30 Pakistan Travel Tips You NEED to Know! • 2024

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Perhaps the most important facts to know before backpacking Pakistan may not be what you thought. It’s kind of like how Bali is so different from the rest of Indonesia, or Hawaii is from the mainland of the USA. At the moment, it’s not even a province of the country and finds itself in a bit of a limbo status.

The most important way to honor the Indigenous people and lands of the three mountain ranges that pass through GB is to support locals through and through. Stay at locally owned hotels instead of outsider-built resorts. Travel with tour companies that only partner with GB companies. 

Locals appreciate it more than you know!

One thing that makes it so easy to meet locals in Pakistan is the fact that English truly is everywhere. You’ll find plenty of road and store signs in English, and most people know something, while many are fluent!

Even so, learning even a bit of Urdu (the national language) goes a long way in making little connections! Especially since not EVERYONE is proficient – common phrases will be particularly helpful in more offbeat areas.

Plus, if you want to spend a decent amount of time in Pakistan OR India, knowing some local slang will truly transform the depth of your travel experience. It also gave me a layer of confidence I couldn’t have imagined arriving without as a solo female traveler!

So I feel like a LOT of people complain about the ATMs in Pakistan, I find that far more work for me here and in Gilgit Baltistan than more popular destinations like Indonesia. Mastercards traditionally have more issues than Visas, but rest assured that there are ATMs all over the country that work with foreign cards! These include: 

• Bank Al Falah (best for Mastercard)
• UBL
• Allied Bank
• HBL (least reliable but does often work)
• Standard Charter (only exists in major cities)

While ATMs have a one-time withdrawal limit of 20,000 PKR ($72 USD), you can keep repeating the transaction – just be sure to set up a travel alert!

As a backup, there are numerous money exchanges in Islamabad and other cities, and there are other options too like Remitly and Western Union. Remitly allows for in-person bank pick up while Western Union has numerous locations, even in remote areas. 

Travel with peace of mind. Travel WITH a security belt.

Stash your cash safely with this money belt. It will keep your valuables safely concealed, no matter where you go.

It looks exactly like a normal belt except for a SECRET interior pocket perfectly designed to hide a wad of cash, a passport photocopy or anything else you may wish to hide. Never get caught with your pants down again! (Unless you want to…)

Hide Yo’ Money!

Like I said before, traveling to Pakistan is really as if you’re exploring multiple different countries on one trip. Just as varied as the cultures is the climate – the best time to get lost in the cities is nearly the opposite of when I recommend you head to the mountains.

That being said, you’re going to want to pack for both extremes. And even though Pakistan certainly isn’t a known shopping locale, you can easily find clothes for both glacier treks and 100 F days in the country. 

Okay, yes, there are interesting places to visit all throughout mainland Pakistan. BUT it’s undoubtedly a fact that the surreal and magical mountain territory of Gilgit Baltistan, and its neighbor Chitral are the highlights of any Pakistan visa.

While the cities look and feel a lot like India, visiting these two high-altitude regions feels a lot like crossing a border. Everything is completely different – food, languages, ethnicities, religious practices, and the indigenous locals are simply the best. While the mainland is chaotic, loud, and often obnoxious (especially the men), in these bucolic high-altitude areas you’ll find lovely, peace-loving people who are incredible to be around.

And the thousands of 6-7000 meter peaks, five 8000ers, and literally hundreds of stunning and empty treks don’t hurt either if you ask me 😉

Okay all mountain bias aside, the mainland does have a ton worth seeing! But trust and believe me when I say that should be reserved for late fall/winter only.

You see, pretty much anywhere that’s not in the mountains is absolutely boiling the rest of the year. We’re talking extreme heatwaves, especially in Sindh where you can find the hottest city in the entire world. 

But if you do happen to be here in winter, Sindh is incredibly interesting. I spent the Winter of 2022 exploring the region and loved the incredible town of Sehwan and the nearly ancient Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Shrine.

The Ranikot Fort was also surreal – it’s one of the longest in the world and was downright magical around sunset. The city of Peshawar is a much more controversial location but it’s no doubt where you’ll find some of the most welcoming people in the world. Over several years of visits, it remains my favorite city in Pakistan for sure! 

If I could repeat this 10 times I would, but hopefully one is enough! The people of the valleys that make up the majestic Gilgit Baltistan territory are not related to people from mainland Pakistan.

