The world's most underrated mountain country — five of the world's fourteen 8,000m peaks are in Pakistan, the Hunza Valley's apricot orchards bloom in April, and Lahore's Mughal monuments rival the Taj Mahal.
- Capital
- Islamabad
- Population
- 241,499,431
- Area
- 803,940 km²
- Languages
- English, Urdu
- Currency
- Pakistan Rupee (PKR)
Good to know
Driving side
Left
National dish
Biryani, Nihari
Annual visitors
966,000 (2012)
Safety
Moderate (4.33/100k)
Big Mac
$3.86
Avg temp
21.4°C
Religion
Islam
Coast
Coastal
☎ Police 15 · Ambulance 15 · Fire 15
Travel guide
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستان Pākistān) is a country at the crossroads of Western, Central, South and East Asia. Conceived as a separate homeland for Muslims in South Asia, the country's tourism industry had its heyday during the 1960s thanks to the Hippie Trail. Unfortunately, the country has been in a state of flux since the 1970s, with many countries declaring it unsafe to visit. Despite this, Pakistan continues to attract tourists due to its unique, diverse cultures and landscapes. The history buff can rejoice at the vast number of ruins from ancient civilisations, such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila; the architecture lover can feast their eyes at Mughal-era architecture; and the adventurous traveller can try their luck at scaling the vast number of mountain peaks, including K2.
© Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
Explore Pakistan
Best time to visit
Hunza Valley and Northern Pakistan: March–November (peak April–June for blossom). K2 Base Camp trek: June–August. Lahore and cultural sites: October–March. Summer in the plains is extremely hot (50°C). Lahore in spring (February–March) is spectacular.
Visa
Citizens of US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and 175+ other countries can apply for a tourist e-Visa at visa.nadra.gov.pk or Pakistan's online portal. Visa on arrival is also available for many nationalities.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (6)
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