Khan Pur Dam sits 40 km north-west of Islamabad, a 45-minute drive on the GT Road via Taxila. From Lahore, allow 5 hours via the M-2 to Islamabad and onward. There are no direct road tolls, and the drive is easy in any conditions. Most visits are day trips from Islamabad.
Khan Pur Dam
The Blue Jewel of Hazara
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Khanpur Dam lies in the outskirts of Islamabad and is major source of water for the capital and ancient city of Taxila. If offers boating, cliff diving, tubing and Parasailing. The most ideal Paragliding site is also quite close to Khanpur Dam. Its a perfect day trip from Islamabad along with ancient city of Taxila.
Traveller’s guide
Everything you need to know
Getting there, what to do, where to stay, and what to eat — the local ground truth.
How to get to Khan Pur Dam
Things to do at Khan Pur
Boating and jet skiing
The reservoir is Islamabad's de facto watersports lake, and the main visitor activity is a boat ride or jet ski hire from one of the operators along the eastern bank. Boats and jet skis are hired by the hour, prices are lower on weekdays.
Cliff diving and tubing
The rocky ridges on the western bank rise 8 to 15 m above the water and are the country's best-known cliff-diving spot for casual weekend divers. Not for beginners, and only worth doing under supervision from a local operator. Tubing behind speedboats is a safer and equally popular alternative.
Parasailing and paragliding
Parasailing over the reservoir is offered by two or three operators on weekends. For the more serious sport, the paragliding launch site at Kaghan-Khanpur ridge, a short drive from the dam, is one of the top-rated paraglide take-offs in northern Punjab and popular with the small Pakistani sport community.
Taxila on the same loop
Taxila, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of ancient Gandharan Buddhist ruins, sits between Islamabad and Khan Pur and slots naturally into the same day. Its museum, the Dharmarajika Stupa and Sirkap city ruins deserve at least 90 minutes, and combined with an afternoon at the dam, this is one of the best full-day loops from Islamabad.
Where to stay
Most travellers day-trip from Islamabad. If you want an overnight closer to the dam, the small collection of hut-and-tent lakeside camps on the east bank offer basic accommodation for adventure groups, best booked through an operator. Islamabad hotels (The 108, The Avenue, Grand Islamabad) are 45 minutes back.
Practical notes
Best season is October to March when day temperatures are 20 to 28°C and the water is calm. April to June is hot, and monsoon (July to August) makes the surrounding tracks muddy. Weekends bring Islamabad crowds, target weekdays for empty water. Standard adventure precautions apply, use certified operators for cliff diving, wear a life jacket for tubing and boating, and check equipment before signing anything.
Context
Khan Pur Dam was completed in 1983 on the Haro River to supply water to Islamabad and irrigation to the surrounding Attock and Taxila valleys. The reservoir is often called the Blue Jewel of Hazara for the striking turquoise colour the water takes on in summer against the arid ridges of the Margallas' western extension. It has quietly become one of northern Punjab's most-visited adventure destinations over the last decade, and is now a fixed part of any Islamabad weekend routine.
Four chapters
Best Time to Visit
spring
February – April
Best timeComfortable 18–28°C days — reservoir at full colour, cliff jumps and boating in dry, dust-free light.
summer
May – August
Shoulder38–42°C midday heat — water still refreshing but outdoor stays best kept to early mornings and evenings.
autumn
September – November
Best timeCool 18–28°C days — reservoir calm and the sharpest golden-hour light on the surrounding hills.
winter
December – January
Best timeCool 8–20°C days — foggy mornings clear by noon, the sharpest window for a full-day trip from Islamabad.