Lahore, Islamabad, the Hunza Valley — Mughal heritage, K2 base camps and South Asia's most underrated cuisine.
✦ Plan My Pakistan TripPakistan is one of the world's most surprising travel destinations — a country of extraordinary diversity that few outsiders have experienced. Lahore is the cultural heart: the Mughal-era Badshahi Mosque, the walled city, the food streets of Liberty Market and the raw energy of a 14-million-person metropolis. The north reveals a completely different Pakistan — the Karakoram Highway to Hunza Valley passes through some of the world's most dramatic mountain scenery, with three of the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks visible.
Tell us your occasion and vibe — we'll build a personalised day-by-day itinerary.
October to April for Lahore, Islamabad and the south. May to September for the northern mountains when the passes are open. Summers in the lowlands are extremely hot.
Five days covers Lahore's highlights. Ten days adds Islamabad and the Karakoram Highway to Hunza. Two weeks gives a genuinely comprehensive experience from the Mughal south to the mountain north.
Pakistan is best known for the Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort, the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro, the Karakoram Highway (one of the world's great drives), K2 and the Karakoram mountains, Hunza Valley's dramatic scenery, biryani, nihari and some of South Asia's most underrated cuisine.
Pakistan is outstanding for adventure travel. The K2 base camp trek, the Karakoram Highway to China, white water rafting on the Indus, climbing in the Hindu Kush, jeep safaris through the Cholistan Desert. The north is a world-class adventure destination that very few outsiders have experienced.
Pakistan is exceptional value. A mid-range daily budget is PKR 8,000–15,000 (£22–£42) per person. Even luxury hotels in Lahore and Islamabad are inexpensive by international standards. Food is extraordinarily cheap and extraordinarily good.
October to April for Lahore, Islamabad and the south — warm and dry. May to September for the northern mountains (Hunza, Fairy Meadows, K2 base camp) when the passes are open. Summers in the lowlands are extremely hot.
Five days covers Lahore's highlights well. Ten days lets you add Islamabad and the Karakoram Highway to Hunza. Two weeks gives you a genuinely comprehensive experience from the Mughal south to the mountain north.
The main tourist areas — Lahore, Islamabad and the northern mountain regions — are welcoming to visitors and increasingly well set up for tourism. Pakistan has invested significantly in tourism infrastructure in recent years. Check your government's current travel advice before visiting.
Pakistan is exceptional value. A mid-range daily budget is PKR 8,000–15,000 (£22–£42) per person. Budget travellers can manage on PKR 3,000–5,000. Even luxury hotels in Lahore and Islamabad are inexpensive by international standards. Food is extraordinarily cheap and extraordinarily good.