Islamabad to Abbottabad and Nathiagali Mountain Valley
Drive north from Islamabad into the pine-covered Galyat range to Nathiagali — the colonial hill station at 2,500 meters where walking trails through deodar cedar forest lead to viewpoints with Himalayan panoramas, continuing to Abbottabad in the Orash valley, the pleasant garrison town famous in unlikely ways as the last hiding place of Osama bin Laden.
Islamabad Lok Virsa Folk Heritage Museum
Discover Pakistan's extraordinary cultural diversity at Lok Virsa — the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage whose museum in Islamabad houses the most comprehensive collection of Pakistani folk art, musical instruments, crafts, and regional costumes from all four provinces and the tribal areas, an essential introduction to the cultural geography of one of the world's most diverse nations.
Islamabad to Murree Hill Station Escape
Drive an hour from Islamabad to Murree — Pakistan's most popular hill station at 2,200 meters elevation in the Pir Panjal range, where the British colonial administration established a summer retreat from the Punjab plains heat, and where the Victorian-era mall road, the pine forest walks, and the cooler air still draw millions of Pakistani visitors each summer.
Islamabad Rawalpindi Old Bazaars and Cantonment
Cross into Rawalpindi — the older twin city adjacent to Islamabad, where the chaotic bazaars of Raja Bazaar, the British military cantonment with its colonial architecture, and the busy commercial districts provide the contrast of authentic subcontinental urban life that the planned capital deliberately avoided.