beauty of Pakistan
Top 20 Places to Visit in Pakistan 2023
Table of Contents
Natural Beauty of Pakistan
There are enormous beautiful places to visit in Pakistan. The country is full of the most beautiful scenic sights in the world. Sea, mountains, rivers, deserts are all there. But it can be said that the beauty of Pakistan lies in its hundreds of natural lakes, fountains and valleys. In 2019, International Forbes Magazine released a list of the top 10 travel countries, with Pakistan being included in the list. In 2018, the British Backpacker Society recognizes Pakistan as one of the best travel destinations and tourist safe countries in the world. They said that the mountainous scenery of Pakistan is much more beautiful than you can imagine. And the World Economic Forum’s Travel Report says that Pakistan is the country with the greatest tourism potential in the world. Pakistan occupies 25 percent of the travel destinations around the world.
A Country with Oldest Civilizations
Not only the beautiful scenic tourist areas but Pakistan also occupy some of the world’s oldest archeological sites. The Mehergarh civilization, which lasted about five thousand years, was created in Pakistan seven thousand years before the Prophet Jesus was born. They cultivated land, sowed crops, raised livestock. Subsequent civilizations include the Mahenjodaro civilization, Harappan civilization, Indus civilization, Taxila civilization, which belong to the World Heritage. There are also numerous extinct cultures scattered throughout the country, claiming immense importance at national and local levels.
In this article, we’ll describe the top 20 places to visit in Pakistan, including both natural and archaeological sites. It may interest you a bit about the beauty of Pakistan.
1. Mohenjodaro
‘Mohenjodaro’ (alternative spellings ‘Mahenjodaro’, ‘Mohenjo-daro’) is a thrilling place to visit in Pakistan as well as South Asia. The ruins carrying precious relics of human civilization of the copper age. It is located in Larkana district of Sindh province, Pakistan. Built 2600 BC, on the banks of the Indus, it was one of the oldest cities in the world that is contemporary to the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Crete. But with the well-planned infrastructure and excellent drainage system of that time, Mohenjodaro could compete with any modern city of the present days. The archaeological ruins of Mohenjodaro are currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. Taxila
Taxila is a city and an important archeological site located in Rawalpindi district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city is 549 meters high above sea level. There are many traces of the Neolithic period. Human settlement has probably evolved here since ancient times. The city was once the capital of Gandhara. It also has the reputation of being the oldest university in the world. Also, the ancient Taxila city was an important center of Hindu and Buddhism. In 1980, Taxila has declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site with several areas. The Guardian magazine selected it as the top tourist destination of Pakistan in 2006. It is said that Kautilya wrote his Arthashatra in this city.
3. Neelam Valley
It’s a bow-shaped valley, 144 kilometers long. Located in the Himalayan foothills in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The valley, washed by the Neelam River, a reservoir of natural beauty. It has a unique panoramic view. The hilly river is buzzing with a loud noise. High mountains and dense green forests on the two banks made a spectacular natural scenery that will take you to a dreamland.
4. Hunza Valley
It is a mountainous valley in Gilgit-Baltistan province, Pakistan. It is a royal valley situated to the northwest of the Hanja River. Located at an altitude of two and a half thousand meters, the valley has three stages – Upper Hunza, Central Hunza and Lower Hunza.
You will find many things to see in this valley. Rakaposhi Base Camp, Diran Base Camp, Hopper Glacier and Atta Abad Lake will satisfy their thirst for beauty.
5. Kangan Valley
Kangan Valley is a touristy and scenic valley located northeast of Mansehra District. Travelers from all over the world rush to visit this fascinating place in Pakistan. The valley is one of the most spectacular in many fields, surrounded by fascinating natural beauty. There are assemblages of all the extraordinary lakes here—Lulu Sar, Dudipat Sar, Saiful Mulk Lake, Babusar ravine and many more.
6. Badshahi Masjid
Badshahi Masjid, located in Lahore, is the second-largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia, and the fifth largest mosque in the world. Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor, built the mosque in 1671, and in 1673 the construction was completed. This mosque beautifully carries the architectural traces of the Mughal Empire.
7. Wazir Khan Mosque
Wazir Khan Mosque is a Mughal era mosque located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The construction of this mosque began in 1634 under the rule of Emperor Shah Jahan and finished in 1642. It is recognized as one of the most decorated mosques of the Mughal era.
8. Murree Hill
This mountain will call you on a summer vacation. This summer vacation center is located on the sub-division of Murree in Rawalpindi district. Tourists from all over the world come here for summer vacation, and in winter to see the amazing snowfall.
9. Ziarat
Ziarat, the capital of Ziarat district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. This magnificent mountain-bound city is a favorite destination for travelers.
10. Shahjahan Mosque
Shahjahan Mosque is a famous mosque in Pakistan. It is a unique architectural sign of the Middle Ages. The mosque was founded in 1647 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The beautiful mosque is made of red brick and blue tile.
11. Shandur Pass
The highest polo ground in the world located here. Its height is 3738 meters above sea level. This is where every summer a gathering polo festival is held. The Shandur col united the Chitral and the Gilgit. Tourists from all over the world rush to see this magnificent gorge. Especially for enjoying the colorful and ‘free-style’ polo contest.
