2 Days Islamabad and Taxila

Taxila

A Taxila tour takes you to one of the great sites of ancient Gandhara, a UNESCO World Heritage property about 32 km north-west of Islamabad. Walk the ruined cities of Bhir Mound and Sirkap, the Buddhist monastery at Jaulian and the Taxila Museum, with a guide who brings over two thousand years of history to life.

Why visit Taxila

For more than a thousand years Taxila stood on the crossroads between Central Asia, Persia and the Indian subcontinent. Persian, Greek, Mauryan, Scythian and Kushan rulers all left their mark, and Buddhism flourished here in the centuries when Gandharan sculptors were carving some of the first images of the Buddha. UNESCO listed the site in 1980.

Because the remains are spread across a wide valley, a guide makes a real difference. The stones make sense once someone explains which city came first and who built it.

Taxila tourist places

  • Bhir Mound: the oldest of Taxila's three cities, dating from around the 6th century BCE.
  • Sirkap: a grid-planned city founded by Greco-Bactrian kings in the 2nd century BCE, with a long main street and the double-headed eagle stupa.
  • Dharmarajika Stupa: a large Buddhist stupa and monastery a short drive from the museum.
  • Jaulian: a 2nd-century CE hilltop monastery with rows of monks' cells and carved stupa bases.
  • Sirsukh: the third and latest of the city sites.

Taxila Museum

Opened in 1928, the Taxila Museum holds one of the most complete collections of Gandharan art, from the 1st to the 7th centuries CE. Most pieces came from Sir John Marshall's excavations at Taxila between 1913 and 1934. Visit the museum first and the ruins afterwards; the sculptures, coins and jewellery help you picture the cities as they once were.

How to get to Taxila from Islamabad

Taxila is about 32 km north-west of Islamabad, a short drive from the capital or Rawalpindi, so most people see it on a day trip. Allow a full day if you want to cover the museum, Sirkap, Dharmarajika and Jaulian without rushing. October to April is the best season. Summer days are hot, and the ruins offer little shade.

Taxila tours with a guide

Our 2 Days Islamabad and Taxila tour pairs the ruins with the capital's sights. 3 Days Islamabad Taxila Peshawar continues to the old city of Peshawar, and the 11D 10N Buddhist Heritage Journey in Pakistan follows the Buddhist trail through Gandhara, much of which lies across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Plan your Taxila visit

Choose a tour above, or tell us your dates and we will arrange a car, driver and specialist guide for Taxila and the wider Gandhara region.