Away With The Steiners

22 Things to see in the Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan.

Sarah Steiner

Of all the travel guides we’ve written in five years of full-time travel around the world, this is one I have looked most forward to sharing. The old town and Walled City of Lahore is something special.

Lahore is the country’s historic and cultural capital.  It is a sprawling and colourfully chaotic city to land anywhere in as a traveller.  But the bustle and mesmerizing historic marvels centre in the heart of the Walled City of Lahore.  

The old city is the place to get a glimpse of local modern life and a best way to visualise and taste the Mughal-era grandeur of its past.  

We’ve visited Pakistan four times in the last two years and each time I leave loving Lahore that bit more and looking forward to exploring more.  

This is our guide to the Walled City of Lahore and the best place to embark on your Pakistani adventure. 

About the Walled City of Lahore

Lahore is Pakistan’s second-largest city and has a history that dates to ancient times.  It is the capital of Pakistan’s populous Punjab province, that was split between India and Pakistan when they became independent from Britain in 1947. 

The Walled City rose in prominence after being selected as the Mughal capital, which resulted in the construction of the Lahore Fort as well as the city’s new reinforced walls. 

In 1947, before the partition, the Walled City of Lahore had a concentration of 48% Hindus, 38% Muslims and 12% Sikhs.  Though once Pakistan and India were formed – the area saw a mass exodus of Hindus and Sikhs, and as of now, the population is 99% Muslims, comprising of Punjabis, mostly.

In the past two decades, there has been an ever increasing Pashtun population, with traders arriving and settling from KPK and parts of Afghanistan. 

Albeit Lahore sprawls far beyond the historic old city.  But the Walled City of Lahore is a bustling community, with history etched in every corner of its streets.  

Sikh and Muslim in the Walled City of Lahore things to see.
Colourful traditions and tastes in the old Walled City of Lahore.

When is the best time of year to visit Lahore?

The best time to visit Lahore is during the cooler months of winter and autumn from September to March.  

These cooler months offer comfortable temperatures. The Punjabi plains can get extremely hot during the summer months. And believe it or not there is also a monsoon and rainy season in the region in July and August. 

Albeit November and December are cooler times temperature wise.  

However, these can be a terrible time to visit due to crop burning season.  (Sorry, Pakistan).  

At this time of year the smog from pollution is heightened intensely with the crop burning season and air quality can be horrendously toxic. 

In saying that though, we have visited Pakistan in June, July, August and December and had a great time each visit! And despite the heat in Lahore in the hot summer months we are tremendously glad we visited and extra grateful for sugarcane juices and cold Lassi. 

A cool December morning in the old Walled City of Lahore.

Getting there

The metropolitan city of Lahore is well connected by air internationally and domestically as well as by road within Pakistan. 

However, for three out of four times we have arrived in Pakistan by crossing the Wagah Border from Amritsar in India to Lahore in Pakistan. 

Getting around in Lahore and the Walled City 

The easiest way to get around in Lahore is with a driver and car for the day.  Or with a guide on tour. 

Within the Walled City of Lahore it is largely pedestrian-only and all of the things to see are accessible on foot.  

It is easy to hail an auto-rickshaw on the spot.  Just be aware that many of the older drivers don’t use a smartphone with map.  

We recommend starting your day in the old city at the Delhi Gate entrance to the Walled City of Lahore. 

It’s mostly pedestrian inside the Walled City of Lahore.

Things to see and do in the Walled City of Lahore

Here are the highlights and things to look out for in the old town and Walled City of Lahore as a general walking tour starting at Delhi Gate.

1. Delhi Gate

Delhi Gate is one of six remaining historic gates of the Walled City of Lahore.  It was built during the Mughal period and was named after Delhi since the gate opened to the east, leading in the direction of what is now the capital city of India.  

There is a huge amount of history surrounding Delhi Gate and the protection that it provided for old Lahore.  It is even mentioned by Rudyard Kipling in his 1891 short story ‘The City of Dreadful Night’. 

But as a visitor the bustle and grandeur of this historic entrance way is significant as it is still today one of the main ways to enter the old town.  Delhi Gate leads immediately into the bazaar area of the old Walled City of Lahore onto a narrow lane lined with tiny shops which sell tobacco and spices.  

2. Delhi Gate Chowk 

The bustling chowk outside Delhi Gate is always an uplifting welcome to the old Walled City of Lahore. 

Outside the gate entrance is a large chowk and marketplace with everything from birds for sale to beautifully stacked spices, nuts and pulses. 

Chai on the boil and welcoming smiles outside Delhi Gate in Lahore.
Everything from chai to birds.

3. Sabeel Wali Gali Courtyard

Just inside the Delhi Gate entrance is Sabeel Wali Gali (Sabeel’s Street).  

