Best Time to Visit Pakistan

Winter suits most of the country

For most of Pakistan, the best time to visit is November to February. That covers Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Islamabad and the rest of the Punjab plains. Days are mild and clear. Evenings turn cool enough for a shawl at a roadside tea stall. It's the season for wandering Lahore's Walled City, the Badshahi Mosque and the Shalimar Gardens without wilting.

Karachi and Hyderabad, in the south, are best from December to February. Multan joins them. Karachi's sea breeze keeps it milder than the north, but it's still warm, so winter is when beach walks at Clifton feel pleasant.

Quetta runs on a different clock

Quetta sits high in the mountains, so it breaks the pattern. March to April and October to November are best. Its hottest month, July, reaches only 35°C, while the plains cook. Winters there are cold, so it's a good pick if you want to escape the heat rather than chase sun.

Summer and the monsoon

Don't plan city sightseeing for May or June. Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala hit 43°C in June, and Multan reaches 45°C. Karachi and Hyderabad peak a month earlier, in May. Afternoons are for staying indoors.

Then the monsoon arrives. July is the wettest month for most northern cities, and Islamabad and Rawalpindi tie as the wettest of all at 295 mm. Karachi and Hyderabad get their rain in August. Heavy downpours can flood streets and slow road travel.

If you're heading for the northern mountains, such as Hunza or Skardu, summer is the usual window, since the passes are open and the valleys are cooler. Just allow for landslides on the Karakoram Highway in monsoon weeks.

Holidays and crowds

Ramadan, the fasting month, shifts about eleven days earlier each year. Many restaurants close by day, but evenings are lively. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha bring packed buses and trains as families travel home. Pakistan Day on 23 March has a parade in Islamabad, and Independence Day on 14 August fills streets with flags.

Winter is high season for visitors. Summer on the plains is the quietest.