Asia > Pakistan
Pakistan is one of the most dramatic and least understood countries in Asia. It has five of the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks, a coastline on the Arabian Sea, the ruins of one of the oldest urban civilizations on earth, and a 5,000-year thread of history running through its cities and plains. Most travelers who make it here come back astonished — both by the landscape and by the welcome.
The country divides roughly into four regions. The north — Gilgit-Baltistan and the upper reaches of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — is high mountain terrain: the Karakoram, the Himalayas, and the Hindu Kush converge here. This is where serious trekkers come, and where the Karakoram Highway winds through scenery that has no rival in the world. The northwest, centered on Peshawar and the Khyber Pass, is the historic gateway between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and remains the most traditional part of the country. The Punjab heartland — flat, fertile, densely populated — is where you'll find Lahore and most of the great Mughal monuments. The south is dominated by Sindh and Balochistan: the archaeological wonders of Moenjodaro and Harappa, the chaotic megacity of Karachi, and vast arid landscapes.
Traveling here requires some preparation and awareness of the security situation, but the rewards are real: extraordinary food, almost no crowds at world-class sites, and a culture of hospitality that can feel overwhelming in the best way.
Destinations
- Islamabad — the planned capital, leafy and relatively relaxed
- Lahore — the cultural heart: Mughal architecture, bazaars, extraordinary food
- Karachi — Pakistan's largest city and economic engine
- Peshawar — ancient city near the Afghan border, Pashtun culture
- Rawalpindi — twin city of Islamabad, older and busier
- Multan — "City of Saints," famous for Sufi shrines
- Quetta — gateway to Balochistan, near the Iranian border
- Gilgit — hub for northern trekking
- Hunza Valley — stunning mountain valley with ancient forts
- Skardu — base for K2 expeditions
- Swat — green valley once called "Switzerland of Pakistan"
- Chitral — isolated valley near Hindu Kush, home of the Kalash people
- Taxila — UNESCO-listed Buddhist archaeological site
- Hyderabad — second city of Sindh
- Larkana — northern Sindh city tied to the Bhutto family and Indus Valley ruins
