Saturday 9th September – Karachi

Morning

• Arrive at Karachi – the largest city in Pakistan and self-transfer to our centrally located meeting point. Jinnah International Airport is well connected to the Middle East, Bangkok and Istanbul.
• Tour starts bright and early at 8:00am; meet your YPT guide and the other group members before we start the city tour in Karachi – the most populous vibrant city in Pakistan, something that makes the locals proud, you’ll defiantly experience why!
• Your journey begins with the story and creation of Pakistan – we’ll visit the Tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (also known as the Mazar-e-Quaid or National Mausoleum). Jinnah was a key player to rid the British out of India; however suspicion, internal party division and religion influenced Jinnah to create a separate Muslim state on the Indian subcontinent.
• Next we’ll visit the beautiful Masjid-e Tooba, the largest single-some mosque in the world. The sheer volume and size of the mosque is breath-taking, you can appreciate how many worshippers come to pray – it’s also reminded to dress appropriately and ask your guide before taking photos out of respect.

Afternoon

• We’ll have lunch in Karachi, the cuisine here is renowned for its cultural fusion – your local guide will explain why.
• Next on your journey, we’ll take a boat to go crabbing with the local fishermen, Karachi is famous for this and gives you a totally unique experience don’t forget to take some pictures!
• After a busy first day, we’ll have dinner in Karachi followed by some freshly made Lassi at a popular local spot.
• Overnight in Karachi.

Sunday 10th September – Karachi – Makli – Hyderabad

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel before we visit the Tomb of Chaukundi and the ancient ruins of Bhanbore. Historically the region was a Hindu kingdom followed by Buddhism then ultimately Islam; there are layers of history within the ruins that were influenced by the various rulers’ religion.
• On our journey we will visit The Shah Jahan Mosque also known as the Jamia Masjid of Thatta, built during the reign of Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan who bestowed it to the city as a token of gratitude, the Masjid is heavily influenced by Central Asian Architecture – The Mughal Emperor changed the course of the Indian subcontinent from architecture, culture and cuisines.
• Next we’ll drive you to Makli Necropolis approximately 10 kilometres from City of Thatta. The Necropolis was granted UNESCO world heritage site in 1981. Legends go that there’s over 1 million people are buried in the hills here – Makli Necropolis is recorded being one of the largest funerary sites in the world.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a local restaurant where we can also relax.
• In the evening we’ll head to Keenjhar Lake also known as Malik Lake, located in the Thatta District this is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Pakistan and an important source of drinking water. The beautiful lake is also a wildlife sanctuary home to some beautiful migrating birds including flamingos, cormorants, egrets, ibises, pheasant-tailed jacana and many more!
• We’ll drive on to Hyderabad which literally translates to “Lion City” and take on the scenery along the journey; we’ll have time make stops and take photos.
• Once we reach Hyderabad, we must visit Bombay bakery which is extremely popular with the locals. Founded in 1911 and passed down through the generations, we defiantly recommend trying their famous coffee cake!
• Your evening tour will include the various Sufi shrines of Bhit Shah, hopefully we’ll see some Sufi-dancing as well – there’s something enchanting experiencing this.
• Dinner in Hyderabad followed by ice cream in the down.
• Overnight in Hyderabad.

Monday 11th September – Hyderabad – Sehwan Sharif

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel, once we’re ready we’ll drive to Ranikot Fort commonly referred to as The Great Wall of Sindh due to its vast walls. The circumference of the Fort is approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) making it one of the largest Fort in the world, with its remote location and sheer size it’s quite overwhelming to experience. What makes it interesting is no-one quite knows what it was built to defend, and its origins are still unclear. In more recent years it was a famous place for bandits to hide, but today it’s peaceful and quiet again for you to explore.

Afternoon

• Lunch along the journey, our local guides know the best spots.
• We’ll make a short stop at Manchar Lake which is the largest fresh water lake in Pakistan. You’ll get the chance to see how the Mohana tribe more commonly known as the “Boat People” live and go about their daily activities on the lake.
• In the evening we have something special lined up for you, we’ll visit Sehwan Sharif one of the most holy shrines in Pakistan, the Shrine of Lal Shah Baz Qalandar. At this shrine after sunset we will hopefully have another chance to see Dhamaal – Sufi Dancing with music.
• Dinner in Sehwan Sharif followed by a walk in the centre where you can try local deserts.
• Overnight in Sehwan Sharif.

Tuesday 12th September – Sehwan Sharif – Mohenjo Daro – Lakarno – Sukkur

Moring

• Breakfast at the hotel before we take an early drive to Mohenjo Daro an UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s first major cities – this was the largest settlement during the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation. We’ll have time to explore the ancient city – Mohenjo Daro which translates to “Mound of the Dead Men”.
• We’ll visit the incredible Mir Ali Ahmed Talpur the White Palace and learn about its fascinating history.

