The things to know before visiting Pakistan for the first time are mostly practical. Get your visa online before you fly and check your passport is stamped on arrival. Carry cash, because cards rarely work outside city hotels. Register your phone if you use a local SIM. Expect mountain flights to be cancelled in cloud and keep spare days. Carry your passport for hotel registration and checkpoints. Dress modestly, and know that Friday prayers and Ramadan change opening hours.
The other thing to know is that safety advice in Pakistan is regional, not national. Some areas your government may advise against entirely; others, including Lahore, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan, receive foreign visitors every year. This briefing covers each point in a paragraph or two and links to the detailed guide for each.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Visa | Online at visa.nadra.gov.pk, before you travel |
| On arrival | Check for the entry stamp before leaving the desk |
| Currency | Pakistani rupee; about PKR 277 to the US dollar (October 2026) |
| Cards | City hotels, malls and bigger restaurants; cash almost everywhere else |
| Phone | Local SIM on your passport; free PTA registration for up to 120 days |
| Mountain flights | Often cancelled for weather; keep a spare day or two |
| ID | Carry your passport, plus photocopies for hotels and checkpoints |
| Dress | Shoulders and legs covered, for men and women |
| Ramadan 2027 | Expected to begin around 8 February |
| Emergency | 1122 ambulance and fire, 15 police |
Do you need a visa, and what happens at the airport?
Almost every visitor needs a visa, applied for online through Pakistan's official e-visa system before you fly. Print the approval and carry it with your passport, which should be valid for at least six months from the date you apply. Our Pakistan tourist visa guide covers the application.
At immigration, look for the entry stamp before you walk away. The UK government warns that leaving Pakistan without one will be difficult. Our guide to arriving in Pakistan as a foreigner takes you through immigration, the customs bans on alcohol and pork, and getting from the airport to your hotel.
Where does your government's advice draw the line?
Read your own government's travel advice before you book, because it decides what your insurance covers. The UK advice, updated on 13 October 2026, advises against all travel to Balochistan, much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peshawar and Swat, the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, the N45 to Chitral and the Kalash valleys, and the areas near the Afghan border and the Line of Control. It advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Azad Kashmir, northern Sindh and Dera Ghazi Khan. Emergency measures and governor's rule were introduced across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 11 October 2026.
Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Lahore and most of Punjab are not on the UK list. Our guide to whether Pakistan is safe for tourists explains the regional picture, and our guide to protests and road closures covers the disruption that can hit a trip anywhere.
How much cash do you need?
More than you expect. Cards work in city hotels, malls and larger restaurants, and almost nowhere else: guesthouses, jeeps, park fees and most food in the mountains are cash only, and ATMs in the northern valleys run out or go offline. Bring clean US dollar or euro notes, change most of your money in Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi, and carry several days' worth once you head north. Our guide to money in Pakistan for tourists covers exchange, ATM fees and how much to carry.
Will your phone work?
Your home SIM will roam, at a price. A local SIM is sold to foreigners on a passport and visa at operator shops, with fingerprints taken at the counter. If you put it in your own phone, register the handset with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority: visitors can register one phone free of tax for up to 120 days per visit. Without registration the phone eventually stops working on Pakistani networks. Our SIM card guide explains the steps, and our eSIM guide covers the alternative.
Signal is good in the cities and patchy in the mountains. Download offline maps before you leave a city.
Why do Pakistan itineraries need spare days?
Because the mountains decide. The UK advice notes that flights to the northern mountain areas are frequently delayed or cancelled because of extreme weather, and the flights to Gilgit and Skardu need clear skies. The road alternative is long: the UK advises against the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, and the route that avoids it, over the Babusar Pass, is open only in summer. Landslides close mountain roads too, mostly in the monsoon and the spring melt.
Keep at least one spare day before your international flight home, and never plan to fly out of Islamabad the day after a mountain flight. Our guide to Gilgit and Skardu flight cancellations explains what happens when a flight is cancelled.
Registration, checkpoints and escorts
Carry your passport at all times; the UK advice says you could be detained until you can show photo ID. Every hotel records your passport and visa at check-in, and police checkpoints in the north take your details too, so carry several photocopies of the photo page and visa to save time. Our guide to hotel registration for foreigners explains what is normal.