This street derives its name from the water tank at the entrance and leads on to a leafy and neatly restored courtyard off the main street.  It is a beautiful place to visit after restoration by Walled City of Lahore Authority.

4. Chathaa Tobacco Store

One of the oldest tobacco shops in Lahore is Muhammad Younas Tobacco Store, located just inside Delhi Gate. 

The tobacco store is an icon of the old city with a first welcome smile and a puff of tobacco smoke wafting just near the entrance to the old Walled City of Lahore.  

Tobacco at the most famous store in the old city of Lahore.

5. Galli Surjan Singh

Sabeel Wali Gali has been renovated by the government. The Agah Khan Trust and the Walled City of Lahore have played a key role in this renovation.  the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA)

Gali Surjan Singh stands out as a hopeful reminder that community-driven preservation is possible. 

6. Patli Gali 

The Patli Gali in the Walled City of Lahore is located just through the Delhi Gate entrance.   It translates to ‘Narrow Street’ – and the translation is justifiably apt. 

Albeit I think I heard about the Patli Gali in old Lahore through its recent and rising fame on Instagram.  But in real life it is one of the things in the old Walled City of Lahore that is even aptly more gratifying to see in person. 

The street is so narrow that only one person can pass through it at a time.

7. Shahi Hammam

Shahi Hammam is a Turkish style public bathhouse just through the Delhi Gate entrance to old Lahore.  

The Hammam was built during the reign of Shah Jahan (the Mughal Emperor who commissioned the Taj Mahal) to serve as a waqf (endowment) for the maintenance of Wazir Khan Mosque. 

The original Hammam consisted of three parts: the Jama Khana (dressing area), Nim Garm (warm baths), and Garm (hot baths).  

It has been well restored as an important part of the city’s rich Mughal heritage and is famous for its lavish use of frescoes as a decorative element.

Inside the restored Shahi Hammam. 

8. Akbari Mandi Spice Market

Akbari Mandi is touted to be the oldest spice market of sub-continent.  The market is named after the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and it is estimated the spice market is around 500 years old. 

Albeit as a traveller you aren’t likely to need to stock up on spices.  But as a visitor it is one of the colourful things to do in Lahore that truly feels like stepping back in time.  

The market is abuzz with locals negotiating loudly on prices for their purchase.  There are stacks of kaffir lime leaves, yellow mustard, black pepper corns, bay leaves, cardamom, turmeric and henna piled artistically out in the open. 

It genuinely is an experience to walk through that is strong on the nose and a feast for the eyes!  

The spice market is located just adjacent to Shahi Hammam through the Delhi Gate entrance, so it is easy to find. 

Friendly vendors in the spice bazar. 
Sikh pilgrims and locals in the spice market just beyond Delhi Gate in the old walled city. 

9. Haveli Mian Sultan 

This is one of the many old heritage houses inside the Walled City of Lahore.  The Haveli Mian Sultan is located through the Delhi Gate entrance and would once have been a grand home in its day.  

The actual entrance of the building is from a side street which incidentally is named after the owner of this house and is called Gali Mian Sultan. However, much of the old haveli today is in a serious state of disrepair.  

It has three floors with many rooms in it.  But the best room is the small Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace) located on the top. 

There are a rickety set of stairs leading to the top storey with the mirror room.  But if you are game to climb even further there is a spectacular view from the rooftop of the Haveli looking towards Wazir Khan Mosque. 

10. Neevin Mosque 

Neevin Mosque is a 15th century mosque inside the old Walled City of Lahore that was built during the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.  It is revered as one of old Lahore’s few remaining pre-Mughal monuments.  However, Neevin Mosque is most notable for its foundations that are today 25ft below street level.  

The name, Neevin, means low or below.  And quite literally, the Neevin Mosque is located below the outside surface.  There is a mixed narrative as to why the mosque is so much lower than the street.  Though whatever the reason it is another one of the fascinating – and somewhat humbling – things to see inside Lahore’s old city walls. 

Steps down to Neevin Mosque.

11. Lohari Gate – Walled City of Lahore

Lahori or Lohari Gate was named after the city of Lahore. It is said that when Malik Ayaz rebuilt the town in the time of Mahmud a quarter of the city initially populated the area around the gate including a market called ‘Lahori Mandi’ or the Lahore market named after the city. 

In the mid-19th century Lahori Gate was pulled down by the British when they seized the city.  Though they later rebuilt the gate in its original design.

Among the five remaining gates built during the British period, Lohari Gate is the only one least affected by European styles. It has two large bastions on either side of a central gate structure with the western bastion attached to a short stub of the old city wall.

The standout white of Lohari Gate.

12. Chitta Gate

Chitta Gate is one of the internal gates inside the Walled City of Lahore dating from 1650.  

