Tourism in Pakistan is a growing industry. In 2010,

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History Early years Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarke ...

termed Pakistan "tourism's 'next big thing' for more years than we care to remember". The country is geographically and ethnically diverse, and has a number of historical and cultural heritage sites.

Condé Nast Traveller ''Condé Nast Traveller'' is published by Condé Nast Publications Ltd, from Vogue House in Hanover Square, Mayfair, London. It is a luxury travel magazine aimed at the upmarket, independent traveller. It can be differentiated from the America ...

ranked Pakistan The Best Holiday Destination for 2020 and also declared it the third-highest potential adventure destination in the world for 2020. As security in the country improves, tourism increases; in two years, it has increased by more than 300%. The Pakistani government had launched online visa services for 175 countries and 50 countries were offered visa on arrival, making a visit to Pakistan easier. The country received an influx of travel

vlogger A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in ...

s, who promoted the characteristics of the country, such as in the

Northern Pakistan Northern Pakistan () is a tourism region in the northern and northwestern parts of Pakistan, comprising the administrative units of Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly known as '' Northern Areas''), Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Pothohar P ...

, like

Hunza Hunza may refer to: * Hunza, Iran * Hunza Valley, an area in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan ** Hunza (princely state), a former principality ** Hunza District, a recently established district ** Hunza River, a waterway ** Hunza Peak, a mou ...

and

Skardu , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan , pushpin_label_position ...

. In 2018, the British Backpacker Society ranked Pakistan the world's top adventure travel destination, describing the country as "one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone's wildest imagination".

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

ranked Pakistan as one of the ‘coolest places’ to visit in 2019. The World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report placed Pakistan in the top 25 per cent of global destinations for its

World Heritage sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

, which range from the mangroves in the Indus delta to the Indus Valley civilization sites including

Mohenjo-daro Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';Harappa. According to the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report The ''Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report'' was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The 2007 report covered 124 major and emerging economies. The 2008 report covered 130 countries, the 2009 report expanded to 133 count ...

2017, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to Pakistan's GDP in 2015 was US$328.3 million, constituting 2.8% of the total GDP. According to the

World Travel and Tourism Council The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is a forum for the travel and tourism industry. It is made up of members from the global business community and works with governments to raise awareness about the travel and tourism industry. It is know ...

, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to Pakistan's GDP in 2016 was , constituting 2.7% of the total GDP. By 2025, the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

predicts tourism will contribute to the Pakistani economy. In October 2006, one year after the

2005 Kashmir earthquake The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred at on 8 October in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some areas of Indian-administered Jammu an ...

, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' released a list of "the top five tourist sites in Pakistan" to help the country's tourism industry. The sites included

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

, the

Karakoram Highway The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in ...

, Karimabad and

Lake Saiful Muluk Saiful Muluk ( ur, ) is a mountainous lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley, near the town of Naran in the Saiful Muluk National Park. At an elevation of 3,224 m (10,578 feet) above sea level, the lake is located above the tree l ...

. To promote the country's cultural heritage, in 2007, Pakistan launched the "Visit Pakistan" marketing campaign that involved events including fairs, religious festivals, regional sporting events, arts and craft shows, folk festivals and openings of historical museums. In 2013, over half a million tourists visited Pakistan, contributing $298 million; these figures have since risen to over 6.6 million tourists in 2018. By comparison, Pakistan's domestic tourism industry is estimated at 50 million tourists who travel in the country on short trips usually between May to August. The largest inflow of tourists are from the United Kingdom, followed by United States, India and China.

Overview

Major tourist attractions in Pakistan include the ruin of

Mohenjo-daro Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';Harappa, the Himalayan hill stations. Pakistan is home to several

mountain peaks A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a ...

over , including K2, which draw adventurers and mountaineers from around the world. The north of Pakistan has many old fortresses, ancient architecture and the

and Chitral valleys, which are home to small Kalash communities and Fairy Meadows, and the

Diamer District The Diamer District ( ur, ), also spelled Diamir District,) is a district in Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan. The headquarters of the district is the town of Chilas. The district is bounded by on the north by the Tangir and the Gilgit dis ...

Gilgit Baltistan Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a h ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

province has the historic city

, Pakistan's cultural capital, with many examples of Mughal architecture such as

Badshahi Masjid The Badshahi Mosque (Urdu, Punjabi: ; literally ''The Royal Mosque'') is a Mughal-era congregational mosque in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque is located west of Lahore Fort along the outskirts of the Walled Cit ...

Shalimar Gardens Shalimar or Shalamar refers to three historic royal gardens (or Baghs) of the Mughal Empire in South Asia: * Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India; built in 1619 * Shalimar Gardens, Lahore, Pakistan; a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in ...

Tomb of Jahangir The Tomb of Jahangir ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The mausoleum dates from 1637, and is located in Shahdara Bagh near city of Lahore, Pakistan, along the banks of the Ravi River. The site is famous ...

and

Lahore Fort The Lahore Fort ( ur, , lit=Royal Fort, translit=Shāhī Qilā, label= Punjabi and Urdu) is a citadel in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of walled city Lahore, and spreads over an area greater than 20 ...

. Along with Afghanistan Pakistan continues to be on extended internationa
travel restrictions advisory
of

WHO Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...

due to yet to be achieved satisfactory level of polio immunization and concern of international spread of the polio decease again. According to Samira Shackle, Pakistan during the 1960s was part of the famous “hippy trail” stretching from Europe to Asia. But that tourism disappeared in the 1970s with the conversion from a liberal government to an Islamized Pakistan under dictator

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, (Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial law in ...

. Due to subsequent

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

and al-Qaeda influence, especially after the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, westerners became the target of local branches of those terror organizations. Shackle says even domestic tourism came to a halt due to terrorism which - as of 2018 - has taken the lives of more than 65,000 in Pakistan since the year 2001.

Image and influencers

The upsurge in tourism in the past few years has been aided by the Government of Pakistan's recent decision to end mandatory

No Objection Certificate No Objection Certificate, popularly abbreviated as NOC, is a type of legal certificate issued by any agency, organisation, institute or, in certain cases, an individual. It does not object to the covenants of the certificate. The certification is ...

s for foreign tourists seeking to visit certain parts of the country. According to Samira Shackle, since 2018 one estate dealing company promoting

Gwadar Gwadar ( Balochi/ ur, ) is a port city with located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea opposite Oman. Gwadar is the 100th largest city of Pakistan, according to the 2017 ...

properties as new Dubai started organizing visits for travel influencers. Shackle says, lately Pakistan has become an unexpected destination for western social media influencers producing glossy, upbeat travel content. Travel influencers popular on social media like Rosie Gabrielle, Food Ranger, Drew Binsky too were roped in image building for Pakistan tourism. Shackle says, under

Prime Minister Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

, the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territorie ...

has encouraged this tourism. For 2020 Forbes listed in top ten tourist destinations where as Condé Nast Traveller went ahead to rank Pakistan on first number as a tourist destination. Shackle says, while some Pakistanis find pride in recruited influencer driven image making, many other Pakistanis are bewildered. While on one hand Pakistan is being promoted as ideal destination, any one from civil society presenting critical narrative are bulldozed, even journalist Shackle herself was asked to display only positive sides of Pakistan. According to Shackle some critics believe that promotion of tourism is just mere attempt of deflecting domestic & international attention from realities of terrorism, nuclear irresponsibility, money laundering, lack of democracy and human rights issues in Pakistan. Shackle maintains that the influencers are accused of parroting Pakistan government's points. But as per Zayer Hussain, Government of Pakistan is not pushy about what travel influencers speak, but only if any thing bad is spoken travel permits are refused to travel influencers. Shackle says, Pakistan has a 'White (Gora) complex' just a for mere being white traveler Pakistanis are ever ready to provide preferential treatment along with free mass media and social media exposure. One travel influencer Alex Reynolds admits to Shackle that when she was moving with a white boy friend they were offered all kind of privileges when moving around but same privileges did not come by her when she visited alone. In January 2019 Karachi-based one comedian, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh went on to create a hoax Twitter account with name and image pretending to be American woman vlogger by name 'Samantha A Gerry'; within hours twitter handle of 'Samantha A Gerry' received hundreds of messages including from highprofile Pakistanis offering to take care and party. When twitter handle wrote how beautiful Pakistan is along with some anti India sentiment popularity among Pakistani social media enthusiasts increased immediately. According to Amtul Baweja and Fahad Tariq it is okay if foreign tourist vloggers are given good treatment but same treatment is not given to they being even local vloggers. Many liberals and feminists in Pakistan too express their reservations about misrepresentation of Pakistan's objective reality about status of women in Pakistan by western white travel influencers. During International Women's Day March in Pakistan a placard came questioning, "If Cynthia does it, she's applauded. If I do it, I'm the villain".

