Pakistan is a beautiful country with stunning rugged peaks, hidden villages, gorgeous lakes, and captivating royal blue skies. Basically, the country is blessed with outstanding views that will make you wonder if you are in a fairytale. If you are interested in traveling or سفر کرنا (pronounced as safar karna), you should not miss out on the stunning places in Pakistan that you will discover in today’s post.
Aside from the places that can be found in Pakistan, one of the things that you will grow to appreciate is its unique language. Basically, many of the locals use the Urdu language since it is the national language of Pakistan. What makes it special is that its linguistic features reflect the heavy influence of Persian and Arabic languages. In fact, the official Urdu alphabet is almost the same as the above-mentioned languages!
As we get to know these top places to visit, we’ll also walk you through some basic Urdu words and expressions that will certainly help make your travel a hassle-free experience. If you are down for that, let’s get started!
What Are The Most Stunning Places In Pakistan?
1. Hunza Valley
The Hunza Valley is actually a giant range with numerous valleys and small villages. Here are some must-see sights within Hunza. If you want to know more about Pakistan and the Urdu language, check out some of our other awesome posts by our amazing writers.
The Passu Cathedral is a work of art and is one of the most recognizable sceneries in all of Pakistan. Aside from that, you can also head over to the Eagle’s Nest, especially if you love watching the sunset. However, if you are a water lover, you will fall in love with Attabad Lake. The lake was created out of tragedy in 2010 when a huge landslide occurred. Because of the landslide, the Hunza River was unable to flow and had been blocked.
With a stunning place like this, there has to be some way of describing the beauty that you see, right? In the local language, you can easily say دلکش (pronounced as dil-kash) which refers to a beautiful sight.
2. Swat Valley
Even though the valley is known to have a pretty messy past, that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan. The Swat Valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is undoubtedly something straight out of a fairy tale. Think of beautiful thick bright green grass, large mountains, and hills surrounding, with small quaint villages filling the gaps.
Here, you can also find the Boyun Village. It is also known as Green Top. Once reaching the top, you’re rewarded with a panoramic view of the whole area. Next on the list to visit here are Kandol and Spindhor Lakes. Just 2 hours away from Kalam, Kandol lake is one of the most beautiful places on Earth that is accessible via a jeep track and is a little more touristy. Spindhor, however, is a 2-hour long hike.
3. Phander Lake
This lake is located in Phader village, and it is so stunning it looks as if it’s straight out of a painting. Even though the lake is insanely gorgeous, Phander Lake isn’t as popular as Attabad Lake. The best thing about this lake is there are hardly any tourists in this area. Isn’t it perfect for some “me-time”?
Even though there are no other sights to see in this area, some beautiful little inns are available for guests to stay in. You can choose between the more affordable options or, the more expensive high-end inns that overlook the entire lake.
Tip: Want to know how to say Lake in Urdu? Just say جھیل (pronounced as jheel) to surprise the locals!
4. Broghil Valley
Broghil is located in the north and is very close to Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor. Back in the day, Broghil was only ever accessible by horseback or hiking. If planning to visit this destination is a must, then please make sure to contact the correct authorities to get permission first and look for a registered travel guide.
5. Lahore
Lahore is a treasure trove of historical places with plenty of Mughals creations. The most famous landmarks in Lahore are Badshahi Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque, and Lahore Fort. Lahore also has plenty of stunning preserved tombs, and lively shrines, which is perhaps one of the reasons why it is called the cultural capital of Pakistan.
Wazir Khan Mosque is one of the first places you must travel to if ever you are in the area. This 17th-century mosque is found in Lahore’s Walled City. The mosque is covered in amazing bright colors and has been kept in pristine condition since its opening. The Walled City Of Lahore is next and is not just a single monument in Lahore, but it’s a living relic of both past and present. The Walled City has been around since 1,000 BCE. Back in the day, there were 13 gates of entry but as of now, there are only 6 gates.
