Wondering about things to do in Multan and whether to add this historic city to your Pakistan itinerary?
We’ve visited Pakistan four times over the last two years, but this was our first trip to Multan, and it absolutely lived up to expectations as an incredibly historic, vibrant and culturally fascinating Pakistani destination.
Here is everything you need to know to plan a great trip including all the best things to do in Multan, where to stay and how to get around.
- About Multan
- Is it worth visiting?
- Best time to visit
- Getting there
- Getting around in Multan
- Do you recommend a guide?
- Security
- Things to do in Multan
Tomb of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam
Shrine of Hazrat Yousaf Shah Gardez
Tomb of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya
Masjid Allah O Akbar
Delhi Gate
Ghanta Ghar
Fort Kohna
Nigar Khana
Multan Museum
Vans Agnew Monument
Hussain Agahi Bazaar
Multan Mango Festival - Where to eat
- Accommodation in Multan
About Multan
The historic city of Multan in Pakistan is known as the ‘City of Pirs and Shrines’ or the ‘City of Saints’ and is a prosperous city of bazaars, mosques and superbly designed tombs.
Multan is the fifth-most populous city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is in south-central Punjab, along the River Chenab and is the oldest continuously inhabited city in South Asia; and third oldest in Asia.
The city is most famously known for the iconic tombs of Baha-AI-Din Zakariya, Shah Rukn-AI-Din and Rukn-e-Alam that have given Multan a unique place in the history of Indo-Islamic architecture.
Is it worth visiting Multan?
Absolutely.
But just in case you are wondering what we were doing totting off with a list of things to see in Multan with two kids in tow, that is a fair question.
Although this was our first visit to Multan it is our fourth time traveling in Pakistan as a family and our fourth visit to Lahore and Punjab.
Each time we have visited Pakistan we have seen images of the iconic sites of Multan and longed to visit. But there are practicalities of getting to and around in Multan as tourists that make it challenging to visit independently.
My Mum had lived in Pakistan in the late 1970’s as a volunteer working in agriculture in a small village not far from Multan.
So, with the personal connection, a stack of dated sepia photos and the gaping hole in our longed-for bucketlist itinerary of Pakistan that seems to just keep growing, this time we made the journey from Lahore to the famous city of Multan.
What is the best time to visit Multan?
The best time to visit Multan 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!
Ultimately, the weather makes a difference but despite the heat in Multan we are tremendously glad we visited.
Getting there
It is possible to get from Lahore, Islamabad or Karachi to Multan by bus, car or train.
There is (in theory) a daily train from Lahore though due to the challenges of visiting Multan independently (see below) it makes more sense to arrive by road.
- Lahore to Multan: 4 hr 30 min (350 km)
- Islamabad to Multan: 6 hr 30 min (550 km)
Several bus operators offer service from Karachi to Multan, including Daewoo Express, Faisal Movers, and Bilal Travels.
The trip takes about 10-12 hours.
Getting around in Multan
The easiest way to get around and see all the things to do in Multan is with a driver and car for the day.
Most of the things listed below can be seen in one or two days.
However, due to the (sometimes) requirement for a security escort (see below) there isn’t much choice for how to get around the sites of the city.
Do you recommend a guide for Multan?
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!
Every time we leave a tour with Adil already planning when and how we will be back to Pakistan again and what to see next.
Multan is not easy to visit independently due to the restrictions and requirements with security.
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 do in Multan without his guidance.
We highly recommend Adil.
- Adil Lahorei
+92 322 8833561
Send him a message on WhatsApp before you travel.
Is security required for Multan?
We had read that you need a security escort in Multan.
However, there is much mixed information about this.
We were hopeful as we were travelling with a driver and guide that we wouldn’t need an escort and even on arrival to our hotel in Multan staff were unsure.
But it turned out that yes, we did need a security escort with the Multani police. This took around two hours to arrange on arrival to the hotel as management coordinated with our guide and police.
15 Things to do in Multan
In no particular order, here are the best things to do in Multan.
Tomb of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam
Of all the things to do in Multan, to me this is the most iconic.
The Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam is the mausoleum of the 14th century Punjabi Sufi saint Shah Rukn-e-Alam.
This shrine is one of the earliest examples of Multani funerary architecture built between 1320 and 1324 CE in the pre-Mughal architectural style. Architecturally is it regarded as one of the most impressive shrines in the Indian subcontinent.
There are three tiers to the structure with the second octagonal tier is typical of Multan.
The layout is typical of Suhrawadi tombs with the main entrance to the east, to align the shrine’s axes with Mecca in accordance with orthodox interpretations of Islam.
