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Islamabad and Taxila: the Capital and the Gandhara Sites
Islamabad is a planned capital, laid out in the 1960s at the foot of the Margalla Hills, and less than 40 km to the north-west lie the ruins of Taxila, a capital of ancient Gandhara and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. This short private tour suits a first visit to Pakistan or a few days before or after a trip to the mountains, with a guide and driver from airport pickup to airport drop-off.
- Duration
- 3 days
- Starts and ends
- Islamabad
- Best months
- October to April
- Effort
- Easy: short drives and gentle walks, with an optional two-hour hill trail
- Highest point
- About 730 m at the Daman-e-Koh viewpoint in the Margalla Hills
- Price
- Quoted in USD
The route
Day by day
- Faisal Mosque, the national mosque, with its tent-shaped hall and four 90 m minarets
- Taxila Museum and its collection of Gandhara sculpture
- The Dharmarajika stupa and the street grid of the Indo-Greek city of Sirkap
- The view over the capital from Daman-e-Koh in the Margalla Hills
- Saidpur, a village founded in 1530, and the Lok Virsa heritage museum
- An optional extra day at Rohtas Fort or the Khewra Salt Mine
This is a private tour. Dates, pace and hotels are set for your group and confirmed in writing with your quote.
Travel advice, October 2026: As of October 2026 the UK Foreign Office (advice updated 22 September 2026) does not advise against travel to Islamabad or to Taxila, though it records suicide bombings in Islamabad on 11 November 2025 and 6 February 2026, asks visitors to exercise caution in outlying sectors such as I-8 to I-11 and areas further west, and tells them to avoid all protests. The optional stop at Jaulian is just inside Haripur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Haripur is not on the UK list and Canada exempts it from its advice against travel to that province, but if your own government's advice covers all of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa your insurance may not cover the stop and we leave it out. Everything else on this tour is in Islamabad Capital Territory or Punjab, and we do not use the road to Pir Sohawa, which also lies in Haripur district. Check your own government's current advice before you book.
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Day 1
Arrive in Islamabad, Faisal Mosque and Saidpur
We meet you at Islamabad International Airport and drive about 40 km to your hotel, which takes 45 minutes to an hour. Later we visit the Faisal Mosque, designed by the Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay in the shape of a desert tent and completed in 1986, with a prayer hall for 10,000 people. We then drive up to the Daman-e-Koh viewpoint for the view over the city and end the day in Saidpur, a village founded in 1530 in a ravine of the Margalla Hills, where an old Hindu temple and a Sikh gurdwara have been preserved among cafes and craft shops.
Overnight: Islamabad
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Day 2
Taxila Museum and the Gandhara sites
Taxila is about 37 km from central Islamabad, 45 minutes to an hour by road. We start at the Taxila Museum, opened in 1928, which displays some 4,000 objects found in the ruins, then visit the Dharmarajika stupa, first raised over relics of the Buddha in the 3rd century BCE, and Sirkap, a city founded by the Indo-Greeks around 180 BCE and laid out on a grid. If your government's travel advice allows it we add the hilltop monastery of Jaulian, 7 km beyond the museum and just inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province; see the advice below. We are back in Islamabad by late afternoon.
Overnight: Islamabad
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Day 3
Pakistan Monument, Lok Virsa and departure
In the morning we visit the Pakistan Monument on the Shakarparian hills, inaugurated in 2007, and the Lok Virsa heritage museum nearby, which shows the crafts, music and dress of every region of the country and is closed on Mondays. Those who want a walk can swap one of these for about two hours on Trail 3 or Trail 5 in the Margalla Hills National Park, the most used of the park's marked trails. We then drive you to the airport for your flight.
The detail
What your quote covers
What is included
- Airport pickup and drop-off in Pakistan
- Private vehicle with an experienced driver for the whole route
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Accommodation on a twin-share basis with breakfast
- Entry tickets, park fees and permits named in the itinerary
- Visa support letter for your Pakistan e-visa
- Day trip to Taxila with the museum and the archaeological sites named in the itinerary
What is not
- International flights
- Pakistan visa fee
- Travel insurance, which every traveller must carry
- Lunches and dinners unless stated
- Domestic flights, quoted separately with your itinerary
- Tips and personal expenses
- The optional fourth day to Rohtas Fort or the Khewra Salt Mine, quoted on request
- Camera fees at museums and monuments, where they are charged
Good to know before you book
How do I get to Islamabad and back?
Islamabad International Airport is listed with direct flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Istanbul, Riyadh and Jeddah, and current listings also show flights from London. Routes change, so check with the airlines. The airport is south-west of the city, about 40 km by road from the central hotels, and we meet every arrival whatever the hour.
Can I add Rohtas Fort or the Khewra Salt Mine?
Yes, as a fourth day. Rohtas Fort, a 16th-century fortress and World Heritage Site, is about 110 km from Islamabad down the Grand Trunk Road, around 2 hours each way. The Khewra Salt Mine is about 180 km away by the M-2 motorway, 2.5 to 3 hours each way, and can be combined with the Katas Raj temples, 20 km from the mine. Each makes a full day, and doing both in one day is too much.
How fit do I need to be? Is altitude an issue?
No fitness is needed beyond walking for an hour or so at a time around ruins and museums, with some steps at the sites. Islamabad is at about 540 m and nothing on the tour is above about 730 m, so altitude is not an issue. June is the hottest month, with highs regularly above 38 degrees Celsius, and July and August are the monsoon.
What are the hotels and food like?
We use comfortable hotels in Islamabad. Restaurants serve Pakistani food, with rice, bread, lentils, vegetables and grilled meat, and the capital also has plenty of places serving other cuisines. Vegetarian meals are easy to arrange if you tell us when you book.
Do I need a visa or any permits?
Almost all foreign visitors need a visa before they travel, applied for online at visa.nadra.gov.pk. The free visa prior to arrival was suspended on 1 January 2026, so expect to pay a fee that depends on your nationality and to wait 7 to 10 working days; apply at least four weeks ahead. The UK government notes that your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date of your application. We send a visa support letter when you book. No permit is needed for Islamabad or Taxila. Published guides say that the Taxila Museum closes on the first Monday of each month, and your guide confirms opening before the day.
What happens if protests or road closures disrupt a day?
The UK Foreign Office warns that protests and marches in Islamabad and Rawalpindi can lead to road closures and to mobile data being cut at short notice. If that happens we change the order of the days or the route, keep you away from the gathering, and leave extra time for the drive to the airport. Download offline maps and keep your hotel's address on paper in case the mobile network is off.
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