Cynthia Ritchie Cynthia D. Ritchie is an American filmmaker, analyst, and Social media#Use by individuals, social media campaigner who has been living in Pakistan since 2010. Ritchie has campaigned through social media to uplift the overall image of Pakistan. In ...

is an American travel and Social media influencer who rode a bike in Peshawar, a city in north-western Pakistan, Pakistani women are usually forbidden from cycling because it is seen as immodest, for example bicycle rally by girls in Peshawar was forced to be cancelled, same time

was being applauded, so Pakistan feminists questioned the double standard of Pakistani society. In 2021 March a travel influencer Twitter handle iKatherineGeorg praised behavior of Pakistani Men No one in the world respects women as much as Pakistani men. Very respectful and humble" and "Pakistan is a country that loves and respects women", but Pakistani feminists on social media wondered and asked her to take them to that Pakistan. Shackle says just months after influencer Eva Zu Beck's vlogs hotel and bus transport was attacked by terrorists, still she does not seem to address the issue or keep audience informed. According to travel influencer Eva Zu Beck, their

vlogs A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in ...

are neither travel guides nor practical pieces of advice but those are just stories, and she declines any obligation to offer security advice saying they are not in that kind of content. According to Shackle one of the travel influncer Cynthia Ritchie went on to embroil herself in Pakistani politics including attacking Pakistani liberals and political opposition. Another travel influencer Alex Reynolds maintains her self to be an adventure tourist. According to Tazayian Sayira (2022) study, suffered by anthropogenic crisis Pakistan needs image make over from it being known for place of violent conflict and terrorism and Government of Pakistan has lately attempted some repositioning in direction of image makeover. Tazayian Sayira (2022) study says, while

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...

encourages traveling, but in practice very trying constraints are placed on participation of women in tourism in Muslim majority countries like Pakistan, like many of them are restrained from traveling without close male relative called ''

mahram In Islam, a ''mahram'' is a family member with whom marriage would be considered permanently unlawful (''haram''). One's spouse is also a mahram. A woman does not need to wear hijab around her mahram, and an adult male mahram may escort a woman ...

'' (i.e. father, non cousin brother, son), though women are main behind the scene contributors in service provisions like food, laundry, souvenir production, the labour that most times presumed as unpaid routine family work.

Tourist visas

In 2019, Pakistan increased the availability of travel visas in a bid to increase tourism to the country. The new program grants visas on arrival to travellers from 50 countries, including the United States. Citizens of another 175 countries can apply for visas on the internet. Previously, visas could only be obtained from Pakistani embassies abroad.

Tourism by province and territory

Pakistan is subdivided into provinces

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...

and Sindh; the federal territory

Islamabad Capital Territory The Islamabad Capital Territory ( ur, , translit=Vafāqī Dār-alhakūmat) is the only federal territory of Pakistan. Located between the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it includes the country's capital city of Islamabad. The terr ...

; and autonomous regions

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (; ), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger K ...

and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit-Baltistan includes some of the highest peaks in the world, including K2, the world's second-highest peak. Gilgit Baltistan's landscape includes mountains, lakes, glaciers and valleys. The province is also visited for its landmarks, culture, history and people. K2 Basecamp, Deosai, Naltar, Fairy Meadows

Bagrot Valley Bagrote Valley ( ur, وادی بگروٹ) is a valley in the Karakoram Mountain range in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. River Bagrote flows through the valley from the north towards the southwest of the valley, supplies water ...

and

Hushe Hushe ( ur, ہوشی) is the last village of the Ghangche District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of ...

valley are common tourist destinations in the province.

Balochistan

is Pakistan's largest province by area, constituting approximately 43% of the country. Balochistan is home to one of the oldest

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

(7000 BC to c. 2500 BC) sites in archaeology.

Mehrgarh Mehrgarh (; ur, ) is a Neolithic archaeological site (dated ) situated on the Kacchi Plain of Balochistan in Pakistan. It is located near the Bolan Pass, to the west of the Indus River and between the modern-day Pakistani cities of Quetta, ...

and

Nausharo Nausharo is located in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is well known as an archaeological site for the Harappan period. The excavations were carried out between 1985 and 1996 by a French team of archaeologists, under the direction of Jean-François Jarr ...

was an ancient city that is linked to the Indus Valley civilization. Ancient sites dating back 800 years are the Nausherwani tombs at

Qila Ladgasht Ladgasht (Urdu: لد گشت ) is a Union Council located in Mashkel tehsil in Washuk District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Ladgasht is one of the three UCs of Tehsil Mashkel, and is the biggest Union Council of the tehsil. See also * Kharan Distri ...

. There was an ancient port at the site of

Oraea Oraea was the name of a sea port near the modern-day city of Ormara, Balochistan province of Pakistan, important in the Hellenistic era in Indian Ocean trade. It is mentioned briefly in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: :"Beyond the Ommanitic r ...

that was used during the Hellenistic civilisation. Moola Chotuk, Khuzdar, Balochistan

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of ...

is the provincial capital of Balochistan. Sites of interest include the protected Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park,

Hanna Lake Hanna Lake () is a lake in Urak Valley near Quetta, in Balochistan Province, in southwestern Pakistan. It is surrounded by mountains. Geography Hanna Lake is in the hills close to where the Urak Valley begins, east from Quetta city. The reserv ...

, Quetta Geological Museum, Balochistan Arts Council Library, Quetta Archaeological Museum and Command and Staff College Museum. The

Quaid-e-Azam Residency Quaid-e-Azam Residency ( ur, ), also known as Ziarat Residency, is located in Ziarat, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is where Muhammad Ali Jinnah spent the last two months and ten days of his life, nursed by A. S. Nathaniel. It is the most famous l ...

in the city of

Ziarat Ziarat (Urdu and ps, ) is a city in the Ziarat District situated in the Balochistan. It is from the capital city of Eastern Balochistan Quetta. It was established as a district on 1st July 1986, before then it was part of Sibi district. Th ...

, which is famous for having the world's largest and oldest juniper forests.

Sibi Sibi (Sindhi: سيوي ur, ) is a city situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is the headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name. Etymology The origin of the town's name is attributed to Rani Sewi, a Hindu lad ...

is an important historical city in which the

Jirga Hall A jirga ( ps, جرګه, ''jərga'') is an assembly of leaders that makes decisions by consensus according to Pashtunwali, the Pashtun social code. It is conducted in order to settle disputes among the Pashtuns, but also by members of other ethnic ...

has a collection of pieces that were found at the archaeological sites of Mehrgarh, Nasshero and Pirak. The annual Sibi Festival includes a Horse and Cattle Show. The province includes a number of mountain passes. The

Bolan Pass Bolān Pass ( ur, ) is a valley and a natural gateway, through the Toba Kakar range in Balochistan province of Pakistan, south of the Afghanistan border. The pass is an stretch of the Bolan river valley from Rindli in the south to Darwāza ...

was the main entrance to the provincial city Quetta; others include Lak Pass,

Khojak Pass Khojak Pass (el. ) is a mountain pass connecting Qila Abdullah with Chaman in the province of Baluchistan, Pakistan. The road through the Toba Achakzai range connects the larger cities of Quetta, Pakistan, and Kandahar, Afghanistan. * Khojak ...

and Harnai Pass. The Balochistan coastline extends from the boundary of Sindh province to the Iranian border, measuring over . The city of

has the largest port in the province and is based near the ancient area Makran. Pasni is a medium-sized town that is known for fishing. Along the

Makran Coastal Highway The N-10 or National Highway 10 (Urdu: ) is a 653 km national highway in Pakistan which extends along Pakistan's Arabian Sea coast from Karachi in Sindh province to Gwadar in Balochistan province. It passes the towns of Ormara and Pasni. ...

