9 Things to do in Lahore, Pakistan + Top Tips

Last updated on: 15 March 2022

Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital, is filled with stunning sights. From the Badshahi Mosque to the modern Packages Mall, read here everything there is to do in Lahore!

There is a famous saying in Punjab that roughly translates to “If you haven’t seen Lahore, you haven’t been born”, and after visiting this city I understood why. As we wandered through the streets of the Walled City, filled with shops and vendors selling clothes, food and anything else you could basically need I started to see the why people love Lahore, a city that was once known as the Paris of the East. With every corner we turned we were warmly welcomed with “As-salamu alaikum”, kind smiles, and something new to discover. It did not long for Lahore to steal our hearts, and while our visit was short, we know we will be back in the near future. Keep on reading to find out our favourite things to do in Lahore…

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First Impressions of Lahore Video

9 Things to do in Lahore

Badshahi Mosque

The Badshahi Mosque is undeniably one of the most famous mosques in Lahore, if not Pakistan. It is one of these places that you might have seen in photos or videos, but the reality is that nothing compares to the beauty of the Badshahi Mosque in real life. The Badshahi Mosque is a mosque that was built during the Mughal area in the 1670’s and actually was the largest mosque in the world up till 1986. The carved red sandstone creates a beautiful warm glow, which is a large contrast with the marble inlays. This was undeniably one of our favourite spots in Lahore, we spent a couple of hours here exploring the different areas of the mosque, taking photos from the stunning architecture and lots & lots of selfies with the locals visiting the mosque!

Practical Info

Address | Walled City of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Opening Hours | Daily from 8AM - 8PM

Entry Fee | None

Good to Know | You will be required to dress modestly and to take off your shoes before entering the mosque.

Lahore Fort

Right next to the Badshahi Mosque you will find the Lahore Fort, one of Lahore’s most famous sights. The fort, that covers over 20 hectares, was built in the 16th century, with multiple additions made over the centuries. With a stunning garden and an endless amount of sights to see the Lahore Fort is an oasis in a city as busy as Lahore! Due to the heat (it was 46 °C that day) we unfortunately did not have the energy to discover the complete fort, but it is definitely still on our list for our next visit to Lahore!

Practical Info

Address | H8Q7+56P, Fort Rd, Walled City of Lahore, Lahore

Opening Hours | Daily from 8.30am - 5pm

Entry Fee | The entry fee for foreigners is 500 Rs. per person ($2.56)

Good to Know | The entry to the fort is located on Circular Road. You will have to take a short walk through Great Iqbal Park before you reach the entrance to both the fort and the Badshahi Mosque. There is another entry point located at Roshnai Gate, which has been re-opened since December 2021. The guards were kind enough to let us exit so we can easily access Fort Road Food Street, however, this entry point does not always seem to be open.

fort as seen from the badshahi mosque — Fort as seen from Badshahi Mosque

Delhi Gate & Delhi Gate Market

The Delhi Gate is one of the remaining gates of the Walled City of Lahore, and during the Mughal era (when this gate was built) this gate actually served as the main gateway into the Walled City. When you walk through this gate you will immediately be welcomed by the hustle and bustle of one of Lahore’s most vibrant markets: The Delhi Gate Market. Get lost in the small streets of vendors selling clothes, food, herbs, and so much more. No matter what way you will look you will find something new and spectacular to see on every single corner.

Practical Info

Address | Inside Delhi Gate, Akbari Mandi Walled City of Lahore

Opening Hours | There are no opening hours, however, shops seem to open between 9-10 am

Good to Know | The Delhi Gate Market is located fairly close to the Wazir Khan Mosque and can easily be combined in a visit together!

Haveli Restaurant

Haveli Restaurant, located on the Fort Road Food Street, has one of the most incredibly views that you can find in the city (if not the country). Situated right next to the Badshahi Mosque this is the place to enjoy the sun set, all while enjoying some food! While there are multiple restaurants located on Fort Road Food Street, Haveli is undeniably the most popular option and it did not disappoint. During the warm month of May the roof top unfortunately did not open until after sun set, but we still enjoyed a delicious dinner inside (located on the 4th floor) while enjoying the incredible view!

badshahi mosque as seen from havelli restaurant in lahore pakistan

Wazir Khan Mosque

In the heart of the walled city of Lahore you will find the Wazir Khan Mosque, another mosque that was built during the Mughal era in the 17th century. This mosque is especially known for its intricate tile work and frescoes all of which can still be seen inside the mosque to this day! The mosque is currently under construction, but you can still visit a large part of the mosque including the main prayer hall where you can witness some of the original frescoes and tile work up close!

