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Many hotels in Islamabad bolster their claims by mentioning the Margalla Hills. Most descriptions of “being near” are at best misleading. The Margalla Hills span nearly forty kilometers on the northern edge of the city. So a hotel in the Blue Area is at best no closer than a hotel in Rawalpindi is to the old Anarkali bazaar.
What this guide provides: accommodations which put guests close enough to the hills for proximity to significantly impact the time it takes to get to your morning hike. Some suggestions include the Serena with its lovely backdrop of the Margalla Hills, and the guest houses in F-7 and F-6, which are no more than a 20-minute hike to the start of Trail 3. The Envoy Continental in Blue Area is perhaps a 5-minute ride to the park. Other suggestions put guests on Saidpur Road and offer easy access to the hills without a large trek across the city.
HospitalityTours.com.pk matches accommodations to the logistics of the trip. If the goal of the trip is to focus on the Hills, or the itinerary includes the Hills, we book guests closest to the trails. Just drop us your details on WhatsApp or contact us on the app at the end of the page.
Each term used in the description of locations within Main Access Points is defined as follows:
The Park Area comprises approximately 17,386 hectares. Main Access Points include:
The Daman-e-Koh viewpoint along the Park Area's boundary. Daman-e-Koh may be accessed via a road that runs above the sectors F-6 and F-7. Trail 3 starts here as well.
The trailhead of Trail 3. The starting point of Trail 3 is also accessible via the F-7 sector, but requires approximately a 20 to 30 minute walk from the F-7 sector Road.
The road to the Summit Restaurant and Upper View points extends off the Daman-e-Koh road.
The southernmost section of the Park Boundary, with the Shakarparian area and Saidpur Village.
A hotel in F-7 Markaz is able to arrange for a guest to be transported to the starting point of Trail 3, which is accessible via a 20-minute walk. A hotel in Blue Area requires transport. A hotel south of the Faizabad interchange is not near the Margalla Hills.
G-5/1 Khayaban-e-Suharwardy between Rawal Lake and the Margalla Hills.
The only five-star hotel within the City limits from where the view of the Margalla Hills can be enjoyed, and the Hotel was constructed with the Margalla Hills as its background. The hotel is situated on 14 acres of land between the Lake and the Hills, and the view of the Hills from the hotel can be enjoyed from most of the premises. As the hotel is adjacent to the Diplomatic Enclave, it can rightly be called a sanctuary between the hills and lake.
This is the only luxury option which ensures that guests will have hills in view from their room. The Serena is additionally the only hotel in Pakistan that is a part of The Leading Hotels of the World. It has five restaurants, an outdoor pool, a full spa, and 24-hour business facilities.
It is around a 4 km drive to Trail 3. From here, it is not possible to walk to the trail; however, the hotel's garden is large enough to make an early morning walk worth it.
This would be well suited to international visitors, delegations, couples and anyone for whom the hills are the scenic backdrop to their stay, as opposed to the trails.
F-7 and F-6 sectors lie on the southern side of the Margalla Hills. North F-7/3 and North F-7/4 sectors are close to the Daman-e-Koh Road and the access point to Trail 3. A guest house located on Hill Road F-6, or the North F-7 sectors, places the trail a twenty- to thirty-minute walk away.
The managed guest houses in this area usually cater to diplomats, employees of international organizations and long-stay visitors. The options range from large converted houses with multiple rooms and a full kitchen to small serviced guest houses with hotel-style rooms.
A good F-6 or F-7 guest house near the hills offers: a confirmed double or twin room configuration, a caretaker on WhatsApp, a specific address on Hill Road or the northern streets, proximity to the F-7 Jinnah Super Market restaurant strip, and the ability to walk to the start of Trail 3 without hiring a car.
What this category typically does not offer: a hotel’s 24-hour front desk, room service, or an on-site restaurant. In return, you get more space and location compared to a city hotel.
Worthwhile to ask: whether the property is on the northern side of F-7 near the hillside or in the southern commercial section near the Markaz. Both are on F-7. Only the northern streets have access to the trails.
Blue Area, Islamabad.
About five minutes by car to the Margalla Hills National Park entrance (according to booking data). Blue Area is the commercial center of the city, and the Envoy Continental occupies it with a garden, a living plant wall, banquet facilities, a 24-hour restaurant and complimentary breakfast. From the location, you have access to government offices, corporate structures, and the central road system, and you are close to the hills.