, there are several rock formations, as well as Kund Malir and the

Hingol National Park Hingol National Park or Hungol National Park ( ur, ) is the largest national park in Pakistan, located in the Makran coastal region. The park covers an area of about and is located 190 km from Karachi in the three districts of Gwadar, Lasbe ...

Sindh

Sindh is located in south-eastern Pakistan. The province is known for its religious heritage and rapid urbanisation and was home to the ancient

Indus Valley civilisation The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900& ...

Mohenjo-daro Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';Larkana Larkana ( ur, , translit=lāṛkāna; sd, لاڙڪاڻو, translit=lāṛkāṇo) is a city located in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the 15th largest city of Pakistan by population. It is home to the Indus Valley civilization site M ...

was one of the largest city-settlements in South Asia and is an official

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. The

Chaukhandi tombs The Chaukhandi ( ur, ; sd, چوڪُنڊي ) tombs form an early Islamic cemetery situated east of Karachi, Sindh province of Pakistan. The tombs are notable for their elaborate sandstone carvings. The tombs are similar in style to the elabo ...

are another example of ancient Sindhi and Balochi heritage located near the town of Landi. Another ancient city

Aror Aror ( Sindhi: اروهڙ) or Alor or Arorkot (Sindhi: اروهڙ ڪوٽ) is the medieval name of the city of Rohri (in Sindh, modern Pakistan). Aror once served as the capital of Sindh. History As Roruka, capital of the Sauvira Kingdom, i ...

is located near the city of

Sukkur Sukkur (; ) is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh along the western bank of the Indus River, directly across from the historic city of Rohri. Sukkur is the third largest city in Sindh after Karachi and Hyderabad, and 14th largest city ...

Kahu-Jo-Darro Kahu-Jo-Darro, also known as Mirpur Khas stupa, is an ancient Buddhist stupa found at the Mirpurkhas archaeological site in Sindh, Pakistan. The site is spread over . Excavations completed before 1910 revealed this large brick-based stupa and nume ...

is an ancient Buddhist archaeological site near

Mirpurkhas Mirpur Khas (Sindhi and ; ''meaning "Town of the most-high Mirs"'') is the capital city of the Mirpur Khas District and Mirpur Khas Division in the Sindh province, Pakistan. Mirpur Khas is the 16th largest city in Sindh province and the 80th ...

where a Buddhist stupa was excavated. The first arrival of Islam in South Asia took place in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

. A number of sites within the province have led archaeologists to suggest this.

Makli Hill Makli Necropolis ( ur, ; sd, مڪلي جو مقام) is one of the largest funerary sites in the world, spread over an area of 10 kilometres near the city of Thatta, in the Pakistani province of Sindh. The site houses approximately 500,000 to ...

is one of the largest necropolises in the world and is home to a number of ancient tombs and graves of Islamic dynasties. The

Talpur Talpur (, bal, تالپورء اۏبادگ) is a Saraiki-speaking Baloch sub-clan of the Hoth tribe settled in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan in Pakistan. The tribe established the Talpur dynasty, which ruled between 1783 and 1843, while a bran ...

Mirs of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...

also left a number of sites including,

Tombs of Talpur Mirs The Tombs of Talpur Mirs ( ur, ) are a complex of tombs of the ruling Talpur Mirs of Sindh who reigned from 1784 to 1843. The tombs are also known as Cubbas (the Sindhi word for ''tombs''). These tombs are located in Hirabad, Hyderabad in the S ...

, Faiz Mahal in

Khairpur Khairpur( Sindhi and ur, ) is a city and the capital of the Khairpur District, in Pakistan's Sindh province. History The Talpur dynasty was established in 1783 by Mir Fateh Ali Khan, who declared himself the first ''Rais'', or ruler of Sindh ...

, Qasim fort, Pacco Qillo and the

Kot Diji Fort The Kot Diji Fort (; ;''Fort of the Daughter''), formally known as Fort Ahmadabad, is an 18th-century Talpur-era fort located in the town of Kot Diji in Khairpur District, Pakistan, about 25 miles east of the Indus River at the edge of the Thar Des ...

Kot Diji The ancient site at Kot Diji ( sd, ڪوٽ ڏیجي; ur, کوٹ ڈیجی) was the forerunner of the Indus Civilization. The occupation of this site is attested already at 3300 BCE. The remains consist of two parts; the citadel area on high ground ...

; and the

Ranikot Fort Ranikot Fort ( sd, راڻي ڪوٽ) (also known as Rannikot) is a historical Talpur fort near Sann, Jamshoro District, Sindh. in Pakistan .Ranikot Fort is also known as The Great Wall of Sindh and is believed to be the world's largest fort, wit ...

was built during the Islam invasion. Sindh has a number of cultural shrines and mausoleums including

Thatta Thatta ( sd, ٺٽو; ) is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh. Thatta was the medieval capital of Sindh, and served as the seat of power for three successive dynasties. Thatta's historic significance has yielded several monuments in and ...

, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai,

Lal Shahbaz Qalander Hazrat Sayyid Usman Marwandi, (1177 - 19 February 1274) popularly known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (), was a Sufi saint and poet of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was born in Marwand, Sistan to a family from Baghdad ...

, Shahjahan Mosque,

Mazar-e-Quaid Mazar-e-Quaid ( ur, , lit=Mausoleum of the Leader) is the resting place of Muhammad Ali Jinnah situated in Karachi, Sindh. The marble monument comprises a surface area of . It is surrounded by formal gardens and designed in an Islamic modernist ...

, Minar-e-Mir Masum Shah, Bhambore and Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. Shahjahan Mosque

Karachi is the provincial capital of the province and

largest city The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...

of Pakistan. It is home to the founder of the nation

Mohammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mono ...

, whose tomb at

is the most iconic mausoleum in Pakistan. The

Port of Karachi The Port of Karachi ( ur, , ''Bandar gāh Karāchī'') is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water seaports, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is located on the Kar ...

is the country's largest post followed by the second largest, Port Qasim. The city has a number of cultural sites including

Mohatta Palace The Mohatta Palace ( ur, ) is a museum located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Designed by ''Muhammad komail Hussain'', the palace was built in 1927 in the posh seaside locale of Clifton as the summer home of Shivratan Mohatta, a Hindu Marwari bus ...

National Museum of Pakistan The National Museum of Pakistan ( ur, ) is located in Karachi, Pakistan. History The National Museum of Pakistan was established in Frere Hall on 17 April 1950, replacing the defunct Victoria Museum. Frere Hall itself was built in 1865 as a ...

Empress Market The Empress Market ( ur, , Sindhi: ايمپريس مارڪيٽ) is a marketplace situated in the Saddar Town locality of Karachi, Pakistan. The market traces its origins to the British Raj era, when it was first constructed. Today, it is among ...

Frere Hall Frere Hall ( ur, ) is a building in Karachi, Pakistan that dates from the early British colonial era in Sindh. Completed in 1865, Frere Hall was originally intended to serve as Karachi's town hall, and now serves as an exhibition space and li ...