Practical Info

Address | Shahi Guzargah، Dabbi Bazar, Chota Mufti Baqar Walled City of Lahore

Opening Hours | Daily from 5AM - 8PM

Entry Fee | None, however you might be asked to make a small donation and to pay for keeping your shoes at the entrance of the mosque

Good to Know | You will be required to dress modestly and to take off your shoes before entering the mosque. We were not allowed to bring our professional camera inside, phones were allowed though.

Fort Road Food Street

One of the most well known places to get street food in Lahore (for tourists) is the Fort Road Food Street. Located right outside the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque (near the Roshnai Gate) you will find a street that truly comes to live once the sun has set. Small stalls that are closed during the day will open selling snacks including samosas, gulab jamun and of course chai. It is not the place to try authentic street food, but it might be worth a stop if you are already in the area!

Hang out with the locals

One of the main reasons we fell in love with Pakistan is because of the people. Almost everyone we met in Pakistan was welcoming, up for a little chat and of course wanted to take some photos together. In Pakistan people will go out of their way to help you, and if they can’t help you they will find you someone who will. A visit to Pakistan would not be complete without experiencing the kindness that the Pakistani people have to offer. Sit down with a friendly local for a cup of chai or have a chat with a random stranger in the markets of Lahore, every single encounter you’ll have will be another unique story to tell and a memory that will last a lifetime.

We wanted to say thank you to all the kind people we have met in Pakistan who have opened their hearts to us. Pakistan stole our hearts and we know we will be back in the future, our experience of traveling in your country would have not been the same without you!

Please read: Almost all of our encounters in Pakistan have been positive and nothing short of lovely, however, be sure to not ever fully let your guard down. In this world, no matter where you are, there will always be people that have an agenda. Sometimes their agenda might be to simply scam you out of some money, but sometimes it may be worse. If you feel uncomfortable, uneasy or unsafe call “15” to speak to the police.

Packages Mall

If you are looking to experience a little bit more of a modern Lahore then we would highly recommend checking out Packages Mall. Packages Mall, located in the South of Lahore is one of the largest malls in Pakistan, and the biggest mall of Lahore. This is the perfect place to go shopping for some new clothes, catch a movie or simply enjoy experiencing what modern Lahore is like. This mall has over 56,000 reviews on Google, and after visiting we understood why it was rated with a 4.6/5: it is not only massive, it is better then most of the malls we have in Canada!

Practical Info

Address | Main Walton Road, Shahrah-E-Roomi Nishtar Town, Lahore

Opening Hours | Daily from 11AM - 11PM

Good to Know | Packages mall is quite far away from the touristic sights of Lahore, the easiest and quickest way to get here in our opinion is to take a Careem (car option). From the Lahore Zoo area the ride was about 650 Rs. ($3.37) and took about half an hour.

woman standing in front of khaadi inside modern packages mall in lahore pakistan

Muhammad Mahmood Alam Road

Looking to explore more of modern Lahore? Be sure to head over to Gulberg, one of Lahore’s most modern areas! In the middle of Gulberg you will find Muhammad Mahmood Alam Road, also known as MM Alam Road. On and near MM Alam Road you will find chain stores such as Khaadi, Generation and Ethnic as well as plenty of boutique shops. This is also the place to be if you are craving some Western food as you will find tons of burger restaurants, bakeries, pizza places and cafes in Gulberg, specifically on MM Alam Road!

Other Things to do in Lahore

We had a lot planned for our time in Lahore, but unfortunately due to the hot weather we were not able to explore it all… this time around! If you are looking for some more inspiration of things to do in Lahore then perhaps check out these sights:

Anarkali Market
Shalamar Garden
Liberty Market
Model Town Park
Lahore Museum
Wagah Border Ceremony
Grand Jamia Mosque
The Eiffel Tower Replica
Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum
Shahi Hammam

Do you have any other recommendations of sights to see or things to eat? Be sure to let us know in the comment section down below as we are currently already planning our next visit to Lahore!

