Trips for Senior Citizens in Pakistan: Gentle Itineraries

The best trips for senior citizens in Pakistan are short on driving, low on altitude and built around a comfortable hotel: the Galiyat and Murree hills, city breaks in Lahore and Islamabad, and, with a flight and a slow pace, Hunza or Skardu. The trip matters less than the pacing. A gentle plan with a spare day suits almost everyone over 65; a rushed one suits no one.

This guide covers itineraries that work, the health points worth sorting before you leave, and a few things to avoid. For a longer look at the mountains specifically, see our guide to a northern areas trip with elderly parents.

What makes a trip gentle

Four things, in this order.

1. Short daily drives. Aim for no more than three or four hours of driving on a day, with a break every two hours or so to walk, drink water and stretch. Long sitting is uncomfortable and, for some people, a circulation risk.
2. Low sleeping altitude. Murree is a little above 2,000 metres, and Nathia Gali roughly 2,500. Most healthy seniors manage these easily. Above 3,000 metres it is a different question.
3. A hotel that helps. Ground-floor or lift access, a room with a heater in cold months, an attached bathroom and a restaurant that can serve plain food matter more than a view.
4. A spare day. It gives you room to rest, absorb a road closure or a delayed flight without cutting anything.

Easy trips close to Islamabad and Lahore

The Galiyat and Murree

Nathia Gali and Ayubia are quieter than Murree and have gentle forest paths. The Ayubia chairlift, between Ayubia and Dunga Gali, is a slow ride over the pines that many seniors prefer to a steep walk. Ticket prices differ between sources and change with the season, so ask at the ticket office and don't budget from an old figure.

Murree is easy to reach but has steep slopes on the Mall Road and the surrounding lanes, so choose a hotel on or close to it, or arrange a car for each outing. Weekends and school holidays are crowded, so go on a weekday in May, June or September if possible. See our Murree travel tips and Nathia Gali with family.

Islamabad and Lahore

For seniors, cities are the simplest holiday. Islamabad has parks, Faisal Mosque and Lok Virsa, and Lahore has the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort and gardens. The weather is best from October to March, and Lahore in particular is unpleasant in the heat of June and July. Hire a car with a driver by the day and pace the sightseeing to one or two places each morning, with a rest after lunch.

Moderate trips: Hunza and Skardu

If the family wants the mountains, Hunza and Skardu are the most practical for older travellers, and only with the right plan.

Go by air where you can. The flight from Islamabad to Skardu takes about an hour and ten minutes, which removes about two long days on the road. Flights depend on clear weather, so build in a spare day at each end. Sources note that disruption is more common from November to February.

Karimabad in Hunza sits at about 2,500 metres. Hotels there are comfortable, and the sights of the town, the bazaar and Baltit Fort involve stairs and slopes, so go at a slow pace and skip anything steep. The road from Gilgit to Hunza is paved.

Allow at least a week, so the drives are no more than four hours a day. Our Gilgit-Baltistan trip with elderly parents goes into route details.

What to skip

• Fairy Meadows. It involves a jeep on a narrow track and a hike of roughly 4 to 5 km uphill to about 3,300 metres.
• Khunjerab Pass. The road climbs to 4,693 metres in a few hours, which is far too fast for many older travellers.
• Deosai and high lakes. The plateau is at about 4,000 metres and the roads are rough.
• Winter roads. Ice and closures are more frequent, and a delay of hours in the cold is hard on older people.

Health tips before you go

• See a doctor first, especially with a heart, lung or blood pressure condition, diabetes or a recent illness. Ask specifically about altitude and long journeys, and read our note on high altitude and heart patients.
• Carry all medicines in hand luggage or the car, not in the boot or a checked bag, with a written list and enough extra for a delay of a few days. Pharmacies in small mountain towns may not stock your brand.
• Take a copy of recent prescriptions and test results, including a recent ECG if you have a heart condition.
• Know where the nearest hospital is for each stop. Cities have good hospitals; small towns in the mountains have basic ones, and the roads to reach them can be long.
• Watch for altitude symptoms: headache, nausea, breathlessness at rest, or unusual sleepiness. The remedy is to descend. Our page on altitude sickness explains what to look for.
• Drink plenty of water and eat lightly at altitude. Heavy meals and a great deal of tea are hard going on the first days.
• Consider travel insurance that covers medical costs and cancellation. Foreign-passport holders should check that it covers Pakistan, because insurers can refuse claims where a government advises against travel.

Airports, flights and comfort

If your relative needs a wheelchair at the airport, tell the airline when you book. PIA says requests can be made at booking, after ticketing or on the day, but early is better, and passengers have reported that wheelchair and porter services at busy airports can be short of staff. Ask what the charges are and get a receipt.

For road trips, hire a car with a reliable driver in preference to a crowded coach, and choose a vehicle with easy entry, since sedans can be hard to get in and out of for people with stiff knees. Take a cushion and a light blanket, and keep snacks and water within reach.

Safety on the route

Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree and the Galiyat are regular family destinations. The Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas is on the UK government's advise-against list, as are Swat and most of the Neelum valley. If you are unsure whether your route crosses any of these places, check current local news and police advice before you set out, and ask your hotel about road conditions. Anyone on a foreign passport should read their own government's advice.

Who suits which trip

If your parents are in good health, enjoy sitting on a hotel terrace and don't want to do much walking, choose the Galiyat or a city. If they are active and keen to see the mountains, Hunza with a flight is a reasonable choice. If either has a heart condition or breathing problem, keep to lower places and ask a doctor first. Our trip planning page can help you shape any of these into a slow itinerary.

Frequently asked questions