Jehangir Kothari Parade Jehangir Kothari Parade ( ur, ) is a promenade built on land donated by Seth Jehangir Hormusji Kothari to the city of Karachi in 1919. It is situated on a hilltop on the Arabian Sea, in the Clifton Beach area of Karachi. Jehangir Kothari ...

Karachi Municipal Corporation Building The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Building is a colonial-era building located on M. A. Jinnah Road, in central Karachi. Construction began in 1927, completed in 1930, and the building was then inaugurated in 1932. It is considered to be on ...

and the Hindu Gymkhana. There are several beaches within the city, some of the most famous are Clifton Beach, French Beach,

Sandspit Beach Sandspit Beach is a beach located in south west of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is a very famous tourist spot. A remarkable variety of marine life are found here including algae and crabs. The shallow waters are ideal for swimming and sunbathi ...

and

Manora Island Manora ( sd, منهوڙو, ur, ) is a small peninsula that forms a protective barrier between Karachi Harbour to the north and the Arabian Sea to the south. Manora, having a total population of 4,273 local residents (as per 2017 census), was f ...

. The province forms the basin of the Indus River and has a number of lakes, including

Keenjhar Lake Keenjhar Lake ( sd, ڪینجھر ڍنڍ) commonly called Malik Lake ( ur, کلری Malik , sd, Maik ڍنڍ ) is located in Thatta District of Sindh the province of Pakistan. It is situated about from the city of Thatta. It is the largest fre ...

, Manchar Lake and Bakri Waro Lake. Kirthar National Park is a protected reserve for several wildlife species. The Thar Desert is also located in the province which adjoins Punjab and India. The

Great Rann of Kutch The Great Rann of Kutch (or Rann of Kutch seasonal salt marsh) is a salt marsh in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India. It is about 7500 km2 (2900 sq miles) in area and is reputed to be one of the largest salt de ...

is a protected wetland site in the province, which has two wildlife sanctuaries;

Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary The Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is the largest Ramsar site in Sindh, covering , and is located in the Rann of Kutch in Badin District, Sindh, Pakistan. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary by the government of Sindh in 1980. Description Th ...

and the Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. The

Sukkur Barrage Sukkur Barrage ( sd, سکر بئراج, ur, ) is a barrage on the River Indus near the city of Sukkur in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The barrage was built during the British Raj from 1923 to 1932 and was named Lloyd Barrage. The Sukkur Ba ...

was built to alleviate famines caused by lack of rain.

Port Grand Food and Entertainment Complex Port Grand Food and drink and Entertainment Complex is a recreational area built in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan along the waterfront of the 19th century Native Jetty Bridge that connects the Karachi Port Trust to Keamari. The project was a result ...

is a recreational area in the centre of Karachi that was built along the waterfront of the 19th-century

Native Jetty Bridge Native Jetty Bridge, also known as Napier Mole Bridge, is a bridge located in Karachi, Sindh which connects the city with the Port of Karachi. It is one of the oldest bridges in Karachi. History The modern port started its operations in 1854 duri ...

. The complex is expected to attract up to 5,000 visitors a day and is a major hub of shopping, dining, cultural and coastal recreational activities. Port Grand is located on

Napier Mole Bridge Native Jetty Bridge, also known as Napier Mole Bridge, is a bridge located in Karachi, Sindh which connects the city with the Port of Karachi. It is one of the oldest bridges in Karachi. History The modern port started its operations in 1854 duri ...

, which is historically significant to the city, and the 19th-century

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

is located in the north-west region of Pakistan and is popular with adventurers and explorers. The province has a varied landscape ranging from rugged mountains, valleys, hills and farms. There are a number of Buddhist archaeological sites from the Gandhara civilisation such as Takht Bhai and

Pushkalavati Pushkalavati ( ps, پشکلاوتي; Urdu: ; Sanskrit: ; Prākrit: ; grc, Πευκελαῶτις ) or Pushkaravati ( Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ), and later Shaikhan Dheri ( ps, شېخان ډېرۍ; ur, ), was the capital of the Gandhara kingd ...

, and other Buddhist and Hindu archaeological sites including Bala Hisar Fort,

Butkara Stupa The Butkara Stupa (Pashto: بت کړه سټوپا) is an important Buddhist stupa near Mingora, in the area of Swat, Pakistan. It may have been built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, but it is generally dated slightly later to the 2nd century BCE ...

, Kanishka stupa,

Chakdara Chakdara (چکدرہ) is a city in Lower Dir District. It's the 2nd largest city after Timergara. It serves as the educational center of Malakand Division and the Gateway of Lower Dir District . It is located north of Malakand near the confl ...

, Panjkora Valley and

Sehri Bahlol Seri Bahlol ( ur, ), also Sahr-i Bahlol or Sahri Bahlol, is a city and archaeological site located near Takht-i-Bahi, in Mardan District, about 70 kilometer north-west of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. History Seri Bahlol is a histor ...

. The province's capital city is

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

, which is home to a number of sites including Bala Hisar Fort, Peshawar Museum, archaeological site of Gor Khuttree, Mohabbat Khan Mosque, old city of

Sethi Mohallah Sethi Mohallah ( ur, سیٹھی محلہ), sometimes called Sethian Mohallah, is an old and traditionally arranged neighbourhood in the old city of Peshawar, Pakistan. The mohallah contains seven South Asian mansions built by the Sethi family tha ...

Jamrud Fort The Jamrud Fort is located beside Bab-e-Khyber at the entrance to the Khyber Pass from the Peshawar side in the tribal district of Khyber KPK, Pakistan. After death of Sardar General Hari Singh Nalwa Khalsa Sarkar Wazir Jawahar Singh nominated ...

, the Sphola Stupa and the market at

Qissa Khwani Bazaar The Qissa Khwani Bazaar ( ps, قصه خوانۍ بازار, ur, ; ''"Story-tellers market'') is a bazaar in Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Background The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (then North-West Frontier Provinc ...

. The city

Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan (; bal, , Urdu and skr, , ps, ډېره اسماعيل خان), abbreviated as D.I. Khan, is a city and capital of Dera Ismail Khan District, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 37th largest city of Pakistan ...

is known as the entrance into the province from Punjab and Balochistan, and for its Hindu ruins at

Kafir Kot Kafir Kot or Kafirkot (; ) is an ancient Hindu Temple complex in the Dera Ismail Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It consists of the ruins of five temples and a large fort. The Kafir Kot complex in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is often referr ...

Mardan Mardān (Pashto and ; Urdu ; Pashto: ) is a city in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Located in the Valley of Peshawar, Mardan is the second-largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (after Peshawar). It is a fast-growing ...

city has Buddhist ruins at

Shahbaz Garhi Shahbaz Garhi, or Shahbazgarhi, is a village and historic site located in Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is at an altitude of 293 metres (964 feet). It is about 12 km from Mardan city. It has mountains, green trees, ...

. In the north of the province is the

Swat valley Swat District (, ps, سوات ولسوالۍ, ) is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. With a population of 2,309,570 per the 2017 national census, Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pro ...

One of the most important cities in the province is

Mansehra Mansehra is a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and the headquarters of Mansehra District. It is the 71st largest city of Pakistan and 7th largest city in the province. The name of the city (written in Hindko, Urdu and Gojr ...

, which a major stop for tourists setting out to the

Northern Areas Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

and Azad Kashmir. The city is connected by the

, which ends in China. Along the route, there are several stops including the

Kaghan Valley The Kaghan Valley ( ur, ) is an alpine valley located in the Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The valley covers a distance of across northern Pakistan, rising from its lowest elevation of to its highest point at the Babusa ...

Balakot Balakot (; ur, ; ) is a town in Mansehra District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The town was destroyed during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, but was later rebuilt with the assistance of the Government of Pakistan and Saudi P ...

, Naran,

Shogran Shogran ( ur, ) is a hill station situated on a plateau in the Kaghan Valley, northern Pakistan at a height of above sea level. It is located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Shogran is located away from Balakot Balakot (; ur, ...

