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The Perfect Lahore Itinerary With Best Things to Do

February 17, 2022 by Bino 2 Comments

I was first introduced to the idea of visiting Pakistan five years ago while I was in Delhi in India. During a requisite visit to the Red Fort, I passed through a majestic entryway called Lahore Gate – named as such as because it led to the city of Lahore which is located in present-day Pakistan. A few nights of research later, I learned more about Lahore and what I found intrigued me. As a cultural center, the city stands out like one of the great capitals – Delhi, Beijing and Moscow – with gigantic monuments, wondrous heritage and a name that conjure the silk road and the age of exploration. I also read about Pakistan’s mindblowing Himalayan far-north – supposedly the inspiration for the mythical Shangri-la in James Hilton’s novel, “Lost Horizon.”

That being said, I never really took the idea of visiting Pakistan seriously due to the things I had seen in the news. It was only after an opportunity came about to visit Amritsar in India (where Pakistan is just across the border) that I seriously considered going. Even then, I almost came to the point of canceling my trip as the country faced its deadliest month in years with multiple suicide bombings in various cities the week prior to my visit, including two in Lahore where I was supposed to spend most of my time.

Table of Contents

Getting to Pakistan

Notwithstanding the surprisingly fast process of getting a visa (can be applied online), entering Pakistan was an adventure in itself. Rather than landing at one of the main international airports, I chose to cross the Wagah border between India and Pakistan by foot. There is no direct flight from my country of origin, Singapore to any point in Pakistan but there is a direct flight from Singapore to Amritsar in India which is just 30 kilometers to the border. Alternatively, if you are coming from other regions such as the Middle East, airlines such as Airblue fly to Lahore from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah and Sharjah.

Amidst the judging gaze of my hotel concierge in Amritsar when I told him I needed a taxi to take me to the border because I was going to cross over to Pakistan, the land crossing was actually quite pleasant.

Despite the 3,000+ kilometer long divide between India and Pakistan, the Wagah border is the only one that is open for foreigners to cross. The two countries have had a very complicated relationship and there is a tendency to think that there is a lot of red taped involved to cross. Actually, it’s surprisingly easy and I have written about my experience in crossing the Wagah Border by foot .

Lahore – Pakistan’s Cultural Center

The city of Lahore is neither the capital nor the largest in Pakistan. It is only the second largest but is widely considered to be the cultural heart of the country with its long history, buildings dating from the Mughal Empire and bazaars that have been in operation for centuries.

skyline of lahore, pakistan

As my car sped from the border parking lot to the city, my initial impression of Lahore was that it carried the same frenetic pace and chaos that you see in many Indian cities but you do see a greater proportion of people in traditional attire as opposed to western clothing. I was quite impressed with the road network. There were plenty of highways criss-crossing the city which made traffic jams quite rare except perhaps in the older part of town.

Badshahi Mosque

the badshahi mosque at night

When I was researching about Pakistan, no other place captured my imagination as much as the sight of the Badshahi Mosque (daily, 8AM to 8PM). The religious structure dates back from the Mughal era in the 1600’s and was completed after only two years. The mosque has a slightly similar look to the Jama Masjid in Delhi except that the former is much bigger and has an almost completely red exterior save for the domes. If you came for a similar objective, I would recommend coming here at the start of your trip as the Badshahi Mosque deserves at least 2 visits – one in the day and one at sunset.

interiors of the badshahi mosque

The prayer hall of the Badshahi Mosque is just as majestic, with frescoes and carved marble lining the ceiling and walls. I was approached by a number of locals for “wefies.” – People in Pakistan generally aren’t accustomed to seeing tourists and I saw the same kind of curiosity among locals that I witnessed when I visited Iran a couple of years back.

Lahore Fort

Just across the mosque is the Lahore Fort (daily, 8:30AM to 5PM), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a sprawling complex filled with plenty of pavilions, palaces, gardens and gates and is worthy of a few hours of exploration. Due to its UNESCO designation, Lahore Fort should theoretically be one of the most touristy places in Pakistan. However, at the time of my visit, there was no other foreigner there though the place is popular among locals seeking open spaces in densely populated Lahore.

Shalimar Gardens

shalimar gardens

Another place from the Mughal era that I checked out was the Shalimar Gardens , a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built incorporating Persian style, it is worth checking out for its three-tiered layout. The gardens are a bit out of the way from downtown but if you have plans of watching the border closing ceremony at Wagah, you can stop here as it’s along the same road.

Tomb of Jahangir

I wasn’t initially sure whether I had enough time but I managed to sneak out to the suburb of Shahdara to see the Tomb of Jahangir and Asif Khan (daily, 9AM to 7PM). The marbled carvings and embellishments are worth the 30 minute drive from the city center. As with Islamic custom, the cenotaph of the Emperor is above ground. It’s also a sight to behold, having been embellished with inlay.

Shahi Guzargah and Wazir Khan Mosque

For all its grand monuments, my favorite spot in Lahore has got to be the Shahi Guzargah or the Royal Trail located inside the Walled City. During medieval times, the trail actually led all the way to Delhi. Today, it is a bustling bazaar with recently restored heritage buildings and a picturesque Wazir Khan Mosque as its centerpiece.

wazir khan mosque in lahore

The mosque itself dates back from the 1600’s and while it is not as big as Badshahi Mosque, Wazir Khan is well known for its tilework and frescoes. If you manage to find the mosque-keeper, you can also ask him to open up the doors to one of the towers where you can climb up for a bird’s eye view of the surroundings.

bustling street scene in lahore

a textile shop in the royal trail in lahore

The area also offers a microcosm of commercial life in Lahore and within that street, you can find a range of items including apparel, jewelry, carpets and plenty of street food. You’ll also encounter people from all walks of life and even from the minorities like the Pashtuns and the Multanis. They can be spotted in all sorts of exotic attire. Amid the curious stares I got, I found the place highly atmospheric. Many of the old buildings within the street have been renovated recently and look very picturesque.

Lahore Museum

lahore museum

buddhist artifacts from pakistan preserved in lahore museum

For a country that is overwhelmingly Muslim, it perhaps comes as a surprise that Pakistan is home to plenty of ancient Buddhist ruins. Places such as Taxila and Mohenjo Daro predate the likes of Angkor Wat or Bagan by more than a thousand years and the area’s proximity to Central Asia has given rise to plenty of archeological findings. Many of the artifacts have been destroyed over the centuries as Islam forbids the worshiping of statues. Today, the best place to see these cultural treasures is at the Lahore Museum (daily except Friday, 9AM to 5PM). I am normally not into museums but seeing so many Buddhist artifacts in a place you totally don’t expect is truly something to behold.

Wagah Border Closing Ceremony (public viewing temporarily suspended as of 2022)

wagah border closing ceremony

During my visit to Lahore, I made sure not to miss the Wagah border closing ceremony , a daily affair held at around 4pm Lahore time / 4:30pm Amritsar time. It is a highly colorful ceremony which symbolizes the intense rivalry between the two countries.

The ceremony can be watched from either the Indian or Pakistani side – as long as you have the requisite visas. The Indian side is typically a lot more crowded and livelier but if getting the best seats is your priority, there is a higher chance of getting one at the Pakistan side.

Most visitors arrive a good hour before the actual ceremony. There are a number of entertainers at either side lifting the mood. You’ll also see popcorn sellers. The highlight of the ceremony occurs when you see soldiers from either side of the border marching to the gate and kicking as high as possible with unbelievable flexibility.

Food Street

trying some of the local food – kebabs are a big thing here!

food street in lahore

I spent the few evenings I had in Lahore in the atmospheric Food Street . There are a number of so-called food streets in the city including some really traditional ones. The one opposite the Badshahi Mosque is perhaps the most sanitized ( and expensive) version.

the outdoor dining space at cooco’s den

Cooco’s Den (daily, 12PM to 1AM) is the most well-known among the restaurants in this area and has been featured by media outlets such as Financial Times and by the Pilot Guides travel documentary when they visited Pakistan. Another option is Haveli (1PM to 1AM, starts from 9AM on Saturdays and Sundays) which is just next door. Food here is slightly cheaper than Cooco’s Den and the rooftop restaurant comes with an even better view of the Badshahi Mosque in the distance. Both venues serve Pakistani dishes so expect plenty of curry and kebabs.

Reader Interactions

Older posts.

July 7, 2022 at 2:18 am

Beautiful photos and informative write-up. Looking forward to seeing these when we visit pk. Thanks.

October 25, 2022 at 12:42 pm

Nicely done!

55 Things to do in Lahore

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Looking for things to do in Lahore? Punjab’s capital is a thriving metropolis with a diverse population and a delectable culinary scene. It has long been a centre for the arts, literature, and music and is referred to as the cultural capital of the nation. The city is home to a number of historically significant buildings from the Mughal Empire, including the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, and Shalimar Gardens.

Traditional handicrafts, spices, and clothes are available in abundance at Lahore’s bazaars, notably the renowned Anarkali bazaar. The city is also widely known for its delectable cuisine, which includes both traditional meals like haleem and biryani and street food like hot kebabs and fried fish. Anyone interested in learning more about the history and culture of Pakistan should travel to this amazing city.

wazir akbar khan - things to do in lahore

Table of Contents

Top 55 Things to do in Lahore City

3 days in lahore itinerary, 2 days in lahore itinerary, 1 day in lahore itinerary, lahore tourist guide.

55 things to do in Lahore are listed below:

Visit UNESCO designated World Heritage Site, the Lahore Fort.
Go through the lovely Shalimar Gardens.
Discover the stunning Badshahi Mosque.
Explore the thriving Walled City of Lahore on foot.
See the Mughal Emperor Jahangir’s Mausoleum.
See the national landmark Minar-e Pakistan.
Fresh juice is available at Anarkali Bazar.
Witness Liberty Market’s flurry of activity.
Enjoy a city tour in a horse-drawn carriage.
Check out the Lahore Museum
A stroll through Racecourse Park is recommended.
Check out the Lahore Zoo
Visit Gawalmandi’s Food Street to sample some mouthwatering cuisine.
Visit the Sufi shrine Data Darbar.
See the High Court in person
Discover Sheesh Mahal at the Lahore Fort.
See the Shahi Hammam from the Mughal era.
See the Naulakha Pavilion, a building from the Mughal era.
Investigate the historic Nisar Haveli.

Check out the Lahore Canal.
Run a few laps around Model Town Park.
Visit the Gaddafi Stadium to watch a cricket match.
Enroll in a culinary course to learn how to prepare authentic Pakistani cuisine.
Discover the renowned Lahore Bazar.
Go to the famous Chauburji Gate.
See the stunning public park Bagh-e-Jinnah.
Visit the Alhamra Arts Council to see a musical performance
The College for Women University is worth a visit.
See the stunning campus of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).
See the Wazir Khan Mosque from the Mughal era
See the Naulakha Garden from the Mughal era.
Take a trip to Wagah Border to attend the ceremony.
Visit the Hathi Pol Gate of the Lahore Fort.

A Vendor in Lahore ©Taiba Malik

Visit the Lahore Arts Council to see a theatre performance.
Check out the Fakir Khana Museum.
Examine the Mughal nobleman Asif Khan’s tomb.
Visit the Canal Park and ride a boat through the canal.
Visit the Anarkali Tomb to see a courtesan’s grave.
Have a look around the Lahore Museum of Natural History.
Wander across the verdant Shadman Colony.
See the magnificent Hazuri Bagh Pavilion.
Visit the Punjab Institute of Language, Art, and Culture to take part in a cultural festival.
See the venerable Haveli Mian Khan
See the Alamgiri Gate of the Lahore Fort.
Investigate the old General Post Office structure.
Check out the City’s Polo Club.
Visit Diwan-e-Khas in the Lahore Fort.

Badshahi Mosque ©Salman Kazim

Have a look at the historic Tollinton Market.
Discover Masjid Wazir Khan, a Mughal structure.
Visit the Roshnai Gate, one of the Walled City of Lahore’s 13 gates.
Go through the lovely Jilani Park.
Explore the historic Haveli.

9:00 AM – See the Lahore Fort in the historic district. It is roughly 4 kilometres from the city centre and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort can be explored for two to three hours.

12:00 PM – See one of the biggest mosques in the world, the Badshahi Mosque. It is roughly 500 metres away and close to the Lahore Fort. The mosque can be explored for between one and two hours.

2:00 PM – Check out the Wazir Khan Mosque, a stunning example of Mughal-era design. The Badshahi Mosque is roughly 2 kilometres away and is situated in the historic city. The mosque can be explored for between one and two hours.

4:00 PM – Take a stroll through the busy alleyways of the Anarkali Bazar, a well-known shopping area, to wind down the day. The Wazir Khan Mosque is roughly 2 kilometres away and is situated in the historic city. The bazaar can be explored in 1-2 hours, on average.

9:00 AM – See the stunning Mughal-style Shalimar Gardens first thing in the morning. About 10 kilometres separate it from the city’s core and it is situated in the northeast of the city. The gardens can be explored for two to three hours.

12:00 PM – Consider visiting the Lahore Museum, which has a variety of artwork, antiquities, and cultural displays. The Shalimar Gardens are around 8 kilometres away from it, which is situated in the city’s heart. The museum may be explored in between one and two hours.

2:00 PM – Go to the Minar-e-Pakistan, a memorial built to honour the Lahore Resolution. It is situated in Iqbal Park, approximately 5 kilometres from the Lahore Museum. It should take 1-2 hours to thoroughly examine the monument and the park.

4:00 PM – Go to the Minar-e-Pakistan, a memorial built to honour the Lahore Resolution. It is situated in Iqbal Park, approximately 5 kilometres from the Lahore Museum. It should take 1-2 hours to thoroughly examine the monument and the park.

9:00 AM – The Lahore Zoo, which is in the centre of the city, is a great place to start the day. The zoo may be explored in two to three hours.

12:00 PM – Visit the Model Town Park, a well-liked picnic area. The Lahore Zoo is around 10 km away from it, which is situated in the northwest of the city. The park may be explored in two to three hours.

3:00 PM – Visit the Emporium Mall, one of Pakistan’s biggest malls. It is around 8 miles from Model Town Park and situated in the Johar Town neighbourhood. The mall may be explored in two to three hours.

6:00 PM – Take a stroll along the city’s picturesque Canal Road to wind down the day. The road exploration should take between one and two hours.

9:00 AM – See the Lahore Fort in the historic district. It is roughly 4 kilometres from the city centre and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort can be explored for 2 to 3 hours.

12:00 PM – Visit the Lahore Museum to view its assortment of artwork, antiquities, and cultural displays. It is situated in the city’s core, about 8 kilometres from Shalimar Gardens. The museum may be explored in 1-2 hours, on average.

2:00 PM – Pay a visit to the Lahore Resolution memorial, the Minar-e-Pakistan. The Lahore Museum is around 5 km away from it, which is situated in Iqbal Park. The monument and the park may be explored in 1-2 hours.

4:00 PM – Visit the Food Street in the old city to cap off the day. It’s a well-liked spot for foodies and is around 3 kilometres from the Minar-e-Pakistan. The street can be explored for between one and two hours.

9:00 AM – Visit the Lahore Fort in the ancient city to start the day. It is roughly 4 kilometres from the city centre and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort can be explored for two to three hours.

Note: You may have time to see other attractions or explore the city at your leisure, depending on your pace and how long you stay at each location. It is advised to set aside enough time for each attraction so that you can properly enjoy its beauty and historical value.

Lahore Fort

Tourists have always been enthralled by Lahore, the cultural centre of Pakistan, for its extensive history, culture, and cuisine. On a Lahore tour, tourists may experience the city’s Mughal-era architecture, lovely gardens, and bazaars full of ethnic goods and spices, to name just a few highlights. In this post, we’ll look more closely at some of the essential components of a tour of Lahore, such as its history, cultural legacy, food, and well-known tourist attractions.

The city has a more than a thousand-year history, during which time it has been governed by several dynasties, including the Mughals, Sikhs, and British. Beautiful structures that showcase the Mughal era include the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, and Shalimar Gardens. The city’s architecture is a reflection of its history. For anyone interested in learning more about Pakistan’s rich cultural legacy, these historical landmarks are must-see locations.

The Sheesh Mahal, Naulakha Pavilion, and Diwan-i-Aam are just a few of the beautiful buildings that can be found inside the Lahore Fort, also known as Shahi Qila, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the largest mosques in the world, the Badshahi Mosque is known for its exquisite marble domes and complex carvings. It is situated across from the Lahore Fort. The Shalimar Gardens, which the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan constructed, are the epitome of Mughal landscape architecture.

The city is renowned for its culture and customs in addition to its historical sites. For ages, the city has been a centre for the arts, literature, and music, and it has given birth to numerous accomplished musicians and writers. By visiting locations like the Lahore Museum, which has a sizable collection of artwork, antiquities, and manuscripts from various centuries, visitors to Lahore can learn more about the city’s cultural legacy.

The Sikh era and the history and culture of the Sikh people are both highlighted in a part of the Lahore Museum. The Wagah Border Ceremony, a daily military ceremonial that takes place at the border between Pakistan and India, is another well-liked cultural event in Lahore. For anybody visiting the city, the ritual is a must-see as it is a manifestation of patriotism.

Badshahi Mosque

A visit to Lahore would be incomplete without sampling some of the local cuisine. Lahore is well known for its rich and spicily prepared food, which combines traditional Pakistani and Mughlai fare. A vast variety of street foods, including fried fish and spicy kebabs, as well as classic dishes like haleem and biryani are available at the city’s bazaars, especially the renowned Anarkali bazaar.

Indian, Persian, and Afghan cuisines have all had an impact on the cuisine in Lahore, which reflects the city’s varied background in its cuisine. Moreover, typical Pakistani desserts like gulab jamun and jalebi, which are sweet and syrupy treats sure to satiate any sweet craving, are available for tourists to experience in Lahore.

The Lahore Zoo, Lahore Safari Park, and the Lahore Bird Sanctuary are just a few of the several additional well-known tourist destinations that can be found in Lahore. With a variety of creatures on display, including lions, tigers, elephants, and monkeys, the Lahore Zoo, situated in the centre of the city, is a great location for families and animal enthusiasts. A major wildlife park outside of the city, the Lahore Safari Park is home to several exotic creatures like zebras, giraffes, and rhinos. With more than 150 species of birds on exhibit, the Lahore Bird Sanctuary is a natural reserve next to the Lahore Canal that attracts many birdwatchers.

In conclusion, anyone interested in learning about Pakistan’s rich cultural legacy should take a Lahore trip.

Do you currently have a Pakistan Tourist Visa? If not, you might find our writing on how to apply for a Pakistan Tourist Visa useful. Only after performing extensive research should you start the online visa application for Pakistan .

Happy travels!

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Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Lahore Fort

Built, damaged, demolished, rebuilt and restored several times before being given its current form by Emperor Akbar in 1566 (when he made Lahore his…

Badshahi Mosque

Completed in 1674 under Aurangzeb as the Mughals' final architectural fling, the sublime Badshahi Mosque, opposite the main gateway to the Lahore Fort, is…

Jehangir's Tomb

Standing in a garden on the northern outskirts of Lahore, the elaborately decorated sandstone Jehangir's Tomb is that of Emperor Jehangir. Built in 1637…

Pakistan, Lahore 30 May 2018; Data Darbar (Data Durbar) is the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia, It was build to house of Muslim mystic, Abul Hassan Ali Hujwiri, Known as Data Ganj Baksh at Punjab.; Shutterstock ID 1147940222; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

Shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh Hajveri

Author of a famous book on mysticism, the 11th-century Data Ganj Bakhsh, originally from Ghazni in Afghanistan, was one of the most successful Sufi…

Rohtas Fort

Some 16km northwest of Jhelum, colossal Rohtas Fort is an extraordinary example of military architecture. It was started in 1543 by the Pashtun ruler Sher…

Faqir Khana Museum

About 500m inside Bhatti Gate on the right-hand side, a small mansion houses the Faqir Khana Museum. It houses the treasures of the Faqir family, who have…

Shalimar Gardens

To the northeast of town, about 4km from the main train station, this was one of three gardens named Shalimar Gardens created by Shah Jahan in the 17th…

Lahore Museum

Try to set aside a couple of hours to make the most of a visit to the superb Lahore Museum, which has exhibits spanning the recorded history of the…

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3-Day Itinerary for Lahore: The Cultural Heart of Pakistan

By Author Christian L.

