A Guide Difficult To Parallel.
“I have traveled to Pakistan in Nov 2013 and again in Nov 2014, Shahid was our guide in Peshawar,Islamabad,Rawalpindi, Murree and Lahore. His knowledge is deep in all these Cities and provinces.I find it astonishing that he is so thoroughly knowledgeable. He would satisfy all our whims and fancies and would alter the set itinerary without any quibble.Need I say that I returned so soon largely due to him.Need I furthermore add that we shall be returning again in 2015 to Visit Swat valley Gilgit, Hunza valley and Azad Kashmir largely due to his recommendation. I live in South Africa and am of Indian origin and my love for Urdu is profound.Though Shahid is fluent in English I often asked him to switch to Urdu to polish my Urdu.we long to be back in Pakistan more so because of Shahid. “
Dr. AS Hoosen (South Africa)
Reliable And Trustworthy Guide
“I returned home to Australia earlier this year after three and a half years living in Pakistan where I worked at the Australian High Commission in Islamabad. After chancing across Shahid while on a visit to Lahore in mid 2011, I always sought his assistance during many future visits to the city. Shahid was always available to assist and his knowledge of Lahore’s sites was second-to-none – in the old city as well as outside Lahore at sites that are less frequented by most tourists. Lahore is a truly exceptional city with much to offer anyone who’s keen to get off the tourist trail. Unique experiences are certainly a prevailing characteristic at tourist sites in Pakistan where there’s a distinct underrepresentation of foreign tourists. When visiting Lahore, Shahid will surely provide an experience leaving you feel like you’re the only tourist in town.”
One Of The Best Guides I Have Ever Had
“As my girlfriend at that time was posted at the embassy we lived in Pakistan for a period in 2009/10. I got in contact with Shahid when traveling in Lahore and he showed me the city out of his eyes. I just want to say that he really is an amazing guide that showed me corners i would never had seen on my own.More on he is very honest which is an important quality for me. I can highly recommend him.”
My best Tour Guide in Pakistan.
“Shahid knows very well the highlights and hidden gems of Pakistan, he can deal with all kind of people and situations easily, and will take you to places from Lahore’s architectural treasures to Hunza mountainous valley, or Peshawar old market. But his first quality is just he loves Pakistan, and he do his best to let you feel it.
Shahid is an incredible guide. He showed me so many different places that you cant find in any books or that i would have found on my own.He brought me so much closer to the Pakistani culture and gave me a much better understanding of it. He is polite keeps distant when needed and ready to help with what ever comes up. I truly recommend him. Thank you so much again Shahid. I will definitely come back and look forward to Discover more places with you.”
All the best from Copenhagen Mark
Suddaf Chuhadary freelance journalist
“Shahid is an extremely knowledgeable tour guide, he presented me with a very detailed tour of Lahore. Shahid is the perfect host, he will cater to your arrangements and navigate you through the vibrancy of Pakistan brilliantly. I would definitely hire Shahid again and recommend his exceptional tour guide skills to anyone traveling to Pakistan.
Shahid is an extremely knowledgeable tour guide, he presented me with a very detailed tour of Lahore. Shahid is the perfect host, he will cater to your arrangements and navigate you through the vibrancy of Pakistan brilliantly. I would definitely hire Shahid again and recommend his exceptional tour guide skills to anyone traveling to Pakistan. Shahid Yousaf was our guide. He speaks excellent English and is extremely knowledgeable about the history of Lahore. We went to the Lahore Fort around 9 a.m., which was great; there were hardly any people. Then we went to the Mosque and after that had lunch the Old City. All three were well worth the visit, but the best was the Wahgah Border Ceremony at 4 p.m. Don’t miss it! I can highly recommend our guide; thanks to him we had a really interesting visit in Lahore. We spent 3 days in Lahore.
