Do you want to know the name of beautiful places in Pakistan you can visit this year? Read this article till the end!

From the incredible hospitality to the second-highest mountain range, Karakoram, Pakistan is a beautiful country. It sadly does not enjoy an excellent reputation. Still, I assure you that after visiting it in person, you will surely change your mind.

I spent about a month backpacking and exploring mainly the north of the country. In this guide, you will find a lot of information and advice to better organize your DIY trip.

When to visit Pakistan?

Considering that most travelers go to the country to visit beautiful places in Pakistan, the best time to go to Pakistan is from April to October. During the rest of the year, many areas are completely inaccessible due to snow. Generally, the temperatures are low, and moving within the territory becomes complicated.

On the other hand, if you do not intend to visit the Karakoram, you want to dedicate yourself to the cities of historical and cultural interest. Then, the best period is the one that goes from November to March. During winter when temperatures are much more pleasant. During the summer it can easily exceed 40 degrees and, I assure you from personal experience, it is not pleasant.

What to do and see in Pakistan

In this guide, prices are often expressed in the local currency. The official currency of Pakistan is “Pakistani Rupee,” abbreviated to “PKR.”

At the time of publication of this article, the exchange rate is 1 € = 172 PKR.

Pakistan is a rather large country, but, as mentioned previously, most visitors focus – for good reasons – almost exclusively on the northern regions and, more precisely, in the state of Gilgit – Baltistan, basically following the Karakorum Highway. This road crosses the Karakoram mountain range to the border with China.

It is precisely in Gilgit – Baltistan that I spent the great majority of my time during my trip to Pakistan, and for this, you will find that the information on this region is the most complete. If you love other beautiful places in Pakistan, do not despair as here is a lot of information that I believe will come in handy.

Islamabad

Built from scratch in 1960 with the sole purpose of becoming the country’s capital, Islamabad is a truly atypical city compared to the rest of Pakistan: the streets that cross the city are wide and smooth, there is a lot of greenery and houses. And luxury cars are by no means rare; in fact, the entire political class and elite of the country live here.

What to do and see in Islamabad

Given its recent foundation, the city doesn’t have much to offer from a historical perspective, and my advice is to dedicate your time to other destinations. Still, if you only have one day available, then there are a couple of things that are worth it.

I recommend visiting the Faisal Mosque, which is the largest in the country and one of the largest in the world; you can easily reach it by taxi, or better still by using uber, and no matter where you are staying, it shouldn’t cost more than a couple of euros.

Another exciting activity to do in the city is to visit the Margalla Hills: this hilly area on the outskirts of Islamabad (many of the trails start from the city itself!) During my visit in August, it was too hot, but if this is something you are interested in,  you will find a brief description of the various paths with their starting points on this page.

If you want to enjoy the view over the city without effort, take a taxi or rent a motorbike and go to Monal. It is a viewpoint at the end of path number three, which is also reached by road. Here are a couple of restaurants and cafes from where you can watch the sunset over the city. Another viewpoint even closer to the town is the Daman-e-Koh. Also, in this case, it can be reached on foot or by car.

Lahore

Lahore is the 2nd largest city in Pakistan and is considered the country’s cultural capital. If you arrive by land from India, this is a must, but I strongly recommend visiting anyone. There are various name of beautiful places in Pakistan that you can visit!

What to do and see in Lahore

The walled city is where all the major tourist attractions and historical buildings are located. I strongly recommend spending at least a couple of hours walking through the alleys that are teeming with life, bazaars and street food are everywhere, and the best thing is that the traffic inside the walled city is practically absent.  Mall Road, where most of the accommodations are located, to the walled city via taxi is Rs 100-200 during the day and Rs 200-300 in the evening.

Badshahi Mosque

Also, in this case, it is one of the largest mosques in the world; the inner courtyard can hold up to 100,000 faithful, unlike the one in Islamabad, which has a more classic style.

Any taxi driver knows which is the correct entrance. Still, in case you want to walk to the mosque, the only entry for the public is the one located at this point; it is a vast complex where in addition to the mosque, there are a couple of restaurants, a beautiful green area, the Lahore Fort and a Sikh temple.

