A daytrip from Islamabad to Taxila is a paradoxical kind of travel excursion (in a good way). That’s mainly because an outing from the capital city of Pakistan isn’t immediately synonymous with ancient Buddhism and historic Greek-inspired settlement sites.
But ancient Taxila is exactly that.
The settlements are one of Pakistan’s UNESCO recognised World Heritage Sites and it makes for a fascinating daytrip from Islamabad to Taxila.
Here is everything you need to know about Taxila and how (and why) to get there from Islamabad.
- About Taxila
- UNESCO or not?
- Where is Taxila?
- Getting there
- Islamabad to Taxila
- Best time to visit
- Things to see at Taxila
Taxila Museum
Dharmarajika Stupa
Sirkap
Mohra Moradu - Accommodation in Islamabad
What is Taxila about?
Taxila is a historic site in Pakistan and the site of an ancient settlement dating to more than 3000 years ago.
The site of Taxila includes the ruins of four early settlement sites, Buddhist monasteries, a Muslim Mosque and madrassa. It was a major centre of trade and learning along the Silk Road between the 1st and 5th centuries.
Today the sites are in ruins. But the settlements have been preserved and excavated over the last century with many of the iconic statues and artefacts displayed in the Taxila Museum.
What is the significance of Taxila?
Taxila is one of the oldest and most important historical and cultural sites in Buddhism.
It is believed to be the world’s earliest Buddhist university and thus holds much significance as an important cultural and historic site.
Its importance as an archaeological site was officially recognised in 1980 when UNESCO declared it to be a World Heritage Site in Pakistan.
Where is Taxila located?
The remains of the ancient city of Taxila are located just on the outskirts of the modern city of Taxila.
New Taxila is a city in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District.
Islamabad to Taxila
The ruins of Taxila are located north of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, just off the famous Grand Trunk Road.
It is around 35 kilometres from the centre of Islamabad to Taxila.
- Islamabad to Taxila: 40 min (34.3 km) via Margalla Ave
Getting from Islamabad to Taxila is straightforward making it the perfect day trip from Islamabad.
- Read about a day trip from Islamabad to Murree.
What is the best way to get from Islamabad to Taxila?
Public transport is the cheapest way to get from Rawalpindi or Islamabad to Taxila. If you are a solo traveller or on a strict budget this is probably the winning choice.
However, the easiest option is to book a driver and taxi for the day.
It is possible to book a taxi one-way through the Careem or InDrive apps. But I recommend asking your accommodation in Islamabad about a driver. This is an economical option especially if you can share the day trip from Islamabad to Taxila with other travellers.
If you have a driver and car for the day, it is easy to get around the different sites in Taxila and take your time at each stop while the driver waits.
- Read about more things to do in Islamabad.
When is the best time to visit Islamabad and Taxila?
Ah ha. This is a good question.
Pakistan has four seasons: Winter (December – February), Spring (March – May), Summer (June – September) and Autumn (October – November).
However, there is also a lesser talked about monsoon and rainy season (July – August) and a somewhat smoggy crop burning season in Punjab (heightened in November).
The summers in Pakistan can be very hot, making exploring ancient ruins like Taxila uncomfortable in the heat.
We visited from Islamabad to Taxila in July and had been exploring Islamabad in the sweltering heat just the day before. But en route to Taxila we happened upon the first rains of the monsoon season!
Our drive from Islamabad to Taxila was almost underwater…
Albeit it passes quickly, and we made the most of being indoors in the Taxila Museum while waiting for the rain to stop.
The best time to visit Taxila and Punjab in Pakistan is during the autumn months or October and early November or in the spring from March to May.
Things to see and do at Taxila
The ancient city of Taxila covered a large geographical area and thus the things to see in Taxila are somewhat spread out.
For two of the sites, you can walk between them. But from the Museum to the archaeological sites, you will need to arrange transport.
Taxila Museum
The museum at Taxila is somewhat of an unlikely surprise out in what feels a bit like the middle of nowhere. But it has been a part of the Taxila sites since being opened to the public in 1928.
The Taxila Museum was established during the British colonial period, to house the numerous artefacts unearthed from the archaeological explorations of Taxila.
In 1998 the government of Pakistan added the northern gallery to extend on the original capacity of the museum after it became a UNESCO site in 1980 bringing international recognition to the museum and its collections.
Today the museum holds one of the most significant and comprehensive collection of stone and stucco sculptures from the Buddhist Art of the Gandhara Civilization.