, Lake Saiful Mulook and

Babusar Top Babusar Pass or Babusar Top (Urdu: درہ بابوسر) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in Pakistan at the north of the 150 km (93 miles) long Kaghan Valley, connecting it via the Thak Nala with Chilas on the Karakoram Highway (KKH). I ...

. There are also several other sites that attract a large number of tourist every year including

Ayubia Ayubia National Park ( ur, ), also known as Ayubia ( ur, ), is a protected area of located in Abbottabad District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It was declared a national park in 1984. Ayubia was named after Muhammad Ayub Khan (19 ...

Batkhela Batkhela ( ps, بټ خيله, ur, بٹ خیلہ) is the main tehsil, city and capital of Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. According to the 6th Population & Housing Census - the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the population of Batkhela ...

Saidu Sharif Saidū Sharīf (Pashto/Urdu: ) is the capital of Swat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The city also serves as the capital city of Malakand Division. It was named after Saidu Baba, a prominent leader of the former Yusufz ...

Kalam Valley Kalam ( Kalami, Pashto, & ur, ) is a valley located from Mingora in the northern upper section of Swat valley along the banks of the Swat River in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The Swat River was formed as a result of the co ...

and

Hindu Kush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Province ...

mountain range in Chitral. Several mountain passes run through the province. One of the most famous is the Khyber Pass, which links Afghanistan with Pakistan. The trade route sees a large number of trucks and lorries transporting goods in and out of the region. The

Babusar Pass Babusar Pass or Babusar Top (Urdu: درہ بابوسر) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in Pakistan at the north of the 150 km (93 miles) long Kaghan Valley, connecting it via the Thak Nala with Chilas on the Karakoram Highway (KKH). It ...

connects Thak Nala with Chilas on the Karakorum Highway. The

Lowari Pass Lowari Pass ( ur, درہ لواری), or Lowari Top, (el. 10,230 ft.) is a high mountain pass that connects Chitral with Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lowari Top is a relatively low pass, by far the lowest pass to enter Chitral, ...

connects Chitral with Dir via the

Lowari Tunnel Lowari Tunnel ( ur, , ''Lowari Sarang'') is a vehicular tunnel under the Lowari Pass of the Hindu Kush mountains, between Dir and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is operated by the National Highway Authority and carr ...

. The highest mountain pass in Pakistan is the

Shandur Pass Shandur Pass( ur, ) is a pass located in Ghizer, District of Gilgit Baltistan . It is often called 'Roof of the World. During the annual ' Shandur Polo Festival,' there are polo matches played in Shandur Polo Ground on Shandur Top, between the ...

, which connects Chitral to Gilgit and is known as the "Roof of the World". The pass is the centre of the

Hindukush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Province ...

Pamir Pamir may refer to: Geographical features * Pamir Mountains, a mountain range in Central Asia ** Pamir-Alay, a mountain system in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, part of the Pamir Mountains *A pamir (valley) is a high plateau or valley surro ...

and Karakoram ranges.

Punjab

is the second-largest province in Pakistan. It is known for its ancient cultural heritage and its religious diversity. The

once ruled the region and a significant archaeological find was discovered at the ancient city of

Harrapa Harappa (; Urdu/ pnb, ) is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, now more often called the Indus Valley Civilisation, is named after the site, which takes its name from a mode ...

. The Gandhara civilisation was also dominant at the site of Taxila in the north of Punjab. Several other civilisations such as Greeks, Central Asians and Persians ruled Punjab, leaving a number of sites that still exist today. Islam arrived in the region during the rule of the

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...

followed by the Ghaznavids. The

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

took control of the region and ruled its land for several centuries. The Mughal heritage remained strong in Punjab with a large number of forts, tombs and monuments sintact today. The Durrani Empire ruled Punjab after the fall of the Mughal Empire for a short period following the rise of the

Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...

. The strong control of the Sikhs also left ta number of sites that have remained intact throughout Punjab. The

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

took control of the region until the

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

Another great bastion of Rohtas Fort by Usman Ghani

Tourism in Punjab is regulated by the ''Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab''. The province has a number of large cosmopolitan cities, including the provincial capital

. Major visitor attractions there include

and

, which are now recognised

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. The

Walled City of Lahore The Walled City of Lahore ( Punjabi & ur, , ''"Inner City"''), also known as Old City, forms the historic core of Lahore, Pakistan. The city was established around 1000 CE in the western half of the Walled City, which was fortified by a mud w ...

Badshahi Mosque The Badshahi Mosque ( Urdu, Punjabi: ; literally ''The Royal Mosque'') is a Mughal-era congregational mosque in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque is located west of Lahore Fort along the outskirts of the Walled ...

Wazir Khan Mosque ; ''Masjid Wazīr Khān'') is a 17th-century mosque located in the city of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque was commissioned during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a part of an ensemble of buildings tha ...

, Tomb of Jahangir and Nur Jahan, Tomb of Asaf Khan,

Chauburji Chauburji (Punjabi and ur, , "Four Towers") is a Mughal era monument in the city of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The monument was built in 1646 C.E. during the reign of the emperor Shah Jahan. It previously acted ...

and other major sites visited by tourists each year. Rawalpindi is a famous hill station stop for tourists. The

Pharwala Fort Pharwala Fort ( ur, ) is a 15th-century fort located near Kahuta Tehsil, about 40 km from Rawalpindi in Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab, Pakistan. The fort is naturally defended on one side by the Himalayas, Himalayan range and on the other by th ...

, which was built by an ancient Hindu civilisation, is on the outskirts of the city. The city of Sheikhupura also has a number of sites from the Mughal Empire, including the World Heritage-listed

Rohtas Fort Rohtas Fort or Rotas Ghur (Punjabi, ur, ; ''Qila Rohtas'') is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. An Afghan warlord turned Padishah, Sher Shah Suri built the fort, whic ...

near Jhelum. The

Katasraj temple The Shri Katas Raj Temples (Punjabi, ur, ) (Sanskrit: कटासराज) also known as Qila Katas (), is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. The temple complex surrounds a pond named ''Katas'' which is r ...

in the city of

Chakwal Chakwal (Punjabi and ur, ) is a city in Rawalpindi Division, Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 66th largest city of Pakistan by population. Chakwal is located 90 kilometres south-west of the federal capital, Islamabad and 270 kilomet ...

is a major destination for Hindu devotees. The Khewra Salt Mines is one of the oldest mines in South Asia.

Faisalabad Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...

's clock tower and eight bazaars were designed to represent the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

The province's southward is arid.

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the old ...

is known for its

mausoleums A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consi ...

of saints and Sufi pirs. The Multan Museum and Nuagaza tombs are significant attractions in the city. The city of

Bahawalpur Bahawalpur () is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. With inhabitants as of 2017, it is Pakistan's 11th most populous city. Founded in 1748, Bahawalpur was the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur, ruled by the Abbasi fa ...

is located near the

Cholistan The Cholistan Desert ( ur, ; Punjabi: ), also locally known as Rohi (), is a desert in the southern part of Punjab, Pakistan that forms part of the Greater Thar Desert, which extends to Sindh province and the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is on ...

and Thar deserts.

Derawar Fort Derawar Fort ( ur, ) is a fortress in Ahmadpur East Tehsil, Punjab, Pakistan. Approximately 20 km south of the city of Ahmedpur East, the forty bastions of Derawar are visible for many miles in the Cholistan Desert. The walls have a peri ...

in the

Cholistan Desert The Cholistan Desert ( ur, ; Punjabi: ), also locally known as Rohi (), is a desert in the southern part of Punjab, Pakistan that forms part of the Greater Thar Desert, which extends to Sindh province and the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is on ...

is the site for the annual Cholistan Jeep Rally. The city is also near the ancient site of

Uch Sharif Uch ( pa, ; ur, ), frequently referred to as Uch Sharīf ( pa, ; ur, ; ''"Noble Uch"''), is a historic city in the southern part of Pakistan's Punjab province. Uch may have been founded as Alexandria on the Indus, a town founded by Alexand ...

which was once a Delhi Sultanate stronghold. The

Noor Mahal The Noor Mahal ( ur, ) is a Pakistan Army-owned palace in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. It was built in 1872 like an Italian chateau on neoclassical lines, at a time when modernism had set in. It belonged to the Nawabs of Bahawalpur princely ...