Posted on Published: October 8, 2020 - Last updated: October 2, 2021

Categories Asia , Destinations , Pakistan

As the cultural capital of Pakistan, the historic city of Lahore is one of the most spectacular places to visit in Southern Asia. Yet, this city sees very few international tourists and hasn’t been changed much by globalization, allowing it to keep its refreshing authenticity.

A perfect 3 day ITINERARY FOR LAHORE: THE CULTURAL HEART OF PAKISTAN

Top things you should do in Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan

Walking around Lahore, you can get an insightful glimpse into what local life is truly like, even in the main tourist areas.

The bustling markets and people on motorbikes flying by you might give you culture shock at first, but the sheer friendliness of the locals will make you feel welcomed right away.

Here’s how to spend 3 perfect days in the cultural heart of Pakistan, including the best places to see in Lahore and the most delicious local dishes to try.

Wander Around the Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort, A Must visit.

Start your visit to Lahore by exploring one of the main historical jewels of the city: the majestic Lahore Fort citadel.

There are over 21 attractions and monuments within its large complex, so be sure to allocate enough time for this place — you can easily spend half a day here!

Most of the attractions inside this citadel date back to the 17th century, and walking around, you’ll see lots of monuments from the Mughal Empire. In fact, Lahore Fort was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its splendid Mughal architecture.

Wandering around Lahore Fort is a very peaceful experience. As with almost all tourist attractions in Lahore, you won’t find any large tour groups or crowds. There’s plenty of nature and greeneries inside this complex, as well as a beautiful view of the nearby Badshahi Mosque.

The star of the citadel is definitely the Shish Mahal (Palace of Mirrors). It was built by Shah Jahan in the 1630s and showcased incredible interior stucco decorations.

You’ll be amazed by all the shiny glass mirror-work inside this palace, which was built for the empress at the time!

Inside Lahore Fort

Some of the other key places to see inside Lahore Fort include the Jahangir’s Sleeping Quarters, the Hall of Public Audience, and the Naulakha pavilion.

There are also three museums inside the complex, and they exhibit everything from miniature paintings to ancient armoury and calligraphy. Insider’s tip: the museums close about an hour before sunset, so make sure to time your visit accordingly!

Explore the Majestic Badshahi Mosque

Badshahi Mosque a landmark of Lahore and the second largest Mosque in Pakistan

Directly across Lahore Fort is the most famous monument in Lahore: the breathtaking Badshahi Mosque, the second largest mosque in Pakistan . The beauty and splendour of this structure are hard to put into words; you’ll have to see it with your own eyes.

Carved red sandstones are distinct features of its architecture, as they were symbols of Mughal-era art. Around 100,000 worshippers can fit into the mosque’s vast courtyard, which was used as a military base for much of its history.

Spend at least a few hours exploring every corner of this mosque, and don’t forget to go inside as well; the details of its architecture will truly astound you.

The Badshahi Mosque is also a great place for photography, and one of the best spots to capture it is from its gorgeous side pavilions.

You’ll find lots of unique angles there and can also frame your shot creatively, taking in parts of the pavilion arches into the composition as well. I did that using wide-angle lenses for Sony A6400 , a setup that worked great given the sheer size of the mosque!

Taste the Local Cuisine at Fort Road Food Street

Visiting the Badshahi Mosque comes with another added bonus: it’s only a 5-minute walk to the best food street in town — Fort Road Food Street.

Lahore is popularly deemed as the food capital of Pakistan, so a trip here would be utterly incomplete without tasting some of its local specialities.

There’s really no better place to start your culinary adventure than at Fort Road Food Street, which is home to a dozen restaurants offering authentic local dishes. Some of the best ones are Cooco’s Den, Andaaz Restaurant, and Haveli Restaurant.

All of them also have terraces that provide guests with a magnificent view of the Badshahi Mosque, and I especially recommend getting there for sunset; it truly makes that view extra special!

Walk Around the Delhi Gate Market

Delhi Gate Market in Lahore

Start your second day in Lahore by strolling around one of the best local markets in the Old City: the Delhi Gate Market. This is a great place to chat with locals and get a glimpse into what life is like for them.

The market is bustling with action, movement, and beautiful colours, and the atmosphere there is absolutely incredible. It also carries an incredible history; it’s one of the only 6 gates leading up to the Walled City of Lahore that’s still standing today (there used to be 13 of them, but the rest have all gotten destroyed by war).

Admire the Peaceful Masjid Wazir Khan

The beautiful Masjid Wazir Khan is so close to the Delhi Gate Market that you can see one of its minarets from the vendor’s stalls.

Make your way there after visiting the market and spend some time enjoying the serene and peaceful atmosphere there.

Being a lot smaller than Badshahi Mosque, Masjid Wazir Khan is even quieter and less crowded. Its entrance gate is covered in intricate Mughal-era tilework and frescoes, a truly breathtaking sight.

For 500 rupees, you can also climb one of the minarets to get an incredible bird’s-eye view of the Old City of Lahore!

Take a Stroll at the Shalimar Bagh Gardens

For some more relaxation, pay a quick visit to the Shalimar Bagh (or Shalimar Gardens), where you’ll see lots of families with kids hanging around.

There’s also a large pool in the complex along with tons of fountains all around, creating a lovely relaxing atmosphere.

A fun fact to know about this garden is that it was commissioned by the same emperor who commissioned the Taj Mahal — Emperor Shah Jahan.

Discover the Stunning Tomb of Jahangir

The Tomb of Jahangir

The last stop on your second day in Lahore is to one of the most remarkable spots in the city: the Tomb of Jahangir. Jahangir was a 17th century Mughal Emperor whose tomb is the only Mughal tomb still standing in Pakistan today.

The architecture of the Tomb of Jahangir is truly something else; you’ll see some really intricate mosaic stonework called pietra dura all over the structure, which took 10 whole years to build.

Get your camera ready because there are plenty of details to capture here! Outside the tomb, there’s also a large garden and green spaces to relax in. I recommend spending a few hours here to truly soak in the grandeur of this place!

Learn history at the Lahore Museum

As you’ve probably gathered already, Lahore is a city packed with history, and one really great place to learn about it is the Lahore Museum.

This building is home to an extensive collection of artistic and cultural artefacts, including ancient jewellery, armoury, paintings, sculptures, coins, rare manuscripts, woodwork, and musical instruments.

These items date all the way back to the Gandhara, Mughal, British, and Sikh empires.

I recommend spending around 2 hours exploring this museum, and to bring a guide with you if you want to properly understand the meaning of the artefacts there.

Shop at the Anarkali Bazaar

Not too far from the Lahore Museum is the Anarkali Bazaar, one of the largest markets in the city. This bazaar is split into two sections: the Old Anarkali and the New Anarkali.

You’ll find mostly traditional foods and snacks at the Old Anarkali Bazaar, whereas the New Anarkali Bazaar is filled with budget clothing and shoe stores.

There are also tons of traditional handicrafts, embroidery, and jewellery sold there, all at very affordable prices. To get between the Old section and the New section, I recommend grabbing a rickshaw.

It’s not only very cheap but also a great way to experience local life and immerse yourself in the environment. Even if you’re not interested in shopping, this bazaar is still an amazing place to observe local life and people-watch!

Grab a Delicious Meal at Butt Karahi

If you ask locals to recommend places to eat in Lahore, almost every one of them would mention Butt Karahi in Lakshmi Chowk, which is not too far from the Anarkali Bazaar.

This small restaurant is truly worth the hype — it really is the best place to taste karahi, the popular local speciality.

This dish typically consists of mutton or chicken stir-fried and simmered with tomatoes in a deep, circular pan. It’s then served with rich spices such as pepper, ginger, and cilantro. It’s definitely one of the most flavorful and tasty dishes you can have in Lahore, so definitely give it a try!

Explore the Magnificent Grand Jamia Mosque

The last stop on your trip to Lahore will be the Grand Jamia Mosque, the third-largest mosque in Pakistan. You’ll see that the architecture there is very similar to that of Masjid Wazir Khan and Badshahi Mosque — beautifully intricate tilework, large chandeliers, and marble floors are just a few of the common elements they share.

What this mosque offers in addition, though, is a museum in its basement that houses a rare collection of Qurans.

There are plenty of cultural and historical things to do in Lahore to fill up 3 amazing days, and I hope this itinerary has given you plenty of inspiration and ideas! Last but not least, don’t forget to chat with the friendly locals during your time in Lahore.

Many people in Lahore speak good English and love talking to foreigners — the local hospitality in this city is truly heartwarming!

Author bio:

Jiayi Wang is the London-based writer and photographer behind The Diary of a Nomad , a travel blog with a special focus on less-visited destinations. She hopes to inspire more people to see the world through her travel guides and photography.

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Khizer Hayat

Friday 9th of October 2020

Excellent reporting

The Top 10 Things To...

The Top Things to See and Do in Lahore, Pakistan

Lahore, Pakistan , is popular for its array of tourist activities. From seeing priceless artifacts to historical sites to shopping places to a variety of restaurants, the options are endless. Here are the top activities in Lahore. Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips , compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips .

Food street and m m alam road.

The M M Alam Road runs from the Main Market to Firdous Market. This major road was named after Muhammad Mahmood Alam, a very well-known figure of the Pakistan Air Force. The fact that some of the greatest restaurants in Lahore are located on this beautifully designed road is one of the major reasons for visiting this area. From Village Restaurant to Jammin Java Café to Pompei to Burger Hub, there are many restaurants to impress any foodie. Similarly, the gorgeously lit Food Street is also another place to enjoy the smell and taste of all the delicious dishes that Lahore has to offer.

Lahore Fort

Badshahi Mosque

For those visiting Lahore, the Badshahi Mosque is a real treat. This mosque is one of the most famous in the world and was built in the year 1674 by Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor. According to reports, it was discovered that this mosque can hold around 40,000 people for worshiping in a single prayer session. The interesting thing about it is that it is made entirely of red sandstone. Visitors will be able to witness relics which belonged to the prophet Muhammad, his daughter and his son-in-law.

Anarkali Bazaar and Liberty Market

For many, a great shopping experience is one of the best things that a tourist can look forward to when exploring a new city, and Lahore can quite easily provide that. This city has plenty of different shops and markets. From megastores like Metro, to Xinhua Mall, to Hyperstar, this city provides the best “shop ’til you drop” experience. Among so many shops, the Liberty Market and Anarkali Baazar stand out, thus making them a must-visit. From jewelry to embroidered items to leather wear to silk to footwear, the best of Lahore can be found in these markets.

Masjid Wzair Khan

The Wazir Khan Mosque is 17th century mosque located in the city of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab.

The Qashani tile work of the Wazir Khan Mosque seems like a direct contrast to the majesty of the Lahore Fort. For photographers, this place is a dream come true, as they can enjoy a kaleidoscopic dream by witnessing the glazed colorful tile mosaics. The floral motifs and blue and green calligraphy come together in a mesmerizing exhibition of beauty across the façade. Though it may look like it took centuries to build this mosque, it was in fact built in just seven years during the rule of Shah Jehan, the Mughal emperor.

Shalamar Gardens

For those who love nature, the Shalamar Garden of Lahore should be the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of this city for a while. This garden is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also known as the Shalamar Garden, it was built in the year 1641 by Shah Jahan, the great Mughal emperor. This 80 acres of magnificent Garden is a great example of the famous architectural skills of the Mughal Empire. In the middle of this garden there are three terraces known as the Hayat Baksh, Faiz Baksh and Farah Baksh. Beside this, there are also many white marble fountains and buildings in the garden.

Lahore Musuem

The Lahore Museum is one of the best places to learn about the fascinating history of Pakistan. This museum was built in the 18th century, and contains artifacts from the times of the civilization of Mohenjodaro and Harrapa to the present day. It has about 20 galleries which exhibit different priceless Qurans, paintings, Gandharan sculpture, carpets, manuscripts, Islamic artworks and many other such artifacts.

The Minar e Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan and Minaret of Badshahi Masjid Lahore

Minar-e-Pakistan is a monument well-known for being a prefect representation of the ideology of Pakistan. This monument is located in the famous Iqbal Park of Lahore which is one of the country’s largest urban parks. Built during the 1960s, it holds a special patriotic sentiment for the country as on this site the Lahore Resolution was passed by the All-India Muslim League on 23rd of March, 1940. Visitors flock to this tourist destination to witness the monument’s architecture, which is a blend of Islamic, Mughal and Modern styles.

Mini Golf Club

This is an ideal place to take a bit of break from all the traveling and exploring. This popular hangout place for Lahore’s youth has more to offer than just mini golf. Visitors who are looking for some fun with their travel companions can spend the day playing the game. Then, in the evening, enjoy the great atmosphere of the club with some hookah and delicious fusion food.

Lahore Wagah Border

A trip to Lahore would not be complete without an evening at the Wagah border. This place marks the border between Pakistan and its neighbor, India . Every evening tourists come to this place to witness the Wagah border ceremony, which is a military practice performed by both Pakistan and India at the same time since 1959. The cheering crowd and the elaborate drill on both sides is something which every visitor should experience before leaving the city of Lahore.

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1.1 History
2.1 By plane
2.2 By train
3.1 By metro
3.2 By auto-rickshaw
3.3 By taxi
4.1 Walled City
4.2 Mall Road
4.3 Other sights
4.4 Museums
6.1 Bazaars
6.2 Shopping malls
7.2 Mid-range
7.3 Splurge
9.2 Mid-range
9.3 Splurge
10 Stay safe
11 Stay healthy
12.1 Consulates

Lahore (Punjabi: لہور; Urdu: لاہور‎) is Pakistan 's second largest city after Karachi , and the capital of the north-eastern Punjab province. It is widely considered the country's cultural capital. The heart of Lahore is the Walled or Inner City, a very densely populated area of about one square kilometre.

Founded in legendary times, and a cultural centre for over a thousand years, Lahore has many attractions for the tourist. The Mughal and Sikh legacy survives in the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque and Gurdwara, the Mall is lined with colonial-gothic buildings from the British Raj , and the suburbs of Gulberg and Defence feature palatial mansions and trendy shopping districts.

Understand [ edit ]

Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan with a population of roughly 8.5 million. The traditional capital of Punjab for a thousand years, it had been the cultural centre of Northern India extending from Peshawar to New Delhi. The origins of Lahore are shrouded in the mists of antiquity but Lahore is undoubtedly ancient.

Today, Lahore is certainly worth a visit - but don't come expecting a tranquil city overflowing with history, art and culture - these qualities do exist but are hidden under the surface of a sprawling, traffic clogged and polluted south Asian city. Forward planning is recommended if the tourist is going to get the most out of what Lahore has to offer - the time of year to visit, the choice of hotel, the restaurants to dine at, the art galleries and the shopping areas to frequent are all key to getting the most out of your stay.

Lahore is a relatively friendly and liberal city. There is an old saying, that in every Lahori, there is a Mughal prince. The city has known ages of cultural, intellectual, musical, literary and humanistic evolution, which has consequently led to the fermentation and over fermentation of this rich brew we call Lahore.

History [ edit ]

Legend has it that it was founded about 4,000 years ago by Loh, son of Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Reminiscent of its hoary past are the remains of a subterranean temple attributed to Rama, in the northern part of the Royal Fort. Lahore is at least 2,000 years old. After Islam came to South Asia, it became a centre of learning, and attracted some of the region's greatest mystics, writers and artists. The people of Lahore, when they want to emphasize the uniqueness of their town say "Lahore, Lahore aye" (Lahore is Lahore). Lahore is the city of poets, artists and (until 2007) the centre of the Pakistani film industry. It has the largest number of educational institutions in the country and some of the finest gardens in the continent. Apart from being the cultural and academic centre of the country, Lahore has the finest Mughal architecture in Pakistan. For more than 200 years (beginning from about 1524), Lahore was a thriving cultural centre of the Mughal Empire , and Mughal emperors beautified Lahore, with palaces, gardens and mosques.

Hiuen Tsang, the famous 7th century Chinese pilgrim, gave a vivid description of Lahore. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties. Muslim rule began here when Qutub-ud-din Aibak was crowned in Lahore in 1206 and became the first Muslim Sultan of the Subcontinent.

Lahore waxed and waned in importance during the Sultanate. However, it touched the zenith of its glory during the Mughal rule from 1524 to 1752. The Mughals, who were famous as builders, gave Lahore some of its finest architectural monuments, many of which today are no longer.

Lahore was Akbar's capital from 1584 to 1598. He built the massive Lahore Fort on the foundations of a previous fort, and enclosed the city within a red brick wall boasting 12 gates. Jahangir and Shah Jahan (who was born in Lahore) extended the fort, built palaces and tombs, and laid out gardens.

Jahangir loved the city, and he and his wife Noor Jahan are buried at Shahdara on the outskirts of Lahore. Aurangzeb (1658-1707) gave Lahore its most famous monuments: the Badshahi Masjid (Royal Mosque) and the Alamgiri gateway to the fort.

During the eighteenth century, as Mughal power dwindled, there were constant invasions. Lahore was a suba, a province of the Empire, governed by provincial rulers with their own courts. The 1740s were years of chaos, and between 1745 and 1756 there were nine changes of governors. Invasions and chaos in local government allowed bands of warring Sikhs to gain control in some areas. Lahore ended up being ruled by a triumvirate of Sikhs of dubious character, and the population of the city invited Ranjit Singh to invade. He took the city in 1799. Holding the capital gave him enough legitimacy to proclaim himself the Emperor. Descriptions of Lahore during the early 19th century refer to it as a “melancholy picture of fallen splendor.”

The British, following their invasion of Lahore in 1849, added a great many buildings in “Mughal-Gothic” style as well as bungalows and gardens. Early on, the British tended to build workaday structures in sites like the Fort, though later they did start to make an effort to preserve some ancient buildings. The Lahore Cantonment, the British residential district of wide, tree-lined streets and white bungalows set in large, shaded gardens, is the prettiest cantonment in Pakistan. Since Independence in 1947, Lahore has expanded rapidly as the capital of Pakistani Punjab.

All this makes Lahore a truly rewarding experience. The buildings, the roads, the trees and the gardens, in fact the very air of Lahore in enough to set the mind spinning in admiration. A poet has written about this phenomenon one experiences in the environs of Lahore. When the wind whistles through the tall trees, when the twilight floods the beautiful face of the Fort, when the silent canal lights up to herald the end of another chapter in history, the Ravi is absorbed in harmony, mist fills the ancient streets, and the havelis come alive with strains of classical music, the spirit of Lahore pervades even the hardiest of souls.

Read [ edit ]

Our article On the trail of Kipling's Kim , and the book Kim , both begin in Lahore. The author, Rudyard Kipling, like his character, Kim, grew up in Lahore.

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ]

Taxis and shuttles are available to take passengers from the city to the airport - with unmetered taxis it is advisable to set the rate beforehand. The proposed Lahore Mass Rapid Transit System will be linked from different parts of the city to the airport.