For corporate clients who have to be in Blue Area for meetings and wish to combine a walk in Margalla Hills in the morning, this is the best solution. It is close enough to the park to reach it in 5 minutes. Central enough to walk to offices.
F-7 Sector, Islamabad. Around 1.6 miles from Faisal Mosque.
A mid-range hotel in the F-7 Sector with a location in the most hill-adjacent commercial area of the city. The Markaz shopping strip is within a short distance of the hotel. Faisal Mosque is around 2 kilometers away. The Daman-e-Koh road is easily accessible on a short drive.
Travellers who want to be close to the restaurants and shopping areas, and also be near the hills, will find the F-7 Sector Hotels well placed.
F-7, Islamabad.
A collection of boutique and serviced properties in F-7 Sector combines garden and terrace accommodations. It offers a residential hotel experience in contrast to the commercial hotel offerings in the Blue Area. Of these properties, The Signature Hotel is well known for its gardens and terraces and is considered one of the closest formal hotels to the Trail 3 start area.
The boutique category of hotels in F-7 Sector is a good choice for solo travelers and couples who wish to stay in a less active environment and have the Margalla Hills within minutes of the hotel and the restaurants in the F-7 Sector strip at their doorstep.
Islamabad.
The name is indicative of the positioning. Hillview is categorized on booking sites in the ‘near Margalla Hills’ section, and is considered to be a property that caters to both leisure and business travelers. It’s worth a look for travelers who want the hills as a view from the property.
Restored Heritage Village Saidpur, on the Margalla Foothills, is located between Daman-e-Koh and the northern F-6 sector. Although it is not a hotel district, the residential guest houses provide a greater level of proximity to the ParkPark in comparison to formal hotels.
Conveniently located, the nearest guest house (without camping) to the hill trails of Islamabad is a ten-minute walk from Saidpur.
If the Margalla Hills are where you plan to take photos for the backdrop and/or enjoy the view: Islamabad Serena Hotel. It is located on the other side of the Garden and Rawal Lake, with the hills in the background.
If you plan to enjoy a morning hike and spend the rest of the day in the city: A managed guest house or boutique hotel in the northern F-7 sector. After a morning hike along Trail 3, return for breakfast and continue on with the day in the city.
If you plan to enjoy the hills for a day of a business trip: Envoy Continental Blue Area offers great accessibility with a quick 5 minute drive to the ParkPark. Alternatively, any hotel in the northern F-7 sector with a private car.
If you plan to enjoy the hills for an entire stay: A managed guest house in the Saidpur area. Also, a guest house along F-6 Hill Road with Trail 3 and Daman-e-Koh is ideal.
Find out the exact address and check it against Daman-e-Koh Road. Many properties advertised as “near Margalla Hills” are in sectors that take a fifteen- to twenty-minute drive. If proximity to the trails is important, look up the address.
When looking at F-7 guest houses, check if the property is located on the northern or southern side. The southern side (or Markaz) is more commercial and takes a fifteen-minute walk to the trails. The northern side is more residential and on the hills.
Check if guest houses offer pick-up service to the start of Trail 3 for guests who prefer to drive instead of walking. Most managed guest houses are able to offer this service at an additional cost.
Check if the property (especially guest houses) has a generator. Guest houses may not have hot water due to load shedding in Islamabad.
Check if they can provide trail equipment like trekking poles.
What is the best hotel in Islamabad for access to Margalla Hills? The Islamabad Serena Hotel is the best accessible five-star hotel and is located on the hills between Rawal and Lake Margalla. Guest houses in the northern F-7 and F-6 sectors offer the easiest access to Trail 3.
Can you walk to the Margalla Hills from F-7 sector hotels? Yes, you can walk from the northern F-7 streets. The Daman-e-Koh road and the Trail 3 start are about twenty to thirty minutes away from the northern edge of F-7.
Is there a hotel inside the Margalla Hills National Park? No. The park is a protected national park without any accommodation provided. The closest hotels are located on the southern side in F-6, F-7 and near Saidpur village.
What is the best hotel near the Margalla Hills for a couple? Islamabad Serena Hotel, for the nice garden and hill view. A boutique hotel located in F-7, for walking access to trails and the restaurant strip in the evenings.
Which sector is closest to the Margalla Hills trails? F-6 and the northern F-7 streets, which are closest to the Trail 3 start and Daman-e-Koh.
Is a car necessary to reach the Margalla Hills from most Islamabad hotels? From most of the hotels, yes. From the northern F-7 and F-6 sector properties, no.
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