, Sadiq Ghar Palace, Darbar Mall were built during the reign of the

Nawabs Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian, Punjabi , Sindhi, Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...

. The

Lal Suhanra National Park Lal Suhanra is a national park in Pakistan that is situated in the Bahawalpur district of Punjab province. It is one of South Asia's largest nationals parks, and is a UNESCO declared Biosphere Reserve. Lal Sohanra is notable for the diversity of ...

is a major zoological garden on the outskirts of the city.

Azad Kashmir

Azad Kashmir is situated in northern part of the country. The northern part of

encompasses the lower part of the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

, including Jamgarh Peak . Sarwali peak in the Neelum Valley is the highest peak in the province.

Ganga Choti Ganga Choti ( ur, ) is a peak near the Union Council Birpani village Bani Minhasan located in between Chikar, a historical city in ancient times especially Dogra and Budshah dynasty and one of the most beautiful Bagh District of Kashmir adminis ...

is a peak in Bagh. The province is fertile, green and mountainous.Azad Kashmir
at britannica.com

Islamabad Capital Territory

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...

, Pakistan's capital city, is located on the

Pothohar Plateau The Pothohar Plateau ( ur, ) is a plateau in north-eastern Pakistan, located between Indus River and the Jhelum River, forming the northern part of Punjab. Geography Potohar Plateau is bounded on the east by the Jhelum River, on the west by the ...

in the north-eastern part of the country between Rawalpindi District and the

Margalla Hills National Park Margalla Hills National Park ( ur, ) is a national park in Pakistan located in Islamabad Capital Territory, near its northern boundary with Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The park includes the Margalla Hills, which form the foothills of ...

to the north. The region has historically been a part of the crossroads of unjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the Margalla Pass acting as the gateway between the two regions.

Faisal Mosque The Faisal Mosque ( ur, , faisal masjid) is the national mosque of Pakistan, located in capital Islamabad. It is the fifth-largest mosque in the world and the largest within South Asia, located on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Pakistan's ...

(the largest mosque in South Asia,

, Daman-i-Koh,

Pakistan Monument The Pakistan Monument ( ur, ) is a national monument and heritage museum located on the western Shakarparian Hills in Islamabad, Pakistan. The monument was constructed to symbolize the unity of the Pakistani people. It is dedicated to the peopl ...

, Rawal Lake, Simli Lake and

Fatima Jinnah Park Fatima Jinnah Park ( ur, ), also known as Capital Park or F-9 Park, is a public recreational park that spans the whole of Sector F-9 of Islamabad, Pakistan. It is named after ''Mādar-e Millat'' Fatima Jinnah, the younger sister of the founde ...

are among the tourist attractions in the territory. It is ranked as the second most-beautiful capital city in the world

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The table lists information about each World Heritage Site in Pakistan. :Name: as listed by the

World Heritage Committee The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance ...

:Region: one of the 8 administrative units of Pakistan :Period: time period of significance, typically of construction :UNESCO data: the site's reference number; the year the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List; the criteria it was listed under: criteria ''(i)'' through ''(vi)'' are cultural, while ''(vii)'' through ''(x)'' are natural; meeting both criteria are categorized as "mixed sites" :Description: brief description of the site

Tentative list

In 2004, the

Ministry of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture. The position exists in many different countries under several names: *Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania) * Minist ...

pushed forward for new sites in Pakistan to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In total, 26 sites are awaiting to be categorised as of 2016 which include: *

– mosque built in 1673 during

Mugal Empire Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

* Shah Jahan Mosque,

– mosque built in 1647 by Shah Jahan *

– mosque built in 1635 by Shah Jahan *

Tomb of Asif Khan The Tomb of Asif Khan ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum located in Shahdara Bagh, in the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It was built for the Mughal Empire, Mughal statesman Abul-Hasan ibn Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Mirza Abul Hassan Jah, who ...

and Akbari Sarai Gateway in Lahore – mausoleum built in 1637 *

Tomb of Bibi Jawindi The Tomb of Bibi Jawindi ( ur, ) is one of the five monuments in Uch Sharif, Punjab, Pakistan, that are on the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Dating back to the 15th century, the shrine was built in the spirit of the historical ...

, Baha'al-Halim and Ustead, Mosque of Jalaluddin Bukhari,

– five monuments of historical figures *

Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam The Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (Punjabi and ur, ) located in Multan, Pakistan, is the mausoleum of the 14th century Punjabi Sufi saint Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fateh. The shrine is considered to be the earliest example of Tughluq architecture, ...

– tomb for Sufi Shah Rukn-e-Alam *

Chaukhandi Tombs The Chaukhandi ( ur, ; sd, چوڪُنڊي ) tombs form an early Islamic cemetery situated east of Karachi, Sindh province of Pakistan. The tombs are notable for their elaborate sandstone carvings. The tombs are similar in style to the elabo ...

– tombs built during Mughal Empire *

Central Karakoram National Park Central Karakoram National Park ( ur, ) is a national park located in Skardu district of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan. It encompasses some of the world’s highest peaks and largest glaciers. Internationally renowned for mountaineering, rock ...

– largest protected area in northern Pakistan *

Deosai National Park Deosai National Park () is a high-altitude alpine plain (plateau) and National Park located in Astore, Gilgit-Baltistan. Deosai Plains are situated at an average elevation of 4,114 metres (13,497 ft) above sea level and considered as the s ...

– a high-altitude alpine plain and a national park in Gilgit-Baltistan *

– a national park in

Hiran Minar Hiran Minar ( ur, ; or ''"The Deer Tower"'') is an early 16th-century Mughal era complex located in Sheikhupura, in the Pakistani province of Punjab. The complex was built at the site of a game reserve in honour of Mughal Emperor Jahangir' ...

and Tank, Sheikhupura – built by

Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

, Jahangir in 1606 *

– one of the oldest

ruins and archaeological sites *

Rehman Dheri Rehman Dheri or sometime Rahman Dheri () is a Pre-Harappan Archaeological Site situated near Dera Ismail Khan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. This is one of the oldest urbanised centres found to date in South Asia. Dated (3300 - 19 ...

– historical ruins of Indus Valley civilization * Harappa,

– historical ruins of the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

Katas Raj Temples The Shri Katas Raj Temples (Punjabi, ur, ) (Sanskrit: कटासराज) also known as Qila Katas (), is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. The temple complex surrounds a pond named ''Katas'' which is r ...

– temples near

which are attributed to Hindu Shahis Eras dating from about 615–950 CE * Nagarparkar Cultural Landscape – an important center of Jain religion and culture in Sindh *

Mansehra Rock Edicts Mansehra Rock Edicts are fourteen edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, inscribed on rocks in Mansehra in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The edicts are cut into three boulders and date back to 3rd century BC and they are written in the ancient Ind ...

– earliest writings of the third century BC *

Ranigat Ranigat (Pashto: راني ګټ) is a collection of 2nd century CE Buddhist ruins spread over an area of 4 square kilometers which dates from the Gandhara civilization. Ranigat is located in Buner Valley of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province ...

– archaeological remains of a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

monastic complex * Shahbazgarhi Rock Edicts,

– inscriptions of the

Mauryan The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

emperor,

Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

Baltit Fort Baltit Fort () is a fort in the Hunza valley, near the town of Karimabad, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. Founded in the 8th century CE, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004. The Mirs of Hunza ...