There’s no cultural or genetic relationship between people from say Hunza and Lahore – so please, if you plan to go on a tour to the mountains that grace these lands, work with, stay with, and hire locals!

They belong to these lands and deserve to benefit from tourism as it’s otherwise damaging their homeland in many ways. If you plan to go on an influencer-led tour, ask where the company they’re working with is based. 99% of the time, it’s not an indigenous-owned one.

When visiting mosques and shrines, a headscarf is required for women to enter. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, but any shawl or piece of cloth will go a long way. You never know when you might come across one of the above!

While I’m probably the only American who’s not a part of the “I love coffee” club, I’ll still spill some tea I’ve been told by its fans. Good coffee is basically non-existent in Pakistan, save for a few upscale shops in major cities. So it pays to bring along some of your favorites, especially to the mountains where salted tea is king!

Although this SHOULD be obvious, that means not wearing things like crop tops/tank tops even in liberal areas like Hunza because that is simply NOT the culture. As travelers, we’re here to enjoy and experience all that Pakistan has to offer. It’s not our job to change or challenge what exists. 

It’s important to remember that local culture changes with every region you visit. So make sure you do some research before heading between differing areas – what is chill and not a problem in one region may be offensive in another. For example, in Islamabad, it’s totally fine to wear jeans and a T-shirt. But in Peshawar just two hours away, get that shalwar khameez and a head scarf out!

When I first visited Pakistan back in 2019, it was a hassle to get a visa. You had to send all your documents to an embassy through the mail, much like Pakistanis have to do for almost every country.

These days though, the process couldn’t be easier with the new “Visa Prior to Arrival.” This eliminates the previous pay-to-play requirement of a “letter of invitation” and grants the visa instantly for stays up to 90 days. 

Trust and believe me – this visa really makes now the best time to come!

Yeah, so Pakistan/Gilgit Baltistan isn’t really where you’ll find the best hostels in the world.

BUT that doesn’t mean there are zero! The three legit backpacker hostels in the country are:

• Hostel Nomads in Aliabad, Hunza
• Coyote Den in Islamabad
• Backpackers Islamabad in Islamabad
  
  Yes, there really are only three so far! 

But you’ll also find lots of guesthouses and homestays that are catered to foreign travelers that kind of give a hostel vibe to some degree or are cheap at the very least. Here are my faves:

• Tourist Garden Inn – Mastuj, Upper Chitral
• Al Farooq Guesthouse – Chitral Town, Chitral 
• White Rock Guesthouse – Booni, Upper Chitral 
• Cathedral View Guesthouse – Passu, Hunza 
• Chilmindak Homestay – Jamalabad, Hunza
• Lake Inn – Phander, Ghizer 

And I mean NEVER. In remote mountain areas and crystal clear streams, you should be fine, but I don’t recommend chancing it. If traveling in Karachi, I wouldn’t even brush my teeth with the water or use it to clean deep in my nose due to the risk of random bacterial infections.

The iconic Grayl Geopress goes hand and hand in keeping you safe while trekking and exploring Pakistan. Plus it helps keep the serious trash problem from going! 

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Gilgit Baltistan and Upper Chitral are undoubtedly home to the most underrated and unbelievably beautiful treks on this planet.

And the craziest part? Besides a few popular ones like Fairy Meadows (which are still empty compared to the likes of Colorado and Nepal) nearly ALL treks in these valleys are uncommercialized and typically only traipsed by locals and their livestock. 

While I’m tempted to keep my ultimate favorite to myself, I will encourage you to make the journey to Shimshal Pass, otherwise known as Pamir. It’s a mental expedition as much as a physical one, and there’s the opportunity to climb a 6000m peak too. 

One Pakistan travel tip I know all too well is that flights in or out of the country are extremely and oddly overpriced. Even heading over from nearby Sri Lanka is expensive!

So that leads me to the best way to get to Pakistan: by traveling overland. I’ve personally crossed both the Wagah Border to/from India and the Torkham Border with Afghanistan. Both are pretty smooth and budget-friendly experiences, with Torkham being much more of an adventure than the truly hassle-free Wagah. 

You can also enter overland from China straight into Hunza when the Khunjerab Pass is open, and the Rimdan and Taftan borders with Iran are open year-round. 

