Pakistan

Overview

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( Urdu : پاکستان Pākistān ) is a country at the crossroads of Western , Central , South and East Asia . Conceived as a separate homeland for Muslims in South Asia, the country's tourism industry had its heyday during the 1960s thanks to the Hippie Trail . Unfortunately, the country has been in a state of flux since the 1970s, with many countries declaring it unsafe to visit.

Despite this, Pakistan continues to attract tourists due to its unique, diverse cultures and landscapes. The history buff can rejoice at the vast number of ruins from ancient civilisations, such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila; the architecture lover can feast their eyes at Mughal-era architecture; and the adventurous traveller can try their luck at scaling the vast number of mountain peaks, including K2 .

Prior to the late 18th century, Pakistan was the main Islamic stronghold in the Mughal Empire , which at its peak covered the great majority of the Indian subcontinent. The area that now makes up Pakistan kept its status as one of the main cultural and political hubs of South Asia for over 300 years. From the late 18th century until 1947, Pakistan was part of the British Empire , and one can still see the signs of Pakistan's colonial past in most places.

Sights and landscapes

Pakistan has six major cultural sites that are categorised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include the archaeological ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization at Moenjodaro , the 1st century Buddhist Ruins at Takht-i-Bahi and neighbouring city remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol, the ruins of Taxila from the Gandhara Civilization, the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore , the monuments of the ancient city of Thatta and the ancient fort of Rohtas.

In Pakistan, there are museums from archaeological and historical to biographical, from heritage to military, from natural history to transport – nearly every big city has a museum worth visiting. The highest concentrations of these museums are found in the largest cities, but none compare to Lahore, home to Lahore Museum. Karachi also has an array of some good museums, including the National Museum of Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan Museum & Art Gallery, MagnifiScience Centre, PAF Museum and Pakistan Maritime Museum. For those looking out for a transport museum, Pakistan Railways Heritage Museum in Islamabad is a major attraction.

Experiences

Pakistan is a world class destination for trekking and hiking. Gilgit-Baltistan is a "mountain paradise" for mountaineers, trekkers, and tourists. The region has some of the world's highest mountains, including five peaks over 8,000 m, many over 7,000 m, and the largest glaciers outside the polar region.

You can also shop to your heart's content, in massive range of markets and bazaars without worrying about your budget, as a survey found Karachi as the world's most cheapest city.

Mothing is an emerging recreational observation in Pakistan. With over 1,100 documented species, including spectacular hawk moths and moon moths, regions like the Himalayan valleys of Azad Kashmir, the alpine zones of Gilgit-Baltistan, and the pine forests of Murree serve as prime, high-biodiversity hotspots.

Culture and food

Pakistani food has a well-deserved reputation for being hot, owing to the Pakistani penchant for the liberal use of a variety of spices, and potent fresh green chilis or red chili powder that will bring tears to the eyes of the uninitiated. The degree of spiciness varies widely throughout the country: Punjab food is famously fiery, while Northern Areas cuisine is quite mild in taste.

To enjoy the local food, start slowly. Don't try everything at once. After a few weeks, you can get accustomed to spicy food. If you would like to order your dish not spicy, simply say so. Most visitors are tempted to try at least some of the spicy concoctions, and most discover that the sting is worth the trouble.

Pakistan is wheat growing land, so you have Pakistani breads (known as roti), including chapatti (unleavened bread), paratha (pan-fried layered roti), naan (cooked in a clay tandoori oven), puri (deep-fried and puffed up bread), and many more. A typical meal consists of one or more gravy dishes along with rotis, to be eaten by breaking off a piece of roti, dipping it in the gravy and eating them together. Most of the Pakistani heartland survives on naan, roti, rice, and lentils (dal), which are prepared in several different ways and made spicy to taste. Served on the side, you will usually find spiced yogurt (raita) and either fresh chutney or a tiny piece of exceedingly pungent pickle (achar), a very acquired taste for most visitors – try mixing it with curry, not eating it plain.

Planning your route

Getting around Pakistan has become much easier with the completion of some motorways, and an increase in private airlines. Whilst the cities are well covered, roads in rural areas are not, with many minor roads missing – Google Maps in particular has a worrying habit of marking dried up river beds as minor roads, so if you're exploring out in the sticks, it's a good idea to use Google Earth to double check your route.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) serves numerous domestic destinations and is the only airline to serve the three airports in the north of interest to trekkers or climbers: Chitral , Gilgit , and Skardu . There are usually two flights from Islamabad to these cities daily, but they are often cancelled due to bad weather, and often over-booked — show up early to guarantee a seat.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.