By train [ edit ]

There are routes from all major Pakistani cities to Lahore with Pakistan Railways official website [dead link] . Trains from southern destinations ( Multan , DG Khan , Karachi , etc.) and northern destinations ( Gujrat , Gujranwala , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Peshawar , etc.) run from the main station. It also connects to the western part of Pakistan to Faisalabad and beyond. The Samjhauta Express (Friendship Express) runs twice a week between Lahore and Amritsar , across the border in India .

Local stations in Lahore are Shahdara Bagh, Badami Bagh, Moghalpura, Baghbanpura, Harbanspura, Jallo, and Wagah . These stations mostly have peak-hour services for commuters to Lahore.

33.60416 73.04802 2 Lahore Junction railway station ( لاہور جنکشن ریلوے اسٹیشن ). ( updated Feb 2022 )

By car [ edit ]

A modern motorway connects Lahore to Islamabad , Faisalabad and Peshawar . The motorway is considerably better than the GT road, even though it is longer.

While Pakistani traffic is generally chaotic and highly dangerous, the motorway is very comfortable and one of the few places traffic laws are enforced. Traffic Police enforce traffic laws on highways too.

Taxis are possible to/from the Indian border for ~Rs 400.

By bus [ edit ]

From the Indian border, bus #4 runs to the Main train station for Rs 20.

Minibuses are the cheapest way to get between the larger cities, and the only way to get to some more remote destinations. They can be uncomfortably crowded, so if possible opt for a more comfortable larger bus.

Daewoo has its own terminal away from the main bus station, on Ferozpur Road near Kalma Chowk and Liberty Market. Clean, comfortable, air-conditioned coaches run regularly between Lahore to all major cities of Punjab, KP and Sindh including Karachi plus many smaller cities and towns such as Islamabad , Multan , Faisalabad and Peshawar . Daewoo is more expensive but much more comfortable and reliable than the competition. Between Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad they have a 'Premium Plus service' which gives you a business class style seat and more space.

Faisal Movers has its Lahore terminal on Bund Road. It is popular due to its safety and refreshments in the bus. Faisal Mover is less expensive than Daewoo but not other companies. This is a comfortable and easy way to go from Lahore to cities such as Murree , Rawalpindi , Sahiwal , Multan , Dera Ghazi Khan .

Skyways , Niazi Express and a couple others operate large, comfortable buses to Islamabad , Peshawar , Faisalabad and many other cities and towns from their own bus terminals near M2 Motorway Interchange. These services are rather affordable and convenient.

Get around [ edit ]

Lahore is a huge and sprawling city. In the old town, walking or a tuk-tuk are your only options. You get to see a lot more on foot, just remember to wear comfortable shoes if you are going to be walking a great distance. Other than in winter, it will be too hot to walk long distances during the day. Sunday mornings are quiet and are a good time to explore.

Locals are generally helpful in providing directions to well-known spots. However, you should still ask two or three people to confirm the address, especially if you are driving. Using the GPS function on your phone can also be helpful.

By metro [ edit ]

By auto-rickshaw [ edit ].

Auto-rickshaws/Qingqis are open rickshaws with (narrow) rear-facing seats, or with two seats facing forward and two backward. They are handy for moving around in the Inner City, since it's easier to see where you're going. Tourists used to average western road etiquette might be horrified by the chaos on the roads - but it almost seems to work. Qingqi drivers have an unbelievable sense of space, speed and angles and you may well learn to trust them (or not). Rickshaws are the cheapest and, for women, the safest individual forms of public transport. Haggle thoroughly with the driver; if you do not speak Punjabi or Urdu or are clearly a foreigner, try to get a Lahori friend to ensure you don't get ripped off. Try to find a rickshaw with a well-padded seat, otherwise you will come out bruised and aching. You can also order a rickshaw by using Careem or InDrive app.

By taxi [ edit ]

Taxis are a rarity on the streets of Lahore - with auto-rickshaws having cornered the market - for a taxi you need to book one by phone. Most taxi drivers and, indeed, rickshaw drivers, carry mobile phones; it may be useful to take a number down if you find someone especially reliable. Do not take taxis in the Inner City, as the streets are narrow and very crowded. Either walk or take a qingqi. InDrive and "Careem" are also available in the city.

Minivans are probably the most dangerous form of public transport, with very rash drivers. Women will find these especially uncomfortable, as they are very crowded. Often women must sit in an undersized cubicle or with the driver, to prevent harassment.

Buses are usually cleaner and more comfortable than minivans, and usually have a separate seating area for women. Saami Daewoo bus service is an air-conditioned bus service operating in different parts of the city.

From the airport - When you arrive at the airport you will likely be besieged with touts offering you taxis and rooms. It's wise not to book anything through them and arrange a taxi yourself to the hotel of your choice. Some of the mid-range and most top-end hotels offer a courtesy shuttle from the airport. If you do use an airport taxi, be firm, agree on a price before you sit (which includes the Rs 50 to leave the airport carpark) and pay in advance. Should be around Rs 600 to Gulberg, Rs 800–1,000 to the old city.

Metro Bus is a separate bus rapid transit (BRT) line. Buses are air-conditioned, comfortable and have special sitting for the disabled and women. The price is very cheap (20 Rs). There are 27 stations starting from Gajjumata Terminal to Shahdara Terminal. Buses arrive every 3 minutes, but can become very crowded (especially in the men's section). Make sure to move to the door before your stop, as other passengers will come pushing in hard.

Lahore Transport Company buses are also a cheaper means of traveling within the several areas in Lahore. They are also a clean and cheap option. A detailed route map can be found here [formerly dead link] .

See [ edit ]

Walled City [ edit ]

The Walled City of Lahore is one of the oldest cities in the world and comprises the following places for sightseeing.

Haveli Asif Jah . ( updated Feb 2017 )

In the Mughal days, the Old City was surrounded by a 9-metre-high brick wall and had a rampart running around it which served as a protection for the city. A circular road around the rampart gave access to the city through thirteen gates . The walls were mostly destroyed by the British after the 1857 rebellion, but some of the imposing structures of the gates are still preserved. Listed clockwise, starting from Lahore Fort in the north:

31.58761 74.31199 9 Raushnai Gate , or the "Gate of Light" is between the royal mosque and the citadels. There is a very famous gali (row or narrow street) commonly known as the Shahi Mahala. The name Shahi has been given after the Shahi Qila. People living here are simple. There are various food shops located around the gate.
31.587763 74.318286 10 Masti Gate .
31.58682 74.321068 11 Kashmiri Gate , so called because it faces the direction of Kashmir.
31.586442 74.324257 12 Khizri or the Sheranwala Gate . The river in former times flowed by the city walls, and the crossing was near this spot. The gate was named after the name of Khizr Elias.
31.583198 74.32794 13 Yakki Gate . The original name was "Zaki," which was derived from the name of a martyr saint, who, according to legendary tradition, fell fighting against Mongol invaders.
31.582142 74.326505 14 Delhi Gate , so called because it faces the direction of Delhi.
31.579077 74.324569 15 Akbari Gate , named after Muhammad Jala-ud-din Akbar, who rebuilt the town and citadel.
31.576976 74.321564 16 Mochi Gate , might be named after Moti Ram, an officer of Akbar, who resided here at that time.
31.576361 74.317247 17 Shah 'Almi Gate , named after Muhammad Mo'azzam Shah 'Alam Bahadur Shah (the son and successor of Aurangzeb). He was a mild and generous emperor, who died in Lahore on the 28th February 1712.
31.577172 74.313351 18 Lahori Gate , also known as the Lohari gate, named after the city of Lahore.
31.577811 74.311654 19 Mori Gate is the smallest of the gateways and, as its name implies, was in old times used as an outlet for the refuse and sweepings of the city.
31.579615 74.309162 20 Bhatti Gate , named after the Bhatis, an ancient Rajput tribe who inhabited these quarters in old times.
31.586032 74.307641 21 Taxali Gate , named after the Taxal or royal mint, which used to be in its neighborhood in earlier times.

Mall Road [ edit ]

This road, also known as Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam road , is a central road constructed in the British era, which has many historic buildings.

31.56578 74.31297 22 General Post Office . ( updated Feb 2017 )

31.56347 74.31451 23 Lahore High Court . ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.5698 74.30873 24 Punjab University (Old Campus) . Buildings were erected here as early as 1858. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.56795 74.30686 25 National College of Arts . Rudyard Kipling's father was the principal here. Offers a thesis show every winter. Kim's Gun is outside the NCA ( updated Feb 2017 )
Charing Cross - Lahore's monumental square dating to the British era. Surrounded by historic buildings. It has been renamed to Faisal Square (Faisal Chowk in Urdu/Punjabi).
31.56074 74.325407 29 Punjab Provincial Assembly Building . ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.55973 74.32565 30 WAPDA House . A modern office block, with a glass dome and a roof garden. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.558277 74.329002 32 Al Hamra Arts council . Used for theater and other cultural events. ( updated Feb 2017 )

31.53293 74.366 33 Fortress Stadium ( Lahore Fortress ). An attempt to combine the architecture of a fort like Rohtas with a sports stadium. Many exhibitions held here. The Stadium is the site of the famous Horse and Cattle Show in March. Joyland amusement park is also located here. ( updated Feb 2017 )
Lahore Art Gallery . The Croweaters Gallery

Other sights [ edit ]

Masterpieces of Mughal architecture are scattered throughout the city, even in neighborhoods that today seem a little dilapidated. Buildings and sites include:

31.62096 74.29386 38 Tomb of Nur Jahan ( Shahdara suburb ). ( updated Feb 2017 )

There are also other sites, including tombs and mausoleums. Check this website Lahore, Pakistan: Traditional and Historical Architecture for information, plans, and photo galleries of many monuments.

31.57898 74.30474 39 Data Durbar ( Data Darbar ). A Sufi Muslim shrine to Lahore's patron saint, Hazrat Daata Ganj Bakhsh. This vast modern structure is always filled with people praying, collecting or bestowing alms, or eating at the huge charity 'langar' or soup kitchen. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.38775 74.19211 40 Trafalgar Square ( Bahria Town ). A replica of the famous Trafalgar Square in London is located in the Bahria Town suburb. A Mini Egypt and a Zoo are located nearby and also worth a visit. ( updated Feb 2017 )

Museums [ edit ]

Mughal Museum , Poonch house, Multan Road . An industrial and commercial museum, established in 1950, which is meant to depict country's economic resources both in the form of raw products and worked objects. Its collection is arranged in one gallery and one large hall of the building. The main hall displays a range of variety of material such as well plated musical instruments, table lamps of camel skin from Multan and Bhawalpur, cotton, silken-woolen and embroidered textiles from all important cities of Pakistan. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.558028 74.305872 45 PIA Planetarium . ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.5767 74.3533 46 National Museum of Science and Technology , UET Grand Trunk Road. . ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.568569 74.340489 47 Javed Manzil ( Allama Iqbal Museum ), Allama Iqbal Road . A museum commemorating Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan's national poet, who lived in this building for several years before his death in 1938. ( updated Feb 2017 )

Do [ edit ]

On Thursdays there is a regular Sufi gathering at the 31.52822 74.329 1 Shah Jamal Tomb . The renowned drummer Pappoo Saein and his disciples perform on the huge two-sided dhol, and devotees of the saint enter trances and dance wildly as hundreds of people watch. There is a separate seating area for women and foreigners; this is very comfortable and has the best view in the enclosure.
Catch a movie . Theaters include Sozo World (in Fortress Stadium), the DHA Cinema (R Block DHA near Defence Public School for Boys), Cinestar (Township), Cinegold (Bahria Town), or The Plaza Cinema (on Queen's Road).
On Saturdays there is a regular "Movie night" organized by Lahore Film and Literary Club at South Asian Media Centre. The projector featuring full HD/Blu-ray 1080p resolution, followed by discussions after the films, available as part of the LFLC evenings. You can also interact with friends over a cup of coffee at the cafe which also serves as a perfect place to initiate debate or simply share an idea. The club offers other facilities with its literary club offering literary seminars, poetry readings and a library.
Lahore has long been a bastion for sport. An excursion to a polo game would be a memorable experience. Pakistan is one of only 8 nations to play polo professionally, and fields some 26 professional clubs. Lahore's most famous club is Lahore Polo Club, where emperors, kings and other notables have been playing for centuries. Foreign teams often play here in friendly games, and facilities are first rate.
Medical tourism is a growing industry in Lahore due to its high quality and low cost, especially in sectors like Dental treatment, Hair transplant, Cosmetic surgery and Open heart surgery.
Go to bazaars and look around, you can buy amazing jewellery, crockery, souvenirs and of course clothes!
Go karting or playing paintball in one of the several amusement parks in town. These can be found at Fortress Stadium and Sozo Water Park (Jallo).
Enjoy street food and local special treats in the aptly named 31.57205 74.31885 3 Gawalmandi Food Street and 31.56648 74.30932 4 Anarkali Food Street .

Parks [ edit ]

31.55269 74.33085 5 Lawrence Gardens & Library ( Bagh-e-Jinnah ) ( Opposite to Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, next to Mall Road. ). Among the biggest gardens of Lahore. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.57084 74.46628 6 Jallo Park . Following the canal side road to the east of the city is Jallo Park. It is a large drive-in park with drive-in zoo and a man-made lake. Spreading over 450 acres, it has expanses of lawns, a forest research centre, a children's park, a small museum and a gift shop. Sozo Water Park is another attraction in this park. Also see Sindbad , Joy Land and Sky Land . It can be visited by road and by rail. A rail car leaves for Jallo Railway Station every half hour. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.54357 74.33659 7 Race Course Park , Jail Road . A huge park featuring vast lush grounds, a lake for boating, and a well-maintained jogging track. The park hosts special flower shows during the spring season. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.513 74.289 8 Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park ( In Allama Iqbal Town ). A vast park with a lake for boating, a mini-zoo, and recreational rides. ( updated Feb 2017 )
Lovers park

Buy [ edit ]

Bazaars [ edit ]

The traditional bazaars of the inner city are roughly divided according to what is produced and/or sold there. Bargaining is de rigueur.

31.57321 74.31245 1 Anarkali bazaar . Named after a courtesan who was buried alive for loving a prince, is one of the chief shopping areas. Anarkali Bazaar is a treasure-trove, selling virtually everything from handicrafts to transistor radios, women's clothing to refrigerators. It is a maze of lanes and alleys which stretch northwards from the Mall to the Central Museum's end. The bazaars in the old city are the ones people romanticize in literature and films. They consist of tiny alleys, some of which will admit a rickshaw, a string of donkeys or carts- and pedestrians have to leap into doorways to give room. Some alleys are only possible single file. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.53297 74.31807 2 Ichra Bazaar . Has the best quality of unstitched silk, cotton and printed material of all sorts. ( updated Feb 2017 )
Mozang Bazaar sells some particularly interesting hand-block printed cloth, tablecloths and bedspreads.

Shopping malls [ edit ]

31.56211 74.3213 3 Panorama mall , Mall Road . An ideal place to buy informal clothes. It houses over 1000 shops so you have a large variety of clothes to choose from and that is too at a competitive price. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.4704 74.31756 4 PACE . Shopping mall with food, clothes, electronics, movies. Located in Link Road, Model town. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.52939 74.37844 5 Mall of Lahore ( Cantonment ). A very prestigious shopping mall with a super market named green valley mall. ( updated Feb 2017 )
Xinhua Mall has brands such as Nike, The Body shop, Levis, Cross Roads, Next, Minni Minors and from the local brands we have Ammar Bilal, Nomi Ansari, Out Fitters and Saira Ahsan.

Other [ edit ]

Trendy types congregate in the Gulberg and Defence suburbs. In Gulberg, MM Alam Road is the hippest part of town, with all the most expensive designer shops, including fine furniture and clothing, both Western and Pakistani, and the best restaurants.

31.51017 74.34458 6 Liberty Market ( Gulberg ). A large circular market with hundreds of shops selling clothing, electronics, and so on. A basement shop in Liberty (tell the rickshaw driver it's near H Karim Bakhsh) has good handicrafts, and can be bargained with. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.560941 74.322807 7 Ferozsons Book Centre , Mall Road . The oldest book shop in Lahore. ( updated Feb 2017 )
Readings bookshop in Main Boulevard Gulberg and Variety Books in liberty market are a must see.
Last word in Gulberg at 32-A, Mian Mehmood Ali Kasoori Road.
Raja Centre in Gulberg has a good selection of handloom 'khadi' fabric, both stitched and unstitched. Higher end khadi can be bought at the Khaadi shop in Mini Market.
31.51609 74.3429 8 Hafeez Centre . One of the famous mobile and computer market of the province Punjab, with inexpensive software (pirated), and hardware that can be bargained for. ( updated Feb 2017 )
Fortress Stadium has a huge variety of inexpensive linens, clothes, DVDs.
Ehsan chappal house has shoes for ladies, also check out Stylo shoes for stylish shoes and clutches/purses.
31.5208 74.29261 9 Moon Market . Jewellery market, banks, clothes market (mostly for women and children), restaurants. ( updated Feb 2017 )
31.50585 74.28037 10 Kareem Block Market . Men's wear - casual and formal wear for men of all ages. ( updated Feb 2017 )
Joray Pull is a developing area near airport and Rangers HQ. It's safe and you do a lot of eating activity here along with shopping.
Levi's products are comparatively cheap as they're produced in Pakistan. A regular pair of trousers in an official retail store will be between 5,000 and 10,000 Rs.

Eat [ edit ]

Lahoris are famed for their food and for their consumption thereof. This is reflected in the array of restaurants in Lahore.

Budget [ edit ]

For nihari , go to Haji Nihari on Jail Road or inside Lohari Gate ; for chicken paratha rolls go to Karachi Silver Spoon in Liberty Market, and so on lastly go to Muhammadi Nihari in Mozang.
The 'Food Street' of Gowal Mandi is a must-visit for dinner - you'll find a street full of shops selling fine Lahori fare, and the setting, amidst traditional jharoka architecture, is lovely. If you make it to Food Street, go by auto rickshaw (Rs 30) or walk to Mochi Gate and try Rasheeds kebabs or Saiyns kebabs. Mochi Gate is also home to Fazal Sweets and Rafique Sweet House. Bhaiya kabab in Model Town is foremost name in Kabab Street, where you will enjoy bar-b-que with fresh soda. A 200/300-m long street with historically preserved 2/3 storey old houses on both side which are lighten up in a very special way giving a very historical and magnificent look. The environment is a real creation of culture of Lahore, the mughal era. You will find around a hundred restaurants in this street which mouth watering menus. Do try Chappal Kababas, Saag with Makai ki roti, Golas of Ice, Sardar ki Machli and anything you like because a lot of variety is present.
Phajjay Ke Paye at Red Light Area - Heera Mandi Lahore, is very famous and highly energetic. Those having physical weakness must try this dish.