I arrived in the late afternoon, and I was able to visit only the mosque. The entrance is free, but leaving the shoes outside in custody costs 20 rupees. When you enter, you are directed to the museum where you are asked to exit at the exit leave an ‘ offer.

The temple can only be visited in the morning (I don’t remember the time), while the entrance (200 rupees) to the fort is only until 5:40 pm, the mosque is open until 8:00 pm.

Wazir Khan Mosque

In the walled city, there is another fascinating mosque that is worth visiting. It is called Wazir Khan and was built in the seventeenth century, although not as impressive as Badshahi; it is worth a visit if only because by paying 100-200 rupees (the price is negotiable) you can climb one of the towers on the sides of the mosque from where you have incredible views over the city.

Lahore City Museum

It is the largest and most important museum in the country. This museum opened in 1864 during the colonial period; it has an awe-inspiring collection of artifacts ranging from Buddhist to Islamic art with many ancient manuscripts, weapons, costumes, and jewelry. Well! It is open every day from 9 am to 7 pm except Fridays, entry for foreigners is 400 rupees.

The ceremony at Wagah Border

The border of Wagah (Pakistani side) or Attari (Indian side) is the only open border between the two countries, and a memorable ceremony takes place here every day. The border is only open from 10:00 to 16:00, and around 15:00 begins a simple closing ceremony during which the border forces of the two states parade with traditional costumes and give rise to a real show as people watch from the stands.

I attended the ceremony from the Indian side, but it was also welcome from the Pakistani side. Admission is free, and – although I do not share these races with those who have the biggest one between the two countries, who certainly don’t need to raise the tension – I think it’s not to be missed.

A tuk-tuk from Lahore to the border costs 600/700 rupees, and if you ask it to wait for your return, you can probably combine it for 1,000 rupees round trip; it’s just over 30km about an hour.

Gilgit

Gilgit is the capital of Gilgit – Baltistan and a practically obligatory stop for anyone wishing to explore the country’s north. However, the city itself does not have much to offer, but it is still the ideal base to start exploring the surrounding valleys.

In any case, since you will most likely have to spend at least a day or two there, as soon as you arrive and before your return to Islamabad, I recommend taking a walk along the main road that leads to the Bazaar and, if you are a chicken lover, you must try absolutely this restaurant.

Another attraction not far from the city that you could visit is the Kargah Buddha; it is an archaeological site dating back to the seventh century located about 8 km west of Gilgit, where there is a representation of the Buddha carved on the rock.

Fairy Meadows (Nanga Parbat Base Camp)

Fairy Meadows is undoubtedly the ultimate tourist destination in northern Pakistan. What in the past was just a pasture with a few shepherds has become an actual tourist center surrounded by greenery and mountains with accommodation for all budgets. From here, you have spectacular views of the Rakhiot glacier and the nearby Nanga Parbat, which at 8,126 meters is the ninth highest mountain in the world! Here are name of beautiful places in Pakistan to visit!

What to do and see in Fairy Meadows

As the title of the paragraph suggests, starting from Fairy Meadows, if you are in good physical shape, you can reach Nanga Parbat base camp in a day. They are just over 8 km and about 700 meters in altitude; the path is traced on maps.me (which I strongly recommend downloading!) And if you proceed at a brisk pace, you can reach it in 3/4 hours.

Once you have got this viewpoint, take the right path – on the way, I took the left one, which passes further down, and besides having to cross a couple of streams in a not precisely safe way, the path has a lot of different tracks and is not at all easy to follow. While the path on the right is much more beaten and I think it is the “official” one, even if the stretch that crosses the glacier is not exactly easy to follow in this case, even though there are a few piles of stones now and then to signal the way. In any case, absolutely nothing impossible, but be careful where you put your feet!

Once you reach the base camp, do not expect who knows what structure or monument; there is only one cross and four plates in number, plus on the day of my visit, I was the only person on the spot, but the views of Nanga Parbat are truly spectacular!

