Book Vacation Homes in Islamabad

Vacation homes give a family or a group of friends the whole house instead of a set of hotel rooms. The stock sits mostly in Murree around Kashmir Point, Sunny Bank and Jhika Gali, in Bhurban, and along the Nathia Gali and Ayubia stretch. A two-bedroom cottage starts near Rs 20,000 a night off-peak; four- to six-bedroom houses run Rs 45,000 to Rs 90,000 and make sense once you are eight people or more.

The economics work when you cook. Most homes include a full kitchen, and a group that shops in Islamabad before driving up saves the entire restaurant bill, which in peak Murree weeks is the single largest cost. Check gas supply and whether the geyser works, because winter gas pressure in Murree drops badly in the evenings and some homes switch to electric heaters that trip the load.

Book eight weeks ahead for late December through January if you want snow, and six weeks for July and August. Confirm exactly how far the house sits from the main road, whether a car can reach the door or you carry luggage up a footpath, and whether the road is cleared after snowfall. Ask if a caretaker stays on site, since that solves most problems quickly.