31.562275 74.320017 1 Chamman Ice Cream , Beaden Road adjacent to Hall Road, next to Mall Road . A famous ice-cream parlour offering 20 different flavours. They also offer milkshakes and juices of various kinds. ( updated Feb 2017 )

Basheer-dar-ul-Mahi at Mazang Chok Lahore - fried fish is served in 2/3 forms. You will see people queued up in lines to get their order here. Don't go if you don't have much time. But this fish is worth waiting this much. Parathas and Lassi at Mazang Lahore - Near the Baheer-dal-ul-Mahi is this very cheap and small scale restaurant. Serves paraths of potatoes, minced chicken, egg and others with Tea or delicious Lassi. Don't miss this at breakfast or anytime you want to have something energetic.
Gourmet foods is very famous and it has over 100 outlets in Lahore.
Student Biryani . Fortress Stadium. Popular Pakistani food chain that is best known for selling its biryani dish. Has branches all over the city as well in Karachi, Dubai and Sharjah.
Cakes and bakes is a very good bakery. On the same range: Kashmir bakery , Bon vivant cafe , Massoms cafe .
Jalal Sons : 12 E main market, Gulberg.
Kitchen Cuisine : in Allama Iqbal town, DHA, Defence, Gulberg, Johar Town, Model Town.
Rinnas Kitchenette : Xblock, DHA, Lahore.
Iceberg Parlour , Aziz Bhatti Rd, Saddar Town. Ice cream.
Iceland , MM Alam Rd, Block B3 Block B 3 Gulberg III. Frozen fruit parfait, ice cream, etc.
Gelato affair : Fortress Stadium Rd. Another ice cream
Khan jee dry fruit and home made ice cream : Commercial area phase 1, DHA.
The Hot spot : Defence: 19 T block, DHA Phase 2.

Mid-range [ edit ]

Lahore has several mid-range cafes, notably Masoom's for cakes, desserts and coffee, and sandwiches at Coffee, Tea and Company nearby. In Defence, Hot Fuzon is another good cafe and a Masoom's franchise.

Mexican cafes : Chalupa in Samnabad which has many tasty Mexican dishes like taco. There is also a bar with night time disco.
Lebanese restaurants: Cock and Bull with three branches in Lahore serving shawarmas.
Kim's snack bar in Samnabad. Lahore second best shawarma.

Chinese food is also very popular in Lahore. It is very strongly altered to local tastes.

Mini Golf ( National Bank Park near Kalma Chowk ). Don't miss this place for great open air atmosphere where you can also get sheesha.
Chatkhara . Serves snack food like samosas, chaat and dahi bhallay
Balouchi Sajji , Fortress Stadium . One of the best restaurant in Lahore. Best traditionally grilled lamb and chicken in town and after the meal one must have the traditional kawa (green tea)
Liberty Market . Offers good standard Pakistani food. The mutton karahi at Rs 510 is a popular dish and easily serves two people, while most dishes are half that price. They also offer salads, but see the Stay Healthy section below.

Splurge [ edit ]

Cafe Aylanto , 2-C 9th Commercial Ln , ☏ +92 21 587-5724 . Has the best non-Pakistani food in town. Try the shrimp and avocado salad. You can also take your own wine to the restaurant and they'll be happy to serve you; just make sure to inform them on the door, if you have an alcoholic drink with you.

Zouk , MM Alam Rd , ☏ +92 42 571-2731 . One of Lahore's institutions, despite the distressing decor. It serves a mix of Continental and Thai food. It is highly popular among elites.
Freddy's , 12C MM Alam Rd , ☏ +92 042 575-4416 . Family-oriented restaurant which has a safe, vaguely continental menu. Freddy's offers an afternoon high tea buffet, which offers a full variety foods and some drinks.
Village , 103-B-2 MM Alam Rd , ☏ +92 42 578-5523 . A vast mud structure which has an all-you-can-eat Pakistani buffet. It's a popular joint to take visiting tourists, as it combines a variety of local foods with good hygiene.
Salt n Pepper Grill . Owned by the same company as Village, with a fine à la carte menu. Try their sweet lassi.
Ziafat , 21-C-I MM Alam Rd , ☏ +92 42 575-0760 . Authentic Pakistani food in a buffet style. Their menu is not as grand as Village, but the ambiance is a little more laid-back.
Dera . Right by the Gaddafi Stadium, sitting on your maniji and gulping lassi, you'll experience a unique truck driver atmosphere here. The food is excellent, but the prices are on the higher end. Favourite among the locals are the assorted naans, chicken mugalahi and mutton chops.
Fujiyama , 87 Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam ( inside the Avari Hotel ), ☏ +92 42 636-6366 ext 2196 . It's the only real Japanese restaurant in town, and is considered to be the most expensive. 2500 .
Nandos , Plot No. 100-B/II, M. M. Alam Road, Gulberg III ( Near Pizza Hut MM Alam Road ), ☏ +92-42-111626367 . A globally famous restaurant chain.
Costa Nostra . Authentic Italian food, overseen by Pak-Italian owners. Started as a reservation-only, high-end gourmet experience with a rather well put together table d'hote, it now has a basement pizzeria where you can't go wrong if want a pizza pie that resembles something from Rome and not Chicago.
The Monal , One of the finest restaurants in Lahore. It is in Gulberg III near Liberty Chowk, roundabout. It on the top of Liberty Park Plaza. You have to climb up the plaza by a car, but be careful to drive slowly and look in the traffic mirrors to see if a car is coming from the upper floor when you're about to climb up in the plaza. The Monal has both indoors and outdoors seating and it shows a total sky view of the bustling city. ☏ +91 42 35789824
The Skye ( Skye - Dining in the Clouds ), 3 C3, Noor Jehan Road, Block C 3 Gulberg III , ☏ +92 33164778886 , toll-free: +92 42 111 463 446 . One of the highest rooftop restaurants in Lahore, It is located on the 19th floor of the Indigo Hotel in Gulberg 3 near Liberty Chowk overlooking the metropolitan of Lahore. MM Alam Road on one side and Liberty on the other. It provides both Buffet as well as Ala Carte menu. ( updated Jan 2023 )

Drink [ edit ]

Alcohol is illegal for Muslim Pakistanis. Clubbing is quite popular but not easy to find, majority of the clubs being private and invite only.

Parties at Farmhouse
Caviar Lounge , a bar/club in Royal Palm.
Club Bhurban , in Pearl Continental hotel
Uptown LA in Defence R block. The club opens after 11PM at night till 4AM in the morning
31.411756 74.232752 1 Peeru's Cafe , Green Acres Main Rd . Situated about an hour outside of Lahore. Peeru's, a cafe with an artistic flair. Saturday night is always Jazz Night, Peeru's cafe is really the only place which has live jazz music. Tuesday is Sufi night. Sitting inside, it even feels like some cafe in Venice.
Chalupa club.
Disco beat in Muslim town.
Bon vivant cafe
Panini Italian Cafe.
AK lounge:First floor shop4 and 5 in Xinhua mall in Gulberg 3.
Cafe rock: 56 b3 Gulberg 3.
Cafe forest: 57 T Gulberg.
Chez Nur bistro: 39 C1 Gulberg 3. Tel:(92)35759835 .
Gulberg: 2B 3 Gulberg 3.
Defence: 181/Y Block, phase three DHA.
Cinamoon Coffee lounge and Bakery : Sharah e Quaid e Azam, Avari Hotel.
Coffee tea and company: 3B3 Gulberg.
Espresso: Chez Casa, Gulberg three.
Florigelium: 73L, Gulberg.
Gloria Jeans Coffee: Defence: 42Z, Commercial; and Gulberg: 25/2B, Kasuri road.
Lahore Grand: Zafar Ali Road.
Lums: DHA, Lahore Cantt.
Mall of Lahore: 172 Tufail Road, Lahore Cantt.
Hobnob Cafe:DHA phase 2.
Jamin Java Cafe: Has three branches in Lahore mainly in Defence, Gulberg and Johar Town.
Luciano at Ammar Belal: Kasuri road, Gulberg.
Malees cafe: At Jail road and in Gulberg, three at MM.Alam road.
White Dining Lounge: At MM.Alam road, Gulberg, Lahore.
World Fashion cafe : Kasuri road, Gaulberg, Lahore.
Roasters: Gulberg 3, Lahore.
Nadia cafe : Pearl Continental Hotel, Sharah e Quaid e azam.

Sleep [ edit ]

For the visitor there are three broad options of areas in which to stay

1) In or near the old town - has the advantage of having all the historical sights on your doorstep - however you are then limited for evening entertainment unless you want a long tuktuk ride. However the two 'rooftop' restaurants overlooking the mosque are nearby.
2) Along Mall Road probably in one of the big and expensive chain hotels - you will be equidistant from the old town and the nightlife
3) In Gulberg or Defense - where you will having the nice restaurants and shopping on your doorstep, and are nearer the airport.

These tradeoffs are important because of Lahore's awful traffic, and you want to minimise the amount of (daytime especially) travel in the city. Sunday mornings are very quiet however and this is a good time to visit Mall Road and the old town.

Hotels and guesthouses are the two main options in the city. Hotels are a bit more expensive but usually have western-style toilets and are cleaner.

There are scores of options for travelers. If you feel like staying on budget there are some fairly crowded and over-priced options near the train station, which is in an overwhelmingly busy and chaotic part of the city - not for the faint-hearted. Westerners will often need to bargain if they wish to receive a fair price.

31.56179 74.318577 1 Lahore Backpackers Hotel ( Amin Building ), Near UBL SD. Vault, 65 The Mall ( Regale Chowk, above Subway Sandwich ), ☏ +92 42 37351544 , +92 42 37351545 . Backpackers hostel. They arrange many trips to local cultural events and offer extremely clean accommodation at very reasonable rates. They can organize parking. Rs 500 dorms, Rs 1000 doubles . ( updated Nov 2015 )
Regale Internet Inn , Surriaya Mansion 65 , ☏ +92 42 3731-1987 , [email protected] . The owner, Malik, is a former journalist who can show you some amazing off-the-wall stuff in the city, including weekly trips to Shah Jamal on Thursday nights. It's slightly expensive for what it is, but pretty much the best option in town and worth it for the security and to meet other travelers.It is down an alley and upstairs, behind H. Karim Busch & Sons supermarket. They are pretty good at responding online bookings and often update their blog posts. Rs 200 (dorms), Rs 450 (doubles) .
Alpine Hotel , 38-M-Block ( in Model Town Extension ), ☏ +92 42 516-8401 .
Ambassador Hotel , 7 Davis Rd , ☏ +92 42 631-6820 .
Amer Hotel , 46 Lower Mall , ☏ +92 42 711-5015 , [email protected] .
Carlton Tower Hotel Lahore , 14 Empress Rd , ☏ +92 333 0130766 .
Mirage Hotel Lahore , 21 Lake Rd , ☏ +92 42 7238126 , fax : +92 42 7246344 , [email protected] . Internet/Wi-Fi and airport pickup and drop-off. US$45+ tax .
Royal Chelet Guest House Lahore-Pakistan , House No 167-G/3 Johar Town ( Near Doctor Hospital Lahore-Pakistan ), ☏ +92 42-5312596 , [email protected] .
Shalimar Hotel , 36 Liberty Market , ☏ +92 42 575-8811 .
Signature Inn , 16-C-3 Gulberg-3 ( in a quiet back road just south of Noor Jehan Road / Liberty Market - google map 'Signature Inn Lahore' ), ☏ +92 42 35885060 . This place is a bit rough around the edges, and not recommended for a single female, but the rooms are clean, large, en suite, air conditioned and the rate includes a simple breakfast. around Rs 3,000 per night, you'll need to haggle .
The Sunfort Hotel , 72-D/1, Liberty Commercial Zone , ☏ +92 42 576-3810 , fax : +92 42 575-4277 , [email protected] .
Windmills Hotel , 89-A, B-II, Husain Chowk, Gulberg-III , ☏ +92 42 578 5758 - 62 .
31.559211 74.327128 2 Avari Hotel , 87 Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam , ☏ +92 42 636-6366 , [email protected] . ( updated Mar 2017 )
31.561387 74.327861 3 Faletti's Hotel , 24 Edgerton Rd , ☏ +92 42 111 444 333 . Lahore's true Grand old hotel , built in late 18th century by an Italian and later renovated. ( updated Mar 2017 )
31.561515 74.329784 4 Four Points by Sheraton Lahore , 25-26 Egerton Rd , ☏ +92 42 36310077 . formerly known as Holiday Inn and Hospitality Inn. US$99-200 .
31.5833 74.300003 5 Pearl Continental Lahore , The Mall , ☏ +92 42 111 505 505 . Pearl Continental is a 4-star hotel. US$180-740 . ( updated Mar 2017 )
31.540239 74.35039 6 The Residency Hotel Lahore , 39-A Zafar ali road Gulberg V , ☏ +92 42 111-395-395 , [email protected] . Check-in: 14:00 , check-out: 12:00 . US$70 . ( updated Feb 2019 )
31.4658 74.2704 7 The Nishat Hotel , Commercial Area Phase 2 Johar Town ( adjacent to Emporium Mall ), ☏ +92 42 111 646 835 , toll-free: +92 42 111 000 777 , [email protected] . $100 . ( updated Aug 2022 )

Stay safe [ edit ]

Street crimes in Lahore are not common but special precautions must be taken by visitors.

Demonstrations aren't uncommon and should be avoided at all cost. In early 2006, the Prophet Muhammad cartoon protests quickly got out of hand, and several businesses were torched along with scores of cars. If a large demonstration or protest is underway, foreigners should try to remain at their hotels until the dust settles.
In general, visitors will find the locals very curious, very eager to help. Being friendly and smiling at people goes a long way. If you're a woman, though, it's best to be sparing with smiles lest people get too friendly; though this is mostly in areas like bazaars, not the actual city.
If you enter a mosque, women should wear a dupatta, which is a scarf used by local females to cover their heads. Men & women should also remove their shoes while entering in a mosque.
Avoid traveling to unlit areas at night, especially alone. Use common sense when hanging out with friends, and definitely avoid being intoxicated in public as it is an Islamic country.
Beware of pickpockets when you are in crowded areas like Liberty market, the airport, bus stands, the railway station, Anarkali, Ichra shopping centre, or Mall road.

In an emergency you can call police help line 15 or call Rescue Services at 1122.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

Lahore abounds with excellent street food, but unless you've been on the road for some time and developed an iron stomach, it's always wise to exercise some caution. Look for busier street stalls, especially those in Gowal Mandi (food street), and stick to food that's hot and has just been cooked. Salads can also cause problems - if you must, one of the fancier restaurants in Gulberg is probably a safer bet than eating a salad at a dhaba or street stall.

Bottled water is highly recommended. Some budget places offer free filtered water, but even that is suspect in Lahore.

Medical care is excellent for those who can afford it and, if you can, avoid public hospitals. The Fátima Memorial Hospital is usually a fair bet, with decent rates, good hygiene, and good care.

Doctors hospital on Canal and National Hospital in Defence Housing Authority offers excellent services but at a higher cost.

Farooq Hospital (West Wood Branch) near Thokar Niazbeg offer better Health services and is not very expensive.

Cope [ edit ]

Consulates [ edit ], go next [ edit ].

Wagah Border The border between Pakistan and India is also an attraction for tourists, with a ceremony at the border everyday.
For foreigners, crossing the Wagah border to India and visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar is a lifetime experience. However, for this you will need an Indian visa. If coming from Wagah at the Pakistani border, take a cycle-rickshaw (Rs 15, 3 km) to the Attari station, where you can catch a local bus to Amritsar (Rs 15, 25 km). Taxis also use this route and charge around Rs 200(800 from the raja sansi airport) for the entire vehicle. Amritsar is about 32 km from Lahore.
Changa Manga is a man-made forest 68 km from Lahore. There is a lake, and a miniature railway, which winds its way through its forest. Chhanga Manga has 12,510 acres of plantations. It is a popular picnic spot spread over 50 acres with a lake and rowboats, motorboats, children's park, swimming pool, cafeteria, canteen and rest houses
31.74291 73.95469 48 Hiran Minar ( About 35 km away, near Sheikhupura ). A peaceful rural park with a lake and minaret. It used to be favorite hunting sport of the Muslim kings, especially the Mughals. Jehangir erected the pavilion-like monument to commemorate the death of his pet deer (Hiran means deer). It served a double purpose as from its top the hunters could locate the habitations of deers. It is a beautiful picnic as well as a historic spot. A high Bara Dari Ghat is constructed right in middle of a Talab. A man made big lake, boating facility is also available. A good garden lay out is surrounding the place. ( updated Feb 2017 )
The ancient city of Harappa was one of the first Indus Valley excavation sites; a must see if you're into archaeology. Harappa lies about 300 km southwest of Lahore

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Anna Sherchand

Solo Female Travel Blog

Discover 16 best places to visit in Lahore Pakistan

Are you looking for the best places to visit in Lahore Pakistan? Look no further! I have written down all the best places to visit in Lahore. As a bonus, I have also thrown in some travel tips, you may want to continue reading till the end. If you are traveling to Lahore, you will find this post covered with information to prepare you for an adventure that you won’t forget!

Pakistan is one of the least traveled countries out there and you can go for days without seeing a single foreign tourist. Having said that though, the country is opening its doors more and more, and with such beautiful nature, history, culture, and friendly people, there is no better time to visit the country than now.

Last month when I traveled for a month in Pakistan, Lahore was my last stop. So, I had a couple of extra days to roam around and get to know the city better.

Lahore is the capital of the north-eastern Punjab province and the second-largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. It is well known for its centuries-old historical background and beautiful places in and around the city. Not only I am sharing the best places to visit in Lahore but also each location!

But before I start sharing all of that, I have put together some important things to make your Lahore, Pakistan travels easier and more enjoyable.

1. Install the Uber App First thing first, download the Uber app for going around in Sydney. Better than waiting for taxis and trains, get the reliable and fast door-to-door Uber service. For my readers, I’m giving you $10 off your first ride on the Uber app. To accept, use code ‘k7zapn’ to sign up. Enjoy! Details: https://www.uber.com/invite/k7zapn

2. Accommodation No matter which area you stay, I recommend using booking.com and sorting with price, then consider the ones with the highest reviews plus within 1km of the center/old town in order to be between all the actions. For tours, I recommend using get your guide and walking tours available in most places.

3. Book Cheap Flights And lastly, find the cheapest flights through the most trusted sites such as Skyscanner or Momodo.

I have detailed travel resources right here. Save money, learn what and how.

Few handy Urdu words

Hello – Salaam walekum Thank you – Shukeriya Okay – Theek Hai Yes/No – Jee Han/ Jee Nahi How are you – Aap kaise (for male)/ kaisi (for female) hou? I want to go to______ (place) – Muje _ (place) jana hai. Pardon me/ Excuse me/ Sorry – Maaf Kijea Good Bye- Khuda Hafiz

Find out about the most beautiful places in Pakistan ! You won’t regret opening this one.

16 exciting places to visit in Lahore

1. Replica of Eiffel Tower

2. badshahi mosque – one of the must see places to visit in lahore, 3. lahore fort, 4. minar-e-pakistan, 5. national history museum, 6. the delhi gate, 7. wazir khan bath (shahi hammam), 8. masjid wazir khan, 9. anarkali bazaar, 10. tomb of anarkali, 11. lahore museum, 12. fort food street, 13. sheesh mahal, 14. shalimar gardens, 15. wagah border, 16. walled city of lahore, let me know in the comments- .

Click on the name of the places and it should take you straight to the google maps.

I have been to Paris 4 years ago and visited the Eiffel Tower there. However, these days one does not need to go all the way to Paris just to see the Eiffel Tower. Researchers claim that there are 130 reproductions exist all over the world! One of them is this one in Lahore, a replica built by Bahria Town.

This replica is a little out of town so, I am mentioning it first as the rest of the places are next to each other and easier for you to plan.

Well I mean it isn’t the real Eiffel Tower but it’s the third-largest copy of the Eiffel Tower monument in the world. One of the perfect places for picnics in Lahore and if not, visiting alone is one of the top 5 things to do in Lahore for Pakistanis and visitors. Its height is 80 meters (262 feet) and it offers L’Eiffel Coffee Shop on the 1st floor, Fine Dine Restaurant on the 2nd, and a beautiful Viewing Deck on the top. When I found out about it, I had to go see it for myself!