After 3+ years of living here, this is DEFF one of the most notable differences. It’s very hard to find high-quality camping gear, and while electronics can be acquired in big cities, they’re always more expensive than they are in the West due to astronomical import taxes.

It’s also important to note that it’s very hard to get things shipped here, so do bring duplicates of anything you really couldn’t do without just in case! A power bank is a key example in this case – while they do exist, most are not great and can’t charge larger electronics.

From what the news says, you’d think finding alcohol or other drugs on the road would be impossible in Pakistan. But actually – that’s not the case. While alcohol is illegal for Muslims, it’s not outright banned due to minority populations of Hindus and Christians. Foreigners all seem to come into the Christian category, and can even legally buy bottles in 5-star hotels.

No doubt you’ll come across bootleggers in the major cities – in Karachi there are even legally operated “wine shops.”

The most interesting place for alcohol is definitely the mountains though – Hunzukutz and the Kalash are known to make their own wine and moonshine. 

Hashish is also something Pakistan is actually famous for while being officially illegal. Considered by many to be “better” than alcohol based on the fact that Islam does not explicitly forbid it, it’s significantly more possible than you can imagine. Quality varies though so definitely try it with a trusted local source.

SIM cards in Pakistan are a bit hectic – there are numerous different companies and some areas only work with specific cards.

While you can get by with using an eSIM in the cities, they won’t work in remote areas or Gilgit Baltistan. GB uses SCOM, which you can only buy once you arrive. It gives solid packages with lots of data, though doesn’t work perfectly everywhere. Still, it’s a lot better value than other cards. 

In most of Upper Chitral, Jazz is the best option (as in other areas of KPK and cities too).

Just keep in mind that as a foreigner you need to purchase and activate your card at a franchise store, though you can top up elsewhere after. Telenor, which works best in various parts of KPK, cannot be sold to foreigners anywhere – I’ve gotten one from a local Couchsurfing host in the past.

Electricity cuts are a fact of life in many parts of Pakistan and Gilgit Baltistan alike, with some places like Hunza having only 6 hours on a good day. So you can understand why my powerbanks have become my besties living here!

Regardless of where you travel in the country, rides are long and some type of electricity mishap is bound to happen. So don’t get here without a power bank – you can find them around but only low-quality ones. I love my Anker 26800 which can even charge laptops. 

Vegetarians/vegans, you’re going to want to skip past this one but everyone else, get ready for some serious foodie tea. 

While meat is delicious all over Pakistan, there’s one specific type that is truly a must-try. Allow me to introduce you to Khyber Shinwari, a “brand” that originates in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and consists of truly delicious lamb chops, charbi (pieces of fat), and more traditional karahis. I’ve had it in Islamabad, Kabul, Afghanistan, and Hayatabad, near Peshawar with the latter definitely being the absolute best!

Some of my best memories while traveling in Pakistan have been spent staying with local families randomly. While you might be thinking about safety, trust and believe that trying this out in an Ismaili-majority region like Yarkhun Valley or Hunza is undoubtedly going to be a lovely time. 

The hospitality of people in these remote regions is just about unmatched – and there’s no way to get a feel for life here quite like spending time in a real house. You can also do this in cities, but for that, I recommend using Couchsurfing, and only staying with well-reviewed hosts. 

I personally find traveling around Pakistan so much easier than neighboring India even though people often say the opposite. The intercity buses are nicer, and up in the mountains, it’s so cheap to just hop in local vans or shared cars. 

Hitchhiking is also super easy in Gilgit Baltistan – it is everywhere else too, but it’s up here that you’ll have the least amount of checkpoints and questions from police. 

Unfortunately, Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world where police escorts are still a thing in some areas for your safety, though sometimes the area is totally safe statistically, they still give them. Now – there are PLENTY of places that don’t have them and it’s likely you may never encounter this issue on your trip.

Otherwise, note that these routes will have you traveling…with some new “friends”:

• Anywhere in Balochistan, most notably when entering via Taftan
• Peshawar (often as of 2024)
• Torkham Border, when entering or exiting
• Besham-Chilas section of the N-35 Highway
• South Punjab (Multan, Bahawalpur)
• Interior Sindh (Sukkur, Thatta, Bhit Shah, potentially Larkana and Hyderabad)

Since Pakistan is still old-fashioned with documents, it’s a huge time saver at checkpoints. Instead of waiting for officials to inspect your passport/visa and slowly write everything down, they just take the copies and you’re on your way.

