Flight Routes from Birmingham to Lahore

Lahore in Pakistan

Developed in the 15th and 16th century, Lahore is a leading city in Pakistan, and there are lots of romantic and historical places to visit. Of special interest are the very magical Shalimar gardens and the Hiran Minar building which is also rather romantically set on water.

When fly to Lahore?

Best time to visit Lahore is from November - March, when it's warm but not so humid. From May to September, it can be very hot and the monsoon season falls between June and September, when it's wet and hot, making sightseeing harder.   

A few facts about your destination

British passport holders will require a visa to travel to Pakistan, and passports need to be valid for 6 months beyond the date of application.
Vaccinations are necessary to this part of the world too, as is Malaria protection. Recommended vaccines are Polio, Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid, and Rabies (for some visitors). Also important to know is that alcohol consumption in public places is prohibited, and there are high penalties (sometimes even the death penalty) for blasphemy, adultery and drug possession & use.

The cost of living in Pakistan is much lower than in the UK, and a cheap restaurant meal will cost around 200 PKR, with non-alcoholic drinks roughly 50 PKR and a bottle of water from a supermarket is ca. 50 PKR. Typical Indian dishes are: "Nihari" (Lamb or beef stew), and "Mithai" (sweets) are very popular.

Getting about in Lahore

There are a few ways to get from the airport to Lahore centre: a taxi is about 600 PKR to Gulberg, and between around 800 and 1,000 PKR to the walled city. The journey usually takes under half an hour. Public buses are the cheapest option: the B-08 is about 35 PKR to the central bus station. Also note that some of the bigger hotels operate a shuttle service.

Accommodation: a cheap hostel is about 500 PKR for one person, and a 3 star hotel is around 4,500 PKR.

As far as public transport versus taxi goes, bus fares are from around 18 PKR, and the Lahore Metrobus has its own bus track which is faster and costs from about 20 PKR for a single trip. A rechargeable ticket is available and costs about 130 PKR.

The Metro is still under construction, but will be good when it's done. If visiting the walled city, walk or take rickshaws, but negotiate fares first.

NB: Taxis are seldom used and should be ordered in advance if required, and a tip: Avoid minivans  as they are very crowded.