3 Days Islamabad Taxila Peshawar

Peshawar

A Peshawar tour takes you through the old city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's capital, with its storytellers' bazaar, the Mughal Mahabat Khan Mosque, a caravanserai built over 2,000 years of history and a world-class collection of Gandhara art. It is an easy trip from Islamabad and pairs well with Taxila.

Why visit Peshawar

Peshawar has stood near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass for well over two thousand years, and that history is easy to see. Mughal mosques, merchant mansions and Buddhist sculpture are all within a short drive of each other. Add some of the most celebrated food in Pakistan and the city earns at least a full day on any cultural itinerary.

Things to do in Peshawar old city

  • Qissa Khwani Bazaar: the storytellers' bazaar, where traders once swapped tales over green tea and spice sellers still line the lanes.
  • Mahabat Khan Mosque: a Mughal mosque built in 1630, with painted domes and panels of calligraphy and floral design.
  • Sethi House: a 19th-century merchant family's mansion with carved woodwork, stained glass and underground rooms built to escape the summer heat.
  • Gor Khatri: a caravanserai commissioned in 1641 by the Mughal princess Jahanara Begum, built over archaeological layers that reach back to the Indo-Greek era, with a Gorakhnath temple at its centre.

Peshawar Museum and Gandhara art

Opened in 1907 in a hall built in memory of Queen Victoria, the Peshawar Museum holds one of the largest collections of Gandharan Buddhist sculpture in the world, including panel reliefs of the Buddha's life. Seeing it alongside the ruins at Taxila makes both far easier to understand.

Where to eat in Peshawar

Namak Mandi is the city's best-known food street, famous for lamb karahi cooked in its own fat, charcoal-grilled tikka and the flat, spiced chapli kebab. Your guide can point you to the long-running stalls in the old city as well.

Best time to visit and how to get to Peshawar from Islamabad

The M-1 motorway covers the 155 km run in about two hours, which makes a day trip possible, though an overnight stay is more relaxed. October to April is the most comfortable period. From May to September daytime highs often pass 40°C, so summer sightseeing is best kept to early mornings.

Plan your Peshawar tour

Peshawar features on our 3 Days Islamabad Taxila Peshawar short break, the Buddhist Heritage Journey in Pakistan and the Cultural And Heritage Expedition Across Civilizations in Pakistan. For a private day or two in the city, tell us your dates and we will arrange a driver and a local guide.