Southern Punjab: Multan, Uch Sharif, Bahawalpur and Derawar Fort

Multan International Airport is listed with direct flights from Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat and Jeddah, and with domestic flights from Karachi and Islamabad. No flights from Lahore are listed, so from Lahore we drive you by motorway, about 340 km and 4 to 4.5 hours. Bahawalpur has a small airport of its own, where a carrier began flights to Karachi and Islamabad in 2026 on a few days a week; if they suit your dates the tour can end there. Check all routes with the airlines, because they change.

No. The UK government advises against all but essential travel within 5 miles of the border and Canada within 10 km, so we measured it on OpenStreetMap and Natural Earth map data: the nearest point of the border is about 87 to 89 km (roughly 55 miles) from the fort, to the south-east. Bahawalpur and Uch Sharif are further still. The fort is in the desert, though, with no services nearby, so the day is planned as a round trip from Bahawalpur.

No fitness is needed beyond two or three hours of easy walking a day; the route is flat and close to sea level. Heat is the thing to plan for. Multan is one of the hottest cities in Pakistan, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius in May and June, and the desert at Derawar has almost no shade. From November to early March the days are mild and the nights can be cold.

We use comfortable hotels in Multan and in Bahawalpur, the best available in the smaller city. There is nowhere to stay or eat at Derawar, so that day is a round trip with lunch on the way. Food is Pakistani, with rice, bread, lentils, vegetables and grilled meat; tell us about dietary needs when you book.

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 government permit is needed for this route; the only permission involved is the Abbasi family's for the inside of Derawar Fort. In southern Punjab the police sometimes accompany foreign visitors, which is a local security routine that your guide deals with.

If permission to enter is not given you still walk round the outside of the walls and visit the mosque, which is what most visitors see. If a protest or closure blocks a road we change the order of the days; Uch Sharif can be visited from either Multan or Bahawalpur. In December and January morning fog can slow the roads and delay flights at Multan, so leave a margin before an international connection.