Mohenjo-daro Ticket Price and Timings

The Mohenjo-daro ticket price for Pakistani visitors is a token amount, well under PKR 100, while foreign nationals were paying about PKR 3,000 in 2026. The Sindh antiquities department lists the site's hours as 8 am to 7 pm in summer and 9 am to 6 pm in winter. Tickets are sold for cash at the entrance, and whether the site museum is included has varied, so ask at the counter. The department does not publish its fees online, and they have been revised more than once, so pay what is posted on the day.

This guide covers what the ticket costs and covers, the opening hours and when to use them, photography and drone rules, guides and the other costs of a visit, and the days when entry has been free.

How much is the Mohenjo-daro ticket?

Mohenjo-daro is run by the Directorate General of Antiquities and Archaeology in Sindh's culture and tourism department. It charges very different rates for Pakistani and foreign visitors.

For Pakistanis, recent visitor reports put the ticket at between PKR 20 and PKR 50. The department doesn't publish its rates, so we can't tell you which figure is current. Either way, it costs less than a cup of tea, and the only thing to remember is to carry small notes.

For foreign nationals, the rate reported by visitors in 2026 was PKR 3,000, roughly ten US dollars. Older guides quote much lower figures, which is a sign of how often fees at Sindh's heritage sites have been revised. Foreign visitors should carry their passport as well as cash.

Prices change, so treat these as a guide and pay whatever is posted at the entrance.

What does the ticket cover?

The ticket covers entry to the archaeological site: the citadel mound with the Great Bath, the granary and the Buddhist stupa, and the excavated areas of the lower town. The site is pedestrian-only, and there is no charge for walking the marked paths.

The site museum, near the entrance, is the question. Some visitors report that one ticket covers both; others describe a separate museum ticket at a small extra charge. Ask when you pay, and keep your ticket with you in case it is checked at the museum door. The museum is small but worth an hour for the seals, pottery and jewellery found on the site; our Mohenjo-daro visitor guide explains what to look for there and in the ruins.

What are the Mohenjo-daro timings?

The Sindh antiquities department lists the site as open:

• Summer: 8 am to 7 pm
• Winter: 9 am to 6 pm

It does not publish the exact dates on which it switches between the two, so if you are visiting in March, April, September or October, assume the shorter hours and ask locally. The museum has kept shorter hours than the site in the past, so if it matters to you, see it earlier in the day.

The hours matter less than the heat. Mohenjo-daro has recorded temperatures above 52 °C in May, and the ruins have almost no shade.

• November to February: any time of day is comfortable. Late morning and early afternoon are fine.
• March and October: arrive at opening time or come for the last two hours.
• April to September: be at the gate when it opens and be finished by mid-morning, or come for the last hour or two before closing. Don't plan a midday visit.

Fitting a visit into the hours

Allow 45 minutes to an hour from Larkana, three hours for the ruins and an hour for the museum.

On a winter day:

1. Leave Larkana by 8 am and be at the gate when it opens at 9.
2. Buy tickets, agree terms with a guide if you want one, and head for the citadel.
3. Walk the ruins until around midday.
4. The museum before lunch, while it is open.
5. Back in Larkana for a late lunch.

On a summer day:

1. Leave Larkana around 7 am and be at the gate for the 8 am opening.
2. Walk the citadel and the nearest part of the lower town first, while it is coolest.
3. The museum by mid-morning, out of the sun.
4. Leave before 11 am.

An evening visit in the last two hours before closing is the other option in summer, but the museum may already be shut by then.

Holidays

In late 2022, after the floods damaged the ruins, Dawn reported that the site was being closed completely on gazetted holidays to reduce the number of visitors. Whether that still applies is not published. If you are planning a visit around Eid, 14 August or another public holiday, check before you travel rather than risk a closed gate.

Photography, filming and drones

• Personal photography with phones and cameras is normal at the site, and no camera fee is published.
• Tripods: ask at the counter before setting one up.
• Commercial filming, professional photo shoots and documentary work need prior permission from the Sindh antiquities department.
• Drones should not be flown without written permission from the department.
• Staff will call out if you climb on walls for a photograph. Keep to the paths; the brick is fragile.

The department's Mohenjo-daro page gives its contact details for permissions and questions.

Guides and other costs on the day

The ticket is the smallest cost of a visit. The others:

• A guide. Guides can usually be hired at the entrance. The fee is negotiated, so agree it, and the length of the tour, before you start.
• Water and food. Bring plenty of water; don't rely on buying it at the site.
• Getting there. Most visitors stay in Larkana, about 28 km away, and come by car, taxi or rickshaw. Agree a return fare, including waiting time, before you set off.
• Staying at the site. A small rest house on the site offers basic rooms, and there are more choices in Larkana.
• A package. In early 2026 the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation ran a two-day Mohenjo-daro Train Safari from Karachi at Rs 25,000 per person, covering the train, hotel, meals and a guided tour of the site and museum.

Free-entry days and discounts

From 1 to 14 August 2025, the Sindh government made entry free to its museums and heritage sites, including Mohenjo-daro, in the run-up to Independence Day. It is worth watching for a repeat in future years; in 2025 it was announced only days beforehand.

No student, child or senior citizen concession is published. If you are a student, carry your card and ask; the worst you will hear is no.

Tips at the ticket counter

• Carry cash in small notes. Don't count on card payment.
• Pakistanis should carry their CNIC and foreign nationals their passport; you may be asked for ID at the entrance or at security checks on the way.
• Ask two questions when you pay: does the ticket include the museum, and what time does the museum close?
• Keep your ticket until you leave.

Is it worth the ticket?

For Pakistani visitors the question hardly arises: a token fee buys a morning in one of the great cities of the ancient world. For foreign visitors, PKR 3,000 is still modest for a World Heritage Site of this importance.

The real cost is getting there. Mohenjo-daro is about 510 km from Karachi, the heat limits when you can visit, and much of the surrounding region carries security warnings, with the UK advising its citizens against all but essential travel to Sindh north of and including Nawabshah. Plan at least two days from Karachi, visit between November and February, and read our visitor guide for the route through the site. If you would like help planning a wider trip, start with our trip planning page.

Frequently asked questions