Inside the tomb, the sarcophagus of Rukn-e-Alam is slightly off-centre, and is surrounded by the graves of 72 of his relatives. The design of this alludes to the 72 martyred companions of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, at the battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
It is stunning from the outside and fascinating to see inside the mausoleum. When we visited there were many pilgrims and devotees inside the tomb.
Darbar Peer Hazrat Yousaf Shah Gardez / Shrine
Shah Yousuf Gardez was an Islamic Sufi saint who came to Multan in 1088 AD from what is the present-day Paktia Province of Afghanistan.
He is said to have restored the city of Multan, converted many people to the Islamic religion, and performed numerous miracles.
The shrine for Shah Yousuf Gardez was constructed 14 years after his death in 1152 AD.
It is not in the typical Multani style of the other octagonal tombs of city. Rather, the shrine for Shah Yousuf is a flat, rectangular structure tiled with the blue-painted style of Persian and Silk Road pottery tiles.
It is one of the earliest existing buildings in South Asia with this type of enamelled tile work.
The legend of Shah Yousuf tells the story of how the saint famously came riding into Multan on a lion with a live snake for a whip and with a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan, and he had brought with him the teaching of the Twelve Imam branch of the Shia sect of Islam.
Thus, the graves of the lion and the snake, Shah Gardez brought with him from Afghanistan are directed with marks in the courtyard.
You can go inside the shrine. The shrine’s interior is decorated with extensive mirrorwork known as Aina-Kari.
- Tip: Ask your guide to show you the paw print of a lion on the path just a few metres from the main door into the shrine.
Tomb of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya
The Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya is a 13th-century shrine dedicated to the Punjabi Muslim mystic Bahauddin Zakariya who was the founder of the Suhrawardiyya order of Sufism.
The exterior style is similar form the front to the Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam. But to the side of the main entrance a spacious brick verandah with a painted wooden ceiling was added to the shrine in 1952.
The shrine is surrounded by hundreds of secondary graves belonging to descendants and devotees of Bahauddin Zakariya.
We found it interesting seeing devotees inside this tomb. Some of the men were sitting reciting verses and prayer while even children were offering flowers and scattering them on the graves.
Delhi Gate, Multan
Multan is one of the oldest living cities of the world and was once a fortified city with a strong city wall.
What remains of the wall is now in the inner part of the city centre with only three gates remaining: Dehli; Bohar and Haram.
It is possible to see the solid Delhi Gate on the other side of Hussain Agahi Market. This was one of the original entrance gates of old Multan city which led a way straight towards Delhi (now in India).
Multan Masjid Allah O Akbar
This historic mosque is right in the centre of Ghantar Ghar Chowk below the Multan Fort. We didn’t go inside but this iconic and central mosque is one of the things to see in Multan that is hard to miss.
Masjid Allah O Akbar is positioned centrally in what is now a traffic roundabout in the middle of the city.
Ghanta Ghar
Right in the centre of Multan is the Ghanta Ghar. In Urdu, this translates to ‘Clock Tower’ in English, though Multan’s clock tower was formerly known as Northbrook Tower when first built in 1884 in British India.
The British needed offices to run the city and so constructed the clock tower and building as the city government headquarters.
Over time the building space became insufficient, and the offices were shifted. However, the three clocks of Ghanta Ghar have been maintained and currently show the correct time for Pakistan which is +5GMT.
Fort Kohna / Multan Fort
Multan Fort served as a strategic military stronghold and witnessed the rise and fall of many different empires throughout history.
The fort was built on a detached high mound of earth separated from the city by a branch of the river Ravi.
According to some estimates the original fort was built between 800 and 1000 BC and included a citadel flanked by 30 towers, enclosing mosques, a Hindu temple and a Khan’s palace.
However, much of the original fort was destroyed by the armies of Ranjeet Singh in 1818 AD and finally it was destroyed by the British in 1848-49 to avenge the death of Lieutenant Alexander vans Agnew, killed in Multan by order of the Sikh governor.
Today the site is still known as Kohna Fort or Mutlan Fort and the famous Shrine of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam is located inside the grounds.
- Tip: A panoramic view of the city can be seen from the highest point in the fort.
Damdama / Multan Museum
The Multan Museum is in a multi-storey building inside the fort called Damdama.
I’m listing this as one of the things to do in Multan. But in honesty, the museum is in a basic state. (Sorry, Multan).
The building showcases a collection of old coins, handicrafts, historical models and carvings though its somewhat distracting with projectiles of paan up the stair walls.
However, the museum pegs its place as one of the main things to do in Multan due to the positioning of Damdama high up on the fort hill.
From the top storey rooftop terrace there is a magnificent view of the city from the highest point in the fort.
