Lahore & Karachi
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The Travel Explorers EXPLORE PAKISTAN LAHORE & KARACHI www.thetravelexplorers.com DAY 01 Arrival and meet and greet at Islamabad Airport and then transfer to hotel. Islamabad is the capital and 9th largest city of Pakistan. It is located in the Pothohar Plateau. Islamabad is famous because of its cleanliness, calmness and greenery. Its noise-free atmosphere attracts not only the locals but the foreigners as well. Islamabad has a subtropical climate and one can enjoy all four seasons in this city. Rawalpindi is close to Islamabad and together they are known as the twin cities. In the afternoon half day city tour. We will visit Pakistan Monument located on the Shakarparian Hills in Islamabad. It was established in 2010. This monument serves as the tribute to the people who surrendered their lives and fought for the independence of Pakistan. The monument is of a shape of a blooming flower. There are four large petals which represents the four provinces of Pakistan i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There are also three small petals which represents Azad Jammu & Kashmir, FATA and Gilgit Baltistan. There are breathtaking murals on the inner walls of the monument like the murals of Faisal Mosque, Makli Tombs, Gawadar, Quaid-e-Azam, Fatima Jinnah, Badshahi Mosque etc. This monument provides significance of the Pakistani culture, history and lineage. Later we will visit Faisal Mosque which is located near Margalla Hills in Islamabad. It is one of the major tourist attractions in Pakistan. Faisal Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud granted $120 million in 1976 for the construction of the mosque. Three lac worshippers can accommodate in Faisal Mosque. Then visit to Saidpur Village which is a recreational site for the locals and the tourists alike. There is a Hindu temple and a Gurudwara at Saidpur Village. Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Islamabad. www.thetravelexplorers.com DAY 02 Breakfast at hotel, journey continues towards Lahore; on the way we get to visit Katas Raj Temples or Qila Katas located near Kallar Kahar in the Pothohar Plateau which are famous because of their religious significance. There are many Hindu Temples in here which are connected to each other. There is a pond in Katas Raj Temples which according to Puranas have been created from the teardrops of Lord Shiva when he was carrying the corpse of his wife Sati and roaming the earth. There are also the remains of Gurudwara near the pond and it is believed that Guru Nanak stayed there while he was traveling. Then visit to Khewra Salt Mines located about 160 kilometers south of Islamabad in Khewra Salt Range, Pothohar Plateau, district Jhelum. They are considered as a Salt Wonder because they are the world’s second largest salt mines and are also ancient in the salt mining history of the subcontinent. Many tourists visit these salt mines every month. One can enter in these mines through electric train. There are vibrant red, yellow and pink monuments made of salt in these mines. There are also models of Minar-e- Pakistan, mosques, Sheesh Mahal, Chaghi Mountain made up of salt bricks. There is also a Crystal Palace which is made up of Salt Crystals. One can buy souvenirs from these mines all made up from salt. Later drive to Lahore. Late evening arrival in Lahore and transfer to hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Lahore. www.thetravelexplorers.com DAY 03 Full day excursion of Lahore City. Visit to Lahore Museum located on The Mall near Anarkali Bazaar. It was established in 1865. The museum has a variety of art and craft stuff. Sadequain Mural - Quest for Knowledge is one of the famous artworks of the museum. One can explore Art from the Gandhara Civilization, Mughal, Sikh and the British Empire. There are also musical Instruments, antique jewelry, textile and pottery work on display. Then we will visit the 17th century Wazir Khan Mosque which was built under the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It was named after the name of its builder i.e. Nawab Wazir Khan. The mosque took seven years to be constructed. It is located near the Delhi Gate in the Walled City of Lahore. It is surrounded by a bustling bazaar. Bricks and tiles are used for its construction. There are five compartments in this mosque covered with domes. It is also adorned with mosaic tiles and calligraphic verses of Holy Quran on the walls. Later we will visit to Shalamar Gardens located at Shalamar Chowk near Baghbanpura. