Lahore
Discover Lahore
Lahore (Punjabi: لہور; Urdu: لاہور) is Pakistan's second largest city after Karachi, and the capital of the north-eastern Punjab province. It is widely considered the country's cultural capital. The heart of Lahore is the Walled or Inner City, a very densely populated area of about one square kilometre. Founded in legendary times, and a cultural centre for over a thousand years, Lahore has many attractions for the tourist. The Mughal and Sikh legacy survives in the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque and Gurdwara, the Mall is lined with colonial-gothic buildings from the British Raj, and the suburbs of Gulberg and Defence feature palatial mansions and trendy shopping districts.
Taste of Lahore...
Lahoris are famed for their food and for their consumption thereof. This is reflected in the array of restaurants in Lahore. Lahore has several mid-range cafes, notably Masoom's for cakes, desserts and coffee, and sandwiches at Coffee, Tea and Company nearby. In Defence, Hot Fuzon is another good cafe and a Masoom's franchise. Chinese food is also very popular in Lahore. It is very strongly altered to local tastes. Alcohol is illegal for Muslim Pakistanis. Clubbing is quite popular but not easy to find, majority of the clubs being private and invite only. For the visitor there are three broad options of areas in which to stay These tradeoffs are important because of Lahore's awful traffic, and you want to minimise the amount of (daytime especially) travel in the city. Sunday mornings are very quiet however and this is a good time to visit Mall Road and the old town. Hotels and guesthouses are the two main options in the city. Hotels are a bit more expensive but usually have western-style toilets and are cleaner. There are scores of options for travelers. If you feel like staying on budget there are some fairly crowded and over-priced options near the train station, which is in an overwhelmingly busy and chaotic part of the city - not for the faint-hearted. Westerners will often need to bargain if they wish to receive a fair price. Street crimes in Lahore are not common but special precautions must be taken by visitors.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Lahore into what it is today.
Legend has it that it was founded about 4,000 years ago by Loh, son of Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Reminiscent of its hoary past are the remains of a subterranean temple attributed to Rama, in the northern part of the Royal Fort. Lahore is at least 2,000 years old. After Islam came to South Asia, it became a centre of learning, and attracted some of the region's greatest mystics, writers and artists. The people of Lahore, when they want to emphasize the uniqueness of their town say "Lahore, Lahore aye" (Lahore is Lahore). Lahore is the city of poets, artists and (until 2007) the centre of the Pakistani film industry. It has the largest number of educational institutions in the country and some of the finest gardens in the continent. Apart from being the cultural and academic centre of the country, Lahore has the finest Mughal architecture in Pakistan. For more than 200 years (beginning from about 1524), Lahore was a thriving cultural centre of the Mughal Empire, and Mughal emperors beautified Lahore, with palaces, gardens and mosques. Hiuen Tsang, the famous 7th century Chinese pilgrim, gave a vivid description of Lahore. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties. Muslim rule began here when Qutub-ud-din Aibak was crowned in Lahore in 1206 and became the first Muslim Sultan of the Subcontinent. Lahore waxed and waned in importance during the Sultanate....
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsTaxis and shuttles are available to take passengers from the city to the airport; with unmetered taxis it is advisable to set the rate beforehand. The proposed Lahore Mass Rapid Transit System will be linked from different parts of the city to the airport. There are routes from all major Pakistani cities to Lahore with Pakistan Railways official website. Trains from southern destinations (Multan, DG Khan, Karachi, etc.) and northern destinations (Gujrat, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, etc.) run from the main station. It also connects to the western part of Pakistan to Faisalabad and beyond. The Samjhauta Express (Friendship Express) runs twice a week between Lahore and Amritsar, across the border in India. Local stations in Lahore are Shahdara Bagh, Badami Bagh, Moghalpura, Baghbanpura, Harbanspura, Jallo, and Wagah. These stations mostly have peak-hour services for commuters to Lahore. A modern motorway connects Lahore to Islamabad, Faisalabad and Peshawar....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Lahore is a huge and sprawling city. In the old town, walking or a tuk-tuk are your only options. You get to see a lot more on foot, just remember to wear comfortable shoes if you are going to be walking a great distance. Other than in winter, it will be too hot to walk long distances during the day. Sunday mornings are quiet and are a good time to explore. Locals are generally helpful in providing directions to well-known spots. However, you should still ask two or three people to confirm the address, especially if you are driving. Using the GPS function on your phone can also be helpful. Auto-rickshaws/Qingqis are open rickshaws with (narrow) rear-facing seats, or with two seats facing forward and two backward. They are handy for moving around in the Inner City, since it's easier to see where you're going. Tourists used to average western road etiquette might be horrified by the chaos on the roads - but it almost seems to work.
Where to Stay
For the visitor there are three broad options of areas in which to stay These tradeoffs are important because of Lahore's awful traffic, and you want to minimise the amount of (daytime especially) travel in the city. Sunday mornings are very quiet however and this is a good time to visit Mall Road and the old town. Hotels and guesthouses are the two main options in the city. Hotels are a bit more expensive but usually have western-style toilets and are cleaner. There are scores of options for travelers. If you feel like staying on budget there are some fairly crowded and over-priced options near the train station, which is in an overwhelmingly busy and chaotic part of the city - not for the faint-hearted. Westerners will often need to bargain if they wish to receive a fair price. Street crimes in Lahore are not common but special precautions must be taken by visitors. In an emergency you can call police help line 15 or call Rescue Services at 1122.
Money & Budget
The traditional bazaars of the inner city are roughly divided according to what is produced and/or sold there. Bargaining is de rigueur. Trendy types congregate in the Gulberg and Defence suburbs. In Gulberg, MM Alam Road is the hippest part of town, with all the most expensive designer shops, including fine furniture and clothing, both Western and Pakistani, and the best restaurants. Lahoris are famed for their food and for their consumption thereof. This is reflected in the array of restaurants in Lahore. Lahore has several mid-range cafes, notably Masoom's for cakes, desserts and coffee, and sandwiches at Coffee, Tea and Company nearby. In Defence, Hot Fuzon is another good cafe and a Masoom's franchise. Chinese food is also very popular in Lahore.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Street crimes in Lahore are not common but special precautions must be taken by visitors. In an emergency you can call police help line 15 or call Rescue Services at 1122. Lahore abounds with excellent street food, but unless you've been on the road for some time and developed an iron stomach, it's always wise to exercise some caution. Look for busier street stalls, especially those in Gowal Mandi (food street), and stick to food that's hot and has just been cooked. Salads can also cause problems - if you must, one of the fancier restaurants in Gulberg is probably a safer bet than eating a salad at a dhaba or street stall. Bottled water is highly recommended. Some budget places offer free filtered water, but even that is suspect in Lahore. Medical care is excellent for those who can afford it and, if you can, avoid public hospitals. The Fátima Memorial Hospital is usually a fair bet, with decent rates, good hygiene, and good care.