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Browse and explore the best travel guides in Pakistan.
Pakistan holds five of the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks, including K2, and the Karakoram Highway that climbs towards the Chinese border past Hunza and Passu is among the great road journeys anywhere. The north is a landscape of glaciers, apricot orchards and fortress villages; the plains hold something entirely different, from Mughal Lahore with its Badshahi Mosque and Shalimar Gardens to the 4,500-year-old Indus Valley city of Mohenjo-daro. Tourism is small but growing, and Pakistani hospitality is close to legendary.
Capital
Islamabad
Population
~245 million
Area
881,913 km²
Time Zone
PKT (UTC+5), no daylight saving
Currency
Pakistani Rupee (PKR)
Languages
Urdu and English are both official; Punjabi, Sindhi and Pashto widely spoken
Main Airports
ISB (Islamabad), KHI (Karachi), LHE (Lahore)
Visa
E-visa online for over 100 nationalities; some eligible for visa on arrival
Best For
Karakoram Highway, Hunza valley, trekking, Mughal architecture
Typical Cost Level
Budget
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Entry rules, stay length and passport validity by nationality.
Most nationalities need a visa, and Pakistan's online e-visa system now covers over 100 countries with a reasonably straightforward application. Tourists from a number of countries are also eligible for a visa on arrival when travelling through an approved tour operator. Processing usually takes a few working days but can be longer, so apply well ahead. You will need a passport valid for six months, hotel bookings and often an invitation or tour operator letter.
The north and the plains have opposite seasons, so timing depends on where you are going. For the Karakoram, Hunza and trekking, May to October is the window, with the Khunjerab Pass typically open from April or May to November and autumn colours peaking in October. For Lahore, Karachi and the Indus plains, November to March is far more comfortable, as summer temperatures regularly exceed 40°C. Spring blossom in Hunza around late March and early April is spectacular.
Safety in Pakistan varies enormously by region, so check your government's current travel advisory before booking. Gilgit-Baltistan and the northern areas along the Karakoram Highway are widely considered safe and see steady tourism, as do Islamabad and Lahore. Balochistan and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa carry serious advisories against travel. Foreign visitors are sometimes assigned police escorts in certain areas. Within the areas that are visited, hospitality is exceptional and street crime is low.
The Pakistani Rupee (PKR) is the currency and Pakistan is largely a cash economy. Cards are accepted in international hotels and larger city restaurants but rarely elsewhere, and almost never in the northern areas. ATMs are available in cities and larger towns such as Gilgit and Skardu, but withdraw generously before heading into the mountains. The rupee has been volatile in recent years, which makes Pakistan very inexpensive for foreign visitors.
Most travellers hire a car with a driver, which gives the flexibility to stop at Attabad Lake, Passu Cones and the viewpoints that make the road worth doing. NATCO public buses run the route cheaply from Islamabad to Gilgit and on to Sost, taking around 20 hours to Gilgit. Flying Islamabad to Gilgit or Skardu saves a long day but flights are frequently cancelled for weather. Allow at least a week to do the highway properly rather than rushing it.
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