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1642. There are five water cascades and 410 fountains on the three level terraces. Shalimar Gardens are lush green with different variety of trees like almond, apple, cherry, mango, mulberry, peach etc. Later journey continues to experience prade at Wagah Border; which is famous for Wagah border ceremony or flag lowering ceremony in which the border is formally closed at night by taking off the national flag of both countries. This ceremony is done daily before sunset. Wagah Border also serves as a railway station between Pakistan and India. After visiting Wagah Border we will explore Liberty Market which is located at Gulberg lll. Here one can explore variety of clothes; jewelry, shoes and can also enjoy street food. Dinner at Food Street. Overnight at Hotel in Lahore. www.thetravelexplorers.com DAY 04 A Full day Excursion to explore Lahore history. Today we get to visit Lahore Fort, Badshahi Masdjid & Tomb of Jahangir. Lahore Fort has 21 notable monuments; some of them date back to Emperor Akbar’s era. Lahore Fort was used as the residence of Emperor Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire after the downfall of Mughal Era. After visiting the Lahore Fort we will explore the Sikh Museum and then the Badshahi Masjid. The Badshahi Masjid was built in Mughal era in Lahore which is located west of Lahore Fort and is widely considered to be one of the Lahore's most historic landmarks. It was built by Emperor Aurangzeb in 167 the masjid is an important example of Mughal architecture. Its exterior is carved with red sandstone with marble inlay. It is the second-largest masjid in Pakistan. The masjid was used as a garrison by the Sikh Empire. After that we will explore The Tomb of Jahangir which is one of the masterpieces of the Mughal Architecture. Located in the outskirts of Lahore in a place called Shahdara. The place was chosen for his tomb because Jahangir along with his wife Nur Jahan was in love with the place at the time they were living in the city. The entrance to the tomb is through 2 enormous gates made of stone. The tomb is a one floor building and it has a unique square shape ground floor. Late evening back to hotel. Overnight at hotel in Lahore. www.thetravelexplorers.com DAY 05 Breakfast at Hotel, check and Transfer to airport for a flight to Karachi. Arrival at Karachi and then transfer to hotel. Karachi is the capital of Sindh and also the most populous city of Pakistan. It has an Arid Climate. It is known as the City of Lights. Karachi offers a wide variety of delicious cuisine. One cannot resist eating Biryani when in town. There are variety of shopping malls where you can find a huge range of expensive to cheapest products. Karachi is a home to millions of immigrants and the locals are very hospitable and friendly. Overnight at Karachi. www.thetravelexplorers.com DAY 06 There will be a full day excursion to Chaukhandi Tombs and Makli Hill Necropolis. The Chaukhandi tombs are famous because of its sandstone carvings. They are of the same style as Makli Hills in Thatta. Chaukhandi tombs are constructed out of huge slabs of stones and are stacked in pyramid shape. These slabs are carved with detailed patterns and drawings. Makli is one of the largest burial sites located in Thatta and is therefore also called The City of The Dead. There are approximately 1 million tombs built here in a course of time. It was regarded as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. There are also tombs of famous Sufi Saints like Abdullah Shah Ashabi, Jam Nizamuddin II, lsa Khan Tarkhan and Jan Baba etc. Overnight at hotel in Karachi. www.thetravelexplorers.com DAY 07 Full day excursion of Karachi city. Visit to National Museum of Pakistan located at Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road. It was established in Frere Hall in 1950. It promotes the people and history of Pakistan. There is a set of fifty eight thousand old coins and seventy thousand books in the museum. There are now eleven galleries in the museum including the Quran Gallery. There you can find three hundred copies of Quran. There is also a display of artefacts, sculptures and paintings of Indus and Gandhara civilization. Later visit to Mazar-e-Quaid which is the final resting place of founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The construction of this mausoleum was completed in the 1960s. Here along with Quaid-e-Azam, Liaquat Ali Khan and Fatima Jinnah are also buried.Overnight stay at hotel in Karachi. www.thetravelexplorers.com DAY 08 In first half of the day you can do some shopping so you can buy souvenirs for yourselves and your loved ones. You can visit shopping malls if you want to buy branded clothes. However you can also visit local markets to buy clothes at much cheaper rates with good quality as well. Later visit Clifton and Sea view. These beaches have attractions for families and tourists alike due to horse and camel rides, restaurants and amusement parks.