Seen as a base for day rides rather than a destination, Islamabad has two historic targets within reach, and they pull in opposite directions. West, about thirty-five kilometres away, lies Taxila, the ruins of a centre of Gandhara culture where Buddhism and Greek-influenced art met around two thousand years ago. The stupas at Dharmarajika and the monastery at Jaulian stand among dry hills, and the museum holds remarkable sculptures of the Buddha with a face that looks almost Mediterranean. South-east, along the Grand Trunk Road past Jhelum, stands Rohtas Fort, a vast sixteenth-century fortress built by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri to guard against the Mughals, whose huge walls and gates follow the ridge above a river.
Both rides use the same corridor. The motorway, the M1 toward Peshawar and the M2 toward Lahore, is fast and well kept, and a good way to get clear of the city quickly. After that the older Grand Trunk Road offers more flavour, with roadside stalls, trucks and rural life, but also more risk, because vehicles stop and turn without warning and the surface can be broken. Hot summer days between May and September can be brutal, so start early and carry water, and the monsoon in July and August brings heavy downpours and sudden flooding of the low roads.
The landscape is a surprise to many visitors. Beyond the capital the Potohar plateau is a land of eroded ravines, scrubby hills and wheat fields, with salt-range ridges rising to the south. Winter days from November to February are dry and bright, with a clear air and a light haze at sunset, and these are the best months for riding and for walking around ruins.
Islamabad has fuel on every main road, and the sector markets have plenty of places to eat and repair a bike. Along the Grand Trunk Road, stations are frequent, but try to keep a reserve. Always carry some cash and your documents, as police checkpoints are common, and keep a little patience with them. The restaurants on the lower slopes of the Margalla Hills are a good place for a late dinner after a long day of ruins and dust.