Top 10 Places to Visit in Pakistan 

Pakistan is blessed with some of Asia’s most beautiful tourism destinations, from ancient ruins and dazzling monuments to the snow capped Himalayas. Few of these stunning locations are well known abroad, however, so as you explore Pakistan you will feel like a tourism pioneer.   

This is a country which will astonish you at every turn with its beauty, its grandeur, its diversity, its culture, and its complex history and identity. Though it’s hard to select a handful of destinations from the wealth on offer, here are 10 must-see places in Pakistan 

Baltit Fort, Karimabad 

Baltit Fort, Karimabad

Occupying the highest point of the town of Karimabad, overlooking the Hunza Valley in the breathtaking mountains of the Karakoram Range, Baltit Fort is a strategic stronghold dating from the 14th century. If you think it looks rather Tibetan, you are partly right, for its 15th century modifications came at a time when the Mir of Hunza married a Baltistani princess, bringing her semi-Tibetan heritage to influence her new homeland. Added to further over the centuries in an ornate fashion, and lovingly restored in the mid-20th century, the fort is now a showcase of intricate woodwork and stone masonry and has an excellent museum. 

Faisal Mosque, Islamabad 

Faisal Mosque, Islamabad

During the construction of the Faisal Mosque, traditionalists voiced their dismay that it was not designed around a central dome. Disapproval of Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay’s design soon evaporated, however, when devotees were allowed to enter this awesome space on its completion in 1986.

The largest mosque in the world at the time, its structure emulates the shape of a desert Bedouin’s tent, and its iconic shape sits perfectly against the backdrop of the Margalla Hills. Named after King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who facilitated and funded it, this is a truly magnificent building fit for a capital city where modernity and spiritual purpose merge. 

Kalash Valley

People pigeonhole Pakistan when they shouldn’t, and to visit Kalash Valley is a lesson in discovering that not all Pakistanis are Muslims. The inhabitants of Kalash are delightfully welcoming and humble, practicing an ancient religion with aspects of animism and Vedic Hinduism. They live in a picturesque paradise of lush greenery, crystal clear streams, and majestic mountains, so it’s not hard to understand their deep reverence for nature and the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. With colourful attire, delightful wooden houses, and vibrant festivals, the Kalash community – Pakistan’s smallest ethnoreligious group – is an enigma that will win your heart. 

Makli Hill, Thatta

Maklil Hill, Makli Necropolis, Thatta

While estimates vary, there may be as many as one million tombs and mausoleums within the 10 square kilometres of the Makli Necropolis. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Makli accumulated beautiful monuments to the dead over a 400-year period, starting in the 14th century. To walk through the maze of intricate stone carvings and architectural styles of monuments that celebrate the lives of kings, saints, and scholars is a profound, humbling, and serene experience. Perhaps you will sense the spirit of the Sufi saint and poet, Shaikh Jamali, who was the first to be buried here.

Mohenjo Daro, Larkana

Mohenjo Daro, Larkana

With an estimated foundation date 2500 BCE, Mohenjo-daro is one of the world’s oldest major cities. When civilisations were emerging in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Minoan Crete, there were already 40,000 people living there, and it was the largest settlement in the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Yet, by 1700 BCE, it was abandoned. The 300-hectare archaeological site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage location; the first in South Asia to be recognised in this way. The name Mohenjo-daro translates as an uninspiring “Mound of the Dead”, but this is a place of advanced urban planning, with an organised street pattern, sophisticated drainage systems, and even a “Great Bath”.

Sethi House, Peshawar 

Sethi House, Peshawar

The trans-continental connections of the Silk Road brought great wealth to those who facilitated them, as was the case for the famous traders of the Sethi family.  Though they now live in India, the house the Sethis built in the cultural crossroad city of Peshawar in 1884 gives a glimpse of the opulent lifestyle that they enjoyed. Blending South and Central Asian styles, it is a feast of craftsmanship around an elegant courtyard, with intricate woodwork, richly coloured glass, and beautiful paintings and textiles. In the past century, the mansion has served as an administration building for British and then local administrators, and it is now a museum and research centre, as well as a glorious backdrop for photoshoots. 

Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta

Shah Jahan mosque

For anyone who feels that buildings can never be truly astonishing, a visit to Shah Jahan Mosque may change their minds. Many of its 93 domes feature fabulously intricate geometric blue and white tiling to depict the wonder of the heavens, with acoustic proportions so perfect that the prayers of the Imam are heard by worshippers wherever they are in the building.

In the surrounding colonnades, the brickwork, often arranged in concentric rings, is magnificent. The feeling of the mosque will be familiar to those who have travelled through Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan, for Shah Jahan was greatly influenced by the architecture he experienced during his campaigns near Samarkand. 

Shalimar Gardens, Lahore

Shalimar Gardens, Dahor, Pakistan

If there can be a Utopia where humans exist in perfect harmony with the beauty of nature, then Shalimar Gardens are the blueprint. That was certainly the intention of Emperor Shah Jahan, who designed this bewitching space in the 17th century.

Visitors can stroll along serene pathways through lush greenery and manicured lawns, coming across marble Mughal pavilions with rich floral motifs. Water cascades down three terraces, and there are more than 400 fountains. As with his mosque in Thatta, Shah Jahan’s design was heavily influenced by centuries-old traditions in Central Asia and Iran, where the concept of the “Charbagh” (Paradise) garden was developed. This place certainly has the feeling of a promised land.

Shingardar Stupa, Barikot Swat

A rounded shape contrasting with the ridges and slopes of the Swat Valley, this is a structure that will prove fascinating to any traveller. To know that it is one of numerous Buddhist monuments in the area and dates from the 2nd century CE invites the speculation that it could be a giant button for the attainment of Nirvana. The legend of its building is just as fantastic: it is the site where King Uttarasena’s white decorated elephant, carrying the ashes of Buddha himself, collapsed, died, and turned to stone. Whatever the truth is, it’s a place that will remind you that Pakistan is layered with religious wisdom from multiple sources. 

Wagah Border, near Lahore 

Wahagh Border nr Lahore

Each evening, to the delight of cheering crowds, the Pakistan Rangers and the Indian Border Security Force display the longstanding rivalry between their nations. They attempt to outcompete each other in the precision and flamboyance of their drills and outfits, with immaculate and spectacular facial hair and inch-perfect lowering of flags. Witnesses to this ceremony gain a greater appreciation of the uneasy, posturing standoff between two proud states, once held together by colonial British rule but now strongly independent. The advice from this side of the border: cheer for Pakistan! 

Fact box 

Wild Frontiers led their first tour to Pakistan in 1998 and it is still one of the company’s specialist destinations. Explore the spectacular mountain scenery of northern Pakistan on the Hindu Kush Adventure; or immerse yourself in archaeological sites and historic monuments with Southern Pakistan: Journey through the Indus Valley.

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