Peshawar's history stretches back more than 2,500 years, and much of it is still visible in the old city. The Qissa Khwani Bazaar — the Storytellers' Bazaar — is the centre of gravity: a labyrinth of lanes piled with dried fruit, nuts, brass, and carpets, alive with the sounds of Pashto bargaining. Wander it on foot in the cool of the early morning.
The Peshawar Museum is the city's unmissable stop — one of the world's great repositories of Gandharan Buddhist sculpture, produced here when this region sat at the crossroads of Greek, Persian, Indian, and Buddhist culture. The Mahabat Khan Mosque is the finest Mughal religious building in the city. The Bala Hisar Fort, though now a military base closed to visitors, dominates the skyline and is worth seeing from outside.