Lahore Fort is one of the most popular sights out of all of Lahores’ attractions. The grounds of the fort have been well kept and are in amazing shape. When visiting this fortress, there is no doubt that you will definitely feel like you have stepped back in time.
Tip: Ever wondered how you say mosque in Urdu? You can say مسجد (pronounced as mas-jid).
6. Hingol National Park
This stunning park is located in Pakistan but looks like something from another planet. This national park is 6,000 square kilometers. This gorgeous park is filled with stunningly unique rock formations, enormous canyons, and many species of animals.
The national park also has a mud volcano, a small vent or fissure in the ground that pours out hot mud. A small part of the national park is located on the coast, adding the ocean to its extremely natural beauty.
7. Kalash Valleys
Yes, you heard right. Valleys. It is made up of the Bumboret, Rumbur, and Birir valleys. All of these valleys are home to the Kalash people. These valleys or وادی (pronounced as waadi) are absolutely breathtaking and would be a great place to live in.
8. Deosai Plains Park
This stunning park is often called the roof of the world. Why? Because it pretty much is. The plateau stands at an insane 13,497 feet tall and is known as the second-highest in the world. If you plan to visit, the park has an entry fee of 1,000 rupees for tourists and 40 rupees for Pakistani locals.
This plateau is complete with beautiful snow-capped mountains, stunning green meadows, and crystal-clear blue or نیلا (pronounced as neela) waters. One of the animals you can only find here is the Himalayan Brown Bear!
9. Shimshal
Shimshal valley is a known adventure destination. This valley is top-rated among mountaineers and rock climbers. This place is sustainable because the entire village relies on solar energy, and the locals help each other with their needs. While in the area, you can visit nearby yak pastures and wander the vast fields filled with mustard yellow flowers, gorgeous green fields, stunning mountain ranges, and a beautiful lake.
10. Shah Jahan Mosque
The Shah Jahan Mosque is also known as the Jamia Masjid. The Shah Jahan Mosque is located in Thatta, a town in Sindh province. This beautiful mosque is mainly known for having elaborate displays of colorful tiles and is also known for having the most elaborate tiles in all of South Asia. The mosque was created by Shah Jahan when he had been seeking refuge or پناہ (pronounced as panaah) in Thatta in 1647.
11. Fairy Meadows
This meadow or چراگاہ (pronounced as charaah-gaah) is quite touristy and pretty pricey, but worth it! Fairy Meadow is definitely something out of a fairy tale, much like its name. When visiting Fairy Meadows, you have a fantastic view of Nanga Prabat, the world’s 9th highest mountain peak.
The journey to Fairy Meadows is pretty long and challenging. The journey starts with a lengthy jeep ride across one of the world’s most dangerous roads and finishes with a long hike to the meadow. Here you can choose to rent a camping sight area, or you can feel free to bring your gear and camp!
12. Margala Hills
The Margala Hills are perfect for climbing, spread over 12,000 hectares, and have multiple perfect hiking trails. The next best thing about the Margala Hills is that even though you have an excellent view of the city, you are still completely surrounded by stunning nature.
13. Rohtas Fort
This beautiful valley is a 16th-century fortress recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Rohtas Fort is close to Jhelum in Punjab, which is 4 hours from Lahore and just 2 hours from Islamabad.
The Rohtas Fort is one of the largest in the subcontinent and has stayed in amazing condition despite the fortress’s age. You can easily spend hours at this location by walking around and admiring every little detail about the beautiful yet massive or وزنی (pronounced as wazni) structure.
14. Naltar Valley
This valley is unbelievably breathtaking. It’s something out of this world and is a must-see sight. With the valley’s dramatic forest, crystal-clear blue lakes, and skiing in the winter or موسم سرما (pronounced as mosam sarma) with stunning snow-capped peaks the rest of the year. It is not filled with tourists since it is only accessible via jeep. If you plan to stay the night in the area, there are also tons of guesthouses and hotels.
Ready To Learn More About Pakistan?
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