In summary, it should take 3 – 5 hours maximum to reach base camp starting from Fairy Meadow and no more than 3 – 4 hours to return; I recommend leaving early in the morning as the mornings tend to be more serene. From personal experience, everything can quickly be done independently. Still, after talking to another traveler, at the aforementioned panoramic point (where the crossroads is), if you arrive late, there may be a police officer (evidently I passed too early) who does not allow you to proceed further on your own for security reasons. Please do not despair, as from what I was told, the agent accompanies you for free and acts as a guide.

In case you don’t feel comfortable doing what is described on your own, a full day guide shouldn’t cost you more than 2,000 PKR, and if you think a whole day’s tirade is too much, then you can spend the night in Behal, a shepherds’ settlement that is located approximately halfway between Fairy Meadow and Base Camp. It is also possible to sleep, and accommodations range from tents to nice wooden bungalows, plus the atmosphere is more relaxed than in Fairy Meadow, where most people stay.

Alternatively, you could visit Behal and then reach the viewpoint in the day without proceeding further (many do just that) and enjoy the numerous other views along the path, which up to this point is easy to follow and pleasant.

Finally, as many local tourists do, you could spend a few relaxing days in and around Fairy Meadows, sipping a few cups of coffee and admiring the surrounding landscape.

Karimabad

Karimabad, the name of beautiful places in Pakistan, was the central city in the Hunza Valley for centuries and is still its capital. Although Aliabad surpassed it in size, the town retains a considerable historical and cultural heritage with plenty of places of interest within a few kilometers. Here the inhabitants are almost all Ismailis, the most liberal branch of Islam, many women walk on the street without the burqa and could even speak to you, and finding alcohol is not at all complex so much so that more than a few young Pakistani see Karimabad a little. ‘like our Amsterdam.

What to do and see in Karimabad

There are various name of beautiful places in Pakistan to visit!

It is no coincidence that Karimabad was the central city of the valley which dominates from above in a position that was undoubtedly considered strategic in the past and nowadays offers spectacular views of all the surrounding peaks: the ideal place to spend a couple of days relaxing perhaps tasting the walnut cake from Café de Hunza.

Fort Baltit

Fort Baltit is instead the one that dominates Karimabad from above. To reach it, you walk through the oldest village of houses, which recalls the streets of an ancient European town. I have not visited the inside of the fort, but I have limited myself to the external courtyard not to express myself. From what I have been told, the fort’s interior is less bare than that of Altit, and there is something to see. Admission here, too, costs PRK 1,000. Open every day from 9:30 to 17:30.

Fort Altit

Fort Altit technically is not located in Karimabad but rather in nearby Altit but can easily be reached on foot as it is only 3km from Karimabad. The fort is a name of beautiful places in Pakistan; it is a Unesco site and has been recently restored, built on the top of a cliff is impressive, but in my opinion, it is not worth the price of entry which, for us foreigners, amounts to 1,000 PKR.

Little if you think about European standards but an absolute madness for local ones, the choice is yours. In any case, whether you decide to visit the fort or not, I recommend taking the walk that leads to its entrance as it crosses the old part of Altit with traditional buildings on both sides, really nice. Open every day from 9:30 to 17:30.

Eagle’s Nest

Since you are in Altit, I recommend going up to the viewpoint called the Eagle’s Nest, which is located at this point: from here, you can enjoy an even more spectacular view of the entire valley and the iconic mountain called “Lady Finger.” Diran and Rakaposhi can also be seen in the distance. I went up during the day but if you want you could also spend the night here as there are numerous hotels and restaurants. This place is among the name of beautiful places in Pakistan!

Technically you could walk to the top, starting from Karimabad. It would take you at least a couple of hours. I had started with this idea. As often happened to me, a local on a motorbike stopped and offered me a lift. On the way back, I didn’t do even 200 meters before the same thing happened. If that’s not your style, a taxi shouldn’t cost you more than a few euros.

Ganish village

Something worth the ticket price is the visit to the village of Ganish: also in this case you can easily walk from Karimabad, the entrance for the guided tour is located more or less at this point. It is the oldest settlement along the ancient Silk Road in the Hunza Valley, and there are still buildings and mosques dating back over 400 years. The entrance to the village costs 500 rupees and includes a guide who in my case was an incredibly kind man who gave us a lot of information. After having guided tours throughout Pakistan for years, the man has returned to his country of origin to try to contribute to the visibility of this site.

