the town, so you can drive up the Hazara Motorway, spend the night in the hills, and come back through Murree or the way you came.

Nathia Gali: the classic hill weekend

Nathia Gali, at 2,410 metres in Abbottabad district, is the highest and greenest of the Galiyat hill stations, and in summer daytime temperatures sit in the low twenties. The usual route is through Murree, around two and a half hours in normal traffic. The longer way through Abbottabad takes about three hours and makes sense if you are combining the trip with Abbottabad or Thandiani. Our Islamabad to Nathia Gali guide compares the two.

The weekend is about walking:

• Mushkpuri, at 2,800 metres, is a steady 4 km climb from Nathia Gali to open grassy slopes with views towards Kashmir.
• Miranjani, at 2,992 metres the highest point in the Galiyat, is a longer walk through forest; allow most of a morning.
• The Pipeline Track through Ayubia National Park is about 4 km and almost level, and suits children and older parents.
• St Matthew's Church, a wooden church from the British period above the bazaar, makes an easy evening stroll.

Don't promise the children the Ayubia chairlift. It was shut in 2021 because of its age, and plans to replace it had still not produced a new lift by August 2025.

Shogran: a meadow weekend

Shogran, at 2,362 metres above Kiwai in the lower Kaghan valley, is the furthest of these weekends and the most rewarding in summer. From Islamabad you drive the Hazara Motorway to Mansehra and the road through Balakot to Kiwai, then most people leave the car and take a jeep up the steep side road.

For the 2026 season the Balakot assistant commissioner's office fixed round-trip jeep fares at PKR 4,500 from Kiwai to Shogran, PKR 5,500 from Shogran on to the Siri Paye meadows, and PKR 8,000 from Kiwai straight to Siri Paye, per jeep. Fares change each season, so confirm the price and whether the driver waits before you set off.

Two nights is right. Arrive on Friday evening, spend Saturday at Siri Paye, walking or riding, and drive back on Sunday after breakfast. Nights are cold even in July, so pack a warm layer. Our Shogran guide covers the walks and where to stay.

Swat: Mingora and Malam Jabba

A weekend in lower Swat is a different kind of trip: a river valley with Buddhist sites, the old Swat state's palaces and, above it, the ski resort at Malam Jabba. The drive is fast, on the M-1 and the Swat Motorway to Chakdara, then 40 km up the valley road to Mingora.

• Saturday: the Swat Museum in Saidu Sharif, then the White Palace at Marghazar, about 13 km away, built in 1940 and 1941 as the summer residence of the rulers of Swat and now a hotel.
• Sunday: Malam Jabba, at 2,804 metres and about 40 km above Saidu Sharif, for the chairlift and zipline in summer or the ski slopes in winter, before driving home. Our Malam Jabba guide covers the resort.

Check the news before choosing Swat. On 2 August 2026 a suicide bomber attacked a peace rally outside the police station in Kabal, across the river from Mingora, killing 17 people, and the UK government advises its citizens against all travel to Swat. Pakistani visitors still go, but read the local news in the days before you leave. Overseas visitors should know that travelling against their government's advice can void travel insurance. Our guide to whether KPK is safe for tourists sets out the wider picture.

When to leave, and what to watch for

• Leave Islamabad by early afternoon on Friday for Shogran or Swat, and after breakfast on Saturday for the others.
• Be home by Sunday evening. The Hazara Motorway and the M-1 fill up with returning traffic from mid-afternoon.
• Check your M-Tag. It has been compulsory for entering the motorways since 15 June 2026, so make sure yours is valid and topped up before you set off.
• In the monsoon, from July to early September, landslides can close the Shogran road and the Galiyat link roads after heavy rain.
• In snow, the Galiyat can close to visitors altogether. In February 2026 the Abbottabad administration shut the Abbottabad to Nathia Gali road to tourists and closed the Barian road after 5 pm.

Which weekend suits you?

• Young children or older parents: Nathia Gali or Abbottabad.
• Friends who want the water: Khanpur, in the morning.
• A couple who want quiet: Thandiani, or Shogran on a weekday.
• Snow: Nathia Gali or Malam Jabba between December and February, after the snow has fallen rather than during a storm.
• A long weekend: Shogran in summer, or Swat if the news is quiet.

If you would like help fitting a weekend around your dates, or turning one into a longer trip, send us your plans.

Frequently asked questions