The ticket to use the lift is a bit expensive but worth using once. I recommend going on a clear day to see the Bahria Town and South West of Lahore. There is also parking available and it is open 7 days a week 7 am – 12 am

How about the most beautiful places in Pakistan ? You won’t regret opening this one.

The Badshahi Mosque or “Emperor’s Mosque” was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It is one of the city’s best-known landmarks and a major tourist attraction epitomizing the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era. The building, a shining example of Mughal-era architecture, is made of red stone.

When I was there in August, the main square inside the first wall was blistering hot despite the carpets they put for people to walk. Not sure if water was sprayed on the carpet to make it cool but it was wet which didn’t help as I was still wearing socks! (you have to leave your shoes outside before entering the Mosque) But once you are inside the Mosque it is quiet and inspiring. Wall art and tile work are beautiful and carry a long history. You could sit there for hours just admiring the craftsmanship. Hence it is one of the top places to visit in Lahore. While there you can also visit the Tomb of Iqbal beside the Mosque.

Pro travel tip: The view from the Haveli Restaurant rooftop across the road is out of this world!

As you step out of the Badshahi mosque, right at the front you will see the Lahore fort. Take a left and go around the wall and exist to enter Lahore Fort. If you don’t want to walk around the fort, you can pay for the golf cart. (it’s an easy walk so unless it’s pouring down or too hot, I would suggest walking the fort)

Inside the Lahore Fort are royal palaces, gardens, fountains, baths, and many great pieces of art and architecture from the Mughal period. The fort was the capital of the Mughal Emporer Akbar in the 1580s. The area itself has been occupied since the 1100s. You can also hire government-registered guides who give you proper information and interesting narratives. Just bring plenty of water and wear comfortable footwear.

Lahore Fort in Pakistan is open 7 days a week 8:30 am – 5 pm.

Minar-e-Pakistan used to be called Manto Park and it stands 70m tall in the middle of what looks like a Park garden. It is situated on the opposite side of the famous Badshahi Mosque, which is a modern ‘Eiffel Tower’ on the spot where on 23 March 1940 the Muslim League Party Of British India passed the resolution for the creation of the Independent Muslim country of Pakistan.

You can climb or take the lift to the top for an excellent view of the Lahore Fort, and Badshahi Mosque. the Tomb of Ranjit Singh etc. The dancing fountains are exceptional, there are golf cart rides, a Pakistan History museum, and a good place to just sit around and enjoy the scenery. It is easy to reach and with Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, and the Walled City of Lahore in the vicinity it is one of the places to visit in Lahore.

places to see in lahore, national history of museum

2 minutes walk from the Minar e Pakistan, passing through the garden you can arrive at the National History Museum which is in Iqbal Park (one of the most visited parks in Lahore) The exhibits are well displayed and interactive, which is one thing that I believe very few museums in Pakistan have. You can learn about the history of Pakistan through audio and visuals. I enjoyed watching and listening to the history of Pakistani passports. \

I also took a virtual reality trip through the Partition and listened to various stories of Pakistani leading women and there are other videos as well. Truly wonderful and highly recommended!

No food and drink are allowed (not even water). Bags are also not allowed. However, they can be kept with the security guards outside of the museum.

It is closed on Monday but open Tuesday to Sunday 10 am – 4:30 pm

It was originally built during the Mughal period, and now it is a historical landmark. Most known for the small market around it. Dehli Gate Market is one of the oldest bazaars in Lahore. The original structure of the old gate is also renovated and maintained. You can find all sorts of shops there. The road is small inside the gate. So cars cannot enter beyond the gate. It is best to venture on foot beyond the gate.

As you walk around inside the gate, check out the dark narrow streets with interlinked houses.

Pro travel tip: There is a very narrow street called Patli Gali (tiny alley), in this street, only one person can walk at one time which is one of the best and secret attractions in Lahore, Pakistan.

Shahi Hammam is aka Royal Bath, which is located on your left as you enter the Delhi Gate. It was fully destroyed during war times but there is a continuous restoration with attractive Fresco work. It was also recently recognized by UNESCO as an international world heritage site, and since then many efforts have been made and are still being made to keep it intact and preserved.

Although it was souring hot inside, I recommend watching the documentary they play there to understand how the restoration work was carried out. Then enjoy a nice cafe right outside.

Pro travel tip- Try speaking facing one corner of the wall, another person can actually hear what you say from another corner! It reminds me of my childhood days when I and my brother used to make a telephone with matchboxes and thread and speak to each other from different rooms! ha I mean it’s nothing like that but it is still funny how this works!

It is open every day from 9-5 pm and the entrance fee for foreigners is 400 Rs. and a local visitor is 50 Rs. Once out of the gate, you can find the biggest wholesale clothes market and Delhi gate market.

Little further from the Shahi Hammam, you can see the Wazir Khan Mosque which is a 17th-century mosque. The journey there adds to its charm as entering the walled city from Delhi gate takes you slightly back in time.

Foreigners are not allowed to stay during prayer times. But before prayers, you’ll see families sitting in the prayer hall and lots of interesting architectural features. You need someone with the knowledge to point them out. There were many guides in the area telling stories. So not a problem to hire one.

It is truly a work of art inside out. Hence it is on this list of places to visit in Lahore.

Unlike other attractions, this mosque is open every day from 5 am – 8 pm. Pro travel tip: The guy watching the shoes will let you up the minaret for a small fee if you ask.

Anarkali Bazaar is named after a slave girl who, according to legend, was immured by Mogul Emperor Akbar for having an affair with his son Salim. The bazaar is located in central Lahore and has its own distinct character. and is renowned for its architectural heritage from the Mogul and British colonial eras.

The bazaar has two parts: Old Anarkali and New Anarkali. Old Anarkali is well known for its traditional foods but you will find the shops in New Anarkali are more interesting. They sell a variety of items, including traditional dresses. If you’re looking to buy some traditional stuff and have bargaining skills, then Anarkali Bazar is the place for you. It has a wide variety of formal embroidered and embellished stuff, and you can also find cool casual clothes for everyday wear. They are also selling shoes, jewelry, bangles, sweets, sports goods, and handicrafts. Within New Anarkali, there are individual market areas such as Bano Bazaar, Dhoni Ram Lane, and Paan Gali.

Most things to buy in Lahore can be found in this market. It is also one of the best places in Lahore for photography, especially street and portraits.

If you like love stories, this is a must-visit place in Lahore. According to legend Anarkali was accused of having an illicit love affair with Prince Salim and was executed in 1599! The history portrays the tomb was built by the Mughal Emperor Jehangir at the time known as Price Sallim for his love Anarkali, who was caught by Emperor Akbar for exchanging glances with Jehangir!

It is considered to be one of the earliest Mughal tombs still in existence and is known to be one of the most significant buildings of the early Mughal period. The building is currently used as the Punjab Archives, and public access is limited.

The tomb of Anarkali is octagonal in shape and is one of the interesting places to visit in Lahore Pakistan.

Lahore Museum is the largest museum in Lahore and one of Pakistan’s most visited and highly regarded museums. It was founded in 1865 during the British colonial period. You can see a detailed insight into the historical perspective of Pakistan, from the war era to the freedom revolution to currency to stamps to honor medals. The visit to Lahore is incomplete without the visit to this Museum.

Note: You have to pay a certain fee to take the professional camera inside the museum.

It is open except Friday, Monday to Thursday from 9 am – 4:30 pm.

You can’t come to Lahore and not try the Pakistani street food. Fort Food Street is one of the locals’ favorite spots to eat and is also considered one of the best places to eat in Lahore. Whether it be late at night or the wee hours of the morning. You will find hundreds of variety and mouth-watering dishes from different vendors just waiting for you to come and eat.

I recommend trying out Pani Poori, Bhel Poori, different types of chat, and Gulab Jamun for dessert. There is a reason why locals call it the city of food! Food ranges in different prices but is affordable and the ambiance, as well as the view, is worth experiencing. The area is well lit and security arrangements are adequately adding up to make this place a great point for hangout, for family, friends, and visitors.

The Sheesh Mahal is located within the Shah Burj block in the north-west corner of Lahore Fort. Do you know the reason behind why this mahal was made of glass? Legends say in ancient days the queen was not allowed to sleep in the open air but she loved to see the stars while sleeping. So the king ordered his architects to make that kind of mahal which could solve the problem. The architects built Sheesh Mahal which was built with stones and glass and in the night the reflection of two candles in the glass looks like stars in the whole room. Relationship goals!

Another reason locals told me is, that since there was no electricity in those ancient days, mirrors were used to reflect light. Also, Sheesh Mahal bedrooms wherein no direct light so, the mirror reflections created a heavenly ambiance. It is magical and well worth a look.

It is open every day 10 am – 12 am.

Shalimar Garden is a historical landmark in the city of Lahore, built around the Mughal Empire. The artwork, the layout of the garden, fountains, are all great to look at. But the best part I liked was the daily walk and Jogging path. Many locals also visit Shalimar Gardens as it is considered one of the family entertainment places in Lahore.

There were men selling water and some snacks. so if you forget to bring it, easy to buy it here. Good spot to relax in between the greenery and on the way to our next stop Wagah Border. (See below)

It is also considered one of the best places to visit in Lahore, Pakistan. It is open every day 8 am – 10 pm

The Wagah border, located in Lahore, Punjab, is often called the “Berlin Wall of Asia”. It is a border crossing on the India–Pakistan Border where each evening there is a retreat ceremony called ‘lowering of the flags’. You can feel and see the incredible power of patriotism and the whole show lasts for 45 minutes.

And Wahga is a village located in the Wahga Zone of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. This is where the famous Wagah border ceremony happens. The parade and flag-lowering ceremony run daily with soldiers taking part in each side of the India/Pakistan border! During summertime, the parade starts at 5:15 PM while during winter it starts at 4:15 PM. The whole show lasts for 45 minutes. However, the Wagah Attari border entrance is open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, so it’s best to visit the place at least 1 hour before the parade starts.

The Wagah border ceremony is considered one of the top Lahore attractions and even though it is a little bit out of town, the ceremony makes it worth visiting at least once.

The walled city of Lahore, a heritage city is almost 4000 years old. It is a popular tourist destination having International Heritage Sites and other Landmarks of the Mughal, Sikh, and British Era.

You enter the Delhi Gate and Shahi Hamman and walk through the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque in the old city. The restoration of the city after the war is very impressive. Recommend to allocate at least the good part of a day to wandering this part of the city on your visit! I hope this article makes you want to visit Lahore and helps you plan your travels.

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34 thoughts on “ discover 16 best places to visit in lahore pakistan ”.

Lahore would be an interesting place to visit. The architecture is amazing.

wow, what a great place! the pics are awesome and your writing is great! Thanks for sharing

Lahore Pakistani sounds like an exciting place to visit. I love how colourful and the intricate designs of the buildings are in this place.

Oh my goodness, this place looks beautiful! Although I’ve never been to Lahore before myself, I would love to make my way over in the near future. Thanks for sharing all of this! 🙂

I didn’t know there were so many replicas of the Eiffel Tower. That is interesting to know. 🙂

I haven’t been to Lahore, Pakistan but I really want to visit soon. I love the replica of the Eiffel Tower. So nice!

The architecture is impressive! Those buildings are massive but the details on their facade is intricately beautiful. Lahore is an interesting place so visit!

I’ve to admit, Pakistan isn’t a destination I ever thought of visiting. Still, it’s great to read about lesser traveled places like Lahore. You’ve listed some interesting things to do like Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Museum. It’s definitely opened my eyes.

The architecture in Lahore is stunning. I would love to see the Sheesh Mahal and the Badshahi Mosque. I love the story about the bedroom being built to looks like a night full of stars that is very romantic and beautiful!

You’ve made Pakistan sounds like an interesting travel destination. I really like that you started this post with tips to make a trip to Lahore easier. Personally, I enjoy visiting tourist attractions, so I’d be very interested to visit their replica of the Eiffel Tower and check out the Badshahi Mosque because I love a good rooftop restaurant! UNESCO world heritage sites are also a big interest of mine, was the Shahi Hammam recognized or the Delhi Gate itself?

Thank you for sharing the beauty of Lahore. I haven’t been to Pakistan and I only rely on may travel blogs like yours to somehow virtually explore each cities in that continent. If I there now, maybe you will spot me in their local market… those items and colorful shops are hard to resists.

Did you end up paying to take your camera into the Lahore Museum? I was totally waiting for those photos because I love Museums. I was hoping to get a sneak peek. This is not a place I have considered visiting before. In your opinion is it safe for young families?

Well written post. I have been to Wagah Border from India side and never had much knowledge about all the beautiful places to visit in Lahore before reading this article. The dried tree barks are called as ‘Datoon’, used to brush your teeth in many villages before the invention of the actual tooth brush.

Nice informative article on Lahore with so many things to see. I loved the colourful markets of Anarkali bazar. That toothbrush which you are talking about is quite common in Indian villages and during the ancient time too and if very effective to clear away all dental problems. Wagah Border really fills us with patriotism and I would definitely visit this place but from India side. You have taken stunning shots of all the monuments.

I’ve never really had Lahore on the radar but it looks like there are lots of great things to see. The history seems very abundant in the sights you’ve listed here. I’d definitely love to learn more at the history museum and the royal baths look so amazing.

I haven’t come across many write-ups on Lahore , so this piece is a breath of fresh air. I would not have thought there were so many replicas of the Eiffel Tower around the world and least of all that Pakistan would have one of them. I think the Minar-e-Pakistan could hold its own compared to the Eiffel tower replica. The buildings here with its architecture is spell-binding especially when accompanied with the many historical stories to tell.

This is a very interesting post. We don’t get to read many posts about Pakistan in general. Lahore sounds really fascinating. Never knew that there is a replica of the Eiffel tower in Lahore. The nearest to Lahore that we have been is the Wagah border on the Indian side. The colourful Anarkali street had my attention riveted and the Museum seems really fascinating.

I had no idea that there were so many places to go in Pakistan. Honestly, I don’t know or read any blogger travelling to Pakistan. Lahore seems the really interesting place to visit, I really liked the Anarkali Bazaar it resembles a lot with Delhi.

My grandmother told me that they came to India from Pakistan during partition. She told us many stories about their living in Pakistan. So, I always wanted to visit there. Whenever I will visit Pakistan then I must go to the places you mentioned in your post.

Your blog gives me life! You’re so brave to travel alone to so many different places. Saving these tips for sure so i can visit one day too!

Wah re wah!!! Lajawab!! That’s a very well written article on Lahore, Anna! Visiting Pakistan has been my dream since long. However with the political situation between India & Pakistan, it isn’t really easy for me. So I’m super happy to read your experience. Shahi Hammam is interesting. Good to know its been recognized by UNESCO as well. The Masjid Wasir Khan has a fascinating architecture. I didn’t know Anarkali Tomb exists in Pakistan. That’s intriguing. Let’s see if I get a chance in future to visit here. Khuda Hafiz.

I think that food fort place looks really cool and it’s also really cool that they have a replica of the eifel tower! I know i’d race to the natural history museum! I love going to history museums in different places! It’s always so interesting! This sounds like it was such a great experience!

I had no idea how ornate the architecture in Pakistan was! I would love to make it one day in the near future! Thank you for sharing your best tips 🙂

I never knew there was an Eiffel tower replica in Pakistan! I would have never guessed that. I would love to visit the Bazaar, although my bargaining skills could use some refinement!

Somehow, bazaars and markets are the things that dragged my attention. I never buy much, but love the atmosphere. They tell so much about the culture.

Lahore is not only a city, but it is also an unforgettable experience and a long-lasting feeling. To see the true and beautiful colours of Pakistan, one has to visit Lahore.

Art, culture, desi food and lively people define Lahore. Lahore is known for its Mughal architecture, beautiful gardens, and historic buildings. The vibrant culture and warm people make Lahore worth visiting. Also, Lahore has a very old and interesting history. Visiting places in Lahore is quite easy, all due to the metro bus stations. You can pay Rs. 30 and go to any of these places very easily.

What a treat to read about your adventure in beautiful Lahore, its very informative and detailed…it is an amazing and diverse country with so much to offer in terms of culture, food, hospitality and landscapes and above all quite untouched by travelers. It has so much more to offer. Will look forward to seeing future vlogs…best wishes

Thank you for stopping by. Although I don’t vblog but I do daily stories on my Instagram if you are interested! @annasherchand

No doubt, Lahore is not only a city, but it is also an unforgettable experience and a long-lasting feeling. To see the true and beautiful colors of Pakistan, one has to visit Lahore.

WOW! Thank you, you are showing a beautiful picture of our Pakistan. Pakistan due to its tourism potential ranked no 1 for the tourism in 2020. A province of Pakistan has so many places to visit that you can not cover all in a single trip. Lahore is the heart of Punjab the history, culture and architecture of this city is so unique. I am so happy that you enjoyed the trip to my city.

This is an amazing blog. You describe 16 famous places and details about accommodation and cheap flight details which will very helpful our tourists to visit Lahore. You are showing interesting pictures of our Pakistan to attract them. It will unforgettable experience for all.

I absolutely love your article. I know how much effort it takes to create interesting content and I’m glad you did it. I appreciate good writing, and this is really good.

Hi! your post is very helpful for me. your post gives me a lot of information and some tips thank you for posting

Glad it was handy, hope you’d fun Mindi

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Top Ten Books On Lahore City

November 15, 2016

Adil Lahorei

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Lahore always has been a famous city. So we can not ignore some of the famous books on Lahore. The following books are most reviewed books on historical condition of Lahore.

1. City of Sin and Splendour: Writings on Lahore

The ancient whore, the handmaiden of dimly remembered Hindu kings, the courtesan of Mughal emperors’, the ‘Paris of the East’, Lahore is more than the grandeur of Mughal forts and gardens, mosques and mausoleums; the jewel colours of everlasting spring. It is also the city of poets, the city of love, longing, sin and splendour. This anthology brings together verse and prose: essays, stories, chronicles and profiles by people who have shared a relationship with Lahore. From the mystical poems of Madho Lal Hussain and Bulleh Shah to Iqbal’s ode and Faiz’s lament, from Maclagan and Aijazuddin’s historical treatises and Kipling’s ‘chronicles’ to Samina Quraeshi’s intricate portraits of the Old City and Irfan Husain’s delightful account of Lahori cuisine, City of Sin and Splendour is a marriage of the sacred and profane.

While Pran Nevile paints a vivid sketch of Lahore’s Hira Mandi, Shahnaz Kureshy brings alive the legend of Anarkali and Khalid Hasan pays a tribute to the late ‘melody queen’ Nur Jehan . Mohsin Hamid’s essay on exile, Bina Shah’s account of the Karachi vs Lahore debate and Emma Duncan’s piece on elections are essential to the understanding of modern-day Lahore. But the city is also about Lahore remembered. Ved Mehta and Krishen Khanna write about ‘going back’ as Khushwant Singh writes about his pre-Partition years in Lahore. Sara Suleri’s memories of her hometown, the landscapes of Bapsi Sidhwa’s fiction, Khaled Ahmed’s homage to Intezar Hussain and Urvashi Butalia’s Ranamama are tributes to memory as much as they are tributes to remarkable lives and unforgettable places. Including fiction old and new—from Manto and Chughtai to Ashfaq Ahmed and Zulfikar Ghose; Saad Ashraf and Sorayya Khan to Mohsin Hamid and Rukhsana Ahmad, City of Sin and Splendour is a sumptuous collection that reflects the city it celebrates.

