Cultural and historical Tour of Southern Pakistan
Sherbaz Hiroshima
Pakistan often makes the headlines for all the wrong reasons. However, it is a land filled with colour and contrast, offering the adventurous traveller a stunning wealth of culture, tradition and natural beauty. This remarkable journey travels through the Indus Valley encompassing everything from Sufi tombs and desert fortresses, to bustling bazaars and lively cities, as we travel from the streets of Karachi and deep into the Punjab. Beginning in Karachi we’ll have a chance to explore one of Pakistan’s most exciting and historic cities, discover the tombs of some of the country’s most revered mystics and poets, visit the UNESCO World Heritage ruins of Mohenjodaro and travel into the deserts of Cholistan to see the imposing fortress of Derawar. In Multan we explore the renowned City of the Sufis, before moving on to Lahore, the cultural heart of the Punjab. The second largest city after Karachi, it offers a backdrop of the traditional walled city and the chaos and clamour of one of the most vibrant cities in the country, where we discover the historic and religious reminders of the Moghul, Sikh and British Empires. Highlight
Explore Karachi, Pakistan’s most cosmopolitan city situated on the Arabian Sea Visit the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites at Makli Hill, Mohenjo-daro & Harappa Soak up the historic highlights of Lahore, the largest Punjabi city in the world and the country’s cultural and artistic capital Go in search of mystics, philosophers and poets as you explore Multan, the City of the Sufis Witness the dramatic closing of the gate ceremony at the Wagah border between India and Pakistan Learn about the local Nawabs as you journey through the Cholistan Desert and visit the imposing Dewer Fort,
Well, this itinerary includes 11 days you may use this full day activities during your journey in Southern India valley trip.
Day -01 TOUR STARTS IN KARACHI
This afternoon we will begin our tour of the city with a visit to the Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi. Born in Medina in 720 AD and widely revered throughout Pakistan, he was considered the patron saint of Karachi. Later we will have an opportunity to visit Clifton Beach, the National Museum and the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Overnight in Karachi.
Day -02/KARACHI – HYDERABAD
Departing Karachi after breakfast this morning, we'll drive on to the city of Hyderabad. The journey takes us by way of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Chakundi Tomb and Makli Hill, home to one of the largest necropolises in the world, and the Shah JahanMosque at Thatta, built during the golden age of Mughal architecture. Time permitting, we can also enjoy brief stops at the Chaukhandi tombs and the ancient port city .
Day -03 HYDERABAD – LARKANA
From Hyderabad the adventure continues through the north-west regions of Sindh province, towards the historic city of Larkana. Stops en route at the shrines of the famous Sufi saints of Lal Shahbaz Qalander and Abdul Latif Bhittai provide a chance to discover more about these revered mystics, philosophers and poets, before continuing on to our overnight stop in Larkana, on the banks of the River Indus.The site at Mohenjo-daro (Mound of the Dead) was abandoned as far back as the 19th century BC. Here we will have the chance to visit this impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day -04 LARKANA – SUKKUR
Larkana is home to one of the largest and oldest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation. We continue in the afternoon to the village of Ranipur to the archeological and historical site of Kot Diji Fort, formally known as Fort Ahmadabad. Built between 1785 and 1795 by Mir SohrabKhan Talpur, founder of the Upper Sindh Kingdom in 1783, the fort was strategically placed on the edge of the desert to intercept any enemies approaching from the east before they could refresh their supplies after a long journey through the desert. Our journey today ends in Sukkur where we can admire the impressive Sukkur Barrage, an engineering marvel of this region. Overnight stay at Hotel.
Day -05 SUKKUR – BAHAWALPUR
A full day's drive takes us north on to Bahawalpur, once part of an independent princely state that was founded in 1802 by Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan II. The road passes by the city of Uch Sharif, which was believed to have been founded by Alexander the Great in 325 BC at the confluence of the Indus and Chenab Rivers. Here we stop to visit the beautiful tomb of Bibi Jawindi, one of the five monuments in Uchvillage which today is a pilgrimage site for Muslims visiting Sufi shrines. From here we then complete the journey on to Bahawalpur. Resume sightseeing and back to Hotel for Overnight stay.
Day -06 BAHAWALPUR – MULTAN
A morning tour of Bahawalpur today provides an opportunity to discover a little something of its historic and cultural highlights relating to the local Nawabs, along with modern day local market. Departing the city after the visit, we'll then head on towards Multan, located on the banks of the Chenab River Multan (Madinat-ul-Auliya) is known as the City of the Sufis, or the City of the Saints, largely due to the abundant number of Sufi shrines that lie scattered across the city. Amongst the monuments that we will visit today are included the shrines of Shah Rukn-i-Alam, Bhahuddin Zikria and Shams Tabraz. We'll also have an opportunity to spend some time exploring the Old Bazaar..
Day -07 MULTAN – LAHORE
From Multan the journey next takes us on to the capital of the Punjab, as we drive to Lahore, the largest Punjabi city in the world and the country’s cultural and artistic capital. Stopping en route at the famous archaeological site at Harappa, we'll have a chance to discover the remains of a Bronze Age fortified city whose origins have been dated back to 2600BC. This afternoon we continue our journey to the colonial city of Lahore where we stay for the next two Nights.
08 LAHORE SIGHTSEEING
The historic capital of both the Moghul and Sikh empires, the city also played a significant part in the British governance of the Punjab. Home to a remarkable collection of cultural and historic highlights, our tour over the next days includes visits to the Lahore Museum, the Badshahi Mosque, and LahoreFort along with several local shrines and mosques. Along with visits to the old town, we will also head out east to the WagahBorder to witness the dramatic flag lowering ceremony. Back to Hotel for overnight stay.
Day -09 LAHORE -ISLAMABAD –RALWALPINDI
Following breakfast we will toward to Islamabad via Grand Trunk Road or Motorway en route visit 16th century built garrasion Rohtas Fort build by Farid Khan later renowned Sher Shah Suri king of Afghanistan. Drive you most stunning and modern architecture feature of Faisal Masjid with fabulous views of Himalayans and Margalla Hills. Visit 400 year old Hindu temple and Art gallery of Islamabad in Saidpurvillage, unity and identity of Pakistan Monument, Pakistan deep depicted culture of 4 Province including Giglit BaltisanHeritage /Museum, Visit twin city of most mass crowded city Rawalpindi. Overnight stay in Islamabad.
Day /10 ISLAMABAD –TAXILA SITES-
Proceed to Taxila drive on Grand Truck Road –visit TaxilaMuseum, Dharmarajica Stupa-Sirikup and Julian sites which was used learning University for monks. Ancient Taxila, has been excavated several times over the last century. It contains several strata of ruins: the earliest dating from the 6th-5th century BCE; the second from the 4th century BCE which existed at the time of Alexander the Great’s invasion; the third from the time of the Maurya kings in the 3rd c. BCE, and the last containing post-Mauryan structures. Afternoon back to Islamabad for local sightseeing. Evening Dinner, after dinner we will transfer to Airport with a lot of good memories from colorful culture and rich history of Pakistan. Islamabad Airport
