Traveling to Pakistan is all about experiencing the essence of the country. That is the culture, people, food, history, and beautiful destinations. Travelers are awe-struck by the diverse culture, delectable food, and magnificent valleys.
The best thing tourists find about Pakistan is the hospitality of the local community. Welcoming you with big heartwarming smiles and open hearts. Strolling through Lahore’s interesting bazaars and historical sites, enjoying psychedelic local transport, exploring awe-inspiring Northern areas and scrumptious street foods. It can enhance your traveling experience tenfolds if you come prepared.
Here are 10+ things you need to know before traveling to Pakistan!
Language
Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. Learning some basic words will help you interact with the locals while wandering through the country without a hitch. If you are familiar with the basic words of Urdu, you will see people reacting with big warm smiles and ready to make you feel at home.
Urban dwellers can speak varying levels of English so you wouldn’t have any difficulty communicating with them. Still, you should learn basic words of Urdu to avoid feeling at a loss for words while exploring different towns and cities.
Culture and Tradition
Cultural diversity is the soul of Pakistan. If you are traveling to Pakistan for the first time, you will find that Pakistanis keep their culture and traditions close to their hearts. You will observe it in the modest apparel, streets, festivals, the way they carry a conversation. Even the famous psychedelic local transports speak of the rich culture of Pakistan.
There are four major ethnic groups in Pakistan
- Punjabi
- Sindhi
- Pashtun
- Balochi
They all come with their own language, culture, food variations, customs, and beliefs. There is one thing that is common among all minor or major ethnic groups. They love hosting guests!!. People living in villages or cities will be happy to show you around and entertain you with food and stories of their culture.
Bazaars, Shrines, ancient places, and streets filled with colorful cultural things will take you to another world. If you want a real sense of Pakistani culture visit historical sites and Northern villages where you will meet some of the most genuine, hospitable, lively, and traditional Pakistanis. These northerners mostly belong to Hunza Valley, Kalash Valley, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Street Food to try when traveling to Pakistan
Can you handle hot spicy food? One thing that is common in Pakistani cuisine and street foods is the use of South Asian SPICES, layers of flavors and traditional spices will make your mouth sing with a zing. You will also find a lot of vendors selling sweets on the streets. So, after a hot meal, you can get a taste of traditional sweets like Kulfi, Jalebi, Gulab Jamun, and Naan Khatai to sweeten your taste palette.
Biryani, Pulao, Nihari, Naan, Haleem, Gol Gappa, Bun kabab, Paratha, and Chapli kabab are some of the most flavorful street foods you wouldn’t want to miss when traveling to Pakistan. If you want a cool beverage on a hot day a glass of “Lassi” will bring instant relief from the heat. And you will love a cup of “Kahwa” or “Kashmiri Chai” to ward off the chilly winds of the North.
Check out HostelWorld for very affordable accommodations! And find a cheap flight with Kiwi!
Safety in Pakistan
Contrary to what people believe, Pakistan is a safe country to travel to. I will admit though it is not completely unsafe, neither is any other country. It used to be not so secure a couple of years ago but ever since the military stabilized the security situation in the country, it has largely improved. So, everyone can travel and explore Pakistan to their heart’s content. We have had foreigners who visited Pakistan and enjoyed their stay. Because of improved security, tourists are traveling to Pakistan more than ever.
And if you are travel insured that will be a big plus, services like Safety Wings cover travel insurance for Europeans and Americans for traveling to Pakistan.
Visa Pakistan
If you are traveling to Pakistan you will need a visa. That said, you can apply for an e-visa which has made acquiring a visa for visiting Pakistan easier. The cost of an e-visa application is $35 and takes around 7 days to approve. There are two kinds of tourism visas. You can apply for either of those, depending on the purpose of the tour.
- Tourist Visa
- Mountaineering & Trekking
Make sure the documents you submit are in JPEG format. You will need a letter of invitation from a tour company or a hotel in Pakistan, a copy of your passport page, and a passport-sized photo. If applying for Mountaineering & Trekking visa you will need to fill a Mountaineering application form and a Trekking application form and have a sponsor letter from the Department of Tourist Services. That’s it!
Currency in Pakistan
Pakistani Rupee (Pkr) is the currency of Pakistan. You can pay with your bank cards at fancy hotels, restaurants, some hospitals, and Shopping malls but you will still need to carry cash in your wallet to shop at local markets, pay for local food, or local transport. Pakistan relies on cash payments mostly, so keep some cash stashed in your backpack and wallet all the time. Paperless transactions are still not available locally except at fancy places. Especially in Northern areas where you might not find ATM machines around local villages. For foreigners, traveling to Pakistan is inexpensive as the value of $1 equals PKR. 165. So, they can do a lot with a few hundred dollars.
For online transfers, like Paypal, we use WorldRemit in Pakistan! We have a great deal: get 25 euro free after sending 200 euro with WorldRemit!
Ideal time for traveling to Pakistan
It really depends on what you want to explore, whether you want to hike the popular destinations like Hunza Valley, Hindukush mountains, Kumrat Valley in North Pakistan or marvel at the multicultural, historical places in the South.
South Pakistan
If you are planning to visit the South, the ideal time would be November – April because it is winter in Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a good season to explore popular ancient places and culturally rich destinations.
Northern Pakistan
Northern areas of Pakistan are famous for their alluring valleys, sky-high mountains with breathtaking views. The best time to visit the Northern Areas will be from May – October because summer in the North is not overly hot or humid, a perfect time to make the most out of the trip. You can visit the Northern areas in winter as well if you are well-equipped with winter essentials because nights can get freezing cold!!
The only downside is that in winter the greenery is covered by snow. You won’t be able to explore and trek around the magnificent lakes, and mountain ranges because of the heavy snowfall. Some tourism sites might be blocked for safety reasons. But, if Mountaineering and Trekking through snowy trails is your thing then I am sure the snow will not bother you.
Some pointers to keep in mind before traveling to Pakistan
And last but not least, these tips should be also taken into account.
- When you visit ancient holy places like Badshahi Mosque, make sure your head is covered. Muslims cover their heads when visiting holy places out of respect. Tourists do the same as a gesture of respect for Pakistani religion and customs.
- BARGAIN! Either you are hailing a rickshaw or shopping from the local market, it can be fun bargaining with locals. You will be surprised to see the price or fare reduced to nearly half of what they asked for.
- The immodest dressing is frowned upon in Pakistan. It is a tradition to wear modest apparel.
- Keep some cash stashed in your backpack all the time because paperless transactions are not available everywhere.
- Be vigilant to protect your gear from getting lost or stolen.
- Do you know a local in Pakistan? It will be a big help to have an acquaintance in Pakistan who can show you around. If you know what to expect before traveling to Pakistan, you will do fine as a solo traveler as well. In fact, you will find a lot of amazing people ready to make you feel at ease.
Okay, so now you know as a first-timer how to enjoy your trip to Pakistan. Have fun!
Before you go and book that flight and hotel, please don´t underestimate how important it is to have the right travel insurance. We recommend World Nomads or Safety Wings!