Writer: Bapsi Sidhwa, Penguin Books, 01-Oct-2005 – Travel – 373 pages

Online Book

http://vurdubooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/city-of-sin-and-splendour-writings-on.html
http://www.amazon.com/City-Sin-Splendour-Bapsi-Sidhwa/dp/014303166X
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94731.City_of_Sin_and_Splendour

2. illustrated Views of the 19th Century

Aijazuddin , who, in researching this book, followed the route opened by T.H. Thornton and J. Lockwood Kipling in 1876. But working from a bedrock of literary sources did not lead to an easily accessible collection of engravings, prints and illustrations.

Many of the original water colors, drawings and other works by amateur and professional artists in this book come from British collections such as the India Office Library , The National Army Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum . These are supplemented by a collection built up by the author and his wife over a decade of searching. All the visuals are complimented by historical notes that help to create an integrated view of Lahore of the 19th century, of which so many adventurous and romantic accounts exist.

“Anyone intending to write the history of Lahore requires the tenacity of a mountaineer” claims F.S.

Writer: F.S. Aijazuddin, Mapin, 1991 – Architecture – 176 pages

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lahore-Illustrated-Views-19th-Century/dp/0944142311

3. Lahore: Portrait of a Lost City

Som Anand spent his childhood and youth in Lahore where his father Faqir Chand Anand was a respected banker. Som grew up totally free of religious communalism because he consorted with who shared his world view. When Partition took place the Anands decided to stay on in Model Town and Som was a witness of the communal excesses which took place at the time. In this loving and sensitive memoir which recalls a pre-partition Lahore of harmony and peace Sam seeks to restore his spiritual link with the great city of his childhood.

In Model Town the suburban hideout of the wealthy aristocracy the Hindus and Muslims lived in social isolation from each other but were friendly. In Icchra Lahore’s suburban village Som consorted with the followers of Allama Mashriqi . In the inner city he mixed with the Fakirs of Fakir Khans. He saw Ataullah Shah Bukhari calm down a crowd that had just broken the head of Zafar Ali Khan the editor of Zamindar. He was friendly with the Bedis and knew Englishwoman Freda Bedi who wrote her book about Punjabi women while she waited for her communist husband to be released from prison. The book is full of anecdotes and stories which should both delight and sadden many people across both sides of the historical divide.

Writer: Som Anand, Vanguard Books, 01 Jan 1998 – Hindus – 237 pages

http://www.paramountbooks.com.pk/loginindex.asp?Title=Lahore:-Portrait-Of-A-Lost-City-(hb)1998&isbn=9694022967&opt=3&SubCat=05&cat=05016
http://books.google.com.pk/books/about/Lahore_Portrait_of_a_Lost_City.html?id=6kFuAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y
http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003547305

4. Lahore: A Memoir

This book is not an historical dissertation. It is simply a collection of various episodes from the days the author spent in Lahore. He first came into contact with the city in 1927. Since then, he has witnessed its growth and, in certain areas, its deterioration.

There may not be a logical sequence in the narration of events, for they represent diverse impressions and experiences. Yet they make a whole, as scattered landmarks in a city – some even miles apart – do. In no way were these essays designed to reflect only the elite life of a metropolis, for the author himself is a commoner, nor was the book designed to bring back the past, for Lahore is a city of the future as well.‘ Lahore: A Memoir ‘ is about the ‘half-century’ of a city that greatly contributed to all political and cultural movements in the sub-continent during the most momentous years of its history. The Author: Muhammad Saeed, born 1911, at Kalaswala, Sialkot District, was educated at Islamia College Lahore and Aligarh Muslim University. He is a journalist who has worked with daily Shahbaz, Dawn, The Times of Karachi, The Civil & Military Gazette, and The Pakistan Times, which he edited in 1979. He is the author of ‘ Ahang-i-Bazgasht ‘ an autobiography that describes the subcontinent’s independence struggle and ‘ Bahazrat-i-Dost ‘, a collection of speeches at various fora.

Writer: Muhammad Saeed, Published year: 1989 – 279 pages

http://www.vanguardbooks.com/browsetitle.php?isbn=9694020093&subject=Biography%20and%20Memoirs
http://www.paramountbooks.com.pk/loginindex.asp?title=LAHORE%3A-A-MEMOIR-(pb)1989&isbn=9694020085&opt=3&SubCat=05&Cat=05016

5. Lahore: A Sentimental Journey

The book, sentimental Journey of Lahore reminds people of what Lahore was really like before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the way Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims lived ensemble. He gives the reader a taste of what Lahore is really like. His book reminisces his childhood memories and gives an opportunity to the reader to see Lahore through the author’s eyes. Pran Nevile further explains how things became inevitable due to the conflict that was created by the British Empire. The book covers all aspects of Lahore from its rich culture, Mughal architecture, to warm welcoming people.

His whole purpose was to remind people about the city of Lahore and revive the love he has in others’ hearts. Nevile being a diplomat apprised in different countries the rich and exotic culture of Lahore. As the author says “I have traveled around the world but there is not a city like Lahore, the adage “Lahore Lahore hay” perfectly describes it ‘’ Pran Nevile. Pran Nevile (born October 22, 1922) is an Indian author of Art, Culture & History renowned for the 1992 book, Lahore – A Sentimental Journey. Nevile‘s birthplace was Lahore and he completed his degree from the Government College of Lahore. He worked for the Indian Foreign Service and the United Nations. Due to his work, he got the privilege to work in Japan, Poland and Yugoslavia, former USSR and USA. He has also worked as the Director of the State Trading Corporation, Program Co-coordinator with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva looking after East Europe and in-charge of 7 countries in East Europe.

He retired as a Consul General of India in Chicago. After retirement, he turned into a writer and is an expert in the study of Indian art and culture. The first academic piece of writing the author published. Prem Nevile had mainly written on Indian art, culture and he was an advisor for two BBC film son the Raj. He has also written books like Raj, Nautch Girls of India, Beyond the Veil, Rare Glimpses of the Raj, Stories from the Raj: Sahibs, Memsahibs and Others, and K.L. Saigal: Immortal Singer. He visited Lahore after such a long time was because

“There was a reason for that. I didn’t want to disturb my images and memories of this city before my book was completed.’’ “My friend (the late) Khalid Hasan used to call me ‘Chalta Phirta Lahore’, like people used to call ‘Manto Chalta Phirta Bombay ’ ,” he said.

Writer: Pran Nevile, Penguin Books India, 2006 – 207 pages

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1260198.Lahore
http://www.paramountbooks.com.pk/loginindex.asp?title=LAHORE%3A-A-SENTIMENTAL-JOURNEY-(pb)1997&isbn=8172232055&opt=3&SubCat=05&Cat=05016
http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/en/content/lahore

6. Old Lahore

Many who like myself, have read with pleasure the articles on “ Old Lahore ” which have appeared from Colonel Goulding’s pen in the Civil and Military Gazette during the last two years, will greatly appreciate having these articles in pamphlet form for reference and I hope that, in this form, the articles may reach wider public. To me these reminiscences are particularly interesting, as my own earliest recollection of Lahore, somewhat hazy recollections, I must admit, go back to 1870, and my family connection with Lahore goes back to 1846, when my father, as a young Engineer officer, occupied quarters over the Hazuri Bagh gate of the Fort.

The “Old Lahore” of which Colonel Goulding’s writes is mostly of later date than this, and much of his recollections deal with things of a comparatively recent past. But our memories of what has happened even in our own times are very short-lived, and Colonel Goulding’s has done a great service to lovers of Lahore by placing on paper the information he has given us, more especially that relating to the European community stationed in this place. He has always taken a special interest in the early documents of our Government offices, and he has himself, by his long connection with the Volunteer movement and with the official and municipal work of Lahore, played for many years a prominent part in the social and official life of the place.

There is already a road in the Civil Station named after him, and this little pamphlet will also, I hope, serve to link up his honored name with the history of the station in which he has lived so long. “OLD LAHORE.” from the destined walls Of Cambala, seat of Cathian Ca, And Samarchand by Oxus, Temir’s throne To paquin of Sinaean Kings ; and thence To Agra and Lahore of Great Mogal. Paradise Lost, Bk. XI, I. Oft in the stilly night, Ere slumber’s chain has bound me, Fond memory brings the light Of other days around me. (Old Irish Song.) When the first of the “Reminiscences” appeared in the issue of the Civil and Military Gazette dated September 22, 1922, it was not my intention that they should continued as a series, nor had I the ambition to see them reprinted in pamphlet form; but, encouraged by the hospitality of the Editor, I went on jotting down my recollections of “Old Lahore’ in the rambling form in which they appeared from time to time in memory, except where references have been given to official records, historical works and diaries.

Printed in 1860 for private circulation, these excellent summaries of the history of Lahore were embodied in 1876, in a guide-book, the joint work of Mr. Thornton and Mr. J. Lockwood Kipling then Principal of the Lahore School of Art. This useful little book, which was published by Punjab Government Press, has been long out of print. A map of Lahore the latest official map published by the Survey of India, Map Department, will be found in the pocket of this pamphlet.

Writer: H.R.Goulding, Universal Books, 1924 – 94 pages

http://www.apnaorg.com/books/english/old-lahore/book.php?fldr=book
http://www.sangemeel.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=9693518748

7. The Dancing Girls of Lahore: Selling Love and Saving Dreams in Pakistan’s Pleasure District

The dancing girls of Lahore inhabit the Diamond Market in the shadow of a great mosque. The twenty-first century goes on outside the walls of this ancient quarter but scarcely registers within.

Though their trade can be described with accuracy as prostitution, the dancing girls have an illustrious history: Beloved by emperors and nawabs, their sophisticated art encompassed the best of Mughal culture. The modern-day Bollywood aesthetic, with its love of gaudy spectacle, music, and dance, is their distant legacy. But the life of the pampered courtesan is not the one now being lived by Maha and her three girls. What they do is forbidden by Islam, though tolerated; but they are gandi, “unclean,” and Maha’s daughters, like her, are born into the business and will not leave it. Sociologist Louise Brown spent four years in the most intimate study of the family life of a Lahori dancing girl. With beautiful understatement, she turns a novelist’s eye on a true story that beggars the imagination. Maha, a classically trained dancer of exquisite grace, had her virginity sold to a powerful Arab sheikh at the age of twelve; when her own daughter Nena comes of age and Maha cannot bring in the money she once did, she faces a terrible decision as the agents of the sheikh come calling once more.

Writer: Louise Brown, Harper Perennial, 2005 – 336 pages

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/307645.The_Dancing_Girls_of_Lahore
http://www.amazon.com/The-Dancing-Girls-Lahore-Pakistans/dp/0060740434

8. Amritsar to Lahore: A Journey Across the India-Pakistan Border

“During the course of my journey, many of the people I met in Pakistan and India expressed a curious combination of affection, indifference, and animosity toward their neighbors across the border. . . . The border divides them but it is also a seam that joins the fabric of their cultures.” On 15 August 1947, in what some have argued was the final, cynical act of a collapsing empire, the British left India divided. Arbitrary borders that have profoundly affected the recent history of the subcontinent were drawn upon the map of India. In the violence that accompanied Partition, it has been estimated that close to a million people were killed and more than ten million uprooted and displaced. The hatreds created by what was one of the largest mass migrations in history only exacerbated the religious tensions that originally led to Partition.

Since then, India and Pakistan have fought three devastating wars, and the danger of armed conflict is constant. A sensitive and thoughtful look at the lasting effects of Partition on everyday people, Amritsar to Lahore describes a journey across the contested border between India and Pakistan in 1997, the fiftieth anniversary of Partition. Setting out from and then returning to New Delhi, Stephen Alter crossed the border into Pakistan, retraced the legendary route of the Frontier Mail toward the Khyber Pass, and made his return by bus along the Grand Trunk Road, stopping in major cities along the way. During this journey and another in 1998, Alter interviewed people from all classes and castes: Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, men and women. In candid conversation, the older generation who lived through the events of 1947 shared their memories and opinions of that pivotal moment of Partition, while youths who have inherited the fragments of that past reflected upon the meaning of national identity. In an engaging account of peoples and places, Alter documents in evocative detail his meetings with varied individuals.

He recalls the Muslim taxi driver who recognizes an air of confidence with which men in Pakistan walk the streets dressed in salwar kameez; the brigadier who saved the brass insignia of the British crown from Lord Mountbatten’s Rolls Royce; gold merchants, customs officers, fellow travelers, musicians, and many others. Alongside these diverse and vivid interviews, chance conversations, and oral histories, Alter provides informed commentary to raise questions about national and individual identity, the territorial imperatives of history, and the insidious mythology of borders.

Offering both the perspective of hindsight and a troubling vision of the future, Amritsar to Lahore presents a compelling argument against the impenetrability of boundaries and the tragic legacy of lands divided. Stephen Alter is Writer-in-Residence in the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. An accomplished writer in both fiction and nonfiction, he is the author of four novels and the memoir All the Way to Heaven: An American Boyhood in the Himalayas.

Writer: Stephen Alter, University of Pennsylvania, 2001 -Biography & Autobiography – 214 pages

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1323849.Amritsar_to_Lahore
http://www.worldcat.org/title/amritsar-to-lahore-a-journey-across-the-india-pakistan-border/oclc/247046918

9. Lahore District Flora

Writer: Shiv Ram Kashyap, Nabu Press, 2011 – 294 pages

http://books.google.com.pk/books/about/Lahore_district_flora.html?id=azG1AAAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lahore-district-flora-shiv-ram-kashyap/1026942705?ean=2940027151621
http://www.amazon.com/Lahore-District-Flora-Shiv-Kashyap/dp/1406727970

10. Beloved City Writings on Lahore

Writer: Bapsi Sidhwa, Oxford University Press karachi, 2009 – 391 pages

http://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Writings-Lahore-Bapsi-Sidhwa/dp/B003ZUM40Q

Reference Links

http://shirazhassan.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-ten-books-on-lahore.html
http://www.amazon.com/Lahore-F-S-Aijazuddin/dp/0944142311
http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/13436.html

You can get more interesting articles and rich stories on Lahore . Adil Lahorei has huge collection of old books on Lahore at his library you can see more updates at www.adillahorei.com

Adil Lahorei cultural club
Bapsi Sidhwa
Lahore A Memoir
Lahore blogs
Lahore Colleges
Lahore the city of gardens
Lahore Universities
Pran Nevile
Top Ten books on Lahore
Historical Lahore
Lahore History

Who is Adil Lahorei and what is ALCC ?

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Lahore Tours & Trips

Find the right tour for you through Lahore. We've got 27 adventures going to Lahore, starting from just one day in length, and the longest tour is 76 days. The most popular month to go is August, which has the largest number of tour departures.

27 Lahore tour packages with 3 reviews

Lahore City Tour

Lahore Airport Transfer

03 Days Lahore Deep Culture Tour Pakistan

In-depth Cultural
Christmas & New Year

Customized Pakistan World Heritage Trip, Private Guide & Driver

Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

Tailor-Made 8 Days Pakistan Tour with Daily Departure & Private Guide

Lahore Guided Tour

04 Days Lahore Culture Tour & Wagah Border Flag Lowering Ceremony.

The Lahore tour was excellent. The guide was responsive to emails prior to travel and very helpful. He and the driver did everything possible to offer attractions, info and accommodations when issues arose. I would recommend Rock Valley Tours to anyone traveling in Pakistan.

Hiking & Trekking

Pakistan Expedition

Complete All Pakistan Tour 2023-24

Baisakhi Mela (Festival), Pakistan

$\"Heritage Trail: Exploring Islamabad and Lahore\'s Cultural Treasures\" Tour$

"Heritage Trail: Exploring Islamabad and Lahore's Cultural Treasures"

Overland Truck

Pakistan Karakoram Highway Group Overland Tour

Indus Valley Civilization Tour

My husband and I have had the pleasure of using Karim as a tour guide. We have taken a trip through “Hunza Explorers” in Pakistan in December 2018. Karim is diligent, thorough and professional. His knowledge and expertise of traveling in Pakistan has been invaluable to us. He has always been on top of everything from the moment we presented him with our travel ideas. Karim is energetic and easy to work with. Karim has been at our constant disposal before and after our trip. Working with us on heritage tours of Pakistan, he helped make our trip memorable and great experience. We didn’t think it could get much better, but we just returned from a 3-week trip to Pakistan that Karim crafted and it was a trip of a lifetime. Everything ran like clockwork. Karim is now handcrafting our next trip to Hunza Pakistan this year and again He is right on target – we highly recommend Karim and Hunza Explorers for all of your travel needs.

Pure Pakistan incl Shandur Festival

Kathmandu to Islamabad Group Overland Tour

What people love about lahore tours.

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PAIRS Travel and Tours

Flights | Umrah | Visa | Hotel

pairs's blog

Aiman Khalid

02 September 2023

No comments, the 8 best travel agency lahore- complete guide.

Lahore, the heart of Pakistan, boasts a wealthy record, a colourful lifestyle, and stunning herbal splendour. From the majestic Badshahi Mosque to the bustling streets of Anarkali Bazaar, Lahore has something to offer each visitor. But navigating this town, not to mention the relaxation of Pakistan, can be a frightening venture for even the maximum seasoned vacationer. That’s where the top travel agency Lahore comes into play.

In this weblog post, we can discover the pinnacle 10 travel agency in Lahore that permits you to plan the correct ride to this spell-binding city and past. Whether you’re a local searching out a weekend getaway or an international visitor keen to discover Pakistan’s hidden gems, those groups have you blanketed.

In a short list of top travel agency lahore:, 1 babaaz travels & tours international.

Babaaz Travels & Tours International can book tickets all over the world at our 24-hour online journey agent in Lahore. They offer reasonably-priced tickets to Pakistan and everywhere in the international. They also offer Europe, Schengen, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia go-to visa document guidance services. They are an excellent tour organization in Lahore which presents visa help services during the arena.

Babaaz Travels & Tours International in Lahore is a regarded call and may be very popular as they provide global-elegance carriers to their customers. They don’t compromise on something other than giving fine services to our clients.

Babaaz Travels & Tours International is a pioneer in the tour enterprise in Lahore, regarded for its professionalism and commitment to offering exquisite travel reports. With a crew of experienced professionals, they concentrate on crafting custom itineraries that cater to your unique possibilities.

Contact Information:

Address 49-LG Gohar Centre, Near Mor Muslim town, Wahdat Road Lahore.

Contact 042-35912628 | 042-35865031 | 03-111-786-414

Email [email protected]

2 Matchless Travels

Matchless Tours & Travels (Pvt) Ltd . is the Best Tours and Travel Agency in Lahore Pakistan, Represents the breaking part in professional tour carrier, supplying high first-class corporate travel packages, cheap air tickets, amusement, transportation help, motel reserving reservations, prepared excursions, exciting safaris and illuminating Hajj and Umrah (Muslim Pilgrimage).

Matchless Tours and Travels (Pvt) Ltd emerged in 1984 as a response to an ever-demanding market for high-quality corporate travel services. Their company is at the core of an ever-developing tourism marketplace, delivering exquisite travel offerings in Pakistan and the worldwide markets. Their mission is to provide their clients with maximum business cost from the maximum whole journey services and related programs.

Matchless Travels is a renowned journey business enterprise with an international presence and a robust foothold in Lahore. They offer a wide variety of offerings, such as air ticketing, visa assistance, and excursion applications. With many years of revel, Rehman Travels has hooked up itself as a straightforward name inside the journey industry, making them a pass-to alternative for vacationers seeking out reliable assistance.