Ultar Base Camp (Ultar Meadows)

The path leading to the base camp of Mount Ultar starts not far from Fort Baltit at this point. Theoretically, it is a relatively short and pleasant excursion. Still, I could not do it as the gully shortly after the start of the path just outside Karimabad has always been subject to continuous landslides. During my visit, they were working in an attempt to resolve the situation. So, if you are interested, I strongly recommend that you inquire about the current state of security. Besides, there are numerous name of beautiful places in Pakistan!

Hopper

The Hopper Valley is not part of the classic itinerary along the Karakorum Highway, but I think it is worth it if you have some days to dedicate to it. In particular, I recommend the small town located at the end of the road that goes up the valley where the small village of Hopper is located a stone’s throw from the Hopper glacier.

What to do and see in Hopper

Many come here to admire the Hopper Glacier. It is among the name of beautiful places in Pakistan, one of the longest glaciers globally, outside the polar circles, of course, whose front is located just a short distance from the town that from the top of a cliff, from the numerous panoramic points, dominates it ultimately offering a unique view. It is, therefore, possible to come to Hopper and enjoy some fantastic views of the glacier below without making too much effort. In case you are interested, there are also a couple of excursions that start from here.

The most popular route of all is the one that leads to Rush Lake at the foot of Mount Rush, the second highest alpine lake in all of Asia. At almost 4,700 meters, it is a 4-5 day trek that also passes a viewpoint from where you can see the K2. If you are an expert, it can be independent, but since you have to sleep in a tent and cross two ice, I do not recommend it to anyone who is not an expert. In the village, many guides and porters are willing to offer their services without spending a fortune.

I honestly did not have all this time available. On the local advice, I limited myself to reach a settlement of shepherds from where you have excellent views of the Rush Peak in the distance and the Barpu glacier that joins Hopper near the town.

It is an excellent excursion that can be done in a day. Unfortunately, the path is not on maps. Despite this, it is effortless to follow as local shepherds often use it. The only problem is that you have to cross the Hopper glacier, which turned out to be more complicated than I thought. Above all entering and exiting the glacier, as the locals had anticipated me: I still managed to find the way, but it was by no means immediate, so to relieve myself of any responsibility, I recommend taking a local guide!

Passu

Passu is another excellent stop along the Karakorum Highway; it is a small village on the road that leads to the Chinese border. Here is one of the most iconic mountain ranges in the country: the “cones of Passu,” which seem almost impossible to climb with their pointed shape.

What to do and see in Passu

Here are some name of beautiful places in Pakistan Passu:

Attabad Lake

Before even arriving in Passu, if you want, you can make a stop at Lake Attabad; it is a highly intense emerald blue lake made in 2010 following a disastrous landslide that wiped out an entire village. Passing the Karakorum Highway, you can see the giant piece of mountain that broke away and gave rise to the lake, which is now a tourist attraction where activities such as jet skis, fishing, or simply a boat ride are best.

Passu suspension bridge

Continuing towards Passu, another attraction is the suspension bridge that crosses the Hunza river; it is considered one of the most dangerous in the world as it is not in excellent condition at all, and the boards where you can rest your feet are far from each other. the crossing is forbidden for safety reasons, but you can take the usual photo at the beginning of the bridge

The Passu glacier

The glacier can also be seen passing by the road, but I strongly recommend a very short hike from Lake Borith. From here, it is enough to walk not even an hour and reach some beautiful viewpoints on the glacier below; at the beginning, you walk along the road, while the last stretch is on a well maintained and accessible follow path, it is also traced on a map. I have come up to this panoramic point, but if you want, you could go further.

I reached the lake in the company of a car-driven Spanish boy I met a few days earlier, but if you are without a vehicle, you shouldn’t have any problem with hitchhiking; it’s only 10 km from Passu.

The Batura Glacier

The Batura Glacier is name of beautiful places in Pakistan. It is even closer to the village and you can easily reach there on foot; other trails may lead to better viewpoints. Also, in this case, the path is easy to follow. You can see that it goes up the slope also from the bottom of the valley. You can see the glacier from the top of the “hill.” But the views are not exceptional as it turns behind the mountain. If you want, you can continue further. It was getting late, and I preferred to go back. In any case, it is worth it, the one on the valley and the Cones of Passu deserves.