12. Mehergarh
The civilization of Mehergarh is an ancient civilization from 7000 BC to 3200 BC. Jean-François Jarrige and Richard Meadow discovered the civilization of Mehergarh in 1929. Now it is known as the oldest civilization in the world. As this was discovered, the antiquity of the history of India dates back to 7000 BC or earlier. So, it is fair to say that the claim of being developed the world’s oldest civilization in Egypt or Sumer is not correct. The Mehergarh civilization had survived for over 4000 years. It was founded about 4,000 years ago of Harappa civilization and about nine thousand years before today. The discovery of the Mehergarh civilization meant that the Harappan civilization did not suddenly dissolve. Its emergence as a result of long-term evolution.
13. Harappa
Harappa is an archeological site in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located 35 km west of Sahiwal. The site is named after a local village on the bank of the old river Ravi. Here are the ruins of an ancient Bronze Age fortress, which identifies it as part of the Cemetery H culture and Indus civilization. It was a big city in the world of that era.
The ancient Harappa town was severely damaged during the British period. The Lahore-Multan Railway was constructed by collecting bricks from the ruins of the archaeological town of Harappa. The region that carries the invaluable marks of prehistoric Harappa civilization, is currently on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
14. Faisal Mosque
The Faisal Masjid is the largest mosque in Pakistan, which is located in the country’s capital, Islamabad. The mosque was built in 1986 with the help of the then Saudi King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz and designed by renowned Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay. The mosque looks a lot like a tent for Bedouin of the desert. It covers a wide area of 54,000 square feet. The mosque has four minarets at its four corners, each with a height of 80 meters (260 feet). The King Faisal Mosque is used throughout the world as a symbol of Islamabad. Almost 74,000 people in the main area of the mosque and another 200,000 people in the extensive joined area can perform Salat together with the congregation. From 1986 to 1993, the mosque was the largest in the world. Later, when the Hassan-2 mosque was built in Morocco, the King Faisal Mosque lost its first position, but it still retains its glory of being the largest mosque in South Asia.
15. Makran Coastal Highway (Buzi Pass)
The Makran coastal highway begins from Karachi and passes through Gwadar to the Iran border. The highway is more than 770 km long and runs along the shores of the Arabian Sea. It is recognized as one of the most dangerous and exciting roads in the world. Going thousands of feet above the surface, you can see curved mountains standing both the sides of this road across hundreds of miles. There are huge sculptures of stone on top of some mountains. The part of the long highway that is most popular to travelers is the Buzi Pass. Over these strange and rough mountains, there is a live volcano and Hingol National Park.
16. Keenjhar Lake
It is the second largest freshwater lake in Pakistan. Its distance from Karachi is 122 km and about 36 km (22 miles) from Thatta city. Keenjhar Lake is an important source of fresh drinking water for Thatta and Karachi. The lake is popular to local tourists as well as many foreign travelers. Due to the abundance of winter birds, it has been declared a wildlife sanctuary. There are facilities for picnics, swimming, fishing and boating for tourists. In the middle of the lake, there is the tomb of the famous Sindhi writer Nuri Jam Tamachi.
17. Ranikot Fort
Ranikot fort is located in Jamshoro district of Sindh province of Pakistan. This is the largest fort in the world, with a circumference of about 32 km. It’s called ‘The Great Wall of Sindh’. According to archeologists, the fort is built in the seventeenth century. Since 1993, the fort has been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Ranikot fort is surrounded by thick stony walls on three sides and on the north the high Kirthar hill serves as a natural wall. Within 3 km of the main fort, there is another smaller fort inside named ‘Miri Fort’, by which the king’s palace was protected. Ranikot Fort, encompassed by the long zigzag-shaped wall, has 4 entrance gates: Sann Gate, Amri Gate, Shah-Pere Gate and Mohan Gate.
Ranikot Fort is 90 km north from Hyderabad. However, it can be easily accessed from Karachi via The Sindh Highway. Going from Karachi to Sann, you’ll take a narrow road leaving the Sindh highway. From here, the distance to the east gate of Ranikot fort is only 21 km.
18. Sheosar Lake
Deosai National Park has a good reputation. This is one of the stunning and diverse parks of the world. Since a wide variety of wildflowers bloom here, the park has been given the title of ‘a bed of flowers’. The Sheosar lake is naturally formed inside this park, which is situated in Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan. At 13,589 feet above the surface, the lake is also recognized as one of the tallest lakes in the world. From November to May, Deosai is covered with ice. And in the springtime the whole area becomes colorful and vibrant with different types of flowers and butterflies. Most visitors come here during the spring, that is, from June to September.
19. Payee Meadows
Payee Meadows is another interesting place to visit in Pakistan for travelers. It is 6 km from Shogran village in Kaghan Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The grassland is 9,500 feet above the ground. It’s surrounded by several other nice places to visit, such as Makra Peak, Malika Parbat, Musa ka Musala and the dense green mountains of Kashmir. In the middle of the pasture is a lake of fresh water. All these will impress you. However, since the place is very high, you may experience a slight problem with normal breathing.
20. Makli Cemetery
Makli Cemetery is the largest mausoleum in the world, which covers an area of 20 km in Thatta district of Sindh province, Pakistan. For the last 400 years, an estimated 5 to 10 million people have been buried here. There are also many large tombs in the Makli Cemetery, mainly of royal family or Sufi saints. In 1981, the Makli Cemetery was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourists who have an interest in history and heritage love to visit the place.