The exhibits include sculptures, coins, jewellery, pottery, and other relics dating from the prehistoric period to the medieval era.
There are various maps explaining the sites at Taxila and what to expect when visiting.
- Tip: From Islamabad to Taxila takes less than an hour and the museum is a good place to start.
Bhir Mound
The Bhir Mound site is within the Taxila Museum grounds and contains some of the oldest ruins of the Taxila site. However, in honesty this is one of the Taxila sites in worst ruin. There aren’t much of the foundations remaining.
The site of Bhir Mound dates to the 6th Century BC. Archaeologists believe the site and remains are what would have been homes and courtyards divided by narrow lanes.
I don’t even have a photo due to the rain on our visit. We made a mad dash outside and just along the street in front of the museum trying to find the actual site.
But if you ask the guard on the museum entrance, he can point you in the right direction.
- Location: In front of Taxila Museum in the museum grounds.
Dharmarajika Stupa
The Dharmarajika Stupa is also referred to as the Great Stupa of Taxila. It is the largest and earliest religious complex in Taxila.
A stupa is a Buddhist building that is usually made up of a platform, a semi-spherical mound, and a pinnacle. The ideas of Stupas are to encourage meditation, contemplation and reinforcement of Buddhist ideals.
It is believed that the Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila was built over the relics of the Buddha by Ashoka, the Emperor of Magadha in the 3rd Century BC. Bone relics were discovered in the stupas chapel after the site was excavated in 1913. And thus, the site became famous for the discovery of bone relics – thought to be those of the Buddha.
Today the mound of the original stupa is still there, though most of the structure has been destroyed.
- Location: Dharmarajika stupa is 4km from the Taxila Museum.
Sirkap
The archaeological site of Sirkap dates to the 2nd century BC when the Indo-Greek king Demetrius moved the centre of Taxila to the new location.
The ancient site is unique in its style of Indo-Greek urban planning evident in the layout of the excavated ruins.
You can see at the Sirkap site that the city layout is in a structured grid style. Historians describe it built according to a ‘Hippodamian’ grid-plan characteristic of Greek cities laid out in a grid style of planned urban design.
Sirkap is organized around one main avenue and fifteen perpendicular streets with a surrounding wall.
We thought this was the most impressive site of foundations that has been preserved at Taxila and due to its proximity to the museum it is definitely worth visiting.
- Location: Sirkap is only 2km from the Taxila Museum.
Mohra Moradu
Mohra Moradu is estimated to have been established around the same time as Jaulin Monastery. It is another small acrheological site with the remains of an original stupa.
We didn’t visit this site but saw the stucco sculptures from Mohra Moradu in the museum.
- Location: Mohra Moradu is 6km from Taxila Museum.
Is it worth the day trip from Islamabad to Taxila?
Visiting on a day trip from Islamabad, we didn’t honestly know what to expect from Taxila. We had read it was an ancient city and that it was one of Pakistan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. However, we had no idea the extended reach and implications of Indo-Greek history. Or the significance of Buddhism in the region of South Asia that is now Islamic Pakistan.
It was a fascinating day out!
Albeit we probably found the site overall more impressive due to our arrival with no expectations. But the museum is well maintained and the staff member that gave us a tour of the museum was passionate and extremely knowledgeable about the site and subject.
So, would we recommend a visit to Taxila in Pakistan?
Yeah. It makes for a great day trip from Islamabad to Taxila!
Where to stay in Islamabad
We didn’t stay overnight in Taxila. Instead, we visited from Islamabad to Taxila on a day trip which I recommend.
These are the hotels in Islamabad we use and can recommend.
- Budget / Shelton’s Ambassador: We had a good stay here our first time in Pakistan though we were notably the only foreign guests at the breakfast buffet each morning.
- Budget / Sheltons Rezidor Islamabad: Simple rooms and a basic morning breakfast buffet (in the basement). The location is good in F-7 and we walked from here to dinner at Kabul Restaurant in the evenings.
- Budget-Mid-Range / Grand Peace House II: Guesthouse style accommodation in secure residential area in F-7 close to Kabul Restaurant and Safa Gold Mall. We regularly stay here.
- Mid-Range / Islamabad Regalia Hotel: A large hotel with huge rooms and a beautiful breakfast buffet. It is pricier and further out of the main neighbourhoods, but the service is great – and the food is superb!
More about travel planning for Taxila, Islamabad and beyond
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime and can recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains and transport anywhere in Asia.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for your trip (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have travel insurance before visiting Pakistan!