Lahore Heritage: the Walled City, the Mughal Monuments and Wagah

Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport is listed with direct flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Istanbul, Jeddah and Riyadh among others, so most visitors arrive with one change of plane. Routes change, so check with the airlines. If you are already in Pakistan, several airlines fly from Karachi, and Islamabad is about 375 km away by the M-2 motorway, a drive of 4 to 5 hours that we can add to the tour.

Only the Walled City day involves real walking: about three hours in total, on flat but uneven and crowded lanes, with steps inside the fort. There is no altitude to think about. From October to March the days are mild; June is the hottest month, with highs regularly above 40 degrees Celsius, and July and August bring monsoon rain. January often has dense fog, which can delay flights, and the city's air quality is often poor from November to January.

We use comfortable hotels in central Lahore. The city is known across Pakistan for its food: grilled meat, slow-cooked stews, flatbreads and sweet dishes, most of it spiced and much of it rich. Vegetarian meals are easy to arrange if you tell us when you book. Drink bottled water only.

Almost all foreign visitors need a visa before they travel, applied for online at visa.nadra.gov.pk. The free visa prior to arrival was suspended on 1 January 2026, so expect to pay a fee that depends on your nationality and to wait 7 to 10 working days; apply at least four weeks ahead. The UK government notes that your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date of your application. We send a visa support letter when you book. No permit is needed for anything on this tour. Carry your passport on the day you go to Wagah, and dress modestly for the mosques, where shoes are left at the entrance and women should bring a headscarf.

The ceremony is sometimes suspended at short notice when relations between Pakistan and India are tense; it stopped for several days in May 2025. If it is not being held, or if you would rather avoid a large crowd, we visit the tomb of the emperor Jahangir at Shahdara instead, a mausoleum dating from 1637 across the Ravi river. Mosques close to visitors at prayer times, especially around midday on Fridays, and we plan the order of the day around them.