Pakistan

Pakistan is blessed with abundant natural and historical riches. Incredible mountain landscapes are set against a backdrop of desert forts and stories of sultans and djinns. In its cities, ancient bazaars are home to intricately etched copper kitchenware alongside pungent spice racks and steaming tea stalls.

Mughals and Mountains

The teeming cities of the south lie on a continuum with the ancient cities of northern India, while the rugged north is a wild frontier that has changed only superficially since Mughal times. In between are scattered ruins and arid deserts, and capping Pakistan to the north is the western spur of the Himalayan mountain range, including K2, the world's second highest mountain.

Urban Centers

Pakistan's urban centers pack enough city delights to satisfy any cosmopolitan traveler. In Lahore, arguably the country's cultural, intellectual and artistic hub, travelers can find spiritual sustenance in qawwali (Islamic devotional singing) performances before striking up a conversation about the latest developments in the world of cricket. Food, fashion, art museums – it can all be found in Pakistan's fabulous metropolitan areas.

The Mighty Karakoram

Pakistan's number one attraction is a bubble of serenity. Stretching north from the Northwest Frontier to Kashgar in China, the Karakoram is one of the world's most epic highways, an astonishing feat of engineering forced against the odds through the tortured bedrock of the Karakoram mountains.