Hunza Valley The Hunza Valley ( bsk, , Wakhi: '; ur, ) is a mountainous valley in the northern part of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, formed by the Hunza River, bordering Ishkoman to the northwest, Shigar to the southeast, Afghanistan's Wa ...

– Tibetan-style fort built in the 13th century *

and the forts of

– located in

Jamshoro District Jamshoro District ( sd, ضلعو ڄام شورو, ur, ), is a district of Sindh province, Pakistan. Jamshoro city is the capital while Kotri is the largest city of the Jamshoro District. The district borders Dadu district to the north. To the e ...

– one of the largest forts in the world * Port of Banbhore – archaeological site of historical port city on the Indus River * The

Salt Range The Salt Range ( pnb, ) is a mountain range in the north of Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends along the south of the Potohar Plateau and the north of the Jhelum River. The ...

and

Khewra Salt Mine The Khewra Salt Mine (or Mayo Salt Mine) is in Khewra, north of Pind Dadan Khan, an administrative subdivision of Jhelum District, Punjab Region, Pakistan. The mine is in the Salt Range, Potohar plateau, which rises from the Indo-Gangetic Pla ...

– the second largest and oldest salt mine in the world * Karez System – in

Ziarat Juniper Forest The Ziarat Juniper Forest is a juniper forest in Ziarat, Balochistan, Pakistan. Geography These forests are spread around mountainous area of Ziarat and Mount Zarghoon. The mountains range from 1,181 to 3,488 meters elevation. The forests cover ...

– a juniper forest in

Other landmarks

Shrine_of_Pir_Hadi_Hassan_Bux_Shah_Jilani

Other landmarks and structures have not yet made the UNESCO Tentative List. Long before the creation of Pakistan after its partition from India in 1947, there existed diverse cultures and religions in the undivided India. India was the centre of various wars that led to several dynasties and tribes ruling its lands. They left behind landmarks, some of which have become national icons in Pakistan now whilst others need the attention of concerned authorities. Some of these include: *

Altit Fort Altit Fort ( ur, قلعہ التیت) is an ancient fort in the Altit town in the Hunza valley in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. It was originally home to the hereditary rulers of the Hunza state who carried the title of ' Mir', although they move ...

* Bala Hissar Fort in

Chaqchan Mosque The Chaqchan Mosque ( ur, مسجد چقچن; meaning “The Miraculous Mosque”) is a mosque in the city of Khaplu, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. Dating from 1370, the mosque is one of the oldest in the region, and dates f ...

Khaplu Khaplu ( Urdu: ) and ( Balti: ཁཔ་ལུ།), also spelt Khapalu, is a city that serves as the administrative capital of the Ghanche District of Gilgit-Baltistan, in northern Pakistan. Lying east of the city of Skardu, it was the second-la ...

Khaplu Palace Khaplu Palace ( ur, ; bft, ), locally known as Yabgo Khar, is an old fort and palace located in Khaplu, a city in Gilgit−Baltistan, Pakistan. The palace, considered an architectural heritage site and a significant tourist attraction, was ...

Mahabat Khan Mosque The Mahabat Khan Mosque (Pashto and ur, مہابت خان مسجد) ( hnd, مہابت خان مسیت), sometimes spelt Mohabbat Khan Mosque, is a 17th-century Mughal-era mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan. The mosque was built in 1630, and named aft ...

-A

Mughal Era The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

mosque in Peshawar *

Faisalabad Clock Tower , image = File:Kenta Kerr.JPG , caption = A close view of clock tower, Faisalabad , location = Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan , designer = , type = Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture , material = , length ...

and the Eight Bazaars * 17th- and 18th-century

* Faiz Mahal of the Talpur Mirs * Samadhi of Ranjit Singh * Mughal built the tomb of Asaf Khan at

Shahdara Bagh Shahdara Bagh ( ur, ; meaning “''King’s Way Garden”'') is a historic precinct located across the Ravi River from the Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan. Shahdara Bagh is the site of several Mughal era monumentally, including the Tomb of Ja ...

built during the rule of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

* The tomb of

Qutb-ud-din Aibak Qutb ud-Din Aibak ( fa, قطب‌الدین ایبک), (1150 – 14 November 1210) was a Turkic general of the Ghurid king Muhammad Ghori. He was in charge of the Ghurid territories in northern India, and after Muhammad Ghori's assassination i ...

, the first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the slave dynasty *

, built in 1927 * 18th-century

Omar Hayat Mahal Omar Hayat Mahal (), also spelt Umer Hayat Mahal, and alternatively known as Gulzar Manzil, is an early 20th-century wooden haveli mansion in Chiniot, Pakistan. The mansion was started in 1923, and was completed by 1935. The mansion, originally ...

* 19th-century Italian chateau

Noor Palace Noor palace is a 14th-century mansion in Knivsta, Sweden. Noor palace was confiscated as part of the reduction by King Charles XI in 1686, whereafter it was used as a royal hunting lodge. In 1689 King Charles XI sold the mansion to his adviser C ...

* The 3000 BC fort of

and Faiz Mahal in

* 16th-century fort at

Skardu , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan , pushpin_label_position ...

* Nagar Fort at Chitral Post-independence Pakistan retained its heritage by constructing sites to commemorate its independence by blending styles and influences from the past. Some of these include: *

Minar-e-Pakistan Minar E Pakistan ( ur, , literally "Tower of Pakistan") is a tower located in Lahore, Pakistan. The tower was built between 1960 and 1968 on the site where the All-India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution (which was later called the Pa ...

in Lahore *

Grand Jamia Mosque, Lahore Grand Jamia Mosque Lahore ( ur, ) is a mosque located in Bahria Town, Lahore, Pakistan. With a capacity of 70,000 worshippers, it is the third largest mosque in Pakistan and the fourteenth largest mosque in the world. Designed by Nayyar Ali Da ...

* The mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan,

* Bab-e-Pakistan a memorial site for the victims of the

in Islamabad * The mausoleum of Allama Muhammad Iqbal * The

Shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Hazrat Sayyid Usman Marwandi, (1177 - 19 February 1274) popularly known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (), was a Sufi saint and poet of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was born in Marwand, Sistan to a family from Baghdad ...

– Sufi Saint in Sindh *

Gorakh Hill , native_name = , nickname = Gorakh , settlement_type = , image_skyline = Image:Gorakh hilltop.jpg , imagesize = , image_alt ...

, Dadu – situated on one of the highest plateaus of Sindh

Tourism under Prime Minister Imran Khan

Prime minister

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

planned to boost tourism to create millions of jobs. In his first television address to the nation, he said; "Pakistan has huge tourism potential. We will promote tourism to strengthen the economy". The tourism industry in Pakistan has witnessed a boom as law and order has improved across the country in the last five years. The country of 220 million is known for its hospitality globally. Military operations launched by

Pakistan armed forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consist of three formally uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are ...

during 2013–2017 against militants wiped out terrorism and militancy across the country, especially in northern areas, paving the way for revival of tourism. The

has also eased the country's visa policy, which has played a key role in attracting a large numbers of foreign tourists. "We are improving processes to issue tourist visas, in particular for groups and champion initiatives, which strengthen our visa on arrival program and eliminate NoC condition for high potential tourist destinations besides providing four-star accommodation at affordable cost", said

Fawad Chaudhry Fawad Ahmed Hussain Chaudhry (born 7 April 1970) is a Pakistani politician and a senior member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, who was Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, in office since 14 April 2021 to 10 April 2022. Previously ...

, a minister in government. He also said; "peace had been restored and the local and foreign tourists were coming in large numbers to visit the scenic places and heritage sites". The Imran khan government organised the Pakistan Tourism Summit, which occurred on 2 and 3 April 2019 at

Jinnah Convention Centre Jinnah Convention Centre (also known as National Convention Centre) is an exhibition and convention centre based in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Currently managed by the Capital Development Authority, it has a seat ...

