Travel to Pakistan with essential travel insurance from Essential Travel

click here for an annual trip travel insurance quotation

Information on Pakistan with annaul travel insurance from Essential Travel

Karachi is Pakistans commercial centre and largest city. There are plenty of attractions here, but they are all fairly spread out. Visitors won’t want to miss the Quaid-i-Azam Mausoleum, a monument to Pakistans founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah. More impressive is the white-marbled Defence Housing Society Mosque. Other sights include the Holy Trinity Cathedral and St Andrews Church. South of the city are Clifton Beach and Manora Island. Outside of Karachi, visit the archaeological site of Moenjodaro (once a city of an Indus Valley civilisation), and the Chaukundi tombs.

A frequently visited city, Lahore is the capital of Punjab and is Pakistans cultural, educational and artistic centre. Its busy streets and exotic bazaars are cut by shady parks and gardens. Here, you can visit The Mall – an area of parks and buildings with a British flavour, as well as Lahore Museum, the best and biggest in the country. Also worth seeing, Lahore Fort contains stately palaces, halls and gardens. Lahore is also filled with lots of tombs, mosques and mausoleums.

Islamabad is 250kms away and is Pakistan’s capital city. Technically it is not part of Punjab, but forms its own Capital Authority. The city boasts wide, tree-lined streets, with plenty of stately mansions, graceful public buildings and well organised bazaars.

Another interesting town is Quetta, which is the capital of the province of Baluchistan and boasts lots of British architecture and a stunning mountainous backdrop on all sides. The Archaeological Museum of Baluchistan is impressive, and leisure time can be spent in one of the citys many colourful bazaars. Outside Quetta is the lovely Hanna Lake, and there are also plenty of places for picnics in Urak Valley and the protected Hazarganji Chiltan National Park.

The disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir are rich with natural beauty; unfortunately Pakistans 16-kilometre security zone means most of the loveliest parts are now off limits. However, you can still reach the Neelum Valley, famous for fishing and trekking, and Jhelum Valley, site of hill stations and more good walks. Restrictions can change at any time; check before you travel.

Peshawar, capital of the NWFP is perhaps the most memorable of Pakistans destinations. Equally fascinating is the famous Nanga Parbat (‘Naked Mountain’ in Kashmiri), which boasts a steep 4,500-metre wall.

Several of Pakistans provinces are dangerous to travellers and foreigners should avoid travel to Waziristan, to northern and western Baluchistan, western NWFP, the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas and Agencies (FATA), and border areas other than official crossings. Trekkers heading for Gilgit, Hunza, Chitral and the upper Swat Valley should hire reputable guides. Travel insurance is essential when travelling in Pakistan.

back to city guides