Lahore's sights concentrate in and around the Walled City at the north-east edge of the modern city. The Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort, facing each other across the Hazuri Bagh, are the set piece — together one of the most impressive Mughal ensembles in South Asia. The Wazir Khan Mosque, the Walled City gates, and the bazaars along the way repay a slow day on foot. The Shalimar Gardens east of the centre are the other unmissable Mughal site; Minar-e-Pakistan in Greater Iqbal Park is where modern Pakistan was declared.
Along the Mall — the long colonial-era boulevard south of the Walled City — the Lahore Museum, the High Court, Government College, and the Punjab Assembly stand in red brick and Gothic stone. Further south, Gulberg and Defence have the modern city's restaurants, hotels, and shopping. The Wagah border ceremony at the Indian frontier is one of the strangest day-trip experiences in South Asia.
A bare minimum for the city is two full days — one for the Walled City and one for Shalimar, Wagah, and the Mall. Three or four allows it to be done properly, with time for the food and the smaller monuments.