Afternoon

• Lunch in the local area.
• Along the journey we’ll take a break and visit Faiz Mahal Palace where the last Talpur monarch still resides. The Mahal is a perfect example of royal architecture built at the time which use to house royal elephants in the Hathi Khana (elephant stables) – now there’s a mango orchard instead.
• Later in the evening we’ll visit the Bhutto-Mausoleum in Lakarno. The Bhutto family are still considered as one of the most important and influential families in Pakistan – the Bhutto-Mausoleum still attract large gatherings on the anniversary of Benazir Bhutto’s death.
• Dinner in Sukkur followed by a few chilled drinks.
• Overnight in Sukkur.

Wednesday 13th September – Sukkur – Multan

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• We will start the day with visiting the shrines of the Seven Sisters locally known as Sateen Jo Aastan – this is located on the left bank of the Indus River in Sukkur. The site was chosen for its scenic location for the seven female friends – who remained unmarried and practiced purdah (wearing a veil prevent males from seeing them) however folklore has its origins from the Hindu ritual of “sati”.
• We’ll make a short stop at Uch Sharif which was founded by Alexander the Great during his campaign in the Indus valley. The site later became the base for the Delhi Sultanate during the Islamic conquest of Indian subcontinent. Today it’s an important pilgrimage site with numerous shines and tombs.
• Our journey continues to the Cholistan Desert (Rohi) where for centuries and even today is still inhabited by nomadic tribes who are famous for producing local crafts.

Afternoon

• We’ll have lunch and relax before we continue.
• We will visit the impressive and remote Derawar Fort. This incredible fort is 30m high and has a circumference of 1.5km which is visible from many miles away in the Cholistan Desert. The fort was built in the 9^th century by a Hindu Rajput ruler and exchanged hands over the centuries from the Emirate of Multan, the Delhi Sultanate to the Mughals.
• In the evening we’ll head towards Multan – the ‘city of saints’ the drive is pretty interesting along the way. Multan has a deep and fascinating history as it’s the oldest continuously inhabited cities in all of Asia.
• Dinner in Multan followed by some local deserts on town.
• Overnight in Multan.

Thursday 14th September — Multan – Lahore

Morning

• Breakfast in hotel.
• In the morning we’ll do a tour through Multan and see some famous innumerable shrines along the way. We’ll head towards the bazar (market) and see daily life amongst the locals, it’s also a perfect opportunity to take some interesting photos and pick up gifts.

Afternoon

• We’ll have lunch then start our journey to Lahore – the cultural capital of Pakistan, to break up our road trip we will stop at Sahiwal. Here we’ll find the ancient Harappa civilization more common known as the Indus valley civilization which use to frequently trade with Mesopotamia,
• Once we arrive in Lahore you can settle in – Lahore is considered the most liberal, progressive, and cosmopolitan cities in Pakistan. The history genuinely reflects the architecture from Mughal, Sikhs Empire to the British Raj.
• Dinner in Lahore and head out into town.
• Overnight in Lahore.

Friday 15th September – Lahore

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• No trips to Lahore’s goes without visiting the impressive Fort – Lahore Fort is the citadel of the city and has been inhabited for centuries. The fort has exchanged many occupiers over the years including the Mughals, Sikh Empire and the East India Company. The architecture of the fort is impressive which features both Islamic and Hindu features.
• We’ll then head to Badshahi Mosque, this is the most iconic landmark of Lahore and considered the peak of Mughal architecture – the impressive size of the Mosque can accommodate 10,000 worshipers in the hall with another 100,000 worshipers in the courtyard.
• We’ll walk through the old town, what’s unique about Lahore you can find street doctors, dentists, pharmacist and various other medical occupations.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Lahore, there’s plenty of places to choose from.
• Since the independence of Pakistan and India in 1947 from the British Raj, hostilities still remain between the two nuclear armed nations neighbours. You can experience the tense and dramatic tension at the Wagah Border ceremony where both nations lower their flags and close the boarder for the night – It’s very patriotic, is an understatement!
• Dinner at a popular local spot followed by a few chilled drinks.
• Overnight in Lahore.

Saturday 16th September – Lahore – Rawalpindi

Morning

• Breakfast at Hotel.
• End of the tour depart at your own convenience. YPT can arrange additional nights in Lahore and airport drop off for a fee, we are more than happy to provide advice for ongoing flights.
• The adventure continues if you’re joining us for the Karakoram Highway Tour!

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