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Pakistan is a traveller’s paradise. Home to a range of stunning landscapes, it is the ideal country to bask in nature and all that it has to offer.
On this special day, the GDN has complied a small list that highlights a few of these destinations.
- Hunza Valley is an isolated mountainous valley located in Gilgit Baltistan.
Nestled between the Himalayas and the Karakoram mountain peaks, Hunza Valley is one of the best places to visit in Pakistan for its lush farmlands and wildlife such as markhors (screw-horned goat), ibexes, and red foxes.
The valley surrounding the Hunza River is also home to some of the world’s best treks, with trail lengths ranging from a few hours to several days.
- Swat Valley is located in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, it has great weather and visitors can enjoy trekking, hiking, backpacking, or simply take in the natural beauty.
- Badshahi Mosque is a monument from the Mughal Empire, built during the 1670s. Located in Lahore, this mosque was considered the world’s largest for more than 313 years.
For the first 70 years after its construction in 1673, the mosque was known for its extraordinary size which was visible from almost 10 miles away. It is been declared as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
- Neelum Valley in northern Azad Kashmir is a bow-shaped valley situated between peaks that soar 13,000 feet into the sky, surrounded by verdant forests and flowing streams.
This valley is famous for its lush green meadows, dense forests, delightful weather, fresh waters and gorgeous mountains.
- Deosai National Park, known as the Land of Giants, has a landscape of snow-capped mountains rising from the highland.
Located where two biogeographical provinces merge, the Himalayan and Karakorum-Pamir highlands, it is a place of rich biodiversity. This area is home to Himalayan wolves, Siberian ibex, red foxes, and yellow-bellied marmots.
It is also recognised as an internationally important site for the protection and conservation of the Himalayan Brown Bear, a critically endangered species.
- Mohenjo-daro or “Mound of the Dead” is an ancient Indus Valley Civilisation city that flourished between 2600 and 1900 BCE.
Discovered in the 1920s, the site lies in Pakistan’s Sindh province. The ruins and mounds were found to be part of an ancient civilisation called the Indus Valley, a fascinating location for those who love history, engineering and urban planning.
- The Kalash Valleys, comprising Bumboret, Rumbur and Birir, are home to the Kalash people, a religious and ethnic minority in Pakistan with their own beliefs, culture and language.
Quite distinct from the rest of Pakistan’s people, the Kalasha are said to be descendants of the armies of Alexander the Great.
The valleys they live in are some of the most beautiful places in Pakistan – not just for their natural splendour, but also for the beauty of the Kalash themselves.
The Kalash people live in wooden homes that cling to the high hills, and the women are known for their brightly-coloured traditional clothes and headwear that stand out in the country.
- Khunjerab Pass is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.706m (15,439ft) above the sea level, located on the border of Pakistan and China.
Said to be the highest border-crossing in the world, this mountain pass isn’t for the faint-hearted.
The border is open to tourists in the summers when the road is accessible. It is only open from Mondays to Fridays, from 9am to 5pm on the Pakistani side and 11am to 8pm on the Chinese side (Beijing time).
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