The Pakistan Maritime Museum, run by the Navy off Karsaz Road, is built around a decommissioned submarine you can walk through from bow to stern, alongside a former warship, a maritime patrol aircraft and galleries on naval and maritime history. It is open every day of the year, with no weekly closure, and stays open into the evening. This guide covers what there is to see, the ticket prices, and how to plan a visit with children.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Habib Ibrahim Rehmatullah Road, Karsaz, Karachi |
| Open | Every day, no weekly closure |
| Hours | About 9 am to 10 pm on weekdays, until 11 pm at weekends |
| Entry | A modest base ticket; extra charges to board the submarine and aircraft |
| Good for | Families and children; most visitors spend 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Nearby | PAF Museum, a short drive away on the same road |
The submarine: the main attraction
The museum's best-known exhibit is a decommissioned Pakistan Navy submarine, open for visitors to walk through compartment by compartment, past the torpedo tubes, control room and crew quarters. It is the closest most visitors will ever get to seeing how a submarine crew actually lived and worked, and it is the one exhibit almost everyone who visits mentions afterwards.
Boarding the submarine costs a small amount on top of the base entry ticket. The walkways and hatches are narrow and involve ducking and stepping over raised thresholds, so it suits most children and adults but is a tighter fit for anyone with limited mobility.
Ships, aircraft and other exhibits
Alongside the submarine, the museum displays a former warship and a maritime patrol aircraft, both of which visitors can go aboard for a small additional fee, along with a traditional wooden dhow representing the region's older seafaring tradition. Indoor galleries cover the history of the Pakistan Navy, marine life along the coast, and the country's ports and shipping, with models, uniforms and photographs filling in the detail between the large outdoor exhibits.
There is also a science gallery with interactive displays, aimed more directly at younger visitors than the historical sections.
Ticket prices
As of 2026, adult entry is around PKR 60, with a lower rate for children and students, and separate small charges of around PKR 20 each to board the submarine and the aircraft. Budgeting roughly PKR 100 per adult covers a full visit with both add-ons. Museum prices in Pakistan change from time to time, so treat these figures as a guide and confirm the current rates at the gate.
Activities for children
The submarine and the outdoor ships are the obvious draw for most children, and the science gallery adds a more hands-on stop indoors. Because the site is spread across open ground with several separate exhibits, it works well as a half-day family outing rather than a quick stop, and the museum's long hours mean an evening visit after the day's heat has eased is just as easy as a morning one.
There is a canteen on site for snacks and drinks, useful given how much walking a full visit involves.
Best time to visit
Weekday mornings are the quietest, and the museum's outdoor areas are more comfortable to walk before the midday heat builds, particularly from April to October. The long evening hours, until 10 pm on weekdays and 11 pm at weekends, make it one of the easier Karachi attractions to fit in after dinner or once the day has cooled, and the lit-up ships and submarine after dark are worth seeing in their own right.
Getting there and pairing with the PAF Museum
The museum sits on Habib Ibrahim Rehmatullah Road in Karsaz, close to the Pakistan Air Force Museum, which makes the two an easy pairing for a half day of military history. Our list of places to visit in Karachi covers how to group them with the rest of the Karsaz corridor.
- Ride-hailing or your own car is the simplest way to reach the gate.
- Public transport on the Peoples Bus Service or the Green Line corridor reaches Karsaz, followed by a short rickshaw ride or walk of about a kilometre.
- Combine it with the PAF Museum on the same road, either back to back or as a morning-and-evening pair.
Is it worth visiting?
Yes, and it is one of the better family outings in Karachi for the price. The submarine alone is a genuinely unusual thing to walk through, and the combination of outdoor exhibits and long opening hours makes it easy to work into almost any part of the day.
It suits families and anyone with an interest in naval or maritime history more than a visitor looking for a short, air-conditioned stop, since most of the site is outdoors and involves a fair amount of walking between exhibits. Our trip planning page is the place to start if Karachi is part of a longer trip.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Pakistan Maritime Museum cost?
A modest base ticket, around PKR 60 for adults in 2026, with a lower student and children's rate and small additional charges to board the submarine and the aircraft. Prices change over time, so confirm at the gate.
What are the museum's opening hours?
It is open every day with no weekly closure, roughly 9 am to 10 pm on weekdays and until 11 pm at weekends.
Can you go inside the submarine?
Yes. Visitors can walk through the submarine's compartments for a small additional fee on top of the base ticket. The passages are narrow, so it is a tighter fit for anyone with limited mobility.
Is the Maritime Museum good for children?
Yes. The submarine, the ships and a hands-on science gallery make it one of Karachi's more reliably popular family attractions, and the long hours make it easy to fit around a hot afternoon.
How long should I plan to spend there?
About one to one and a half hours for the main exhibits, longer if you also visit the PAF Museum nearby on the same trip.
