Away With The Steiners

Pakistan with kids: A complete travel guide to family travel in Pakistan!

Sarah Steiner

There aren’t many travel guides out there to share how it really is to travel in Pakistan with kids.  But guess what?  I want to tell you all about it. Because travel in Pakistan with kids is seriously amazing.  Unique. Memorable.  And one of the best family-travel adventures we have had to date! 

I’d heard about Pakistani hospitality before we came. Albeit nothing quite prepared us for how humbling, welcoming and just how much we would treasure our travel in Pakistan as a family…

First a little bit about Pakistan…

A first glimpse of Pakistan in our taxi from the border, entering Pakistan with kids.
A first glimpse of Pakistan in our taxi from the border.

Best time to visit

Because Pakistan is such a diverse country with regions that range from sea-level right up to mountains with 8000-metre peaks, each season presents opportunities for the best time to travel to different regions. 

We visited Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi in July and while it was hot (really, really hot in Lahore) and I wouldn’t change it.

We spent a month in November December which was completely different. But great!

And our third visit to Pakistan with kids was in August. Hot; but beautiful and full of colour.

Locals will be quick to tell you not to visit in summer; or only to visit the mountains. But whenever you travel in Pakistan with kids it will be an adventure. Just do it.

It’s hot in June and July but the morning is an interesting time to explore the cities.

Fear of the ‘Stans

Let’s be honest; first thoughts of the ‘-stan‘ scares many foreigners. And actually travellers too.

History and media presents a certain image abroad and for the seven countries in Asia that end with the suffix ‘Stan’ our first reaction is not instinctively smooth…

Stan actually means land in Persian Farsi, a word for “place of” or “country”. A bit like the suffix of names in English such as England, Scotland, Switzerland. 

And rightly so. This part of the world is a region of diverse geography and land with a lot of fascinating history behind it.  

I admit that even after years of travel in Asia (in all directions and ‘Stans too) we didn’t tell all our family and friends we were heading to Pakistan until we were actually there.  Simply because we didn’t want to be put off (many peoples first reaction is enough to put doubt in any travellers determined mind). And you shouldn’t be either. 

Pakistan – like the other central Asian countries we’ve visited – is now a firm favourite country of ours. And writing this from Pakistan now on our second visit; we already can’t wait to come back…

Pakistani hospitality is second to none.

Language in Pakistan

Urdu is the national language of the Pakistan. It is a mixture of Persian, Arabic and various local languages.

However, Pakistan in fact has two official languages: Urdu and English.

People are extremely friendly and will try their best to help you in English.

But undoubtedly one of the things that pleases Pakistani’s most on meeting is if you can try a few words of Urdu to introduce yourself. (And for sure they loved when the kids asked any questions in Urdu!).

Here are a few useful greetings and phrases that will make your travel in Pakistan with kids an even smoother experience…

Kids are always an amazing reminder that language should never be a barrier.

Visiting Pakistan with kids

Travel in Pakistan with kids is both challenging and rewarding.

Pakistan is a culture that celebrates family and thus the rewards of travel in Pakistan with kids far outweighs the challenge.

I lost count of how many times people stopped us to introduce themselves, ask where we were from and offer us their phone number ‘in case we need any help at all’.  We have been invited into homes for tea, for meals and invitations to villages to come and stay as guests. 

Pakistani people love children. They are friendly and welcoming and naturally happy to see children enjoying their country and culture.

We arrived at the bus station in Lahore and within seconds of walking in the door the boys had been handed packets of sweets and biscuits from families waiting for the bus.

The big cities are busy but it’s not stressful to get around in Pakistan with kids.  I’m writing this before we leave the country and already we are planning how and when we will be back! 

The boys leading the way through Old Lahore.

What does it honestly feel like traveling in Pakistan with kids? 

Honestly speaking we felt safe to travel in Pakistan with kids (because seriously, we wouldn’t travel with our kids to somewhere we did not believe to be safe).  