Map of Things to do in Lahore

View on Google Maps

Where to Stay in Lahore

Luxus Grand Hotel

The Luxus Grand Hotel was rated with a 9.3 in May 2022 on Booking.com

During our visit to Lahore we stayed in the Luxus Grand Hotel, located near the Lahore Zoo. The Luxus Grand Hotel is a 5 star hotel that offers a large variety of rooms, ranging from more simple twin and double rooms to complete suites. They have a gym as well as a pool in the building and the staff here speaks perfect English.

We personally stayed here for 9 nights during our visit to Lahore and absolutely loved our stay. The staff was kind, the rooms were clean and the bed was incredibly comfortable. Another thing we loved was the strong wifi that allowed us to continue our work online (download speed of 17 Mbps and an upload speed of 19 Mbps). We would definitely stay here again on our next visit to Lahore!

Check prices on Booking.com

Lahore Travel Tips

best time to visit lahore

Well if we know one thing than it is that late spring/summer is definitely the worst time to visit Lahore, unless you are used to 40+ degrees Celsius. We visited Lahore during the month of May and definitely learned that we won’t be back during those months. Temperatures rose to 46 degrees Celsius, and as a couple who grew up in Canada and the Netherlands, we have to say that it is not something we are used to or possibly ever get used to haha! So after a bit of research (and planning our second trip) it seems that the best time to visit Lahore would be between the months of October to April. During these months temperatures drop significantly. The hottest months during this period, October and April, will be at an average high of around 34°C. The coldest months during this period, December and January, will be at an average high of about 20 °C and a low of about 8 °C.

How many days do you need in Lahore

I would recommend to spend at least 3 days in Lahore, that will give you time to not only see it all but to see it without rushing. One of the main reasons we loved visiting Pakistan is because of the friendly locals here who all love to chat, hang out and sometimes even will want to drink some tea with you. Spent a day discovering the Walled City of Lahore and visit the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque. Spent your second day seeing the more modern sides of Lahore such as Gulberg and Packages Mall and spent your last day indulging in street food and hunting for the perfect souvenirs at Anarkali Bazaar! If you have some time left in your itinerary you might like to add some other sights to your itinerary such as Shalamar Garden and the Tomb of Emperor Jahangir!

How to get around Lahore

Getting around Lahore can be an adventure on its own as the traffic here is absolute madness. Every time we have taken a rickshaw or a taxi ride we are impressed by the skills of the drivers as they make their way through the busy streets filled with bikes, honkey drawn carriages, rickshaws and cars. 3 Lane roads in Lahore are 5 lane roads and honking seems to be a must if you want to make your way across town. Here are our recommended ways of getting around town:

Rickshaw | You want have to look long to find a rickshaw in Lahore, they are simply everywhere. Not only are they very convenient, they are also extremely fun to take, and affordable! A ride from our hotel (near Lahore Zoo) to the old town was anywhere from 200 to 300 Rs. (± 1$ = 1.50$). The rickshaws don’t go very fast so they are best for shorter distances in our opinion! Tip: if you are taking a rickshaw don’t give the driver an exact address, it is easiest to give well known landmarks as an end destination instead, it will be easier and quicker than trying to explain exactly where you need to go on a map.

Careem | For longer distances we recommend getting a ride with a car through the Careem app. The best thing about Careem is that you can see the price up front, perfect in case you don’t want to haggle. Another easy benefit is that you can add your end destination and tell the driver exactly where you want to go instead of having to figure out what the nearest land mark is. The last bonus is that the app is in English making it extremely easy to order a ride! You can also book rickshaws and bike taxis through the app, however, we have personally never used this option yet.

view from inside the rickshaw in the busy lahore pakistan

Explore Pakistan With Our Travel Guides

And there you have it, everything you need to know about Lahore! We are already planning our next visit so if you have any recommendations on what to do, see or eat be sure to let us know in the comment section down below. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our other Pakistan travel guides:

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