Highlights
Lahore
Pakistan's cultural capital. The Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort with its mirrored Sheesh Mahal face each other across a square, the Walled City is full of bazaars and havelis, and Food Street near the mosque is busiest late at night.
Hunza Valley
A green valley ringed by peaks above 7,000 metres on the Karakoram Highway, with the restored Baltit and Altit forts, apricot orchards that blossom in spring and turn gold in autumn, and the turquoise Attabad Lake.
Karakoram Highway
One of the highest paved international roads in the world, running from the north of the country through Gilgit and Hunza to the Khunjerab Pass on the border with China, past glaciers, gorges and rock carvings.
Fairy Meadows and Nanga Parbat
An alpine meadow reached by jeep and a hike, with an unobstructed view of Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth-highest mountain. Simple wooden cabins and campsites are open in summer.
Islamabad
The planned capital sits beneath the Margalla Hills, with hiking trails running straight from the city. The Faisal Mosque, shaped like a desert tent, is one of the largest mosques in the world.
Mohenjo-daro
The ruins of one of the great cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation in Sindh, around 4,500 years old, with a grid of streets, drains and the Great Bath. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Taxila
An archaeological area near Islamabad with Buddhist monasteries, stupas and city ruins spanning centuries, and a museum of Gandhara sculpture that blends Greek and Buddhist styles.
Skardu and Deosai
The gateway to the Baltoro Glacier and K2 treks, with desert valleys and lakes nearby. The Deosai Plains, one of the highest plateaus in the world, bloom with wildflowers in summer.
Interesting facts about Pakistan
- Pakistan has five of the world's fourteen mountains over 8,000 metres, including K2, the second-highest peak on earth.
- The Wagah border ceremony between Pakistan and India, near Lahore, is a daily flag-lowering ritual watched by large crowds on both sides.
- Outside the polar regions, the Karakoram has some of the longest glaciers in the world, including the Siachen, Baltoro and Biafo.
- Truck art, with lorries painted in bright floral patterns, poetry and mirrors, is a celebrated Pakistani folk art form.
- Urdu is the national language, but Punjabi is the most widely spoken first language in the country.
Best time to visit
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best times for Punjab and Sindh; summer there is extremely hot, and winter is mild. The northern mountains are a summer destination: June to September is the season for trekking, the Karakoram Highway and high passes such as the Khunjerab, while April brings blossom and October autumn colour to Hunza. The monsoon, July to September, brings heavy rain to the plains and can cause landslides that close mountain roads.
Practical information
| Capital | Islamabad |
|---|---|
| Currency | Pakistani rupee (PKR) |
| Languages | Urdu, English |
| Plugs | Type C, D |
| Voltage | 230 V, 50 Hz |
| Emergency | 15 police, 1122 rescue and ambulance |
| Driving | On the left |
| Tipping | Appreciated. Around 10% in restaurants where no service charge is added, and small tips for drivers, guides and porters on treks are customary. |
Getting around
Domestic flights link Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, and seasonal, weather-dependent flights serve Gilgit and Skardu. Motorways connect Islamabad and Lahore, and air-conditioned coach companies run between the main cities. Trains are slow but a classic way to travel across Punjab and Sindh. In the north, most visitors hire a car with a driver who knows the mountain roads, as landslides and road closures are common. Ride-hailing apps work well in the large cities.
Staying connected in Pakistan
4G coverage is good in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and other cities and along the main motorways. It becomes patchy in the mountains: parts of Hunza and Gilgit have signal, but remote valleys, trekking routes and high passes often have none. Wi-Fi is available in hotels and cafés in cities, and in mountain guesthouses it can be slow or depend on electricity supply. Phones and SIMs in Pakistan are subject to registration rules, so check how the rules apply to foreign devices before travelling. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
See Pakistan eSIM plans · How to install an eSIM
Useful apps for Pakistan
- Careem: Widely used ride-hailing in Pakistan's cities, with fares shown up front.
- inDrive: Popular ride-hailing app where you propose a fare and drivers accept or counter.
- Google Maps: City navigation and route planning; download offline maps before heading to the mountains.
- Google Translate: Translates Urdu, with offline support, for menus, signs and conversations.