I’m not going to lie; it does feel daunting entering Pakistan for the first time (and perhaps more so traveling as a family). But I do believe that niggling feeling of anxiety pre-travel is for two reasons…

The first being that fear of the Stan’s (all of them). Which unfortunately due to a media-driven attitude is justified to feel and will take time for each country to shake. And secondly it’s the same feeling of nerves entering any country or new region we have yet to learn about.

As far as the practicalities considering the feeling of traveling in Pakistan with kids I would say the main thing to be aware of is that it does have a strong security and often military/police presence. 

For example, the security guards standing outside a supermarket are heavily armed.  And the guards at an ATM.  And on entering a popular restaurant or clothing store in the city. 

This is the most visible reminder of security in Pakistan that I can think of to note before traveling in Pakistan with kids. 

But other than that Pakistanis are extremely friendly, hospitable and welcoming and are certainly a culture that prioritises family. 

Invited to a family home in Karachi.

Visiting the cities of Pakistan

I wanted to visit the north of Pakistan. I wanted to see those blue lakes and fairy-tale mountainscapes.

But sometimes often travel plans change and particularly for fulltime travel, the journey demands that we are flexible in what we prioritise.

For our first trip (I phrase it like that with plans already to return again) we wanted a taste of travel in Pakistan with kids and chose an overland path from Amritsar in India.

The itinerary for our first visit to Pakistan with kids included three of Pakistan’s major cities and a very special week staying with a Sindh family in Karachi. Memories that we will treasure forever!

Lahore

This was our first stop traveling in Pakistan with the kids (we crossed over the Wagah Land Border from Amritsar, India).

Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is also Pakistan’s second largest city (after Karachi).

Things to do in Lahore

The beautiful Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

Things to do in Lahore, Pakistan with kids

Kids being kids in the old city of Lahore (Wazir Khan Mosque in the background).

Islamabad

Islamabad is known as a clean, calm and green city by Pakistan standards and I would have to say that description is pretty apt.  It is a relaxing and easy city to explore.  

There are modern malls and services if that’s what you’re looking for.  And there are beautiful open green spaces and parks (even hiking trails) if that is what you’re after.  

Plus it’s easy to get around in Islamabad by taxi or Uber (rickshaws are banned in the city).  

Things to do in Islamabad

Things to do in Islamabad with kids

Oscar and his dinosaur taking in the atmosphere at Faisal Mosque, Islamabad.

Where to eat in Islamabad

Karachi

The biggest city of Pakistan lies on the eastern coast of the Arabian Sea, just northwest of the Indus river delta and was the original capital of the nation. 

To describe Karachi as a huge city is an understatement.

It truly is an enormous megacity (arguably the third most-populous in the world) with a cacophony of sounds, hustle and bustle that seems to go all day and night.

But the energy of Karachi is infectious and it is an exciting place to explore and to learn about the important place in Pakistan’s history that this port city holds.

Things to do in Karachi 

Trying Nihari for lunch on Burns Road, Karachi.

Things to do in Karachi with kids

A horse ride on Karachi’s famous Clifton Beach.

Where to eat in Karachi

Food in Pakistan

We love the food in Pakistan (I had to start with that!). Pakistani cuisine is characterised by a great blend of regional cooking traditions from South and Central Asia.

It’s rich and packed full of spice (it’s quite oily and cooked with a lot of ghee) and is all-round undeniably tasty.

The cuisine has a range of traditional dishes but do be prepared, Pakistani’s eat a lot of (halal) meat.  (Especially notable in contrast to neighbouring India where there are often vegetarian options). 

Some of our favourites from Pakistan include: 

Our first time trying halwa puri for breakfast in Pakistan.

Food in Pakistan with kids

I’ve decided the Central Asian food style is actually well-suited to travel with children.

We found traveling in Pakistan with kids to be quite easy food-wise. Pakistani’s are big meat eaters but often the BBQ meat can be cooked plain and so isn’t spicy.

Pulao (rice) is a great meal option in Pakistan with kids as it is actually cooked with raisins in and so ever so slightly sweet. 

