World Travel GuidesLahore (لاہور) Travel Guide, Pakistan


Exotic Tours of Asia
 Asia Travel Guide Compare Hotel Room Rates from different Booking Sites     Follow Me on Pinterest 
Lahore, Pakistan
Lahore, Pakistan
Author: Jugni (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)












Lahore (Urdu: لاہور; Punjabi: لہور) is the second biggest city in Pakistan. Covering 1,772 sq km (684 sq mi), it has a population of 6.3 million people (2011 estimate) within a metropolitan area with 10 million population. The city is the provincial capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab.

Guide to Lahore Hotels

Here's a list of hotels in Lahore that you can book online, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites.

More on Lahore

Lahore is located by the banks of the Ravi River, at an average elevation of 217 m (684 ft). It is 32 km from the city of Amritsar, in the Indian state also called Punjab.


Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort
Author: Heinrich Böll Stiftung (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

Lahore experiences a hot semi-arid climate. Temperatures in summer is extremely high, with June averaging 40°C (104°F), some times even reaching 48°C (118°F). In January, on the other hand, the temperature drops to between 6°C and 20°C, although a record low of -1.1°C (30°F) has been registered before, in 1967. Rain is heaviest in July, which records 202 mm of precipitation.

Lahore is often regarded as the cultural heart of Pakistan. It is a center for the arts, for literature, for education as well as for Pakistani cuisine. It is a place famous for its festivals and film making as well as for music and Pakistani-style gardening. The city is also a center for publications, with some 80 percent of the books in Pakistan being published in Lahore.


Lahore Museum, Lahore
Lahore Museum, Lahore
Author: Guihem Vellut (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

The history of Lahore is a mix of facts and legend. It tells of a city called Lavapuri (meaning "city of lava" in Sanskrit), which was founded by Prince Lava, the son of Rama, the Hindu deity. Ptolemy mentioned a city called Labokla in his Geographia, in the 2nd century AD.

The oldest document mentioning Lahore dates back to AD 982. The document, called Hudud-i-Alam, meaning "regions of the world", described Lahore as a city inhabited by infidels. The city was also described by Chinese pilgrim Hieun-tsang, who visited it in the 7th century AD. In any case, there is no conclusive documentation of when Lahore was actually established, but plopular belief holds that it has been inhabited for over 2,000 years.


Asif Khan's Tomb, Lahore
Asif Khan's Tomb, Lahore
Author: Kaiser Tufail (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Lahore was ruled by the Ghaznavid Empire, beginning when Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni conquered it in the 11th century. When the Ghaznavid Empire collapsed in the 13th century, it came under the rule of Turk dynasties known as the Delhi Sultanate. Then in 1524 it became part of the Mughal Empire. During Mughal rule, Lahore became a city of learning, with scholars converging on it from various parts of the Muslim world.

By the 17th century, the Mughal Empire was in decline, but it remained in control of Lahore until 1752, when the Sikhs took control following years of chaos. Under Maharajah Ranjit Singh, the Sikhs expanded their empire all the way to the Khyber Pass as well as to present-day Jammu and Kashmir. However, at the same time, the British were expanding their influence in the Indian subcontinent. Following the death of Maharajah Ranjit Singh in 1839, the empire was fragmented, and within ten years, the British was able to extend their control over Lahore.


Minar-e Pakistan, Lahore
Minar-e Pakistan, Lahore
Author: Ali Imran (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Lahore was under the British Raj until the 20th century, and was influential in the independence movement of India. The All India Muslim League held a session in Lahore in 1940, where they demanded a separate state for Muslims. This led to the creation of Pakistan. Pubjab was also partitioned between India and Pakistan, which led to the founding of the city of Chandigarh, as the state capital of Punjab (and also of Haryana).

After independence, although Lahore remains the capital of Punjab Province, it was eclipsed by Karachi, the national capital. Only in the 1990's that it began to revive, as an economic and cultural hub of Pakistan.


Shalamar Garden, Lahore
Shalamar Garden, Lahore
Author: Ali Imran (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Visiting Lahore

Foreign visitors arrive at the Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE), the second-biggest civilian airport in Pakistan. There are taxis and shuttle buses connecting the airport with downtown Lahore. A subway line is also being planned.

Places of Interest to visit in Lahore

  1. Badshahi Mosque
    Built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, it was for hundreds of years the biggest mosque in the world.

  2. Jehangir's Tomb
    Tomb of the Mughal ruler who was the father to Emperor Shah Jahan.

  3. Lahore Fort
    This massive fortress was erected by the Mughals, and is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a joint inscription with Shalamar Garden.

  4. Lahore Museum
    This splendid museum, established in 1894, showcases treasures from the Mughal and Sikh rules in Lahore.

  5. Masjid Wazir Khan
    Mosque built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan is noted for its beautiful tilework.

  6. Minar-e Pakistan
    A 60-meter concrete tower located in Iqbal Park, is often described as the Eiffel Tower of Pakistan.

  7. Raushnai Gate
    Medieval gate between the royal mosque and the citadel.

  8. Shalamar Garden
    Mughal pleasure garden built by Emperor Shah Jahan, and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a joint inscription with Lahore Fort.



Return to Pakistan Travel Guide

lahore at local.pk





  • Tips to become a smart traveler: Useful tips to remember, to get the best out of your travels.
  • Preparing for a Trip: Systematic approach to help you prepare for your trip.
  • How to plan your travel itinerary: Step-by-step build to creating the itinerary for your trip.
  • How to compare hotel room rates: Learn to use a booking search engine to compare rates across all major booking sites.
  • How to pack your luggage: Useful steps to take when packing your luggage.
  • Packing List (PDF): Print out this free packing list to make sure you don't forget anything for your trip.
  • Voltage, Frequency, Plugs & Sockets of the World: Learn about the mains electricity supply in the world.
  • Travelers' List of Plugs and Sockets (PDF): Easy-to-use list of electricity and plugs for all countries.
  • Making International Direct Dail Calls: Learn to make IDD calls from anywhere in the world.
  • IDD Call Prefixes & Country Codes (PDF): Listing of Call Prefixes and Country Codes on one page for you to bring on your trip.
  • Safety Tips When Traveling Alone: Useful advice for when you travel on your own.
  • Guide to Health Matters related to Travel: Comprehensive coverage of different issues related to your health when traveling.
  • Getting Travel Insurance for your trip: Benefits of travel insurance, and advise on when you should signing up for one.
  • Improve your travel photography: Tips to improve your photography skills, especially when traveling.
  • Guide to Traveling Around the World: Useful tips for encircling the globe.


  • Find a hotel







    Follow Me on Pinterest

    Point - Click - Discover!

    Thanks for visiting this webpage. To continue exploring, choose another destination!


    My World Travel Guides - celebrating a beautiful world beautifully.

    Earning a living as a Happy Jobless Guy

    I am a Happy Jobless Guy! I am one of the few people who is fortunate enough to earn an income from my websites that I don't to go out to work. My sites get thousands of visitors every day. It has been a long process, but it is something everybody can achieve, and that means YOU. The following are some articles which you might want to read if you want to do what I do:
    1. Money Making Manual
    2. How to earn from writing websites
    3. Guide for earning a living without holding a job
    4. Generate a Sitemap for your website
    5. Complete Step-by-Step e-Business Building System