, Islamabad, and was attended by Prime Minister Khan, Foreign Minister

Shah Mehmood Qureshi Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi ( ur, ; born 22 June 1956) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 29th Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022. He previously held the post from 2008 to 2011. He has been a member of the Nationa ...

, Interior Minister Shehryar Afridi, Information Minister

, and some well-known international bloggers, who spoke about their experiences during the panel discussion and answered question from the participants. Due to these measures, 1.9 million tourists visited Pakistan in 2018 and as of 2020, tourism in the country has increased by more than 300%.

List of tourist regions and sites

In October 2006, ''

'' released what it described as "The top five tourist sites in Pakistan". Pakistan was ranked 47 out of 200 countries in an analysis of the

's (WTTC) growth figures by Lovehomeswap.com, which said, "If the country becomes more peaceful, visitor numbers are predicted to rise".

Ski resorts and areas

Malam Jabba ski resort Malam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba, Urdu: مالم جبہ) is a Hill Station and ski resort in the Hindu Kush mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad ...

Naltar ski resort Naltar ski resort ( ur, ) is a ski resort situated in the Karakoram range of the Naltar Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan province, Pakistan at a top elevation of . The resort is located, 40 kilometers northwest of Gilgit Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ...

Nathia Gali Nathia Gali or Nathiagali ( ur, ) is a hill station and mountain resort town located in the Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located at the centre of the Galyat range, where several hill stations are situated. Na ...

Shimshal Shimshal (old name: Shingshal) ( ur, شمشال) is a village located in Gojal Tehsil of Hunza District, in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan. It lies at an altitude of above sea level and is the highest settlement in the district. It is ...

Rattu Rattu is a small village town located at the Astore district in the Northern Areas now known as Gilgit Baltistan of Pakistan. Rattu has been traditionally used as a route for traders going to Kashmir from Astore, Gilgit and others parts of presen ...

* Astore

Valleys

Lakes

Waterfalls

Data

Arrivals by year

1990s

2000s

2010s

Gallery

Gilgit Baltistan

File:Shangrila, Lower Kachura Lake.jpg, Shangrila Lake and adjoining resort File:Rakaposhi, Nagar GB (Pakistan).jpg, The

Rakaposhi Rakaposhi ( ur, ) is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range of the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan. Geography Rakaposhi is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range in the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan, about north of the ...

mountain towers over

File:Unexpected Snow in Katpana Skardu.jpg, Cold Desert, Skardu is the world's highest desert. File:Aqua Ambulance.jpg, Ambulance on Attabad Lake

File:K2 2006b.jpg, K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth

Balochistan

File:2Kund Malir.jpg, Kund Malir File:Pakistan's northern City of Quetta.JPG, Tourists camped over

File:Quaid-e-azam Residence in Ziarat.jpg,

File:Ormara Pakistan.jpg,

File:Baluchistan Canyons.jpg,

, Makran, Pakistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

File:Lake-saif-ul-malook Pakistan.jpg,

, located at the northern end of the

, near the town of Naran in the

Saiful Muluk National Park Saiful Muluk National Park ( ur, ) is situated in the Kaghan Valley within the Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The park was officially declared in 2003,

. File:Atror, Swat KPK (Pakistan).jpg,

Utror Utror, also spelt Atror, is a valley located in the Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is surrounded by snow clad mountains, green pastures and waterfalls. The area of the valley is about . Utror is away from Kalam Valley and f ...

, Swat File:Siri Payee Meadows and Makra Peak.jpg, Payee meadows in

File:Qaqlasht, Chitral Pakistan.jpg, Tourists playing cricket in Chitral File:Bala_Hisar_Fort.jpg, Bala Hissar Fort in

Punjab

File:Badshahi Masjid at Sunset.jpg,

File:Minar e Pakistan night image.jpg,

File:Lahore Fort view from Baradari.jpg,

File:Food street lahore.JPG, One of the several food streets in

File:Entrance of Noor Mahal.jpg,

is a palace in

Sindh

File:MohattaPalace.jpg,

File:Frere Hall Karachi. Pakistan.jpg,

File:HawksBay Beach.jpg,

Hawke's Bay Beach Hawke's Bay or Hawkesbay is a beach in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, located 20 km southwest of Karachi city. The beach is named after Bladen Wilmer Hawke, who owned a house on the beach during the 1930s. The beach is very popular, with hundr ...

File:Mohenjo-daro.jpg,

Mohenjo-daro Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';Lansdowne Bridge,

Azad Kashmir

File:Kel Taobut Road Neelum Valley AJK.JPG,

Taobat Taobat ( ur, ) is a village in Sharda Tehsil in Neelam Valley, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located from Muzaffarabad and from Kel. It is the last station in Neelam valley. It is also the nearest location from where Neelam River enters ...

, Neelum Valley File:Saral Lake proper.jpg,

Saral Lake Saral Lake is located on border of Neelam and Kaghan Valley in Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, wit ...

, Neelum Valley File:View From Sharda Fort, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan.jpg, A View of

Sharda, Azad Kashmir Sharda ( ur, ), also known as Shardi, is a small Tehsil in Neelam District in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is one of the two ''tehsils'' of Neelum district, and is located on the banks of the Neelum river at an altitude of . Etymology and historic ...

File:Ganga Choti.jpg,

Bagh Bagh ( fa, باغ, link=no, meaning "garden") may refer to: Places India * Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh, India * Bagh, Dhar, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India Iran * Bagh, Ardabil, a village in Ardabil Province * Bagh, Larestan, a village ...

Lake of Chitta Khatta, Kashmir.jpg, Chitta Katha Lake

Islamabad Capital Territory

File:Shah Faisal Masjid, Islamabad.JPG,

File:Faisal Masjid seen from Margalla Hills.jpg, A view of

Margalla Hills The Margalla Hills () are a hill range within the Margalla Hills National Park on the northern edge of Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, just south of Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They are part of the Himalayan foothills. Th ...

File:Pakistan Monument at Night.jpg,

File:Rawal dam.jpg, Rawal Dam,

File:Crescent and Star Monument.jpg, Star and Crescent Monument near the start of

Shakarparian Shakarparian (; also known as Shakarparian Hills) is a hill, and a national park located near the Zero Point Interchange in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan Monument and Pakistan Monument Museum are also located in Shakarparian. The old Gakhars ...

Visa policy of Pakistan

Visitors to Pakistan typically must obtain a

visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

from one of the

Pakistani diplomatic missions This is a list of diplomatic missions of Pakistan, excluding honorary consulates. As the fifth-most populous country and the second-most populous country in the Muslim world, Pakistan has an extensive and large diplomatic network around the worl ...

. Indians are only eligible for business, pilgrim or Visitor Visas to Pakistan. The pilgrim VISA allows Indians to visit 15 sites in Pakistan for religious tourism – they will be given a visitor visa. The Visitor Visa is granted if you have close family members or friends in Pakistan and you can only visit a maximum of 5 cities for 3 months.

References

External links

eVisa and Visa on Arrival
Government of Pakistan
Ministry of Tourism, Government of Pakistan

Sindh Tourism Development Corporation

Department of Tourism, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Official site, Government of Balochistan

Department of Tourism, Government of Punjab

Department of Culture & Tourism, Government of Sindh

Department of Tourism, Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Department of Tourism, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tourism In Pakistan

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

Overview

Image and influencers

Tourist visas

Tourism by province and territory

Gilgit-Baltistan

Balochistan

Sindh

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Punjab

Azad Kashmir

Islamabad Capital Territory

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Tentative list

Other landmarks

Tourism under Prime Minister Imran Khan

List of tourist regions and sites

Ski resorts and areas

Valleys

Lakes

Waterfalls

Data

Arrivals by year

1990s

2000s

2010s

Gallery

Gilgit Baltistan

Balochistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Punjab

Sindh

Azad Kashmir

Islamabad Capital Territory

Visa policy of Pakistan

See also

References

Further reading

External links