Other foods in Pakistan we found our kids enjoyed include: 

Delicious pulao (rice), fresh naan (bread) and chicken boti kabab.

Drinking water

Unfortunately it is not recommend to drink the tap water in Pakistan. It is not filtered and thus not safe for drinking.

Bottled water is readily available or use a water purifier if you have one (and are confident with that).

Are there supermarkets and/or recognisable shops in Pakistan? 

Yes. There are plenty of supermarkets in the bigger cities and many smaller stores and stalls in between. 

Some of the major supermarket chains include: 

Supermarket in Karachi, Pakistan.

What to wear in Pakistan

Finding a balance between being comfortable (it gets hot) and respecting local traditions is important for travel in Pakistan. (And I love this part of travel and learning!).

It requires more consideration as an adult, but for kids traveling in Pakistan it is more relaxed.

In the cities there is more flexibility as far as what to wear. And especially in the modern areas of town.

But like other countries in South Asia it is greatly appreciated by locals to see travellers dressed in local clothes. (Seriously, people are thrilled).

Every province has a different and unique cultural dress which is mostly followed by rural people.  But in the cities it’s easy to buy (at a local market or department store) a shalwar kameez and blend in like a local… 

A shalwar kameez is the most common traditional combination dress worn by women and (slightly differently) men in Pakistan. 

Feeling very colourful with the young boys and girls in my shalwar kameez with a dupatta (scarf).

Do women travellers need to cover their hair in Pakistan? 

This is not a requirement for women except when visiting mosques and religious sites.  

Signs outside the mosques display instructions for women to adhere to proper Islamic dress in order to enter. And this simply means that you must dress conservatively and cover your hair while there.

Note that your arms, legs and shoulders must also be covered. You can use your dupatta scarf for this (but don’t worry if you have forgotten it; there are often scarfs provided for entry).

Where to buy clothes to wear while traveling in Pakistan 

The markets in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi are a great place to find stalls selling basic pre-made salwar kameez with smaller shops alongside.  

A long-sleeved man’s dress-shirt costs around 1500 Rs and a 3-piece ladies salwar kameez is around 3000Rs.  

Transportation in Pakistan

We had great fun in Pakistan with the kids getting around by all kinds of modes of transport.  

In the big cities many Pakistani people travel by car with a driver. And in actual fact it’s also a convenient way to get around in Pakistan as a tourist in the city.

There are companies that can offer a driver for around 5000 PKR (approx. $25 USD) and it is a handy way to explore (the driver will wait for you each time you get out).

The boys with our driver, Shaukat in Rawalpindi.

And there are other ways to travel in Pakistan too! 

Getting around in Pakistan by taxi

This was our first experience of using transport in Pakistan.

It was the easiest option for getting from the Wagah Border crossing to Lahore as there were a few taxis lined up waiting at the Pakistani side of the border.

Be sure to negotiate and agree on a price before you hop in a taxi.

Oh, and make sure they actually know where you are going! Some drivers do not have smart phones with a map so if you don’t have data this makes directions by taxi rather trickier!

A first taxi ride in Pakistan (from the border to Lahore).

Getting around Pakistan by rickshaw

This is a fun way to get around in the older cities (rickshaws are not allowed in Islamabad).

It’s easy to flag down an auto rickshaw.

Drivers are very friendly and it is ok to negotiate and agree on a price (be sure to agree before you hop in).

One style of rickshaw in Lahore.

Getting around Pakistan by bus

Intercity buses are a big thing for getting around in Pakistan.  We booked a luxury bus with Road Masters between Lahore and Islamabad and found it a smooth and pleasant way to travel in Pakistan with kids. 

The bus ticket cost 1500Rs per person for a 4.5 hour bus ride with AC and snacks and drinks included in the ticket price. (It honestly felt a bit like being on an aeroplane with a hostess serving snacks and a meal!). 

Getting around Pakistan by train 

We took Pakistani Railways Green Line from Islamabad to Karachi (18 hours overnight) and found it a smooth ride in an AC Business Class cabin.

