Day Excursions from Lahore
Rohtas Fort Tour
Rohtas Fort was built during the reign of the Pashtun king Sher Shah Suri between 1541 and 1548 in order to help subdue the rebellious tribes of the Potohar region of northern Punjab that were loyal to the Mughal crown. The fort is one of the largest and most formidable in the subcontinent. Rohtas Fort was never stormed by force, and has survived remarkably intact.
The fort is known for its large defensive walls, and several monumental gateways. Rohtas Fort was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997 for being an “exceptional example of the Muslim military architecture of central and South Asia.
Khewra Salt Mines Tour
Khewra Salt Mines are situated in the foothills of the Salt Range, at about 160 kilometers from Islamabad and 260 kilometers from Lahore. It catches the attention of up to 40,000 visitors per annul and is the second largest salt mine in the world. Khewra Salt Mines are the oldest in the South Asia.
According to historians, Salt has been mined at Khewra since 320 BC following the discovery by Alexander’s troops. Khewra salt mine has estimated total of 220 million tons of rock salt deposits. The current production from the mine is 465,000 tons salt per annul. The mine-head buildings have 19 stories, with 11 below ground. Only 50% salt is mined and 50% is left as pillars to sustain the mountain. Salt is transparent, white, pink, reddish to beef-color red. There are beautiful alternate bands of red and white color salt.
Taxila Tour
Taxila is one of subcontinent’s archaeological treasures and was once an important city of kingdom of Gandhara. The ruins of Taxila, scattered about 30kms away from Rawalpindi, represent one of the important archaeological sites in Pakistan. The history of Taxila spans over 1000years (around 500 BC to 500 AD), evolving and changing over the centuries as it absorbed the influences of various conquering empires, Taxila had been the site of the best-known university in the subcontinent, which offered courses in law, history, medicine, arts etc.
The various sites at Taxila, spread over a large era, include: Bhir mound the oldest city of Taxila, Dharmarajika Buddhist stupa and monastery, Sirsukh city, Julian Buddhist monastery, etc. The Taxila museum is noted for its magnificent collection of Gandharan art- a rare blend of Greek and Buddhist art, it also housed an interesting coin- collection, utensils, jewelry, toys and pottery highlighting the daily life of the inhabitants of ancient Taxila.
Hiran Minar Tour
It was constructed by Emperor Jahangir as a monument to Mansraj, one of his pet deer. The structure consists of a large, almost-square water tank with an octagonal pavilion in its center, built during the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan; a causeway with its own gateway connects the pavilion with the mainland. At the center of each side of the tank, a brick ramp slopes down to the water, providing access for royal animals and wild game.
The Minar itself was built by Emperor Jahangir in 1606 to honor the memory of a pet hunting antelope named Mansraj. Unique features of this particular complex are the antelope’s grave and the distinctive water collection system. Looking north from the top of the minar, one can see a patch of forest which is similar to the scrub forest vegetation of Mughal times, while to the west are extensively-irrigated fields, a product of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, but similar in size and appearance to the well-irrigated fields of the Mughal period.
Nankana Sahib Tour
The birthplace of Sikhism lies in formally the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Baba Guru Nanak Dev Sahib was born in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan. There are many religious and historic sites dating back to the glorious Sikh empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and spiritual Gurdawaras where all the Ten Gurus spread the word of peace and harmony against the tyrant rulers of their respective era. Pilgrims seek harmony through religious meditation at Gurdawaras spread around the birthplace of baba Guru Nanak Dev Sahib and the places he visited for worship. Yatris feel rejuvenated and return to face success and fortune after their pilgrims to these places to visit. Among the many religious.
Islamabad Tour
Islamabad Pakistan’s capital nestles against the backdrop of the Margalla hills, the foothills of the Himalayas. Modern, spacious and carefully planned Islamabad is a city of wide, tree-lined streets, large houses, elegant public buildings and well-organized shopping malls, traffic jams and crowds seldom occur, and narrow lanes and slums are few and far between. Sidewalks are shaded and safe behind rows of flame trees. Jacaranda, hibiscus, roses and jasmine at full bloom present the city to its best.
This beautiful city offers some of the lovely places like Lok virsa museum and Faisal Mosque which is one of the biggest mosques in the world. It also has a natural history museum, and eye-catching spots kike Daman-e-koh, Japanese garden, Shakarparian and Rawal dam, Islamabad, being the federal capital, is also the custodian of the parliament house, presidency and all the foreign embassies.
Harappa Indus valley civilization Tour
Harappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about 24 km west of Sahiwal. Although modern Harappa has a legacy railway station from the period of the British Raj, it is today just a small crossroads town of population 15,000. The site of the ancient city contains the ruins of a Bronze Age fortified city, which was part of the Cemetery H culture and the Indus Valley Civilization, centered in Sind and the Punjab.
The city is believed to have had as many as 23,500 residents and occupied about 150 hectares with clay sculptured houses at its greatest extent during the Mature Harappan phase (2600–1900 BC), which is considered large for its time. Per archaeological convention of naming a previously unknown civilization by its first excavated site, the Indus Valley Civilization is also called the Harappan Civilization. The ancient city of Harappa was heavily damaged under British rule, when bricks from the ruins were used as track ballast in the construction of the Lahore-Multan Railway.
Chiniot Tour
Chiniot is one of the oldest historical towns of Punjab, on the bank of river Chenab, the second largest river of Pakistan and famous for the folk tales of Sohni-Mahiwal and Hir-Ranjjha. In ancient times, it was considered among the important cities on the trade route from Khyber Pass to Delhi. Alexander the Great had entered the subcontinental through the same routs. The town is celebrated for its wood carving and masonry. The artisans of Chiniot have been renowned for the excellence of their work since the Mughal period. Masons from Chiniot were employed in the building of Taj Mahal in Agra and wazir khan mosque in Lahore. The area was once famous for boat building but no such industry is seen now-a -days. The town is still known for arts and crafts specially door carving, brass work, inlays and furniture.