My parents immigrated from joint India before partition. I had a very strong desire to visit the land of my forefathers and also visit Sikh shrines. I researched on Internet and found Mr. Shahid Yousaf.I was very concerned to visit Pakistan with American passport and the surrounding political environment. Mr. Shahid was Like God sent angel for me. When I crossed border from India he was waiting for me with his partner. He planned my visit very meticulously. I was able to visit real Pakistan and was able to feel the culture. His understanding of political environment, history and culture of Pakistan was excellent. He was very resourceful. I was able to see and experience many parts of Pakistan, which most of the tourist could not dream. We developed a strong bond. During my stay, and still continue to communicate with each other. I plan to visit Pakistan again with my family. I would recommend him to anybody.”
Just a perfect guide.
“My parents immigrated from joint India before partition. I had a very strong desire to visit the land of my forefathers and also visit Sikh shrines. I researched on Internet and found Mr. Shahid Yousaf. I was very concerned to visit Pakistan with American passport and the surrounding political environment. Mr. Shahid was Like God sent angel for me. When I crossed border from India he was waiting for me with his partner. He planned my visit very meticulously. I was able to visit real Pakistan and was able to feel the culture. His understanding of political environment, history and culture of Pakistan was excellent. He was very resourceful. I was able to see and experience many parts of Pakistan, which most of the tourist could not dream. We developed a strong bond. During my stay, and still continue to communicate with each other. I plan to visit Pakistan again with my family. I would recommend him to anybody.”
“I planned my trip to Lahore a few months ago & Shahid helped me with the invitation letter.
He setup a two-day itinerary that not only included what I wanted to see but so much more. He’s very knowledgeable of the region and I really appreciated the details he explained of every place we went to. I didn’t feel rushed at any point. He further recommended a colleague for the rest of my trip in a different region which was great and helped with the arrangements. I didn’t expect that at all. Thank you very much!”
“We contacted Shahid over the internet. He responded right away, arrived on time and was organized and efficient. He had a great knowledge of the history of Lahore and showed us a huge amount in short time. We also experienced some life changing moments like watching the sun set over the Badshahi Mosque. He also made sure we tasted the best cuisine Lahore could offer, listened to qawallis and walked through some of the oldest parts of the city. Shahid even took me shopping. He was a gentleman throughout. Can’t recommend him enough. Nothing is too much trouble for him- always polite, helpful and patient. Thank you for an amazing experience. We saw so much in 5 days- art galleries, museums, book shops, mosques, old streets, hidden away gems and treasures of old buildings and artefacts from forgotten times. It was a trip of a lifetime.”
“We had a very good experience with Tour guide Mr. Shahid. We arranged for a 2-day visit of Lahore. There were 4 of us. So, Mr. Yousuf arranged for an air-conditioned van as transport. He was always on time and in general, the trip was very well planned. He was also willing to change the itinerary to accommodate our priorities and interests. He has extensive knowledge of Lahore’s history especially of the Mughal buildings. I am quite familiar with Mughal history but my younger siblings are not. So, it was great for them to have a guide like Mr. Yousuf who could keep them engaged with the stories and history of Lahore’s rulers. All in all, it was a great experience. If you’re looking for a good guide, contact Mr. Shahid Yousuf.”
“This was my first visit to Pakistan; I only had a day and a half to visit Lahore and was lucky to have Shahid as my tour guide. The tour began as we taxied from the coach stop to my hotel on the evening of my arrival. I wanted to also see the Wagah Border Ceremony so Shahid rescheduled my originally planned programmed to include this memorable experience. During the visits -given that temperatures were not yet too high- my personal preference was to move around by either regular taxi or three-wheeled scooter taxi rather than an air-conditioned car hire which was also an option. Shahid arranged for the transport, facilitated entries at check-points and went the extra mile to contact my coach company to reconfirm departure location. What I particularly liked about touring with Shahid was that he was flexible, trustworthy, very efficient, friendly and knowledgeable. In the short time spent in Lahore, I managed to see the major historic sites of the city, the Border Ceremony and even do a spot of bazaar shopping, whilst also learning about the culture and history of this magnificent city and country.”
