Top 5 Places to Visit in Pakistan

Admire its snowy summit, its fertile valleys, shrines, palaces and provinces. The country is a mystical land with many mountain peaks, beautiful valleys, historical sites etc. Pakistan is home to most of the highest mountain peaks of the world and is also the home to a 5000 years old ancient civilization, the Indus Valley Civilization.

The country is very bio-diverse and contains all kinds of geological structures, starting sea and deserts to snow covered mountains. The best time to visit Pakistan is early autumn, from September to October when the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold.

The top 5 places to visit in Pakistan are as follows:

Karachi

It would not be right to try to understand Pakistan without going through Karachi, the capital of the province of Sindh. This metropolis is not only the largest city in the country but it is also the financial, shopping and cultural center of the nation.

The city is the home to many historic buildings (the Government House and St. Patrick's Cathedral are some of them), several major cultural institutions (among which may be mentioned the National Academy of Performing Arts and the All Pakistan Music Conference) and interesting museums such as the Mohatta Palace Museum and National Museum of Pakistan.

Lahore

Lahore is regarded as the cultural capital of Pakistan and is home to many Mughal era gardens, buildings and monuments. Lahore has been the center of Punjabi culture for centuries and was also an important city under the Mughals. In fact, Lahore was the capital of the Mughal Empire in India, during the rule of Akbar the Great, for a period of 14 years.

The different places of interest are: Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Shalimar Gardens, Shish Mahal, Jehangir’s Mausoleum, Mosque of Wazir Khan, Anarkali Bazaar and Lahore Museum etc. You should also visit the restaurants in the old part of the city to enjoy the best of Punjabi cuisine.

Islamabad

The capital of Pakistan is a twin city of Rawalpindi and is a beautiful planned city. There are many governmental buildings, shopping malls and parks in Islamabad which are worth visiting. Many tourists travel to Islamabad to explore the seat of government in Pakistan and the different federal buildings spread across the city. The city also serves as a gateway to the province of Sindh and the mountainous Swat valley.

There are many international food chains in the city, making it the ideal place to enjoy continental or American food. The key tourist attractions in Islamabad include the Grand Mosque of Pakistan, Lok Virsa Museum, Pakistan Museum of Natural History, National Art Gallery, Pakistan Railways Heritage Museum, Rohtas Gallery, Japanese Park, Islamabad Zoo etc.

Swat Valley

The semi-autonomous Swat valley is regarded as an unexplored paradise which lies in the heart of the Hindukush Mountains. There are beautiful valleys, lush green forests, high mountains, majestic lakes, mighty rivers etc. that makes the Swat valley a great place for tourists. This region is often regarded as the Switzerland of the East.

There are many opportunities for adventure activities like mountain climbing, skiing, forest treks etc, in this region. However, one must remember that there has been intense fighting going on in this region between the Pakistan Army and the local tribal rebels.

Azad Kashmir

It is the part of the Kashmir which is administered by the Government of Pakistan and is a part of the Kashmir valley which is universally known as "Paradise on Earth".

This region is the home to beautiful mountains and valleys, lakes, rivers and meadows that cannot be found anywhere else in this planet.