City Rating: Lahore
Population: 6’300’000
Date of visit: September 2018
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 1/5
Safety: 3/5
Infrastructure: 2/5
Low budget factor: 5/5
Total: 👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Lahore is Pakistan’s second largest city after Karachi. Many call this Punjab city the cultural capital of the country. It’s a vibrant and also a very exhausting city but interesting enough for two or three days. All in all, Lahore is in many aspects very similar to Delhi.
Where to stay:
There is no way around Lahore Backpackers if you want to be around other travelers. In general, it actually doesn’t matter that much where to stay as long as it’s somewhere in the center. There is no promenade where all the action takes place in the night anyway. I stayed in the Tourist Inn Hotel. Not the best hotel to be honest, but the prices were more than fair. It’s by the way close to Lahore Backpackers.
The Good:
Lahore has some fantastic sights. Badshahi Mosque, a Mughal era mosque, is without a doubt the most important sight. Go in the morning instead in the afternoon if you want to take good pictures (the sun will ruin it otherwise).
There are other interesting sights: Lahore Fort (right next to Badshahi Mosque), Shalimar Gardens, Data Darbar (Ali Hajveri’s tomb) or Wazir Khan Mosque, just to name a few of them. Two full days will be enough to see these sights.
Try street food if you dare. Lahore is a paradise for that. Pakistani food is amazing and there is actually no shortage of food no matter what time it is. If you want to try a fancy place, then head to Food Street near Badshahi Mosque. You will have an amazing view over the mosque from one of the restaurants that have a rooftop terrace.
Another highlight is the Wagah Border ceremony at the border between India and Pakistan. It will take 45 minutes to get there, but it’s worth it, as this is one of the weirdest shows on the planet.
Generally, if you like Delhi (or similar Indian cities), you will like Lahore…
The Bad & The Ugly:
…and if you hate Delhi, you will hate Lahore!
Lahore is incredibly intense and exhausting and I couldn’t handle this city without a guide. It’s hot and humid, the streets are dirty and the traffic is insane. There are motorbikes, tuktuks and cars everywhere so that it can take up to five minutes to cross a street. The main difference is that you won’t find as many stray animals in Lahore as in Delhi.
Is Lahore a beautiful city? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I would say no. There are certainly some nice spots in the city, but in the end it’s just another polluted city on the Indian Subcontinent.
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