PAKISTAN The civilizations of the Indus Valley to the Roof of the World March 09 to 27, 2021 Led by Dr. Mehreen Chida-Razvi, Lecturer, and Art Historian Can be combined with our Afghanistan trip (March 26 to April 08, 2021) Pakistan, a country located on the western side of the Indo-Gangetic Plains, has a rich, diverse terrain consisting of high mountain ranges, plateaus, and the Indus River Plain. Its long history includes a section of the ancient Silk Road (Karakoram Highway) that runs through the country over the famous Khyber Pass. There are many fascinating ancient archaeological and UNESCO World Heritage sites waiting to be discovered. On this amazing adventure, you will visit mountain villages to meet the hardy souls that live in a stunningly beautiful landscape under harsh conditions. Travel the Karakoram Highway through high-mountain valleys and passes. Explore ancient archaeological sites and wander through the streets of interesting and culturally enriched cities. Ihab Zaki Managing Director, Spiekermann Travel Tuesday, Mar 09 Friday, Mar 12 Arrive in Karachi (Pakistan) Sukkur - Bahawalpur Arrive in Karachi, meet and transfer to Pearl Continental Hotel for After breakfast, head to visit the Hindu Shrine, the Lodhy Barrage, check in and overnight. and the famous Hindu pilgrimage center of Sadu Bala. Continue to Ba- hawalpur and transfer to Hotel One for check-in and overnight. (B,L,D) Wednesday, Mar 10 Karachi-Sukkar Saturday, Mar 13 Bahawalpur After breakfast, head out on a tour of Karachi with a visit to the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan Enjoy a full-day tour of Bahawalpur, visiting the Cholistan Desert, then continue on to the National Museum of Pakistan with its locally known as Rohi, the Deraward Fort a large square fortress in numerous galleries. The museum features a multitude of artifacts Yazman Tehsil. Visit the town of Uch Sharif, believed to have been including objects from the pre- and proto history of the region founded by Alexander the Great during his invasion of the Indus Val- (5000 to 1500 BC). After lunch, tour the Mohatta Palace Museum ley and renowned for the extensive tile work of its shrines dedicated near Clifton Beach, where there are always unique collections of to Muslim mystics. If time permits, we will visit the famous library of art and textiles on display. The Mohatta Palace was built in 1927 the Abbasi family. Return to the hotel for your overnight. (B,L,D) by Shivratan Chandraratan Mohatta, a Hindu Marwari merchant from modern-day Rajasthan in India. After partition, the palace Sunday, Mar 14 became the property of the state and initially housed Pakistan’s Bahawalpur - Multan foreign affairs office when Karachi was the capital of Pakistan.- Af ter the capital was moved to Islamabad, the palace became the This morning, drive to Multan, stopping on-route at a factory that private residence of Fatima Jinnah, a Pakistani dental surgeon produces the famous blue pottery of Multan. Visit the tombs and political leader and one of the founders of Pakistan. Later, the of Sheik Baha-ud-din Zakariya and Shah Rukn-e-Alam. Rukn- Sindh government converted it to a museum and meticulously e-Alam was an eminent Sufi saint from Multan and the grand- restored it to its former glory. If time permits, visit the Saddar Ba- son and successor of Baha-ud-din Zakariya. He was buried in his zaar (Empress Market). In the afternoon, head to the airport for grandfather’s mausoleum but later transferred to the present your flight to Sukkar, upon arrival meet and transfer to Hotel One mausoleum, which dates from the 14th century. His tomb is a for check in and overnight. (B,L,D) pilgrimage site, drawing over 100,000 pilgrims a year. Transfer to Hotel One for check-in and overnight. (B,L,D) Thursday, Mar 11 Sukkar Monday, Mar 15 Multan - Lahore We’ll drive to the Kot Deji archaeological site in the morning and head to visit the famous fort of the state of Khairpur. This site After an early breakfast, drive to Lahore, stopping on-route at stands on one of the rare outcroppings of limestone that are part Harappa. Founded over 5,000 years ago, it is one of the world’s of the Rohri Hills to the north. The site, which dates from 3500 earliest cities. Visit the archaeological site and the museum. to 2500 BC, has two distinct parts to the site. Excavation of the Transfer to the PC Hotel for check-in and overnight. (B,L,D) upper level revealed pottery of the Harappan civilization, while the lower levels exposed evidence of an unknown pre-Harappan Tuesday, Mar 16 culture, designated as Kot Deji. Then head to visit the famous ar- Lahore chaeological site of Mohenjo-Daro, one of the most important archaeological sites