Pick a Margalla Hills Trail in Islamabad: Official Distances and Walking Times

Trail 5 is the quickest climb in the Margalla Hills: 4.5 km from its car park to Pir Sohawa Road in about 1 hour 10 minutes, according to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB). Trail 3 to Monal is 6.1 km and about 1 hour 45 minutes. The board's maps warn that some trails may be closed at times, so check before you set off.

We read every trail map IWMB publishes on its website on 3 October 2026 and pulled out the distance and walking time printed on each one. IWMB manages Margalla Hills National Park, which was notified as a national park on 27 April 1980. The maps are the board's own, drawn in December 2017 and posted on its site this year. Here are the official numbers side by side.

Margalla trail distances and walking times

IWMB's maps give a distance and walking time from each trail's car park. They range from 1.9 km and 35 minutes on the Kalinjer trail to 10 km and about 3 hours for the Dhok Jeevan loop on Trail 4.

The times are one way unless the map says "and back". They are for a steady adult pace. Add time for children, rests and the walk down, which is easier on the lungs but harder on the knees.

Where each Margalla trail starts

Trails 3 and 5 start from car parks along Margalla Road near the Visitor Information Centre. Trail 6 starts near Faisal Mosque, Trail 2 near the old zoo and Daman-e-Koh, and the Kalinjer and western trails from Hill Side Road above E-9.

• Trail 3: from a car park on Margalla Road. It climbs past rest areas towards Monal. Trail 3A branches off it.
• Trail 5: from the car park by the Forest Nursery and Visitor Information Centre. It follows a stream past a camp site, with branches 5A, 5B and 5C.
• Trail 6: from car parks near Faisal Mosque. It runs up Kavani Darra past Palm Spring to Ficus Spring.
• Trail 4: from near Cafe Montana. It links to the Ridge Trail and the Dhok Jeevan loop.
• Trail 2: a short route near the zoo area up to Daman-e-Koh.
• Kalinjer and western trails: from the Kalinjer car park, with routes to Kalinjer Spring, Noran Di Gali, Sandhuri and the Ridge Trail.

The maps also mark the Ratta Hotar trail east of Trail 5, a mountain bike track along the foot of the hills, and checkposts on some routes.

Check whether a Margalla trail is open

IWMB does not publish live trail status on its website, and its maps say some trails may be closed for protection or maintenance. Call the board on 0309-5302425 before a long hike, especially after a fire or a security alert.

Closures happen more often than many hikers expect. In April 2026, Trails 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the route behind Saidpur were closed to the public for security reasons and reopened about a week later, as reported at the time. On 25 May 2026 a fire near F-5 led to all trails being shut temporarily, also as reported. We could not find either order on IWMB's website, which is why we mark both as reported.

1. Call IWMB on 0309-5302425 or email info@iwmb.gov.pk the day before.
2. Check the weather. Rain makes the hill paths slippery.
3. Start early. Pick a trail whose time fits well before sunset.
4. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.
5. Carry water and a charged phone. Springs are marked on the maps, but do not rely on them.

Trail 6 and the leopard preserve zone

IWMB lists Trail 6 as the Leopard Preserve Zone and offers a guided tour of it on its "Book Tour" page. The page asks you to download a form, but when we checked, the form link did not lead to a file.

The common leopard is one of the mammals IWMB lists in the park, with barking deer, pangolin, red fox and rhesus monkey. That is why Trail 6 is treated differently. If you want the guided tour, call the board on 0309-5302425 and ask for the form by email.

The board's office is at the Old Murghzar Zoo, Daman-e-Koh Road, near Margalla Road, F-6, Islamabad. Our own advice is simple: on any trail, walk in a group and be off the hill by dark.

Help on the hills and the rules that apply

Margalla Hills National Park is protected under the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance 1979 and the 1980 notification, both posted on IWMB's site. For an injury or a lost walker, call the emergency services first, then IWMB.

Keep the emergency helpline numbers saved on your phone before you start. In Islamabad, Rescue 1122 responds to medical emergencies, and the police can help find a missing person. Tell them the trail number and the nearest landmark on the map, such as Ficus Spring or the Fire Watch Hut.

IWMB's site does not list an entry fee for the walking trails, and we did not find a published code of conduct beyond the law itself. The basics still apply: no fires, no litter, and no feeding or chasing animals in a protected park.

Common questions

Which is the easiest Margalla trail?

On IWMB's maps, the shortest walks are Kalinjer Spring at 1.9 km in 35 minutes and Trail 2 to Daman-e-Koh at 1.0 km in 45 minutes.

How long is Trail 3 to Monal?

6.1 km from the car park, about 1 hour 45 minutes one way, according to IWMB's Trail 3 map.

How long does Trail 5 take?

About 1 hour 10 minutes for 4.5 km from the car park to Pir Sohawa Road.

Is there an entry fee for Margalla trails?

IWMB's website does not list one for the walking trails. The Trail 6 guided tour is booked separately through a form.

Are Margalla trails open today?

IWMB does not post live status online. Call 0309-5302425 to check, since trails close for maintenance, fires and security.

Who manages the Margalla Hills National Park?

The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, based at the Old Murghzar Zoo on Daman-e-Koh Road.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked about 2:15 am PKT on 3 October 2026. We read the distances and times on IWMB's trail maps for Trails 2 to 6, Ratta Hotar and the Kalinjer and western trails, published on its trails page, the Trail 6 tour on its Book Tour page, the species list, the contact page, and the list of laws and notifications on its notifications page. The maps are dated December 2017, so a route may have changed since. The April and May 2026 closures are reported, not confirmed on IWMB's site. We did not walk the trails for this guide.