In This Post:
Marine Drive, Gwadar
Golden Beach, Makran Coastal Highway
Charo Machi, Khuzdar
Karoonjhar Mountains, Tharparkar
The Cave City of Gondrani, Balochistan
Kalar Kahar Punjab
The Historic Attock Fort
If you like to travel, you may never run out of places to explore while living in Pakistan. The country is blessed with breathtaking topographical features and spellbinding natural views. From beautiful lakes with mesmerizing still waters, reflecting a spectrum of colors to breathtaking geological landscapes marked with mighty mountain ranges, our homeland is undoubtedly a tourist’s paradise.
When it comes to organizing your travel adventure, you may easily get overwhelmed with choices, especially if you have to pick from tonnes of tourist attractions. So, to help you narrow down options for planning a memorable vacation this year, here we have compiled a list of the best places to visit in Pakistan in 2021.
So, without further ado, let’s get started with our travel bucket list!
Best Places to Visit in Pakistan in 2021
Most of the travel destinations we have listed below have been recently discovered, restored, and converted into fully-fledged tourist resorts. Take a look!
- Marine Drive, Gwadar
- Golden Beach, Makran Coastal Highway
- Charo Machi, Khuzdar
- Karoonjhar Mountains, Tharparkar
- The Cave City of Gondrani, Balochistan
- Kalar Kahar Punjab
- The Historic Attock Fort
Marine Drive, Gwadar
Popularly known to host the deepest seaport in the world, the city of Gwadar has become a hotspot of infrastructure development in recent years. This emerging port city in Balochistan is now home to probably one of the most beautiful and longest roads along the sea in Pakistan. Marine Drive in Gwadar is a part of a multi-billion dollar project to transform the coastal area of the port city into a modern-day business hub.
It’s a two-way, newly-carpeted road that stretches about 26 kilometers along the coastline. With ample lighting arrangements, the place looks as beautiful at night as it appears during the day time. The significance of Marine Drive is expected to increase in years to come since it serves as the fastest road link between Gwadar Port and the city’s largest underdevelopment business center.
Upon your trip to Marine Drive, you can even explore other attractions in the city like the newly-renovated Gwadar Cricket Stadium. So, if you’re visiting this exciting place from Karachi, your journey will be 8 hours long, depending on the flow of traffic. to reach the destination. The best route to get to your destination is the Makran Coastal Highway (N-10).
Golden Beach, Makran Coastal Highway
Traveling along the route of Makran Coastal Highway, you can also make a stop at Golden Beach. It is probably one of the most beautiful and lesser-known beaches in Pakistan. As its name implies, the seashore is blanketed in the golden sand, the beauty of which is amplified by the lapping ocean waves.
Golden Beach is located a short distance from the very famous Kund Malir Beach, which falls in the jurisdiction of Hingol National Park. Despite its arid landscape, the region is famous for its unique natural formations such as Princess of Hope and Lion of Balochistan, both of which are shaped by thousands of years of erosion.
It’s around a 3.5-hour drive from Karachi if you take the route of Makran Coastal Highway (N-10). Along the entire route, you’ll get to enjoy the scenic beauty of the coastline of Pakistan.
Charo Machi, Khuzdar
Charo Machi in Khuzdar is one of the most recently discovered tourist destinations in Pakistan. It’s a natural oasis found in the remotest region of Balochistan. The dry mountains of the region serve as a perfect backdrop for the amazing natural features of Charo Machi. The main attraction of this getaway spot is its waterfall, which falls into the blue-shaded lagoon of crystal-clear waters.
If you are an adventure-seeker and you like to go off the beaten path, then this tourist attraction is best for you. RCD (N-25) National Highway is the best and only route you can take to get to Charo Machi in Balochistan. After reaching the city of Khuzdar, you may have to travel along some bumpy and rocky roads with no infrastructure at all. This route is only suitable only for 4X4 vehicles and sports bikes.
Make sure to pack all the road-trip essentials along with a fully-equipped car emergency kit with you since the place is deserted with the lack of necessary arrangements for tourists. However, the breathtaking views of this well-hidden natural oasis are worth all the hassle.
Karoonjhar Mountains, Tharparkar Sindh
You may not be familiar with the name Karoonjhar Mountains because it is one of the lesser-known attractions found in the middle of a desert. This tourist spot is located among an ancient mountain range, which could have formed over 2,500 million years ago according to geologists.