I’d keep around 20-30 of each for a trip – and if you forget prior to arrival, printers exist everywhere. 

There is so much to this country that I constantly see people leave off their itineraries. So here’s one of my top Pakistan travel tips: get off the beaten path!

I know, I know, Pakistan IS off the beaten path, but I mean the carved-out tourist trail. So that means looking BEYOND the overpopulated treks of Rakaposhi Basecamp and Fairy Meadows to the thousands of better options.

Most travelers also skip Upper Chitral, despite it being one of the most beautiful and authentic places you can visit. Many “offbeat” places have no restrictions – Yasin in the Ghizer district of GB is the perfect example of a least-visited paradise. 

As I previously mentioned, some places require a police escort. But others are off-limits entirely. Many of these inaccessible spots in Pakistan are actually dangerous, or they are safe but too close to a border for the authority’s comfort. 

Even so, it means there are places you really WILL NOT be able to go or at minimum will be guarded 24/7. They include:

• Former FATA region of KPK (excluding the Khyber Pass where you will be escorted if you cross Torkham)
• Broghil Valley, Upper Chitral – 100000% safe and home to lovely, peaceful Ismaili people yet it’s treated like Area 51 for foreigners because it directly borders the (also peaceful) Afghan Wakhan Corridor. Don’t even bother trying unless you have a Pakistani ID card.
• Balochistan (some foreigners have been able to explore the Makran Coastal region in previous years with local contacts)
• Neelam Valley in Azad Kashmir (no chance whatsoever)
• Nagarparkar and most other areas of Sindh near the Indian border
• Kohistan (foreigners can pass through on the way to GB with escorts, exploring is prohibited)
• Shangla District 

Unfortunately, dumping trash on the ground (even when there are visible trashcans nearby) is a huge civic problem among mainland Pakistanis. It’s extremely frustrating to witness, especially when they do this in fragile mountainous regions.

While the problem is MOSTLY due to mainland tourists, this mindset has someone spread to the peripheries as well. This means it’s super important to always dispose of trash properly, especially on treks – if you took it in you can take it out!

Also – don’t be too shy to publicly shame people engaging in this uncivilized behavior. Anyone who can afford to travel domestically to Gilgit Baltistan for example is well off to a degree, so this is NOT a poverty issue and shaming is one of the only things that actually works to encourage responsible tourism.

These days, most Pakistani visas are granted for 30-90 days, but if you’d like to stay longer as I did before settling here, you absolutely can. Just make sure you do so well in advance. The extension costs $20 USD, but can take much longer than the stated time. Another pro tip: attach a photo or scan of your Pakistan entry stamp, they’ll come back and ask for it anyway!

Ladies – learn and remember this! Especially if you’re a solo female traveler in Pakistan, it’s super important you remain … unfriendly to random men. So that means no handshakes – it’s absolutely not something a local woman would do. 

Of course, context is everything – in Hunza where handshaking between sexes is more common it’s fine if you have one initiated, but just about anywhere else is very abnormal. Regardless, keep that hand over your heart gesture in your back pocket when you meet a man anywhere. Do as the local women do!

And finally, I’ve got the type of tip your parents might warn you about because it really is important! Basic medical care in Pakistan is extremely cheap, but you never know what could happen. Many insurance companies cover the country for less these days, so don’t leave it off your packing list.

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

From the larger-than-life Karakoram Range to the cities and towns exploding with chaotic energy in the south, traveling to Pakistan is like immersing yourself in multiple countries in one trip.

Each region is unique and brings about its own cultural traditions, languages, and food. As much as there is SO much more to this country than what you’ve seen on the news, there’s also so much more than the usual tourist trail.

So much of Pakistan remains (mostly) untouched by foreign tourism, and even in places that have been, getting off the beaten path is as simple as getting away from the main road.

Pakistan completely changed my life forever, and I couldn’t be more thankful to now call the most beautiful valley in the world home. While I don’t expect you to follow in my footsteps and move here, I do trust these Pakistan travel tips will give you a bit of an edge as you prepare for your trip.

But don’t be surprised if you find yourself itching to extend that visa – this country does tend to have that effect on travelers 😉

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