Finally, at the hotel where I was staying, they also offered other longer treks and excursions on the glaciers. But honestly, I have no information.

Substitute

I state that once I arrived in Passu, I turned around or went back a bit for reasons of time, a bit. Getting to the Chinese border to take the usual photo at the top of the pass didn’t interest me that much.

In any case, Sost is the last village before the border with China, which is just 80 km further north. There isn’t much to do other than try to arrange a taxi to get to the pass the next day.

Nb Pakistani immigration is located here. So if you want to proceed further to China, remember that you must already have a visa. From what I understand, you are also obliged to be accompanied by a Chinese guide. The area of ​​military interest has stringent regulations.

Khunjerab Pass

Located at 4,600 meters above sea level, it is the highest point of the Karakorum Highway. Besides, it is the highest border pass in the world. That’s why it has become in effect a tourist attraction, they reach it to take the photo. But if you have time available, it could be something nice and different to do.

Also, the road leading to the pass is indeed scenic. However, it is not possible to reach the pass by public transport. Although buses are heading towards China, getting off at the border and returning with a bus is not right. So the only option is to take a taxi, which according to my research, should cost around PKR 3,000; the ideal would be to share it; remember that there is also to pay the entrance to the Khunjerab national park, 1,300 PKR.

Skardu

Skardu is the crossroads of all expeditions to K2 as well as the treks leading to base camp. From here, we proceed towards Askole, where the road ends and the actual trekking begins. If you like, know that it takes at least 12 days, and prices start at $ 1,500. It is among the name of beautiful places in Pakistan to visit!

What to do and see in Skardu

In Skardu, honestly, there is not a lot to do, and I think one day is more than enough to visit the K2 Museum, which strangely is not on google maps but is located next to the PTDC Motel; the museum funded by the Italian government and is worth a visit!

Other sites of interest not too far from Skardu are the Kharpocho fort, the Katpana desert, and the so-called ” Buddha Rock. ” Even just visiting these last two sites without your vehicle is quite inconvenient. That’s why I recommend spending just one day in Skardu. If you have your car or are willing to hire or pay a driver, you could also visit some waterfalls located around Skardu, such as Manthokha, Khamosh, and Basho.

Finally, Hushe is a remote village located within the homonymous valley about 150km from Skardu. A local girl described it to me as a fairytale village. For many, especially motorcyclists, it is the final destination of this region of Karakorum. Well! From here also numerous treks such as Gondogoro La, Concordia and Charakus depart.

Deosai National Park

The Deosai Plateau, name of beautiful places in Pakistan, present at an average altitude of 4,141 meters above sea level. The panorama you encounter is completely different from what we have seen so far; it is a highly green hilly landscape with nothing to do with the rocky peaks.

What to do and see in Deosai

Deosai National Park is name of beautiful places in Pakistan perfect for lovers of camping, fishing, and nature in general. There are no particular excursions inside the park. We follow the dirt road that crosses it, making a few stops here and there.

Along the way, you may spot some of the native species. They include the Himalayan brown bear, gray wolf, and snow leopard! Two classic stops are at Bara Pani Bridge, where there is a restaurant, and I believe they also offer tents to spend the night, Chota Pani, which offers more or less the same facilities, and finally Lake Shausar. Entrance to the park costs PKR 1,300.

Goshawk and Lake Rama

Goshawk itself does not have much to offer. Still, it is a practically obligatory stop for those who want to visit the decidedly prettier Rama Lake. This alpine lake is located at the foot of the north face of Nanga Parbat.

The emerald green lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks is undoubtedly a genuinely suggestive place. You can go quickly as the road goes up to Rama Meadows. From here you can reach the lake in about half an hour. This makes it extremely popular. To get Rama Meadows from Astore, hitchhiking shouldn’t be difficult at all. Alternatively, you can arrange a taxi.

Finally, from Rupal, a village located just over 30 km from Astore. It is a 5-day trek that I didn’t have the pleasure of doing. But it looks nice, leading to the base camp of the south face of Nanga Parbat.

