Margalla Hills National Park

The Margalla Hills form the northern wall of Islamabad, rising abruptly from the city grid into subtropical broadleaf forest, and their proximity is the point: a resident can leave an office and be on a forest trail with monkeys and barking deer within twenty minutes. The trails are numbered rather than named, and Trail 5 to the Pir Sohawa ridge is the classic, a steady climb of an hour or so through forest to a road-served viewpoint with restaurants. Daman-e-Koh, reachable by car, is the standard tourist viewpoint over the city, with the Faisal Mosque directly below. The park holds common leopard, wild boar, porcupines and a good bird list including raptors along the ridge. It is under real pressure from encroachment, quarrying at the edges and heavy weekend footfall, and litter on the popular trails is a persistent complaint.

What you actually see

• The numbered trails - Trail 3, 5 and 6 climbing from the city into forest.
• Daman-e-Koh - the drive-up viewpoint over Islamabad and the mosque.
• Pir Sohawa - the ridge-top road and restaurants above the city.
• Forest wildlife - monkeys, barking deer, boar and raptors.

When to go

October to April; summer heat and humidity make the climbs unpleasant and the monsoon brings leeches and slippery paths. Early morning is best for birds and coolness. Weekends are crowded on the popular trails, weekdays much quieter.

Honest expectations

Litter along the busiest trails is bad and getting worse. Monkeys near the viewpoints are aggressive about food and should not be fed. Leopards are present, and while encounters are very rare, dusk walking alone is discouraged. Trails are steeper and rougher than the city-adjacent location suggests.

Nearby

Faisal Mosque sits at the foot of the hills; Saidpur village is on the lower slope.