Lahore

its roof of Cocco Den restaurant near Badshahi Mosque.
Lahore is very famous city of Pakistan among the tourists and locals. It is the second largest city of Pakistan and capital of Punjab With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital.its a city of garden, Mughal Emperors architect and food. Lahore is famous through out country for its food.
It is One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a vibrant economic, political, transportation, entertainment, and educational hub.Lahore maintains its historical status as one of the world's most cosmopolitan and lively of cities.Lahore has been a center of cultural heritage for many civilizations.


  
Climate of Lahore
The weather of Lahore is extremely hot during the months of May, June, and July August, when the temperatures can reach to 40 to 46 °C.December, January, and February are the coldest months, when temperatures can drop to 8 °C.

How to reach
you can reach here by plan there is no trains or buses that connected internationally. Allama Iqbal International Airport  is the second-largest airport in Pakistan, and it is  located in Lahore, Lahore is  the capital of Punjab province. The airport is located about 15 kilometres from the centre of the city.The Pakistani Airline companies are PIA,  Shaheen Air international,  Air Blue .
 
Train
All trains stop at the Lahore City Railway Station, also known as Lahore Junction. Any one can reach here from different parts of the country. The official website of Pakistan Railways  http://pakrail.com/ .any one can find a lot of information like fare of trains, timing, rout etc.
By Bus
You can arrive here in Lahore from any part of the country. There is 3 main bus terminals Niazi bus terminal, Lari Ada and Daewoo Bus Terminal. You can get comfortable buses from Niazi bus terminal and sky ways however Daewoo is most expensive but much more comfortable and reliable than others.


Attractions of City
 
The Lahore Fort

Royal Fort or Shahi Qila is one of the magnificent buildings and landmarks Mughal emperors ever made. Covering an area of 20 hectares, Shahi Qila is located in north western corner of this city. This fort is a masterpiece of architecture and Mughal grandeur.The attractions that you will find in this section of fort include Shish Mahal and spacious rooms and gardens. Shish Mahal is the most liked attraction of this fort and is capable of making a person thrilled with its beautiful mirror work. Other attractions of this fort are Alamgiri gate and Moti Masjid.
                                                                                                                                                                                   
Badshahi Mosque
Built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, this mosque is the second largest mosque in Pakistan. It is a favorite attraction among tourists because of its worth-seeing architecture and design. Its designs are inspired by Persian, Islamic and Indian influences. Interior of the mosque is decorated with white marble floor while exterior is decorated with stone carvings.

Minar-e-Pakistan                                                                                              
The most famous and monumental attraction of Lahore is the great Minar-e-Pakistan. It is a must visit place for all the tourists who visit Pakistan. Minar-e-Pakistan is 60 meter high concrete minaret that is located in the famous Iqbal Garden. Actually this minaret was made in commemoration of Pakistan Resolution that was passed in the same park on March 23, 1940.
Lahore Museum
A Inner side view of Lahore Museum.
it is established during the British raj was here. It displays image of the Culture and History of Pakistan with  rare and best collection of the Buddhist art from the Gandhara, Islamic artifacts, Calligraphy, Arms, Costumes and Jewelry. 

Shalimar Garden
Another famous historical attraction of Lahore is Shalimar Garden that was built in 16th century. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and was used as a royal pleasure garden. Shalimar Garden is an astonishing and amazing example of Mughal Gardens.

Wazir Khan Mosque
The Wazir Khan Mosque is famous for its extensive faience tile work.It was built in seven years, starting around 1634–1635 AD, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan.The mosque is in the old City near Delhi Gate Lahore.

Lahore Zoo.
it is situated on very famous Mall road.The Zoo houses about 1381 animals of 136 species including 996 birds of 82 species, 49 reptiles of 08 and 336 mammals of 45 species.  http://www.lahorezoo.com.pk/ 

Jahangir’s Mausoleum
It is another tourist’s attraction in Lahore covering an area of 55 acres. This tomb was built by son of Jahangir named Shah Jahan ten years after his father’s death.This mausoleum is made of red sandstone with floral marble. This building has 30 meters high four minarets which add to its grandeur and magnificence.
Some of the most popular historical attractions in Lahore have been described in this post but this list is almost unlimited. So if you ever have a chance to visit Pakistan, come to Lahore and see theses attractions. 
and many other attractions are
Sozo Water Park & Sky Land water park. The Park is 28 km from Lahore.
  1. The old City is full of shrines and palaces which is worth to see and has a unique culture and lifestyle.
  2. Lawrence Gardens (Jinnah Bagh)

  1. Sindbad & Joy Land at Fortress stadium. 
  2. Old Anarkali food street.
Language
The common languages in Lahore are Urdu and Punjabi. Mostly in all places of city and Touristy places English can be understand and spoken however there are also many parts of the city where nobody understand English like middle class areas of city.
You may encounter a bit of problem communicating with street food vendors and with drivers of vans and rickshaws.
Moving around town
getting around is a very well experience. You can explore many places on foot but due to a lot of traffic and pollution it is better to hire auto rickshaw or taxi.

Auto Rickshaw are the cheapest and the safest individual forms of public transport. If you are foreigner I highly recommend you to hire a rickshaw instead of mini vans or local transport as all local transport is in very rough condition and they are too slow.

Taxis are not very common here in Lahore however you can find many taxis but the rates of taxis are high than Rickshaw. So getting around in the Lahore Rickshaw is the best option.

Minivans are very common in city but you can go any part of city from them they are very economical and cheap but if you are new in city or foreigner I highly recommend don’t use local mini vans.

