Why Pakistan is a land of pilgrimage
For centuries this land has been sacred to several faiths at once. Sikhism was born in Punjab, Buddhism flourished for many centuries in Gandhara, Hindu pilgrims still travel to temples in the Salt Range and Balochistan, and Sufi saints drew followers to Lahore and Multan. Many of these places remain active places of worship, and visitors are welcome when they respect local custom.
Sikh pilgrimage sites in Pakistan
- Nankana Sahib: Gurdwara Janam Asthan marks the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, in 1469.
- Kartarpur Sahib: Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal district stands where Guru Nanak settled and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539.
- Panja Sahib, Hasan Abdal: the gurdwara holds a rock believed to carry Guru Nanak's handprint, and draws thousands of pilgrims at Vaisakhi.
Buddhist sites in Pakistan
Gandhara, the region around Taxila, Peshawar and Swat, was one of the great centres of early Buddhism. At Taxila, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can walk round the Dharmarajika stupa, linked to the emperor Ashoka, and the Jaulian monastery with its rows of monks' cells. Takht-i-Bahi near Mardan is one of the best-preserved monasteries in the region, and the Swat valley holds the Butkara stupa near Saidu Sharif. Our 11D 10N Buddhist Heritage Journey in Pakistan links these sites in one trip.
Hindu temples and Sufi shrines
- Katas Raj Temples: a complex of Shiva temples around a sacred pond in the Salt Range near Chakwal.
- Hinglaj Mata: a cave temple in Hingol National Park, Balochistan, where the annual yatra each April draws Hindu pilgrims in their hundreds of thousands.
- Multan: known as the City of Saints, with the tombs of Bahauddin Zakariya and Shah Rukn-e-Alam. Read more about Multan.
- Data Darbar, Lahore: the shrine of the 11th-century saint Ali al-Hujwiri, one of the most visited in the country.
How we plan pilgrimage tours
We arrange pilgrimage trips privately or in small groups, paced around prayer times, festivals and the needs of older travellers, with a local guide to explain the history and etiquette at each site. For a longer route that mixes sacred sites with forts and ancient cities, see the 15D 14N Cultural And Heritage Expedition Across Civilizations in Pakistan. Access rules for pilgrims, including the Kartarpur Corridor from India, change from time to time, so we check the current position when you enquire.
Plan your pilgrimage
Tell us your dates, the sites that matter most to you and the size of your group, and we will shape an itinerary around them.
Small Group Tour