On some routes, police assign foreign visitors an escort. It costs nothing and is arranged on the spot; our guide to police escorts for foreigners says where it happens. The UK advice also says that advance permission from the authorities is needed to travel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and several districts of Azad Kashmir, and a few border areas and trekking peaks need a separate permit. Our guide to NOCs and restricted areas sets out where.
What should you wear, and what is against the law?
The rules that matter most to a visitor are clear:
- Dress. The UK advice says men and women should cover their shoulders and legs in public, and women should cover their heads in mosques, holy places and rural areas. Loose clothes help everywhere. Our guide to what foreign women should wear in Pakistan goes into detail.
- Alcohol. Drinking is illegal for Muslims. Non-Muslims may drink but need a licence from the authorities, and drinking in public or being drunk can lead to detention. Importing alcohol is illegal.
- Photography. Do not photograph military sites, airports or infrastructure, or from an aircraft; the UK advice says some visitors have been arrested on suspicion of spying. Ask before photographing people, and never photograph women without clear permission.
- Relationships. The UK advice notes that same-sex sexual activity between men is illegal and that unmarried couples living together is also illegal. Some hotels ask couples for proof of marriage as house policy; our guide to whether hotels ask for a nikah nama explains what to expect.
- Religion. Blasphemy is a criminal offence in Pakistan. Avoid discussing religion in a way that could be taken as disrespect.
How do Fridays, Ramadan and holidays change things?
Friday is not the weekend in Pakistan, but many shops and some offices close for an hour or two around midday prayers.
Ramadan changes daily life for a month. In 2027 it is expected to begin around 8 February, with Eid ul-Fitr around 9 or 10 March, depending on the moon. The UK advice asks visitors not to eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public in the daytime, including in your car. Many restaurants close until the evening meal and offices keep shorter hours. Our Ramadan travel tips cover where to eat and how to pace the day.
The two Eids empty the cities and fill the northern valleys, and Ashura, in Muharram, brings road closures and mobile shutdowns in some cities. Our guide to public holidays in Pakistan has the dates.
What about health?
See a travel clinic four to six weeks before you fly; our vaccinations guide covers what is recommended and the polio rule for stays of four weeks or more. Drink bottled or treated water. Bring enough of your own medicines, because the UK advice says shortages are common, and carry insurance that covers treatment and evacuation. Our guide to medical care in Pakistan for foreigners lists the main city hospitals. In the mountains, take the altitude seriously, and from October to February expect poor air in Lahore.
Is Pakistan a good first trip?
It suits travellers who are happy with long days, a flexible plan and a conservative culture, and who want the Karakoram mountains or the Mughal and Sufi heritage of Lahore and Multan. A common first trip combines Lahore and Islamabad with Hunza or Skardu.
Think again if your dates cannot move at all, if you need to stay in touch every hour, or if you would be uncomfortable with checkpoints, modest dress and a visible security presence. Pakistan rewards patience and punishes tight schedules.
If you would rather someone else held the logistics, our Pakistan tours for international travellers run from airport pickup to drop-off, with spare time built into the mountain routes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a visa on arrival in Pakistan?
Plan on no. The UK government's advice says you need a visa and must apply in advance, which you do online at visa.nadra.gov.pk.
Do I need cash in Pakistan?
Yes. Cards work in city hotels and malls, but most of the country runs on cash, especially the north, where ATMs are few and unreliable.
What should I not do in Pakistan?
Don't bring alcohol or pork into the country, drink in public, photograph military sites or airports, or wear revealing clothes. During Ramadan, don't eat, drink or smoke in public in the daytime.
Is Pakistan safe for first-time visitors?
The usual first-time routes through Lahore, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan receive foreign visitors every year. Several regions carry foreign government warnings, so read your own government's advice before you book.
How many days do I need for Pakistan?
Two weeks is a sensible first trip: a few days in Lahore and Islamabad and the rest in Hunza or Skardu, with spare days for flights and roads. Our two-week itinerary shows one way to do it.