in South Asia and one of the best preserved After breakfast, head to visit the Wazir Khan Mosque, the Shahi and restored prehistoric sites in the world. Built in 2500 BC, it was Hammam (Royal Bath), and the 17th century Badshahi Mosque. one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley and This marble structure is an example of some of the most aesthet- contemporaneous with ancient Egypt and Minoan Crete. The site ically pleasing architecture of the Moghul period. Continue to the was first excavated by the Indian Archaeological Survey team un- Lahore Fort, locally known as Shahi Qilla. Built in 1631 by Shah Ja- der Sir John Marshall in 1922 and 1931, and then by Sir Mortimer han as a private apartment for his empress, it has several pavilions Wheeler in 1947. Now in the hands of the Pakistan Archaeologi- including Shish Mahal, the Palace of Mirrors. Visit the Samadhi of cal Survey team and supported by UNESCO, the site is excellently Ranjit Singh, a 19th century building housing the funerary urn of presented. Tour the great bath, the granary, the College Square this ruler, and the Gurdwara Dera Sahib temple, which marks the and Pillared Hall, private homes, and the Mohenjo-Daro Museum before returning to the hotel for your overnight. (B,L,D) spot where Guru Arjun Dev, the 5th century guru of Sikhism, died. Return to the hotel for your overnight. (B,L,D) Wednesday, Mar 17 Sunday, Mar 21 Lahore Gilgit - Karimabad Begin your day with a visit to the Lahore Museum, Pakistan’s We’ll drive in the morning to Karimabad in the Hunza Valley. On largest museum. Established in 1894, it contains fine examples the way, visit the Chinese Graveyard, known locally as China Yad- of Mughal and Sikh doorways and woodwork, and has a large col- gar, which is the final resting place of the Chinese engineers and lection of paintings dating back to the Mughal, Sikh, and British workers who lost their lives during the construction of the Kara- periods. There are also collections of musical instruments, ancient koram Highway. We also stop at a viewpoint to admire Rakaposhi jewelry, textiles, pottery, and armor. After lunch, head to visit the (“Snow Covered”), one of the world’s most beautiful mountains Shalimar Gardens before heading to the flag-lowering ceremony at and over 25,500 feet high. Transfer to the Hunza Dardar Hotel for the Wagah border with India which is known as the Beating Retreat check-in and overnight. (B,L,D) Border Ceremony, it is famous worldwide and subject of many You Tube videos. Return to the hotel for your overnight. (B,L,D) NOTE: If our Mar 20th flight to Gilgit is canceled, the itinerary for Mar 20th and 21st will change as follows: Thursday, Mar 18 Lahore - Islamabad Saturday, Mar 20 Islamabad - Chilas After breakfast, drive to Islamabad. On the way, we’ll visit the Salt Mines, and the Hindu temple at Kitas Village. Transfer to After breakfast, drive for 10 hours to Chilas. Transfer to Shangrila Pearl Continental Hotel for check-in and overnight. (B,L,D) Midway House Hotel for check-in and overnight. (B,L,D) Sunday, Mar 21 For those who are doing North Pakistan only Chilas - Gilgit - Karimabad We’ll drive in the morning, for 4 hours to Gilgit. After freshening Thursday, Mar 18 up at Serena Gilgit continue to Karimabad Hunza. And transfer Arrive in Islamabad to Hunza Darbar hotel for check in and overnight. (B,L,D) Upon arrival, meet and transfer to Pearl Continental hotel for check- Monday, Mar 22 in and overnight. (B,L,D) Karimabad Friday, Mar 19 Start your day by exploring Hunza; a princely state ruled by one Islamabad (Taxila) family - the Ayashkutz - for over 900 years. The family’s rule came to an end in 1974 when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the prime minister of We’ll drive in the morning to Taxila, one of the subcontinent’s Pakistan at the time, eliminated all princely states. Visit the Bal- most important archaeological treasures. Strategically located at tit Fort, which was occupied by some of the elderly members of the crossroads of trade routes linking China, India, Central Asia, the Ayashkutz family until 1960 although the Mir of Hunza had and the West, it contains the remains of three great cities, and moved to a new palace much earlier. In 1996, the Baltit Fort was dozens of Buddhist monasteries dating from 600 BC to 600 AD. It reopened after a meticulous restoration by the Aga Khan Trust for was here that Buddhism took hold in around 275 BC and spread Culture, and has been transformed into a heritage museum. Visit to Central Asia, Tibet and China. Among the best-preserved sites the Altit Forts, built on a rock cliff by people from Baltistan about are Julian, Dharmarajika, Jandial and Sirkap.