Dinner and breakfast are provided (albeit very basic) and there is chai, drinks and snacks available from vendors that come through the cabin regularly.

Ready for our overnight train to Karachi.

ATM’s and money

Ah ha. A serious (seriously serious) challenge for travellers to Pakistan with an international credit card!

This was our biggest challenge travelling in Pakistan with kids (and nothing actually to do with the kids!).

By some miracle the very first ATM we tried on our way from the Wagah border to Lahore worked instantly and I was able to withdraw Pakistani rupees first go… 

Fast forward to the next day when we fast realised we had only withdrawn the equivalent of $100 USD and it wasn’t going to be enough; and every single ATM we tried denied our international bank card! 

However, after some research (and mild panic we were going to be stranded in Pakistan without money) we discovered there are two ATM’s in Pakistan that accept international credit cards: 

Literally none of the other eight (plus) banks we tried worked for us.  

Head straight for Standard Chartered and remember HBL as a back-up if you need to. 

Harry holding around about $40 USD worth of PKR.

Budget for Pakistan

As an example here are some costs we found in Pakistan: 

Trying Karachi Haleem is only a few dollars for lunch.

Bargaining and tips

Pakistan is a cash economy and everything can be bargained for.

Expect to pay a different price for entry fees and hotel rooms as a foreigner. But it is always worth negotiating to see if you can get a better price.

Pakistani people are fair and pretty straight-up.

Connectivity and WIFI

Most hotels have free WIFI and 3G/4G connectivity is great in the cities and reasonable in between.

We even had 3G pretty much all the way by train from Islamabad to Karachi.

Getting a SIM card in Pakistan

We were forewarned about the challenge of getting a SIM card in Pakistan.  But in actual fact it was pretty straight forward…

We went with Ufone as found the Head Office was less than 100m from our hotel in Lahore.

Their service was very friendly and they went out of their way to make sure we were all set up and ready to go with two SIM cards with enough data for the duration of our stay.

You do need to register your full details to get a SIM card in Pakistan.  

Make sure to take:

It takes about 2-3 hours to activate the SIM.  The staff at Ufone even called to talk us through activating our SIM cards and 2 hours later we had prepaid working tourist SIM cards for Pakistan. 

Waiting patiently at the UFone head office for our SIM card to be activated.

Accommodation options

Pakistan has a diverse range of accommodation options from expensive international chain hotels in the big cities to smaller basic motels.

We were lucky to find some great accommodation options in Pakistan but even luckier to stay with a local family in Karachi.

I recommend Rose Palace Hotel where we stayed in Lahore as a good, mid-range first place to stay after crossing the Wagah Border from Amritsar.

Our plush room at Rose Palace Hotel in Lahore.

Pakistani hospitality

Pakistan is known all over the world as a very hospitable country and culture.  And truthfully, when you experience it first-hand you will fully understand why it is renowned as being like this.  

Pakistani’s take hospitality to the next level, striving to ensure you have the absolute best time possible in their region and in the country. 

You will be invited for tea, lunch, dinner and to stay at people’s homes. (Albeit there are times when it can feel almost overwhelming and you will need to refuse an offer).

But wherever you do get the chances; be sure to make time to grab those opportunities and experience the incredible culture and hospitality of Pakistan.

With our Pakistani family in Karachi.

Our verdict on traveling in Pakistan with kids? 

As I’m writing now before we leave Pakistan I can honestly say we have already looked up how feasible it is to change our flights for leaving*!

We have really enjoyed the adventure of Pakistan with kids; and also the down-to-earth and friendly culture of Pakistani people.

Because the country is so large it is not only the landscape that is diverse but also the provinces and people you will meet.  

We have all learnt a lot during our travels so far in Pakistan and feel extremely humbled by the opportunities we have incurred to meet local people – and especially families – along the way. 

If you are considering travel in Pakistan with kids and are still umm-ing and ahh-ing about booking that trip.  Don’t wait any longer.  It’s a unique country and culture to experience and is only made better experiencing it as a family. 

More about travel planning for Pakistan and beyond…

These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel. 

Read more from South Asia

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