Lahore
Punjab's capital and the old Mughal seat, where the fort, the Badshahi Mosque and Shah Jahan's gardens stand within reach of the Mall.
- Arrival
- Allama Iqbal International · LHE
- To the city
- About 15 km to the centre
- Private jets
- Two runways, the longer 3,360 m
- Best time
- November to March
The city
Mughal walls and the Mall.
Akbar made Lahore a Mughal capital in 1584 and began rebuilding its citadel. His grandson Shah Jahan, born here in 1592, laid out the Shalimar Gardens in 1641, and Aurangzeb added the Badshahi Mosque in 1673. The Walled City still opens through gates with old names, Akbari, Lohari, Bhatti. The big hotels stand along the Mall.
Come in winter. From November to March the afternoons sit between 20 and 27 °C and rain is scarce. By May the thermometer reaches 39 °C, and the monsoon brings over 200 mm in July.
- Lahore Fort The citadel Akbar began to rebuild in 1584, on the UNESCO list since 1981 together with the Shalimar Gardens.
- Badshahi Mosque The great mosque Aurangzeb raised in 1673, almost ninety years after Akbar began work on the fort.
- Shalimar Gardens The garden Shah Jahan laid out in 1641, nearly fifty years after he was born in the city.
Arriving
Fifteen kilometres from the Mall.
Allama Iqbal International lies about 15 km from the centre, roughly half an hour by car. Its two runways measure 2,743 and 3,360 metres The longer one has CAT IIIB landing aids.
- Delhi 55 min
- Mumbai 2 h 10
- Bangkok 4 h 40
- Mykonos 6 h 05
- Geneva 8 h 00 long-range jet
When to go
November to March.
Mild, dry winters and a fierce summer. Afternoons are around 20 °C in January and climb to 40 °C in June, before the July monsoon drops over 200 mm. November to March is the comfortable stretch.
- 20° J 21
- 22° F 23
- 27° M 36
- 34° A 17
- 39° M 19
- 40° J 35
- 36° J 203
- 35° A 167
- 35° S 73
- 33° O 11
- 27° N 5
- 21° D 13
Where to stay
On the Mall and in Johar Town.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Pearl-Continental Hotel Lahore With 607 rooms on Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, an outdoor pool and Dumpukht for Pakistani cooking.
- Avari Lahore A hotel of 188 rooms set on 48,000 square yards of grounds beside the Mall.
- The Nishat Hotel, Emporium Inside the Emporium Mall, next door to the Expo Centre Lahore.
Where to dine
Two tables of note in Lahore.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Pakistan. Both tables are in Tripadvisor’s fine-dining selection for Lahore; Dynasty is the Chinese restaurant of Avari Lahore.
- Andaaz Tripadvisor, No. 6 in Lahore Pakistani $$$$ Fort Road, Walled City
- Dynasty Tripadvisor fine dining, rated 4.6 Chinese $$$$ Avari Lahore, The Mall
Flying to Lahore?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.