Other destinations to the north

So far, here are the main destinations following the classic itinerary along the Karakoram Highway. I want to give some ideas to those who want to venture to destinations outside the primary tourist circuits. Want to know more about name of beautiful places in Pakistan?

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

The province covers the northwest of the country and combined with the Karakoram highway. Head towards Peshawar and proceed north through the Swat valley and Chitral. Re-enter the Gilgit Baltistan region via the Shandur Pass.

However, before embarking on this itinerary, know that this region is the most conservative country. Most people belong to the Pashtuns ethnic group, one of the most fundamentalists in Islam. So if you are a woman, try to dress yourself up. For men, it is great to wear the local dress “salwar kameez.”

Some regions belonging to this state, especially those close to the Afghan border, are unstable and not precisely safe. I invite you to do the necessary research as the situation changes constantly.

Peshawar

Peshawar is the oldest city in Pakistan and one of the oldest in all of Asia. Today it is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Here, within the ancient city, are some of the best bazaars in the country. Another site of tourist interest is the Bala Hisar fort. There are frequent connections between Peshawar and Islamabad.

Swat Valley

From Peshawar, proceed north through the Swat Valley, a genuinely spectacular mountainous area. It offers plenty of possibilities for trekking, away from the main tourist routes. In the past, the area was under the Taliban’s control – even in 2017, so not very long ago. The valley was off-limits to tourists, but now it seems that things have stabilized.

The main tourist destinations in the valley are Malam Jabba, Mingora, and Kalam. On this page, you can find some good information about possible excursions by Kalam, while this other a general overview of the Swat Valley.

Chitral

Chitral is a name of beautiful places in Pakistan. It is rather large city that serves as a base for visiting the nearby Kalash valleys: Bumburet, Birir, and Rumbur. If you want to see the Kalash valleys, you must register at the police station. In 2009, a group of Taliban crossed the border, killing several people. It is advisable to visit the region during the Chilam Joshi Festival, which lasts four days every year.

To reach Chitral from the South:

from Mingora, there are minibusses for Timargara from where you can take a second minibus to Chitral. The journey is quite long and can take up to 12 hours. Alternatively, you can reach Chitral, starting from Kalam crossing the Kumrat Valley, for which you can find an excellent guide.

Shandur Pass

From Chitral, to reach Gilgit, you have to go through the Passu Shandur located at 3,700 meters above sea level. There are 390 km which, if done with public transport, take two whole days away. It is necessary to reach Mastuj first, spend the night here and continue towards Gilgit the next day. The ideal would be to find someone to share the costs. A private jeep that takes about 18 hours to cover the route. Al Farooq Hotel seems to be the reference point for foreigners looking for companions to share the trip.

Small parenthesis: at the top of the pass, there is the highest polo field globally. The road that climbs through the mountains offers a truly spectacular panorama.

Yasin Valley

Yasin Valley is roughly halfway between Gilgit and the Shandur Pass. So it might be an excellent way to break up the journey. Alternatively, you can visit it directly from Gilgit without necessarily continuing further towards Chitral. Before even entering the Yasin valley, Lake Khalti and the village of Gupis was the best to me. If you depart from Gilgit, shared minibusses depart daily to Gupis at 11 am from this point.

Naltar Valley

This is another valley that was among the name of beautiful places in Pakistan. It is not far from Gilgit. The valley is much greener than the rest of the region and is particularly popular with local tourists. The main attraction is the lakes at the end of the road and a sanctuary where you can admire the snow leopard.

Other destinations in the South

I visited Pakistan during the summer, so I didn’t even consider visiting the South of the country. In that period, therefore, I did not collect much information on this. In any case, the main stops are undoubtedly Karachi, the former capital of Pakistan. It is the most populous city in the country. Well! Here is the impressive Mazar-e-Quaid mausoleum consisting of white marble in honor of the founder of Pakistan. And Thatta, not far from Karachi, which has numerous Unesco sites. It is undoubtedly another stop to include in an itinerary in the country’s South. Quetta, a crossroads for anyone who wants to continue their journey by land to Iran and finally Multan,

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