It is now a bustling bottleneck with plastic wares and cotton candy on sale.  But the gate was historically pivotal on the Shahi Guzargah (Royal Passage) route that connects the Lahore Fort to the Delhi Gate and opens onto the Wazir Khan Chowk. 

13. Chowk Wazir Khan 

The Wazir Khan Chowk is the open space directly outside the Wazir Khan Mosque. 

This Chowk/Square historically served as a cultural hub for eateries and activities like bethaks, qawwalis, as well as being the gateway to the Hujras of the Wazir Khan Mosque, the shrine of Sufi Saint Hazrat Said Souf and the Dina Nath Well.  

14. Wazir Khan Mosque

The historic Wazir Khan is one of the most famous things to see in the Walled City of Lahore.

It was commissioned during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (who commissioned the Taj Mahal) as a part of an ensemble of buildings that also included the nearby Shahi Hammam public bathhouse.

It is now considered to be the most ornately decorated Mughal-era mosque.

Wazir Khan Masjid in old Lahore. 
The style of Wazir Khan is very different to the Mughal-era Badshahi Mosque. 

15. Lahore Khalifa Naan Shop 

Right in front of the entrance gate to the famous Masjid Wazir Khan, is the debatably equally famous Khalifa Naan Shop.  

For us, this is a highlight of every visit to Lahore and one of the things the kids have decided is synonymous with an outing in the old city!

Although, it isn’t just us that fondly beelines for bread here. 

The naan shop is a living piece of culinary Pakistani history that has been serving the citizens of the Walled City of Lahore for nearly two centuries!  

Don’t leave the old city without stopping in for some hot, fresh naan. 

The friendliest and tastiest Naan in Lahore.

16. Dina Naath Well

The Well of Dina Nath was intended to be a public water well in the busy Wazir Khan Chowk of the Walled City of Lahroe.  The well was commissioned by Raja Dina Nath in the mid-19th century under the reign of Ranjit Singh. 

However, stories tell that after 200 metres of digging, the labourers could not tap a water source, and refused to dig any further, much to the embarrassment of Dina Nath. The well has remained dry ever since, and remains a local monument. 

17. Chowk Kotwali 

The Kotwali Chowk just beyond Wazir Khan Mosque was formerly a police kiosk in Mughal times.  

These days it is a busy part of the old city of Lahore with eateries, food and drinks carts and temporary clothing stalls encircling the chowk. 

18. Azam Bazaar

Azam Cloth Market stretches outwardly from Kotwali Chowk in a bustling labyrinth of interconnected bazaars. 

It is a central hub for wholesale cloth distribution, and stands as one of the largest wholesale cloth markets in Asia. 

19. Masjid Begum Shahi 

It’s a colourful walk making your way up the textile and clothing streets of Azam Bazar.  But if you stay on track the road passes the beautiful Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum.

This mosque was commissioned by the Mughal Empress Mariam-Uz-Zamani who was the chief consort of Emperor Akbar.  The mosque was constructed between 1611 and 1614 during the reign of Emperor Jahangir. 

It is Lahore’s earliest dated Mughal-era Mosque.

Inside the historic mosque. 

20. Lohari Gate Bazaar

The Lohari Market inside the gate is one of the oldest markets in the walled city, where caravans and travellers used to enter to sell their wares.  

There are large sections of spices, dates and nuts, rice, meats, flour as well as pots and pans and kitchenware.  

21. Papar Mandi Bazaar

Papar Mandi Chowk is situated near Neevin Mosque and Lohari Gate. It is a market of herbs, cosmetics and perfumes.  

22. Feeqa Lassi Wala in Lahore

I digress slightly as this stop is just outside the Walled City of Lahore on Railway Road.  But it is only a short walk (and well, well worth it). 

Feeqa Lassi Wala is a legend in Lahore’s lassi world, operating in the same location for more than 70 years in the family business. 

The generations old recipe of Feeqa Lassi is worth hunting out.

Do you recommend a guide for exploring the Walled City of Lahore? 

Despite visiting Pakistan four times now, each time we return we do another tour with Adil from Adil Lahorei Cultural Club.  

Adil is a very well-known tour guide in Pakistan and is especially passionate in sharing his home-city of Lahore and the Pakistani state of Punjab.  

His energy and passion for history all over the world is infectious!  

It is possible to make your way around the things to do in old Lahore independently.  

However, it is also a city so rich in history and culture that it just makes sense to go with a guide and I know we would never have found or understood all the incredible things to see in the Walled City of Lahore without Adil’s guidance. 

Send him a message on WhatsApp before you travel. 

Exploring the Walled City of Lahore with Adil on our first visit to Pakistan.

Accommodation in Lahore 

These are the hotels we regularly stay in the city and can recommend as a great base for exploring the Walled City of Lahore.

Read more about travel in Lahore and Pakistan

More about travel planning for Pakistan and beyond

These are the companies we use and can recommend for planning and booking travel. 

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