We added a chain of company travel offerings consisting of:

Best Online Hotel reservation systems for lodging assistance everywhere in the world;
Visa Services for all nations;
Organized Group and Corporate Tours;
Destination & Leisure Management with the best enjoyable ideas

Contact Information

Address Asia House 7 Egerton Road, Near Nadra office Lahore Punjab Pakistan 54000

Contact No (423) 111-111-247

Email [email protected]

Website matchlesstravels.com

3 Berrys Travels

Berrys Travels offer first-rate travel services at countrywide and international ranges. They present tours to Turkey, Malaysia, Dubai, Singapore, and Thailand, and Domestic tours. Moreover, they also provide Hajj (five-Star/Economy) & Umrah (3-Star / 4-Star) Packages and international visa services. They are taking steps to sell tourism. They offer our customers all of the data and statistics of every vacationer enchantment at national and global tiers.

In addition, they supply cutting-edge and professional tourism services with pinnacle-notch fine and reasonable travel packages. It consists of full of entertainment transportation, a peaceful house, and a prepared, existing, and adventurous tour. They provide the service of first-rate airways along with Emirates, Qatar Airways, PIA, Fly Dubai, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines. Customers can place an order online on our website for any excursion, visa, Hajj, and Umrah effortlessly.

Berrys Travels is another well-set-up tour organization in Lahore that has been presenting super offerings for years. They provide plenty of excursion applications, both home and worldwide, catering to specific pursuits and budgets. Whether you need to discover Lahore’s historical sites or embark on an adventure within the Northern Areas.

Address: 2nd Floor, 161/J, Dha Phase 6, Main Boulevard, Lahore, Punjab Pakistan.

Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Phone: +92-304-111-7101

Email: [email protected]

4 Travel Lounge Pakistan

Travel Lounge Pakistan is a boutique tour business enterprise in Lahore that makes a speciality in developing specific and personalised tour studies. They pride themselves on their interest in the element and dedication to making sure your ride is memorable. From arranging local tours to handling international tour plans, Travel Lounge Pakistan has a committed group to make your adventure seamless.

5 Bliss Travels & Tours

Bliss Travels & Tours is devoted to offering its customers satisfactory journeying facilities, the quickest visa processing, cheap air tickets, quick flight reservation, highly-priced accommodation and a wide range of transportation during the trip. We give the same significance, attention, and care in your every trip for making you very glad as they did in your past journeys. This is why; they’ve got a nearly 85% bouncing lower back charge that makes us not only most effectively satisfied but also satisfied and we do greater hardworking to boost the soar-again price of our honourable customers throughout Pakistan.

Bliss Travels & Tours is a complete-service tour organization that covers all components of your tour wishes. They provide aggressive costs on flights, lodges, and excursion packages. With a group of experienced tour specialists, they can assist you in planning your dream excursion, whether it’s a relaxing seashore getaway or an adventurous mountain trek.

042-35774781 |042-35774782 | 042-35774783

WhatsApp: 0092-300-0651990

Email: [email protected]

Office Address: Suite No. 1-2 GF, Al-Hafeez Shopping Mall, Ground Floor, 82-D/1 Main Boulevard, Gulberg 3, Lahore.

6 Hamdan Touristik Services

The best travel corporation on our listing is Hamdan Touristik Services. It is thought for its splendid offerings and quite expert personnel. They commenced their operation in 2012 intending to offer top-notch journey services to its customers. Their task is to promote tourism in Pakistan inclusive of sightseeing, cultural tourism for neighbourhood and foreign travellers, hiking, tenting, safari, picnic and entertainments, long and quick family tours, student group excursions, and honeymoon couples throughout the United States.

If you are looking for someone who can provide you with Air Ticketing, Travel and tours, and Hajj and Umrah services, you can consider Hamdan Touristik Services. Some of the services offered by the travel agency include Air Ticketing, Hotel booking, Ferry Services, Luxury Bus Services, Luxury Train Services, Car Rental Services, Cruise Services, Visa Consultancy and Travel Insurance.

Phone: 0344 4444404

7 Universal Travel

Universal Travels began in Lahore in 1987, where they provoked this business intending to provide the first-class possible fantastic offerings and supply a brand new fashion of journeying even as offering all of the services at one desk to the citizens of Pakistan. It turned into a time while there had been only some excursion operators were organizing entertainment journeys in the form of corporations in Pakistan.

They expand the concept of guaranteed departure organizations journeying with their family atmosphere and familiar some need-to-see locations for Pakistani Tourists like Turkey and many more like this. They make certain that you constantly tour with a grin, whether it’s a Holiday excursion, Business Tour, or any other, they guarantee you a high-quality enjoyment. You can pick out from many international motels and book your life.

Their partnerships with innumerable inns, motels, and airways worldwide permit us to offer you the very satisfactory holiday offers to be had in the market. Our recognition is to bring the utmost pleasure and without a doubt memorable enjoyment for all our clients, which now not only brings back the maximum enjoyable revel but also offers them a purpose to percentage their stories with others.

What they provide to you – the most comprehensive range Travels of Services such as:

Professional Tour Guide & Assistance Services
Emergency Assistance (24h-Support)
Organizing Group, Individual and Family trips
Tailor-made programs according to our client’s needs and interests
In and Out Bound Tours
Reservations and Ticketing to Worldwide Destinations
Worldwide Hotel & Apartment Reservations
Transportation: Transfers (Car, Coach, Helicopter), Coach and Car Hire
MICE services
Business Tourism
VIP Services / Luxury Trips
Health Tourism
Study Abroad / Higher Education Consultancy

Address: Suite # 30, 1st Floor, Al-Latif Center, Main Boulevard, Gulberg III, Lahore Pakistan.

Contact No: +92-42-35781249-50-54

Mobile: +92-322-6363274: +92-321-8407694

Email: [email protected]

8 Times Travel

Times Travel Limited was discovered in 1998, they are one of the leading tour agencies in Lahore. They constantly worked on their fundamental purpose to provide journeying services at inexpensive prices with no compromise on great. They are devoted to providing the premier solutions to all our customers. They were serving clients by booking flights and hotels to a whole lot of locations around the arena.

They have a workplace in London UK so they can offer great deals in ticketing from Pakistan and UK nations. Steady increase and intelligent management allow the US to care for the wishes of any purchaser, whether or not corporate or man or woman.

Times Travel has constantly stayed true to being a one-stop tour centre to cater to all personal and corporate visitor’s desires It offers a whole range of tour-related offerings. Superior information, powerful plans and the potential to assume and clear up capacity problems along the manner are the reasons in the back of our success.

Contact Information :

Conclusion:

I’m Aiman Khalid, your dedicated SEO Analyst. With a passion for digital marketing and a keen eye for optimizing online experiences, I’ve made it my mission to help businesses thrive in the digital realm. My journey into the world of SEO began with a fascination for search engines and their algorithms, and since then, I’ve honed my skills to become a seasoned professional. Armed with years of experience, I specialize in crafting SEO strategies that not only boost search engine rankings but also drive tangible results, such as increased website traffic and conversions. I’m here to demystify the world of SEO and empower your online presence, one keyword at a time.

Is Lahore Safe? (And other questions we’ve been asked)

by timshazz | May 19, 2023 | Destinations

Is Lahore Safe?

Is lahore worth visiting, how do you get to lahore from india, what are the best things to do in lahore, where is the best place to stay in lahore.

Is Lahore safe? Is Pakistan safe? How did you get from India to Lahore? Where’s the best place to stay in Lahore?

Now that people know we’ve visited Lahore and the northern parts of Pakistan, seen our pictures, and read our Facebook posts, the questions are coming thick and fast.

Rather than answer everyone individually, we’ve put together the answers in this post. Bear in mind; this is our opinion and not official guidance. What’s good for us (two (upper) middle-aged Aussies) might not be the same for you. Please do your due diligence before deciding to visit (That goes for EVERY country in the world.) Check with your travel insurance company and YOUR government’s travel advisories before your book your ticket.

Sheesh Mahal – an incredible mirrored palace

Note: Political protests occurred nationwide at the time of writing (May 2023). The protesters were not targeting tourists, and we had no issues, especially while traveling in the north. However, the situation is a timely reminder to stay aware of the changing environment in any country. Several governments have since updated their official travel advice for Pakistan, which may affect travel insurance coverage for some policies. Once we learned of the protests, we:

Contacted the Australian High Commission in Islamabad so they knew we were in the city,
We kept all our gear ready so we could move immediately if necessary,
Added time buffers around our travel arrangements to allow for road closures and delays, and
Stayed clear of government buildings and areas where the protests occurred.

With that out of the way, here we go:

Or, to be specific – Is Lahore safe for tourist s?

In our experience, Lahore is safe . We arrived nearing the end of Ramadan in 2023 and stayed for five days. We :

Caught auto rickshaws (day and night) using the local ride-sharing app
Walked around the maze, which is the Old City, and in Gulburg (where we stayed) during the day and night.
Accepted invites to enter people’s homes and share refreshments.
Accepted directions and guidance and (a boxed) juice from random people in the street when we were unsure of our route.
Visited the many famous and historic sites by ourselves.

At no time did we feel in danger in Lahore. In fact, we felt safer there than in many ‘Western’ locations, including our hometown in country Australia.

We were invited into a family’s haveli, given refreshments, and got to pose with the whole family.

Lahori people are polite, friendly, helpful, kind, and hospitable. They are incredibly proud of their city and concerned about how Pakistan is portrayed in Western media, especially if WE think Lahore is safe. Perhaps that’s why they go out of their way to ensure you are safe and comfortable.

Auto rickshaw drivers were way less hassle than their compatriots in India. We never had to haggle over the official app price, and when we tipped them, they were genuinely surprised and appreciative.

In saying that, we did exercise our normal travel precautions:

Money and important documents stay concealed
I (Sharyn) wouldn’t walk alone in some places we did at night. But that’s the same in most cities.
We used Careem, a ride-sharing app, to book auto-rickshaws.
We were polite but firm with ‘guides’ and ‘touts’ around the major tourist attractions.
We took care when crossing roads because, as with many other countries, pedestrian crossings are systematically disregarded.

Walking about the busy streets of Old Lahore at night by ourselves.

A BIG resounding YES, to this one.

Lahore is one of the most historically significant cities in the world. It has:

A fascinating history
A UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Fort and Shalimar Gardens),
An excellent food scene,
Bustling markets within the old city walls are some of the best we’ve seen in a while,
Quite a bit of green space in the new city, and
Many excellent but cheap hotels (relative to the same standard in India and other Asian countries.)

If you pair those highlights with Lahore being safe to visit, then there are ample reasons to come and see for yourself.

There is an old Lahori proverb that translates something like this:

If you haven’t seen Lahore, you haven’t been born!

I’m not sure we’d go that far, but it is now one of our favorite cities.

You can check out our two Walking Tours of Lahore, HERE and HERE

Wazir Khan Mosque

The easiest way to get to Lahore from India is from Amritsar, crossing the Attari – Wagha border. From the border, it’s around 23km to Lahore.

Ensure you have your Pakistani visa (You can see our recommendations on how to do that HERE.
From Amritsar, the border is around 30km away. You can catch a bus to Attari and then an auto rickshaw to the border or do as we did … catch a taxi all the way. It cost 1500 INR (~18 USD at the time of writing.)
You will be hassled by porters as soon as you arrive. We are used to carrying our own packs/bags as we travel light, so we politely refused. From memory, they cost around 200 INR (Official notice in immigration). It’s only about 200 to 300m to walk in total.
You are not meant to leave India with INR. There is an office on the Indian side where you can change your leftover cash. It was closed for ‘lunch??’ so the guy at customs let us through. We changed it with an ‘unofficial’ money changer outside the exit at a terrible rate (~80%). However, it was only about 20 USD, so it wasn’t that consequential, and it meant we had enough Pakistani Rupees to get to Lahore.
Indian Immigration wanted to see our Pakistani visa before they would stamp us out.
Once stamped through, you wait with others for a bus to take you to the Pakistani side. Big bags go in a trailer at the back. If you haven’t hired a porter, then they won’t lift a finger to help you load your bags. That is understandable, I guess. We ensured ours went on top so they didn’t get squashed, and we didn’t have to wait for them to unload the other side.
The bus then drives you to the border gate and Pakistani Immigration. You can see the stadium on the Indian side, where you watch the crazy flag-lowering ceremony as you walk through.
Getting stamped through takes a little while as the immigration staff are so friendly and want to have a chat. It also took some time for them to replace our Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETA’s) with our Visas On Arrival (VOA). The people in front of us didn’t have that issue, so I’m guessing they had the visas, not the ETA.
Once through Immigration, you’ll have one more ‘conversation’ with an official about your planned movements before heading out the door. Honestly, I think they just wanted to chat. After a few queries, they began showing us pictures of places we had on our itinerary.
After exiting, there’s about a 500-meter walk to the Wagha Market, where you’ll find cafes and taxi touts (sigh!) Have patience, grasshopper. The taxi touts here are no different from everywhere else. Our advice is to either:
Sit and wait patiently. The closer it gets to the flag-lowering ceremony at 5 pm (ish), the lower the price will get. Ours went from 4500 PKR to 2500 PKR (See warning below). There are cafes, cold drinks, and seats to bide your time.
Keep walking. If your luggage is light enough, keep walking until you find an autorickshaw to take you. Maybe a 10-minute walk will see you clear of the border area.
If you have a Pakistani SIM (or eSIM), download the CAREEM app before you head to the border and try using that to book a ride. You may have to walk a little way to get reception.
Negotiate with your hotel for a pickup. You might pay the same or maybe more (I doubt it!) But it will save you the hassle.

WARNING: Clarify with the driver that the price is in Pakistani Rupees, NOT Indian Rupees. Even though taking INR out of India is illegal, the drivers might try and pull a swifty on arrival at your accommodation. At the time of writing, INR is more than 3x the PKR!

Wagha Border flag lowering ceremony. DO NOT miss this experience.

We’ve added a couple of self-guided walking tours HERE and HERE. But some of the highlights include:

Lahore Fort
Shalimar Gardens
Bagdashi Mosque
The myriad streets of the Walled Old City
the old Havelis converted into restaurants on Food Street
The Wagha Border Ceremony.

Viator has quite a few guided tours around the city and surrounds if you prefer to take a tour.

The Imposing Lahore Fort

Lahore has many excellent hotels and guesthouses, so it’s difficult to say what’s the best place to stay in Lahore. The ‘best’ will also depend on your budget, desired comfort levels, and ability to navigate a foreign city to see the sites.

Lahore is a large city! However, many tourists (including us) stay in Gulburg, which is around 12 km south of the old town and main tourist sites. However, getting to the old city in an autorickshaw only takes around 30 minutes and ~ 3 USD. Gulburg has many cafes and restaurants serving local and international cuisine and some nice shopping. Weighing up cost, comfort, and convenience, we thought the excellent deal we got on accommodation in Gulburg was worth the travel time.

We used our Booking.com via our WayAway Plus account to book the Rose Palace Hotel – Gulburg (They also have other branches.) It was extremely comfortable, well-appointed, and included breakfast for less than 20 USD (and we got cashback as well.)

The Ramada was right across the road if you like a bit more ‘luxury’.

If you can’t find anything you like on Booking.com , try Agoda or Hostelworld .

If you’ve stayed somewhere you think is the best place to stay in Lahore , let us know in the comments. We’ll then take a look and add it to the list if we think our readers will like it.

Rose Palace Hotel Gulburg Lahore Pakistan

Our room at the Rose Palace Hotel Gulburg. 19 USD inc breakfast.

So there we go. Hopefully, we’ve answered the question of whether ‘ Is Lahore safe to visit ‘, along with many of the other questions we’ve been asked.

If you want to know anything else, ask us in the comments, and we’ll answer if we can (and then add it to this page.)

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The flight duration can vary depending on the departure city in the USA and the specific route. Typically, flights from the USA to Lahore can take anywhere from 18 to 24 hours or more, including layovers.

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The best time to visit Lahore is during the winter months, from November to March, as the weather is relatively mild and pleasant. Summers can be extremely hot and humid, so it’s advisable to avoid visiting during that time.

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Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow: The Best of Moscow!

I just got back from one week in Moscow. And, as you might have already guessed, it was a mind-boggling experience. It was not my first trip to the Russian capital. But I hardly ever got enough time to explore this sprawling city. Visiting places for business rarely leaves enough time for sightseeing. I think that if you’ve got one week in Russia, you can also consider splitting your time between its largest cities (i.e. Saint Petersburg ) to get the most out of your trip. Seven days will let you see the majority of the main sights and go beyond just scratching the surface. In this post, I’m going to share with you my idea of the perfect travel itinerary for one week in Moscow.

Moscow is perhaps both the business and cultural hub of Russia. There is a lot more to see here than just the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Centuries-old churches with onion-shaped domes dotted around the city are in stark contrast with newly completed impressive skyscrapers of Moscow City dominating the skyline. I spent a lot of time thinking about my Moscow itinerary before I left. And this city lived up to all of my expectations.

Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow

Day 1 – red square and the kremlin.

Metro Station: Okhotny Ryad on Red Line.

No trip to Moscow would be complete without seeing its main attraction. The Red Square is just a stone’s throw away from several metro stations. It is home to some of the most impressive architectural masterpieces in the city. The first thing you’ll probably notice after entering it and passing vendors selling weird fur hats is the fairytale-like looking Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It was built to commemorate one of the major victories of Ivan the Terrible. I once spent 20 minutes gazing at it, trying to find the perfect angle to snap it. It was easier said than done because of the hordes of locals and tourists.

As you continue strolling around Red Square, there’s no way you can miss Gum. It was widely known as the main department store during the Soviet Era. Now this large (yet historic) shopping mall is filled with expensive boutiques, pricey eateries, etc. During my trip to Moscow, I was on a tight budget. So I only took a retro-style stroll in Gum to get a rare glimpse of a place where Soviet leaders used to grocery shop and buy their stuff. In case you want some modern shopping experience, head to the Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center with stores like New Yorker, Zara, and Adidas.

Day 2 – Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the Arbat Street

Metro Station: Kropotkinskaya on Red Line

As soon as you start creating a Moscow itinerary for your second day, you’ll discover that there are plenty of metro stations that are much closer to certain sites. Depending on your route, take a closer look at the metro map to pick the closest.

The white marble walls of Christ the Saviour Cathedral are awe-inspiring. As you approach this tallest Orthodox Christian church, you may notice the bronze sculptures, magnificent arches, and cupolas that were created to commemorate Russia’s victory against Napoleon.

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Unfortunately, the current Cathedral is a replica, since original was blown to bits in 1931 by the Soviet government. The new cathedral basically follows the original design, but they have added some new elements such as marble high reliefs.

Home to some precious collection of artworks, in Tretyakov Gallery you can find more than 150,000 of works spanning centuries of artistic endeavor. Originally a privately owned gallery, it now has become one of the largest museums in Russia. The Gallery is often considered essential to visit. But I have encountered a lot of locals who have never been there.

Famous for its souvenirs, musicians, and theaters, Arbat street is among the few in Moscow that were turned into pedestrian zones. Arbat street is usually very busy with tourists and locals alike. My local friend once called it the oldest street in Moscow dating back to 1493. It is a kilometer long walking street filled with fancy gift shops, small cozy restaurants, lots of cute cafes, and street artists. It is closed to any vehicular traffic, so you can easily stroll it with kids.

Day 3 – Moscow River Boat Ride, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park, the Moscow City

Metro Station: Kievskaya and Park Pobedy on Dark Blue Line / Vystavochnaya on Light Blue Line

Voyaging along the Moscow River is definitely one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of the city and see the attractions from a bit different perspective. Depending on your Moscow itinerary, travel budget and the time of the year, there are various types of boats available. In the summer there is no shortage of boats, and you’ll be spoiled for choice.

