Flights from London Heathrow to Lahore

Spectacular sights in an ancient city

Lahore is a welcoming, ancient city with some of the richest cultural sights in Pakistan. Along with its fascinating history, Lahore has fine restaurants and upscale shopping areas.

When you should visit Lahore

The best months are generally considered to be between November and March, when the climate is temperate. Bear in mind that from May to September, temperatures can rise as high as 40°, and that between June and September, it's Lahore's monsoon season.

Essential knowledge before you go

You'll need a visa to travel to Pakistan, and your passport will need to be valid for six months after the date of your visa application. Pakistan is considered a high risk area for malaria. Vaccinations considered advisable are: polio, hepatitis A, tetanus, diphtheria, typhoid and rabies. Throughout Pakistan, alcohol may not be consumed in public. There are also severe penalties for several crimes considered less serious in the UK - inform yourself well before you leave. Visitors will find the cost of living is lower than in the UK. A typical restaurant meal costs about 200 PKR, with soft drinks and bottled water at 50 PKR. While in Lahore you may want to try the local cuisine: nihari is a lamb or beef stew while mithai are delicious sweets.

Key local facts

There are plentiful taxis from Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport which is about 20 to 30 minutes outside the city centre. The cost will be about 600 PKR to Gulberg, or between 800 and 1,000 PKR to Lahore's Old City. The public bus (B-08) to the central bus station costs around 35 PKR. You may find that your hotel operates an airport shuttle service. 

Accommodation costs start at about 500 PKR per person at a hostel, while a three star hotel will cost about 4,500 PKR per night. Lahore has an efficient Metrobus service, with its own lanes for faster travel at a cost of about 20 PKR for a journey. Other buses cost around 18 PKR. Rechargeable tokens are available on payment of a deposit of roughly 130 PKR. A Metro service is under construction. In the walled city, walking is advised (take comfortable shoes) or you can negotiate a rickshaw fare. Taxis should be ordered in advance, and minivan taxis avoided, as these are crowded and can be dangerous.