The beauty, serene atmosphere, and high quality of life are all that Pakistan’s magnificent capital city Islamabad is all about to visit and enjoy the calming space. The city has been recognized as the second most beautiful capital city in the world due to its panoramic landscapes and natural beauty. Islamabad is full of wonderful tourist attractions, delicious restaurants, beautiful green parks and many leisure areas to enjoy the stunning city to visit. Since Islamabad represents the nation of the city in 1947, it offers a wide cultural diversity to visit such places to leave you in astonishment and peace!
Once you enter Islamabad, you will enjoy the peacefulness and the historical background of the capital city. You will not take your eyes off when you enter the highway of the city! Due to the panoramic landscapes and historical sites, the city is hot, humid in the summer months, and cold in winters. To plan to visit this city, the best time to visit Islamabad is from January until April and September until December as the weather is pleasant around these mentioned durations. That way, you will not feel too hot or shiver during the winter months!
To plan to visit and stay in Islamabad, you will not face any travelling issues because there are wonderful and reasonable hotels including three-star and four-star hotels and a few of Islamabad’s top guesthouses. To visit the capital city, various places to visit in Islamabad that will not bore you and enjoy the calming atmosphere!
Here are the ten places to visit in Islamabad you will enjoy and mention below:
1. Lok Virsa Museum
The Lok Virsa Museum is one of Islamabad attractions to visit. The museum locates near Shakarparian Road where the museum illustrates Pakistan’s cultural heritage. The museum pays homage to Pakistan’s live cultures and customs where the museum has a wide tradition and cultural displays to know about each region of the country.
Lok Virsa opened in 1974 and consists of various buildings, traditions and cultural backgrounds of different ethnicity. Once you enter the museum, you will enjoy the preservation artefacts that display a variety of cultural items including articles, sculptures, pictures, ceramics, music, and textiles from many Pakistani ethnic groups. It also offers a resource library that includes an extensive collection of literature on history and folklore that will leave you in amazement to dive deeper into the history of Pakistan.
In addition, the Museum regularly displays objects including clothing, jewellery, metalwork, block-printing, and ivory work. Apart from tremendous displays, the museum comprises an outside garden that allows you a pleasant walk that escorts through the nine galleries of Buddhist and Sufi shrines to present the antiquity dating decades ago. Lok Virsa Museum is one of the best places to visit in Islamabad where you will know about the historical and cultural background of Pakistan.
2. Saidpur Village
Saidpur Village is one of the highlights in the capital city and marks as the popular picnic spots in Islamabad. Saidpur is an old town with great history, located close to Margalla Hills where you can visit the temple and a Sikh Gurdwara to know about the unwrapping history behind this place.
The village fills with the authenticity that mixes the combination of the modern century and the Hindu historical places to wander around the stairs and streets for great outdoor walking. Saidpur has once been a Hindu village for some time now, where Hindu adorers gathered to worship from far-off places. The vestiges of the settlement continue to be seen by visitors. When you enter this village, you will be awed by the ancient artwork and enjoy the traditional lifestyle by the residents where they play the sitars on the streets.
The government has developed the village and made it a modern community with several excellent restaurants to enjoy the scrumptious delight of popular eateries. To visit this village, be sure not to forget to eat at Des Pardes and Dera Pakhtoon. Also, visit this site if you are seeking nightspots in Islamabad. This makes the one of Islamabad places to visit.
3. Shah Allah Ditta Caves
There are numerous haunted spots in Islamabad and Shah Allah Ditta Caves is one of these. Islamabad has also known for haunted places where this place has existed for centuries ago. Shah Allah Ditta should not be missed if you are into history and archaeology.
Shah Allah Ditta Caves locates at the foothills of Margalla, which leaves an unfolding story about these caves. The caves have claimed to be around 700 years old and belonged as a route between Kabul and Gandharan city of Taxila. Historians say the caves have existed around 2400 years old. The cave is famous for the Buddhists, the Aurangzeb, and the Hindu era. The reason behind this is that the Mughal rulers used to travel from Afghanistan to Hindustan, which makes it a decent place to visit.
Since the caves leave a beautiful surrounding, the best time to visit this place is during the sunset as you can watch the sun setting on the horizon which will leave you in amazement. Now, the caves have become a beautiful platform where you can go out, enjoy the steaming cup of tea with pakoras, and listen to soothing music. To plan to visit a haunted and historical place, be sure not to miss these caves!
4. Faisal Masjid
Faisal Mosque is one of Islamabad tourist places and marks the iconic landmark in the capital territory. Faisal Masjid is a symbol of Modern Islamic Architecture where the masjid stretches across 5000 square meters and has four towering minarets on each corner to present the Islamic architecture.
It considers as one of Asia’s largest mosques where it leaves a state-of-the-art infrastructure and stunning layout. Faisal Masjid locates at the centre of Margalla hills and has beautiful marble mosaics inspired by the Bedouin tent. King Shah Faisal, King of Saudi Arabia, gave the mosque as a gift to Pakistan.
The mosque has a lecture hall, a library, a restaurant and a café where all located adjacent to the prayer room. The masjid has the holding capacity of 100,000 worshippers and makes Islamabad beautiful places to add to your travel diary. To plan to this masjid, be sure to wear the appropriate clothing; arms and legs must cover fully. For women, headscarves must be worn and must cover from head to toe.