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If you find yourself in Moscow during the winter months, I’d recommend going with Radisson boat cruise. These are often more expensive (yet comfy). They offer refreshments like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and, of course, alcoholic drinks. Prices may vary but mostly depend on your food and drink selection. Find their main pier near the opulent Ukraine hotel . The hotel is one of the “Seven Sisters”, so if you’re into the charm of Stalinist architecture don’t miss a chance to stay there.

The area near Poklonnaya Hill has the closest relation to the country’s recent past. The memorial complex was completed in the mid-1990s to commemorate the Victory and WW2 casualties. Also known as the Great Patriotic War Museum, activities here include indoor attractions while the grounds around host an open-air museum with old tanks and other vehicles used on the battlefield.

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The hallmark of the memorial complex and the first thing you see as you exit metro is the statue of Nike mounted to its column. This is a very impressive Obelisk with a statue of Saint George slaying the dragon at its base.

Maybe not as impressive as Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower , the skyscrapers of the Moscow City (otherwise known as Moscow International Business Center) are so drastically different from dull Soviet architecture. With 239 meters and 60 floors, the Empire Tower is the seventh highest building in the business district.

The observation deck occupies 56 floor from where you have some panoramic views of the city. I loved the view in the direction of Moscow State University and Luzhniki stadium as well to the other side with residential quarters. The entrance fee is pricey, but if you’re want to get a bird’s eye view, the skyscraper is one of the best places for doing just that.

Day 4 – VDNKh, Worker and Collective Farm Woman Monument, The Ostankino TV Tower

Metro Station: VDNKh on Orange Line

VDNKh is one of my favorite attractions in Moscow. The weird abbreviation actually stands for Russian vystavka dostizheniy narodnogo khozyaystva (Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy). With more than 200 buildings and 30 pavilions on the grounds, VDNKh serves as an open-air museum. You can easily spend a full day here since the park occupies a very large area.

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First, there are pavilions that used to showcase different cultures the USSR was made of. Additionally, there is a number of shopping pavilions, as well as Moskvarium (an Oceanarium) that features a variety of marine species. VDNKh is a popular venue for events and fairs. There is always something going on, so I’d recommend checking their website if you want to see some particular exhibition.

A stone’s throw away from VDNKh there is a very distinctive 25-meters high monument. Originally built in 1937 for the world fair in Paris, the hulking figures of men and women holding a hammer and a sickle represent the Soviet idea of united workers and farmers. It doesn’t take much time to see the monument, but visiting it gives some idea of the Soviet Union’s grandiose aspirations.

I have a thing for tall buildings. So to continue my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow I decided to climb the fourth highest TV tower in the world. This iconic 540m tower is a fixture of the skyline. You can see it virtually from everywhere in Moscow, and this is where you can get the best panoramic views (yep, even better than Empire skyscraper).

Parts of the floor are made of tempered glass, so it can be quite scary to exit the elevator. But trust me, as you start observing buildings and cars below, you won’t want to leave. There is only a limited number of tickets per day, so you may want to book online. Insider tip: the first tour is cheaper, you can save up to $10 if go there early.

Day 5 – A Tour To Moscow Manor Houses

Metro Station: Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno on Dark Green Line / Kuskovo on Purple Line

I love visiting the manor houses and palaces in Moscow. These opulent buildings were generally built to house Russian aristocratic families and monarchs. Houses tend to be rather grand affairs with impressive architecture. And, depending on the whims of the owners, some form of a landscaped garden.

During the early part of the 20th century though, many of Russia’s aristocratic families (including the family of the last emperor) ended up being killed or moving abroad . Their manor houses were nationalized. Some time later (after the fall of the USSR) these were open to the public. It means that today a great many of Moscow’s finest manor houses and palaces are open for touring.

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There are 20 manor houses scattered throughout the city and more than 25 in the area around. But not all of them easily accessible and exploring them often takes a lot of time. I’d recommend focusing on three most popular estates in Moscow that are some 30-minute metro ride away from Kremlin.

Sandwiched between the Moscow River and the Andropov Avenue, Kolomenskoye is a UNESCO site that became a public park in the 1920’s. Once a former royal estate, now it is one of the most tranquil parks in the city with gorgeous views. The Ascension Church, The White Column, and the grounds are a truly grand place to visit.

You could easily spend a full day here, exploring a traditional Russian village (that is, in fact, a market), picnicking by the river, enjoying the Eastern Orthodox church architecture, hiking the grounds as well as and wandering the park and gardens with wildflower meadows, apple orchards, and birch and maple groves. The estate museum showcases Russian nature at its finest year-round.

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If my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow was a family tree, Tsaritsyno Park would probably be the crazy uncle that no-one talks about. It’s a large park in the south of the city of mind-boggling proportions, unbelievable in so many ways, and yet most travelers have never heard of it.

The palace was supposed to be a summer home for Empress Catherine the Great. But since the construction didn’t meet with her approval the palace was abandoned. Since the early 1990’s the palace, the pond, and the grounds have been undergoing renovations. The entire complex is now looking brighter and more elaborately decorated than at possibly any other time during its history. Like most parks in Moscow, you can visit Tsaritsyno free of charge, but there is a small fee if you want to visit the palace.

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Last, but by no means least on my Moscow itinerary is Kuskovo Park . This is definitely an off-the-beaten-path place. While it is not easily accessible, you will be rewarded with a lack of crowds. This 18th-century summer country house of the Sheremetev family was one of the first summer country estates of the Russian nobility. And when you visit you’ll quickly realize why locals love this park.

Like many other estates, Kuskovo has just been renovated. So there are lovely French formal garden, a grotto, and the Dutch house to explore. Make sure to plan your itinerary well because the estate is some way from a metro station.

Day 6 – Explore the Golden Ring

Creating the Moscow itinerary may keep you busy for days with the seemingly endless amount of things to do. Visiting the so-called Golden Ring is like stepping back in time. Golden Ring is a “theme route” devised by promotion-minded journalist and writer Yuri Bychkov.

Having started in Moscow the route will take you through a number of historical cities. It now includes Suzdal, Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Sergiev Posad. All these awe-inspiring towns have their own smaller kremlins and feature dramatic churches with onion-shaped domes, tranquil residential areas, and other architectural landmarks.

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I only visited two out of eight cities included on the route. It is a no-brainer that Sergiev Posad is the nearest and the easiest city to see on a day trip from Moscow. That being said, you can explore its main attractions in just one day. Located some 70 km north-east of the Russian capital, this tiny and overlooked town is home to Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, UNESCO Site.

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Sergiev Posad is often described as being at the heart of Russian spiritual life. So it is uncommon to see the crowds of Russian pilgrims showing a deep reverence for their religion. If you’re traveling independently and using public transport, you can reach Sergiev Posad by bus (departs from VDNKh) or by suburban commuter train from Yaroslavskaya Railway Station (Bahnhof). It takes about one and a half hours to reach the town.

Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a great place to get a glimpse of filling and warming Russian lunch, specifically at the “ Gostevaya Izba ” restaurant. Try the duck breast, hearty potato and vegetables, and the awesome Napoleon cake.

Day 7 – Gorky Park, Izmailovo Kremlin, Patriarch’s Ponds

Metro Station: Park Kultury or Oktyabrskaya on Circle Line / Partizanskaya on Dark Blue Line / Pushkinskaya on Dark Green Line

Gorky Park is in the heart of Moscow. It offers many different types of outdoor activities, such as dancing, cycling, skateboarding, walking, jogging, and anything else you can do in a park. Named after Maxim Gorky, this sprawling and lovely park is where locals go on a picnic, relax and enjoy free yoga classes. It’s a popular place to bike around, and there is a Muzeon Art Park not far from here. A dynamic location with a younger vibe. There is also a pier, so you can take a cruise along the river too.

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The Kremlin in Izmailovo is by no means like the one you can find near the Red Square. Originally built for decorative purposes, it now features the Vernissage flea market and a number of frequent fairs, exhibitions, and conferences. Every weekend, there’s a giant flea market in Izmailovo, where dozens of stalls sell Soviet propaganda crap, Russian nesting dolls, vinyl records, jewelry and just about any object you can imagine. Go early in the morning if you want to beat the crowds.

All the Bulgakov’s fans should pay a visit to Patriarch’s Ponds (yup, that is plural). With a lovely small city park and the only one (!) pond in the middle, the location is where the opening scene of Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita was set. The novel is centered around a visit by Devil to the atheistic Soviet Union is considered by many critics to be one of the best novels of the 20th century. I spent great two hours strolling the nearby streets and having lunch in the hipster cafe.

Conclusion and Recommendations

To conclude, Moscow is a safe city to visit. I have never had a problem with getting around and most locals are really friendly once they know you’re a foreigner. Moscow has undergone some serious reconstruction over the last few years. So you can expect some places to be completely different. I hope my one week Moscow itinerary was helpful! If you have less time, say 4 days or 5 days, I would cut out day 6 and day 7. You could save the Golden Ring for a separate trip entirely as there’s lots to see!

What are your thoughts on this one week Moscow itinerary? Are you excited about your first time in the city? Let me know in the comments below!

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24 comments.

Ann Snook-Moreau

Moscow looks so beautiful and historic! Thanks for including public transit information for those of us who don’t like to rent cars.

MindTheTravel

Yup, that is me 🙂 Rarely rent + stick to the metro = Full wallet!

Mariella Blago

Looks like you had loads of fun! Well done. Also great value post for travel lovers.

Thanks, Mariella!

I have always wanted to go to Russia, especially Moscow. These sights look absolutely beautiful to see and there is so much history there!

Agree! Moscow is a thousand-year-old city and there is definitely something for everyone.

Tara Pittman

Those are amazing buildings. Looks like a place that would be amazing to visit.

Adriana Lopez

Never been to Moscow or Russia but my family has. Many great spots and a lot of culture. Your itinerary sounds fantastic and covers a lot despite it is only a short period of time.

What was their favourite thing about Russia?

Gladys Parker

I know very little about Moscow or Russia for the\at matter. I do know I would have to see the Red Square and all of its exquisite architectural masterpieces. Also the CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR. Thanks for shedding some light on visiting Moscow.

Thanks for swinging by! The Red Square is a great starting point, but there way too many places and things to discover aside from it!

Ruthy @ Percolate Kitchen

You are making me so jealous!! I’ve always wanted to see Russia.

Moscow is in my bucket list, I don’t know when I can visit there, your post is really useful. As a culture rich place we need to spend at least week.

DANA GUTKOWSKI

Looks like you had a great trip! Thanks for all the great info! I’ve never been in to Russia, but this post makes me wanna go now!

Wow this is amazing! Moscow is on my bucket list – such an amazing place to visit I can imagine! I can’t wait to go there one day!

The building on the second picture looks familiar. I keep seeing that on TV.

Reesa Lewandowski

What beautiful moments! I always wish I had the personality to travel more like this!

Perfect itinerary for spending a week in Moscow! So many places to visit and it looks like you had a wonderful time. I would love to climb that tower. The views I am sure must have been amazing!

I was lucky enough to see the skyline of Moscow from this TV Tower and it is definitely mind-blowing.

Chelsea Pearl

Moscow is definitely up there on my travel bucket list. So much history and iconic architecture!

Thumbs up! 🙂

Blair Villanueva

OMG I dream to visit Moscow someday! Hope the visa processing would be okay (and become more affordable) so I could pursue my dream trip!

Yup, visa processing is the major downside! Agree! Time and the money consuming process…

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Time travel and surveillance state paranoia collide in a witty, thought-provoking romance novel

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Book Review

The Ministry of Time

By Kaliane Bradley Avid Reader Press: 352 pages, $28.99 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org , whose fees support independent bookstores.

“People aren’t history,” scoffs Adela, vice secretary of the Ministry, whose work is shrouded in secrecy and subterfuge. This retort comes late in Kaliane Bradley’s debut novel, “The Ministry of Time,” but it’s a telling line. Its dismissal of individual lives reveals the novel’s stakes. If people aren’t history, what is? This is a disturbing statement to come out of the mouth of a high-ranking British bureaucrat. For a book that could also be easily described as witty, sexy escapist fiction, “The Ministry of Time” packs a substantial punch.

Of late, many critically acclaimed books embrace mystery and absurdity in a way that both suspends and expands conventionally held notions of time. Hilary Leichter’s “Terrace Story,” National Book Critics Circle award winner Lorrie Moore’s “I Am Not Homeless If This Is Not My Home,” Ali Smith’s “Companion Piece,” National Book Award winner Justin Torres’ “Blackouts,” and Marie-Helene Bertino’s “Beautyland,” among others, forge poignant, bracing emotional connections. Their playfulness reveals possibilities and perspectives that might be lost in a novel bound by fact-checked 21st century reality. After all, in a world where nothing feels normal, fiction that embraces a disregard for physics and convention mirrors our new upside-down quotidian life.

The Ministry of Time cover with the title in 3-D in many colors against a dark background

To this end, Kaliane Bradley proves that it’s possible to address imperialism, the scourge of bureaucracy, cross-cultural conflict and the paranoia inherent in a surveillance state through her utterly entertaining novel. “The Ministry of Time” begins with a sixth-round job interview for an undisclosed position. The unnamed narrator is caught off guard when “the interviewer said my name, which made my thoughts clip. I don’t say my name, not even in my head. She’d said it correctly, which people generally don’t.” For the narrator, who “plateaued” as a “translator-consultant” in the Languages department of the Ministry of Defense, this top-secret job that pays three times her current salary is worth the mystery.

Soon the work is disclosed. The narrator, whose mother immigrated to the United Kingdom from Cambodia, will be working closely with people who might bristle at the term “refugees.” She’s now part of the Ministry of Expatriation working with one of five “expats” scavenged from the past. Confident in her storytelling, Bradley sweeps away the details of how and why time travel exists in the novel.

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“All you need to know is that in your near future, the British government developed the means to travel through time but had not yet experimented with doing it.” With that, from the jump, readers and characters alike are asked to take a leap of faith as the narrator assumes the role of a “bridge” between an “expat” and modern life. The larger purpose of her work is elusive to her as well, but, in short, the narrator is tasked to be the roommate of an explorer named Commander Graham Gore who died on a doomed Royal Navy Arctic exhibition in 1847. He’s mannered, understandably jumpy, but also rather sexy for someone who died close to 200 years ago. Will this be an odd sort of meet-cute, or is something more chaotic afoot?

Buckle up, the ride has just begun. Juggling notions of “hereness” (the present) and “thereness” (the past), the novel’s five expats come to grips — or not — with the fact that they have been snatched from the past. The ministry selected individuals who were on the point of death so that their departures from the past would in no way rupture their historic timelines. But how would they affect the present? The bridges take notes, and medical examinations are de rigueur, but these collected data are merely passed along without much in the way of analysis.

The expats and bridges adjust to life together in a largely amusing fashion, sharing lovely homes provided by the ministry, visiting pubs, learning about the very existence of cinema. Music streaming services are a hit, but, generally speaking, the expats find it hard to accept the scale of modern life. Whether this is due to some physical mutation created by the process of time travel or if it’s merely the challenge of cultural displacement for people “loose as dust in narrative time,” true fissures begin to surface.

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In a manner that feels wholly unsurprising to the reader, suspicions arise as to the nature of the project. Why exactly is there a need for secrecy and what are the particulars about this ability to time travel that we’re asked to tacitly accept? Tensions also flare between the narrator and another bridge, Simellia, who are the two people of color in this tightly knit circle. The specter of imperialism looms and informs a certain tension between the narrator and Gore. Yet, as a green bureaucrat, happy to rise in the ranks, she confronts Simellia, saying, “You signed up for this job… [knowing], as much as I did, that what we were doing was world-changing. That’s what you wanted, remember? Do you think the world changes by being asked politely? Or do you think there has to be risk?”

But this brash confidence begins to waver. The narrator recognizes, “Every time I gave Graham a book, I was trying to shunt him along a story I’d been telling myself all my life.” Then she notes that the ministry “fed us all poison from a bottle marked ‘prestige’ and we developed a high tolerance for bitterness.” While the book does assume some obvious postures of university level post-colonial theory and language, it moves past these more cliched moments by focusing its attention on the characters. A tight narrative rich with witty banter, cutting observations and interspersed passages from Gore’s doomed expedition also keep the novel taut.

“Maybe I was tired of stories, telling them and hearing them,” muses the narrator. Curiously, while she made languages her profession (hence her tendency to consider that “the great project of Empire was to categorize: owned and owner, coloniser and colonised, evolué and barbarian, mine and yours.”), her antagonistic younger sister became a writer. Finding herself falling in love with Gore, the narrator becomes the story, upending history.

As the story’s momentum builds into that of a spy thriller, Bradley pulls off a rare feat. “The Ministry of Time” is a novel that doesn’t stoop to easy answers and doesn’t devolve into polemic. It’s a smart, gripping work that’s also a feast for the senses. An assassination, moles, questions of identity and violence wreak havoc on our happy lovers and the bubble they create in London. Yet our affection for them is as fresh and thrilling as theirs is for one another, two explorers of a kind, caught in a brilliant discovery. Bradley’s written an edgy, playful and provocative book that’s likely to be the most thought-provoking romance novel of the summer. Check your history: That’s no small feat.

Lauren LeBlanc is a board member of the National Book Critics Circle.

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Insight Guides City Guide Moscow (Travel Guide with Free eBook) (Insight City Guides)

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Moscow is a fascinating mix of old and new, East meets West, elegance and kitsch and spirituality and dowdiness. Be inspired to visit by the new edition of City Guide Moscow, a comprehensive full-colour guide to the fascinating capital of Russia. City Guide Moscow: A fully-overhauled edition by our expert Russia author. Stunning, specially-commissioned new photography that brings this intriguing city and its people to life. Highlights of the city's top attractions, including the Red Square, The Kremlin and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. in our Best of Moscow. Descriptive accounts of each neighbourhood cover the whole city from the Red Square and Tverskaya and Lubyanka. The Day Trips from Moscow chapter includes the ancient cities of the Golden Ring. Detailed, high-quality maps throughout will help you get around and travel tips give you all the essential information for planning a memorable trip.

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides has over 40 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps as well as picture-packed eBooks to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture together create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

'Insight Guides has spawned many imitators but is still the best of its type.' - Wanderlust Magazine

Print length 256 pages
Language English
Publisher Insight Guides
Publication date January 1, 2017
Dimensions 5.5 x 0.75 x 7.75 inches
ISBN-10 1780059388
ISBN-13 978-1780059389
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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Insight Guides; 2nd edition (January 1, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1780059388
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1780059389
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 7.75 inches
#47 in Moscow Travel Guides
#456 in General Russia Travel Guides

About the authors

Insight guides.

Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design.

We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs.

Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

insightguides.com

Dinah Gardner

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Badshahi Mosque

Lahore Fort

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Lahore Tourism and Travel Guide

Top Places To Visit in Lahore

Weekend Getaways from Lahore

3-Day Itinerary for Lahore: The Cultural Heart of Pakistan

Wander Around the Lahore Fort

Explore the Majestic Badshahi Mosque

Taste the Local Cuisine at Fort Road Food Street

Walk Around the Delhi Gate Market

Admire the Peaceful Masjid Wazir Khan

Learn history at the Lahore Museum

Shop at the Anarkali Bazaar

Grab a Delicious Meal at Butt Karahi

Explore the Magnificent Grand Jamia Mosque

The Top Things to See and Do in Lahore, Pakistan

Lahore Fort

Badshahi Mosque

Anarkali Bazaar and Liberty Market

Masjid Wzair Khan

Shalamar Gardens

Lahore Musuem

The Minar e Pakistan

Mini Golf Club

Lahore Wagah Border

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