Small hills, sparse vegetation, and seasonal water streams are some common natural features of the Karoonjhar Mountains. The Bhetiani and Gordhro water streams usually flow during the monsoon season, adding to the beautiful scenery. Upon your visit to Karoonjhar Mountains, you’ll notice that the place is heavily guarded by Pakistan Rangers, which is because it is very close to the Pakistan-India border.
Karoonjhar Mountain is at a distance of 132 kilometers. You need to take the route of Islamkot road as this tourist attraction is located south-east of Mithi, a famous city in Sindh. From Karachi, the fastest and most suitable route to get here is National Highway-5. The total distance and time of your journey are going to be 450 kilometers and 7 hours, respectively. The trip duration may also be affected by the flow of traffic.
The Cave City of Gondrani, Balochistan
Our next destination takes us back to Balochistan. Gondrani is a mysterious archeological site with man-made caves carved into the surrounding mountains. It is locally known as “Gharon ka Sheher”, an Urdu term, which literally means the “city of caves”.
According to the historical records, there were over 1500 caves in Gondrani cave city in ancient times, out of which many had fallen into ruins. However, 500 caves are still intact, fascinating the tourists about their mysterious settings and origin.
This archaeological site in Balochistan is 200 kilometers away from Karachi, which can also be reached by RCD Highway. The cave city of Gondrani is at a distance of 18 kilometers northwest of the town of Bela.
The total duration of your trip from Karachi to Gondrani will be around 3 hours. Like other natural destinations that are found in such remote regions, you’ll also need a 4-wheel-drive vehicle to get to this very famous cave city of Balochistan.
Kalar Kahar in Punjab
Popularly known as the “gateway to Soan Valley”, the town of Kallar Kahar is extremely popular in terms of tourism in Punjab. It is home to many scenic historical and natural attractions. The region is very rich in history. The presence of Takht-i-Bahi, which is a millennia-old Buddhist Monastery, reveals a great deal about the region’s ancient past.
Another noteworthy highlight of the region is Swaik Lake, which is also called Kallar Kahar Lake. falls. Owing to the presence of Khewra salt mines in the vicinity, the water of this lake is salty but extremely crystal clear. The shallow basin of the lake also hosts a worth-seeing waterfall, which makes it ideal for swimmers.
Activities like boating and fishing are also common among tourists visiting the lake. To boost tourism in the region, the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) has recently constructed a fully-equipped resort. It features comfortable accommodations to facilitate tourists in the area. The place is known as TDCP Lake View Resort, which also hosts a high-end restaurant offering different types of Asian and Chinese delicacies.
The tourist spot of Kallak Kahar in Punjab falls in the middle of your journey as you travel from Lahore to Islamabad or vice versa through Lahore-Islamabad (M-2) Motorway, one of Pakistan’s most famous motorways.
From Lahore, it is at a distance of 250 kilometers, which will take you around 3 hours to reach your destination. On the other hand, your journey is reduced by half of the aforementioned time and distance if you are visiting this tourist destination from Islamabad since it is closer to the capital city. You can pack light for your trip to Kallar Kahar in Punjab as it is a well-facilitated tourist spot.
The Historic Attock Fort
Pakistan is home to some of the most beautiful and intriguing historic forts and citadels in the world. Some of them have also been recognized among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Highlighting history in all its glory, the magnificent structure of Attock Fort stands with all its grandeur to date.
According to the historical records, the heritage of Attock Fort dates back to 630 AD. However, the historical citadel that we see today was constructed by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The construction work on the fort was completed in only two years. It was purposely built on an elevated landform to keep an eye on invaders and take necessary actions to prevent them from entering the region.
This historical monument will soon be opened to the public for the very first time in the history of Pakistan. Converting Attock Fort into a publicly accessible historical site will significantly boost tourism in the region. This very famous historical attraction of Pakistan is located 80 kilometers away from Islamabad.
You can gaze at the sight of the magnificent Attock Fort while traveling from Islamabad to Peshawar or vice versa via the route of Peshawar Road. The fort sits on the right bank of the great River Indus, which is probably the most integral part of the river system in Pakistan.
These were some of the best destinations you can explore in Pakistan in 2021. We hope the information we have provided you here is enough to help you work on your travel plans for this year. If you have any questions or feedback related to our blog, feel free to write to us at blog@zameen.com.
For more informative travel guides and property-related updates, stay tuned to Zameen Blog, the best lifestyle and real estate blog in Pakistan. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get all our latest updates straight to your inbox.
If you have enjoyed reading this post, share it among your friends and family to also let them know about the best holiday destinations in Pakistan to travel to in 2021.
Happy exploring!
