Audley Travel

Surrounded by three magnificent mountain ranges - the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush - the natural landscape of Pakistan is spectacular.

In the north, rushing mountain streams and rivers echo from deep within steep gorges, scattered villages tend green fields while above the valleys pine trees give way to high alpine meadows cloaked in flowers. Amidst this beauty are reminders of the past, including traces left by Alexander the Great, modest Buddhist shrines, grand Mughal forts and evidence of Pakistan’s position on the great Silk Route. Replicated in modern times by the stunning Karakoram Highway, the intrepid traveller can follow this ancient trade route thorugh the mountains, passes and ravines from Islamabad to the Chinese border and on to the Kashgar market.

Away from the mountains the Mughal architecture of Lahore rivals that in India, while the closing the border ceremony at Wagh is a fervent display of patriotism as crowds compete in vocal chants and soldiers march theatrically in a display of Asian machismo. The mystique of the east has been etched in British history and nowhere exemplifies this better than the Khyber Pass. This harsh outpost marked the edge of the Raj and the regimental badges lining the old rail tracks echo a bygone era.

Selected Highlights

Our specialists have travelled the length and breadth of the country to research the best places to stay and things to do. Here they list a few of their favourite “unmissables”. Click here for more highlights

Mingle with the locals in the old bazaars

Whether you visit Lahore or Peshawar, an afternoon spent in the old bazaar is an experience to savour. They are a labyrinth of narrow streets selling...  [more]

Walk along the lovely water channels in Karimabad

The Hunza Valley is famed for its lush fertile fields and the bountiful produce it provides. This is made possible by an incredible irrigation system...  [more]

Travel along the scenic Karakoram Highway

From the heated plains of the Punjab, the Karakoram Highway cuts a swathe through some of the planet's most spectacular mountain scenery to the thin...  [more]