Why go
- Capital of Pakistan.
- Served by Mangla Airport (XJM).
History
Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory — with a metropolitan population of over 2.3 million. Built as a planned city along the Margalla Hills in the 1960s and established in 1967, Islamabad replaced Karachi as Pakistan's national capital. It is located in the northern Punjab region, north of the city of Rawalpindi — with which it forms a metropolitan area of over 5.7 million inhabitants.
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 18 airlines, 37 direct destinations
- Pakistan International Airlines PK (310, 777, ATR, A320, 737, 737-800) · 30 routes: Abu Dhabi, Bahawalpur, Barcelona, Beijing, Birmingham, Chitral, Copenhagen, Dammam, Dubai, Gilgit, Jeddah, Kabul, Karachi, Lahore, Leeds, London, Madinah, Manchester, Milano, Multan, Muscat, Paris, Peshawar, Quetta, Riyadh, Sharjah, Sialkot, Skardu, Sukkur, Toronto
- Shaheen Air International NL (734, A320, A330-300) · 7 routes: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah, Karachi, Quetta, Riyadh, Sukkur
- Saudi Arabian Airlines SV (74E) · 3 routes: Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh
- China Southern Airlines CZ (310, 757-200) · 2 routes: Beijing*, Urumqi
- MexicanaLink I6 (737-300) · 2 routes: Karachi, Quetta
- Safi Airlines 4Q (A319) · 2 routes: Herat, Kabul
- American Airlines AA (A320, A330-200) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi*
- Emirates EK (777-300ER) · 1 route: Dubai
- Etihad Airways EY (A320, A330-200, 777-300ER) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi
- Gulf Air Bahrain GF (330) · 1 route: Bahrain
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (A320, A330-200) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi*
- Kuwait Airways KU (A320) · 1 route: Kuwait
- Nas Air XY (330) · 1 route: Jeddah
- Oman Air WY (737-800, 737-700) · 1 route: Muscat
- Qatar Airways QR (A330-200, A330-300, 777-200LR) · 1 route: Doha
- Thai Airways International TG (A330-300) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Turkish Airlines TK (737-800) · 1 route: Istanbul
- Virgin Australia VA (A320, A330-200) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Mangla Airport (XJM); 11 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: ISB has direct flights to 37 destinations on 18 airlines (incl. Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Dubai, Karachi, Quetta…).
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Islamabad, Pakistan. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.