5. Daman-e-Koh
Daman-e-Koh is a lookout point and hilltop garden where it marks the most beautiful places to visit in Islamabad. Daman-e-Koh is a conjunction of two Persian words, which means foothills. It is situated at 3600 feet at the top of Margalla hills and goes to a higher viewpoint called Pir Sohawa. Daman-e-Koh is a popular and best place to visit in Islamabad for both inhabitants and visitors where you can enjoy the panoramic view of the city.
A chairlift from Daman-e-Koh to Pir Sohawa is being built to take you from one point to another easily and provides telescopes for keen observers. In winter, monkeys are a regular sight, which you need extra care to go near monkeys. During the wintertime, cheetahs often go down from higher Murree slopes. When you enter this hilltop park, you can see Faisal Masjid on the horizon and Seventh Avenue and Rawal Lake. To go for a calm and peaceful park from the top, do visit Daman-e-Koh!
6. Rose & Jasmine Garden
Rose and Jasmine Garden locates near Shakaparian on the Kashmir Highway. The garden stretches across 20,360 square meters and runs under the administration of the Capital Development Authority. The garden consists of more than 250 varieties of roses and holds a dozen kinds of jasmines. The garden is also accessible near the Pakistan-China centre and through Pakistan Monument.
Sometimes, flower displays, especially during the spring and summer happen around this duration where locals come to admire the variety of roses and jasmines. The tourist campsite is located nearby and it is one of Islamabad’s famous places to enjoy picnic spots, walking, cycling and relaxing. Once you enter this garden, you will enjoy the colourful and fresh roses stretching along the track! To visit a suitable nature in the city, you will enjoy visiting this beautiful garden!
7. Pakistan Monument Museum
The Pakistan Monument is a national monument and museum located on the western Shakarparian Hills in the capital territory. It is among the best places to visit in Islamabad where you can enjoy the stunning monument of the nation. This monument symbolizes the togetherness of the people of Pakistan who have sacrificed their “today” on behalf of a brighter “future.”
The monument portrays the Mughal style architecture where it was first envisioned in 2002 by the government. The place comprises a patio foundation that has made in marble adding a patriotic structure to allow a bird-like view of the capital. This will leave you in admiration where you can wander around the monument! The place has inspired by the petal-shaped structure called Muaqarnas where it has taken from the Mughal era.
The monument has four petals were each representing four cultures that are the Punjabi, Balochi, Sindhi and the Pashtun and has three smaller petals, each presents the minorities. It is visible from the whole Islamabad-Rawalpindi area because of its elevation and is a popular tourist attraction. Around that monument, there is a nearby museum where it displays a collection of waxes during the Pakistan Movement. This makes the one of the most spectacular places to visit in Islamabad.
8. Lake View Park
Lake View Park is wildlife, amusement, and adventure park located near the town of Malpur Rawal in Islamabad, Capital Territory, Pakistan. The park is also known as the Rawal Lake View Point where the park holds the largest birdcage in the country. You will find various birds in the cage and enjoy the beauty behind each kind you will find in the cage! The water parks in Islamabad will leave you to enjoy the splashing water to cool the summer heat!
The Capital Development Authority manages the park and there are various things to do in Islamabad such as horse riding, swimming, fishing, paintball, rock climbing and many more! If you love to thrive on adventurous activities, you will enjoy visiting Lake View Park! Be sure not to miss the largest birdcage!
Centaurus Mall
The Centaurus Mall is one of Islamabad’s top shopping malls and the first mall in the capital city. Centaurus covers a wide array of local and international businesses with a huge food court. To plan for a shopping spree and suitable places to visit near Islamabad, you will find nothing better than Centaurus Mall! The mall has local and internal brands where you can find various luxury and essential items you need!
Safa Gold Mall is another wonderful shopping choice where it has a wide range of national and international brands from several categories. This includes clothing, shoes, equipment, cuisine, and much more. The mall also features the greatest gym and spa, aside from retail centres. You may always calm out at the spa to conclude your beautiful day after spending a long day in the mall!
Giga Mall situates on GT road and has some of Pakistan’s biggest brands. Like other top-class malls, Giga Mall features a large range of businesses, grocery stores; a children play area, a food courtyard, a huge parking area and a cinema. To go shopping, you can enjoy shopping in one of these decent places to visit in Islamabad!
10. Eateries
There are endless places to visit in Islamabad where you can eat various cuisines to taste the flavour in your mouth! Be it a sizzling chicken tikka or continental cuisine, Islamabad offers various food chains in the city to try out different foods! If you are a food lover and want to head over to food streets, you can visit Melody Food Street, F7 Markaz and Abpara Food Street where each place offers different food stalls for a great hangout!
You may visit these desi restaurants in Islamabad: Savor, Bismillah Tikka, and Haleem Ghar where each food chain offers various Pakistani cuisines. These eateries have surely some of the greatest meals in Islamabad and offer reasonable prices to enjoy different flavours and tastes.
If you prefer to explore various cuisines, you are prepared because Islamabad has a range of dishes to try different flavours into your taste buds. Once you try these mentioned restaurants, you will enjoy the calming atmosphere and different foods for a great memory in the city! These eateries mark popular places to visit in Islamabad if you want to beat your hunger on the way.
Wrap Up
Islamabad has known for its beautiful atmosphere and stunning landscapes that mark the most magnificent city in the world. The capital territory makes millions of tourists explore the natural features and the beautiful attractions that offer a wide cultural diversity. To plan to visit the capital city, be sure not to miss these beautiful places to visit in Islamabad! Once you visit these places, you will enjoy the lush green areas and the serenity of the city!