“This was my first time in Pakistan, and I am lucky to have found the perfect tour guide. Mr. Shahid was very knowledgeable, responsive, and thoughtful. I only had 1 day to be in Pakistan and he made sure I get to see most of what Lahore has to offer. I enjoyed the entire time learning about a brief history of Lahore. Though all the places we went to were remarkable, there were two highlights that I wanted to point out. First, was the bazaar/market. I had done numerous tours before, and going to a mall is something I am not really a fan of, thankfully this was quite different. We went to visit one of the old markets in Lahore where you can find a variety of things from all kind of spices, fabrics, furniture’s, accessories, fruits, and even meat products. I had a blast in there seeing the real Pakistan–how people make their living, seeing their culture, and their day-to-day livelihood. The second highlight was the border ceremony. Shahid gave me the option of seeing more tourist attractions or to see the Wagah Border ceremony, performed between the borders of India and Pakistan. Luckily, we already did most of the must-see places, so I opted for the later. Thank goodness I did. Never had I ever seen a border ceremony like it. It was really one-of-a-kind. This daily ceremony was 30 minutes long, and it was full of military pageantry and patriotism. It was fascinating to see such pride the people have for their respective countries. From the songs, cheers, and performances, it was humbling to be a part of this one-of-a-kind occasion. Overall, I enjoyed every second of my tour! Coupled with a great itinerary and fantastic guide, I wished I had another day to spare. If given a chance, I would do another tour with Shahid. I couldn’t be more thankful for his professionalism, knowledge, and dedication to his line of work. Take him out of the equation, and it could have been a totally different experience. Thanks again to Indus Holidays and to Shahid for giving me such an amazing time in the beautiful city of Lahore! Until next time!”
“In Mughal times (about which he knows more than any history professor) they would have called him Shahid the Great – he is the best guide and organizer I can imagine. As a cool and pleasant guide in LAHORE for two days, some sixth sense (or his experience…) told him what we were interested in, and what we didn’t care about so much. He organized his tours accordingly, and calibrated the (entertaining and instructive) information to our tastes. Remarkable, and very satisfying. We also very much enjoyed the company (and superb driving style) of Omar, much more than a calm and cheerful driver.Shahid’s organization for our trip further afield involved train and bus rides plus hotel bookings, and was perfect and reliable. He took care of every request we had (let’s hope there were not too many…), and stayed in touch with us throughout the trip. In BAHAWALPUR, enthusiastic and hardworking Sohail met us at the train station and didn’t let us out of his sight until we boarded the bus three days later. He, too, was a very good listener, and adapted his program to the interests he gleaned from our conversations. Very knowledgeable, and very skillful in dealing with authorities, including our friendly police escorts.
In SUKKUR, ever-grinning and cheerful Bilawal took over. Same thing here: He picked up on our questions, came up with some extra ideas, and flexibly put together a multi-facetted program for the three days we spent with him. Quite a feat! Makes us wish we will be able to explore other parts of Sindh with him some time. Our driver was as smooth and experienced as Omar was in Lahore.This was our first trip to Pakistan (which all our friends had advised us against). We learned a lot, and we enjoyed it so much that we are already planning the next one – thanks to Shahid, Sohail and Bilawal. Imran Khan, take note! We highly recommend this tour. We are Pakistani and have visited Pakistan many times but had never been on a proper tour.”
“I came to Lahore for two days and one night with my two children (9 and 12) and parents (78 and 83) by crossing the Wagah border into Pakistan. We cannot recommend Shahid highly enough. He took care of my entire family (organized his brother as a second guide) and shepherded my little ones, making sure everyone was always looked after and taken care of. Shahid’s English is easy to understand and his vocabulary sophisticated. He is an intelligent and kind man (as is his brother) and knew how to appeal to my children who said Lahore was the highlight of a two-week trip of Punjab, Delhi and Varanasi.
The preparation for this trip was exhausting and I needed many documents and letters from Shahid in order to get German and USA visas to Pakistan. He was patient and always dependable. Upon arrival, he was waiting for us with a lovely driver, his brother and an air-conditioned van which was in very good condition and extremely safe and comfortable.
Shahid also brought us to delicious restaurants and to a vegetable market that was out of this world. We asked if he’d organize a fire haircut for my son, Adrian – SO MUCH FUN! He was loving and kind, intelligent and supportive. It makes me want to visit Pakistan and have Shahid and his brother as our guides again. We miss them! Nobody measured up like they did in the two weeks we traveled India & Lahore.”
