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A footpath climbing through wooded slopes in the Margalla Hills above Islamabad.

GreenPak Trails

Islamabad Trails

The Margalla Hills rise straight out of the capital, and a numbered network of trails climbs into them from the edge of the city. This is GreenPak's working guide to those trails: what each one is, where it starts, and what the responsible authorities actually say about it.

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Difficulty
Time on foot
Route type
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6 trails

A rocky section of the path climbing through scrub in the Margalla Hills.Check before you go

Margalla Hills National Park · Islamabad

Trail 1

The long approach from Margalla Road up to the top of the Pir Sohawa road, with the option of carrying on to Monal.

Difficulty not yet rated

Typical time
2 hr
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The Trail 2 trailhead, with the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board's rules board beside it.Check before you go

Margalla Hills National Park · Islamabad

Trail 2

A shorter climb to the Daman-e-Koh viewpoint, with the option of continuing up the ridge.

Difficulty not yet rated

Typical time
1–1.5 hr
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The Trail 3 trailhead gate on Margalla Road, with the trail's 0 km marker at its foot.Check before you go

Margalla Hills National Park · Islamabad

Trail 3

The best known climb out of Islamabad — steep, sustained, and busy from first light at weekends.

Challenging4 / 5GreenPak difficulty 4 of 5: Challenging. Long or steep, on rough ground, with sections that need care and a good level of fitness. Steep, sustained climbing · uneven ground · a real ascent straight out of the city.
Typical time
1 hr 15 min – 1 hr 50 min
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The Trail 4 gate, signed also as the Dhok Jeevan Trail, at the edge of Margalla Hills National Park.Check before you go

Margalla Hills National Park · Islamabad

Trail 4

A link path between Trails 3 and 5 rather than a walk in its own right.

Difficulty not yet rated

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The Trail 5 trailhead arch, signed Hiking Trail No 5, Dara Janglan.Check before you go

Margalla Hills National Park · Islamabad

Trail 5

The longer, gentler line up to Pir Sohawa, running parallel to Trail 3 from Sector F-5.

Moderate3 / 5GreenPak difficulty 3 of 5: Moderate. Sustained climbing on uneven ground. Expect to work, and expect to stop. Gentler gradient than Trail 3 · long time on your feet · sustained rather than steep.
Typical time
2.5–3.5 hr
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The Trail 6 trailhead arch, signed MHNP Hiking Trail No. 6, Distance 4 km up to Jabbi.Check before you go

Margalla Hills National Park · Islamabad

Trail 6

The quiet one — a valley route behind Faisal Mosque with a mountain-bike track and a birdwatching point.

Difficulty not yet rated

Distance
4 km
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