Pakistan
The Karakoram Highway is one of the great road journeys on earth
Population
248m people
Currency
Pakistani Rupee
Main Language
Urdu and English
best time to visit
April – October for the north, November – March for the south
Climate
Desert south, temperate northwest, extreme high altitude in the Karakoram
Visa
E-visa available online; check government travel advice as some regions carry warnings
Country overview
Check current travel advice before planning: several regions of Pakistan, particularly Balochistan and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghan border, carry advisories against all or all but essential travel. The northern mountain areas around Gilgit-Baltistan and Hunza are generally excepted and are where almost all tourism happens.
The north is the reason to go and it is spectacular. Pakistan holds five of the world fourteen peaks over 8,000 metres including K2, and three great mountain ranges meet here. The Karakoram Highway, running from Islamabad to the Chinese border at 4,700 metres, is regularly called the eighth wonder of the world and is a genuine contender.
The Hunza valley is the centrepiece: terraced apricot orchards under enormous peaks, a Shia Ismaili population known for hospitality and literacy, and a pace that makes the rest of the subcontinent look frantic. Further south, Lahore has Mughal architecture including the Badshahi Mosque and a food culture that Pakistanis will tell you is the best in the country, at length.
Annual events and festivals
- Eid al-Fitr (varies) — the biggest holiday, with several days of family visiting and new clothes.
- Eid al-Adha (varies) — the second Eid, with animal sacrifice and communal distribution of meat.
- Basant (Feb) — a spring kite festival in Lahore, restricted in recent years on safety grounds.
- Shandur Polo Festival (Jul) — free-style polo played at 3,700 metres, the highest polo ground in the world.
- Chilam Joshi, Kalash valleys (May) — a spring festival of the Kalash people, who follow a pre-Islamic religion.
- Pakistan Day (23 Mar) — a large military parade in Islamabad.
- Independence Day (14 Aug) — marks the 1947 creation of Pakistan.
- Urs of Data Ganj Bakhsh, Lahore (varies) — a Sufi saint anniversary drawing enormous crowds.
- Sindh Cultural Day (Dec) — traditional ajrak and topi worn across the province.
- Ashura (varies) — major processions, particularly in Karachi and Lahore.
Pakistan Travel Guides
Pakistan guides are coming soon.