Day 1 – Karachi
Arrive in Karachi and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Mehran Hotel or similar.
Day 2 – Karachi
Spend today exploring Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city with a population of over 20 million, and the heart of the nation’s economy. We visit the National Museum of Pakistan for an insight into the country’s troubled history, the Quaid-i-Azam Mausoleum, and other sights like the old British era buildings. Overnight Mehran Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 3 – Thatta – Hyderabad
Drive to Hyderabad. On the way we stop at the vast necropolis of Makli, said to contain over a million graves, including the 16th century tomb of Mirza Jani Beg and the 17th century mausoleum of Diwan Shirfa Khan. We also visit the ancient city of Banbhore, and the unique Chaukhandi tombs. From here continue to Thatta, once a large and prosperous city and said to be a resting site of Alexander the Great’s army. Overnight Hotel Indus or similar. (BLD)
Day 4 – Ranikot – Sehwan Sharif
Visit the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif, dating to the 18th century and covered in beautiful blue and white tiles. We continue to the impressive Ranikot Fort, with its vast walls – in a rather remote location, no-one quite knows what it was built to defend, and its origins are unclear. We end the day in Sehwan Sharif. Overnight Hotel Sehwan Divine or similar. (BLD)
Day 5 – Mohenjo Daro – Larkana
Visit Mohenjo Daro, one of the most important sites of the ancient Indus valley civilization, and one of Pakistan’s greatest archaeological treasures. Continue to Larkana for the night. Overnight Sambara Inn or similar. (BLD)
Day 6 – Sadu Bela – Sukkur
Visit the fort at Kot Diji, said to be the largest in Asia, then visit Sukkur Barrage, a vast feat of engineering which controls one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. Nearby we take a boat trip around the island of Sadu Bela to look for Indus River dolphins. Overnight Hotel One or similar. (BLD)
Day 7 – Uch Sharif – Derawar – Bahawalpur
Drive to Bahawalpur. En route visit Uch Sharif with its stunning ruined tombs, the oldest of which dates to the 12th century, as well as Derawar Fort. Derawar was built in the 9th century by the Rajputs and its massive walls rise from the Cholistan desert to a height of 30 metres. Overnight Hotel One or similar. (BLD)
Day 8 – Multan
Spend the day exploring Multan, the ‘city of saints’, noted for its remarkable shrines and mosques. This was the first town of the Punjab to be captured by Muhammad bin Qasim in 711 AD. Ruled at the time by a Brahmin dynasty, it eventually became a major Islamic centre. Since then it has attracted more mystics and holy men than perhaps anywhere else on the subcontinent and is today dominated by their shrines and tombs, which we explore. Overnight Sindbad Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 9 – Harappa – Lahore
Drive to Lahore, visiting Harappa on the way. Harappa dates back to the 3rd millennium BC and after Mohenjo Daro is the most important site of the Indus Valley civilization. Overnight Shalimar Tower Hotel or similar. (B)
Days 10-11 – Lahore
Explore the key sights of the city including the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, and Shalimar Gardens, among others. Overnight Shalimar Tower Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 12 – Islamabad
Drive to Islamabad, visiting Rohtas Fort as well, dating back to the 16th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight Redisan Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 13 – Khewra – Kallar Kehar
Visit the Khewra salt mines, the largest in the world and reputedly dating back to the time of Alexander the Great. We also visit the salt lake and marshes at Kallar Kahar, a haven for birdlife, and the Hindu temples at Ketas. Return to Islamabad for the evening. Overnight Redisan Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 14 – Taxila – Takht e Bhai
An excursion to Taxila, one of the earliest Buddhist sites in Asia and the capital of the Gandharan civilization which flourished in Pakistan from the 6th century BC to the fifth century AD. We also explore the monastery at Takht e Bhai, from the same period. Return to Islamabad for the evening. Overnight Redisan Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 15 – Islamabad
Spend today discovering the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi is an old British era settlement, while Islamabad is the purpose built capital constructed after Partition in 1947. Explore the bazaars of Rawalpindi, and visit the imposing Shah Faisal Mosque, situated at the foot of the Margalla Hills – one of the largest in the world. Overnight Redisan Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 16 – Islamabad
Transfer to the airport for departure. (B)
