Top 20 Tourist Places in Pakistan You Must Visit
From the Karakoram peaks to Mughal Lahore - 20 of the best tourist places in Pakistan, what makes each one special, and how to string them into a real trip.
Pakistan packs an astonishing range into one country: the second-highest mountain on earth, Mughal architecture, cold deserts, alpine lakes and ancient valleys. This list of the top 20 tourist places in Pakistan leans toward the north - where most travellers spend their time - but keeps the essential cultural stops too, so you can see the whole picture before you plan.
The northern mountains
1. Hunza Valley - terraced orchards under Rakaposhi, ancient forts at Baltit and Altit, and the turquoise of Attabad Lake. The valley most travellers fall in love with.
2. Skardu - the gateway to K2 and the Baltistan lakes, with a big-sky, empty feel unlike anywhere else in the country.
3. Fairy Meadows - a grassy shelf staring straight at Nanga Parbat, the ninth-highest peak on earth.
4. Deosai Plains - the "Land of Giants", a high-altitude plateau of wildflowers and the Sheosar Lake, open only in summer.
5. Khunjerab Pass - the highest paved border crossing in the world, on the China frontier.
6. Attabad Lake - the electric-blue lake in Hunza created by a 2010 landslide, now a boating and jet-ski spot.
7. Shigar Valley - orchards, a restored fort and the trekking gateway beyond Skardu.
The Kaghan and KP valleys
8. Naran & Lake Saif-ul-Malook - the most famous alpine lake in the country, ringed by peaks and folklore.
9. Shogran & Siri Paye - pine plateau and high meadows above the Kaghan valley, easy and family-friendly.
10. Babusar Top - the 4,173 m pass linking Kaghan to the Karakoram Highway.
11. Swat Valley & Kalam - green terraces, rivers and the Ushu forest; "the Switzerland of the East".
12. Kumrat Valley - deodar forest and riverside camping in upper Dir.
13. Malam Jabba - Pakistan's best-known ski resort, with a chairlift and summer zip-lines.
Azad Kashmir
14. Neelum Valley - a green, river-hugging valley with Arang Kel and Ratti Gali Lake as the draws.
15. Ratti Gali Lake - an alpine lake reached by jeep and a short trek, one of the finest in Kashmir.
16. Arang Kel - a meadow village perched above the Neelum, reached by a chairlift and a climb.
Culture and cities
17. Lahore - the cultural heart: the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, the Walled City and the food.
18. Islamabad - the green, calm capital, gateway to the north, with the Margalla Hills and Faisal Mosque.
19. Kalash Valleys - the unique pagan Kalash culture deep in the Hindu Kush near Chitral.
20. Mohenjo-daro & the south - the 4,500-year-old Indus Valley city, for travellers who want the ancient history too.
How many can you combine? In one 10-12 day northern trip you can realistically link Hunza, Skardu, Fairy Meadows and the Kaghan valley over Babusar. Lahore, the Kalash valleys and the south are separate trips - don't try to force them into the same itinerary.
Turn the list into a trip
A list is the easy part; sequencing it into a route with the right overnight stops is where a local operator earns its keep. Pine Travel builds northern itineraries that link these places sensibly, with vetted hotels and drivers. Browse our tour packages, our hotels, or read the complete northern Pakistan travel guide next. When you're ready, tell us which places top your list.