Where to stay
There are a lot of Hotels where you can stay according to your budget

Luxury Hotels
Pearl Continental Hotel       18000 PKR- 25000 PKR     www.pchotels.com
Hospitality Inn Hotel             10000 PKR- 18000 PKR    www.hospitalityinnlahore.com             Avari Hotel                           16000 PKR- 22000 PKR    www.avari.com   

Mid Range
Hotel Ambassador               6000 PKR- 10000 PKR
7-Devis Road Lahore

Smart Hotel                         5000 PKR- 7000PKR        www.smarthotellahore.com         
Hotel Sunfort                       9000 PKR- 15000 PKR     www.sunforthotel.com 
Park plaza                           4000 PKR- 8000 PKR       www.smarthotellahore.com 
Amer Hotel
Mirage Hotel Lahore            3000 PKR- 5000 PKR      www.miragelahore.com

Hostels for foreigners
i highly recommend to all foreigners this Hostel for staying if you are tight on budget.it is very neat clean hostel and staff is really coperative.
Lahore Backpackers      400 PKR- 800 PKR           
www.lahorebackpackers.com.pk
Near Regal chowk The mall Lahore.

Regall Inn        400 PKR- 500 PKR         regale.com.pk
Near Regal chowk The mall Lahore.
Regall in Hostel is not very neat and clean as compared to  Lahore Backpacker Hostel.

you can find many hotels from 500 to 15000PKR depend on you and condition of Hotel.you should good at bargaining. If you are a foreigner may be they will demand high.if you are frugal traveler and tight on budget I suggest you some very economical Hotels and hostels. There is only two hostels who host foreigners on very cheap rate. Lahore Backpacker and Regall inn. Their rates are 350 to 500PKR. Both hostels are on famous Mall road near Regall chowk.
   
Night life of city
The activities which we can done in night is as under
  • In Lahorethere are many cinemas where you can see English or Urdu movies. The top cinemas in city are Cine Star Cinema ticket price 350PKR,  DHA Cinema ticket price 300 to 350, Cine Gold Cinema ticket price 400PKR, Sozo world Cinema,   
  • Theaters are also a kind of activities in Lahore where you can see funny Dramas till late night.
  • There are a lot of restaurants where you can eat varieties of food ,Delicious local food, Continental and spicy lahori food. click here to find best dinning restaurants.
  •  A lot of Cafes are waiting for you where you can eat , talk or smoke till late night.
What should Avoid in Lahore
  1. If you are a westerner or a non-muslim, you should try to avoid participating in religious or political gatherings and should wear clothes that covers whole body especially girls or women should cover their whole body with proper dress.
  2. Taxi/rickshaws drivers can ask for exorbitant fares seeing that you are a foreigner. whatever price they quote initially try to hagle with them, they will most probably bring it down. Dont take the first taxi/rikshaw you see but try to find a better deal if there are many available at one place. 
  3.  Driving is risky and confusing here if you are not local. Most road users do not abide by any traffic regulations and it can best be described as a free for all Don’t drive in Lahore if you are foreigner you should be very careful because it is not very orderly as compared to the western countries
  4.   If you enter a mosque, women should wear a dupatta(Cover your head), which is a scarf used by local females to cover their heads. Men & women should also remove their shoes while entering in a mosque.
  5. Avoid traveling to unlit areas at night, especially alone. Use common sense when hanging out with friends, and definitely avoid being intoxicated in public as it is an Islamic country.
  6. Beware of pickpockets when you are in crowded areas like Liberty market, the airport, bus stands, the railway station, Anarkali, Ichra shopping centre, or Mall road. In an emergency you can call police help line 15 or call Rescue Services at 1122.
  7. you will see a number of women in malls and bazaars; shopping is their favorite hobby. Don’t put yourself in a big risk by taking pictures of girls and women. Females are highly regarded and respected. Women and girls don’t like hand shake or hugs to men therefore please avoid it just say Hello from appropriate distance.
  8.  If you are traveling to Lahore in summer then be prepare for the killing heat of the city. The average temperature here is 40 Centigrade. One need to drink lots of letters of water a day otherwise there is a definite chance of dehydration.
Where to eat
There are a lot of restaurants, Cafes, street vendors. Where you can eat lahori spicy food, continental, chines and thai. 
A food chain on  MM Alam road where you can find best food any time. 
Food street Anarkali and Food street near Lahore Fort.
There is restaurants on every corner of the street.
A very good details of all restaurants and much more on that site. please click the below link.

Money saving tips
  1. If you are foreigner you can stay at Lahore Backpacker Hostel or Regall inn Hostel where you have to pay 300 to 600PKR. Both are on very famous Mall road which is very near to many touristic places otherwise if you will stay in any hotel you have to spend 2000 to 10000PKR.
  2. if you are tight on budget avoid big restaurants you can eat food from street vendors and you can also find vegetable and many salads on very economical rate buy them from street shops and make them for healthy eating or you can also cook your food to reduce your cost of traveling.
  3. Avoid texis in Lahore always prefer Rickshaw it will charge you less for traveling. The mini vans takes very cheapest fare but I don’t prefer to foreigners.budget traveling is always my first option but not everytime.
Telecommunication Network
Country code: 92.
Major Government telecommunication networks providing residential, commercial services in different regions of Pakistan.
Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Ltd. (PTCL)
Mobile
there are several mobile services in Pakistan.
General post offices in major cities offer 24-hour services.
Pakistan Post   http://www.pakpost.gov.pk

Incase of emergency
Ambulance & General Emergency               1122
Police                                                           15
Fire Brigade Center                                     16
General post office(GPO)                            7224617
PIA Flight Enquiry                                        114


Useful / Interesting links

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for visiting my blog. In answer to your question, I only use point and shoot tiny cameras, I like to travel light. :-) However, many of the photos I posted have been scanned once they were taken before the digital era.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @JM. thanks brother for your time and information

    ReplyDelete