So, although the museum is basic (very). And you do need to get up close with the paan coloured stairwell, I do recommend paying the small entry fee for the view.
Nigar Khana / Barood Khana
Nigar Khana is known as the House of Art inside the historic Kohna Fort. The gallery has been in business for almost fifty years.
Though it is as much the unique location of the gallery within the fort as well as the famed camel-skin lamps and blue pottery makes it one of the must-see things to do in Multan.
The gallery is situated in what used to be the Barood Khana (armoury). It was quite literally an underground storehouse building that was used historically to keep gunpowder and weapons.
It was badly damaged during siege of Multan by the British in 1848-49. But since then, the Pakistani government converted it into a Nigar Khana or art house for selling handicrafts.
- Tip: If you want to get some of the beautiful signature blue Multani pottery this is the place to do it. We even brought a camel-skin lamp back to New Zealand!
Vans Agnew Monument
This is an obelisk monument within the grounds of Kohna Fort erected by the British East India Company to honour Patrick Alexander Vans Agnew and Lieutenant W. A. Anderson.
The two men were assassinated by retainers loyal to the Diwan of Multan, which led to the Second Sikh War and ultimately the conquest of Punjab by the British East India company and its annexation as part of the British Empire.
The memorial obelisk stands on a plinth at one of the highest points of the fort mound.
Hussain Agahi Bazaar / Market
Albeit Multan is famous for its shrines, saints and tombs. But unanimously a walk through the bustling market was one of our favourite things about Multan.
The Hussain Agahi Bazaar, named after a Sufi Syed Hussain Shah is one of the oldest markets in Multan. It is the heart of the old city with rows of colourful bazaars, dusty tented streets full of local handicrafts and narrow winding lanes.
We absolutely loved it.
There is a bustle and hurriedness to the old city that somehow inspires wonder.
The streets all interweave with small hole-in-the-wall type shops. The lanes branch out into chowks with dress shops and tailors beside historic book stores and kiosks glittering with jewellery old and new.
There are rows of traditional Multani khussas (handmade shoes), block printed fabrics alongside shops glittering with Lehengas (wedding dresses) and amid it all there are kids playing cricket.
What more could you ask for?
Multani Mangoes
Multan is fondly called ‘The Mango City’. And for good reason!
Admittedly we didn’t know that beforehand and had heard much about its prowess as the City of Saints. But it turns out the stiflingly hot Punjab climate provides the perfect environment for ripening mangoes.
I’m talking the juiciest, thickest and the most aromatic mangoes in the world!
Mango season in Pakistan typically begins in mid-May in Sindh and ends in late September in Punjab. Meaning that in Multan, the popular harvesting time for most mango varieties is from June to August.
I thought we had seen mangoes in South Asia before. But here the streets are lined with hand carts stacked with mangoes.
We were welcomed to the hotel in Multan with famous Multani mango drinks and treats. Everywhere and everything in the markets and streets seemed to be about mangoes!
- Tip: The ‘Chaunsa’ mango is the most famous (and seriously delicious) mango in Pakistan and worldwide.
Mashallah Bagh Mango Garden
Visiting the incredible heritage gardens of Mashallah Bagh in Multan was an absolute treat. This orchard is a real treasure of Pakistan with over 200 varieties of mango grown in the one garden.
‘Mashallah’ is an Arabic phrase that literally translates to ‘God has willed it’. The phrase is generally used to positively denote something of greatness or beauty. Like this amazing garden!
The family-owned mango orchard is a huge part of the Multan University of Agriculture and the Mango Festival and makes a huge contribution to the heritage and future of mango horticulture in South Asia.
- Tip: If you get the chance to visit a mango orchard in Multan; do it!
Multan Mango Festival
If you are visiting Pakistan in July, it is incredibly hot in Punjab. But there is a seriously tasty upside of travel at that time of year: the annual Multan Mango Festival is held every July.
The Mango Festival showcases Multan’s famous mango production.
We learnt a lot about mangoes in Pakistan and had no idea there was such an enormous variety of types of mangoes!
Did you know there are over 250 types of mangoes grown in Pakistan?!
Where to eat / Restaurants and cafes in Multan
There are lots of restaurants and eateries in Multan. Plus there are plenty of small street food options in the bazaar. However, check with your assigned security escort or guide as to other you can go out in the evening.
We had a great dinner one evening at Al-Quresh Hotel just near Ghanta Ghar. The biryani was delicious! And in case you can’t go out at night, fortunately the Ramada restaurant is one of the most popular in town anyway.
Accommodation in Multan
Choosing the best place to stay in Multan does get tricky. Not all hotels in Multan allow foreigners.
But we had a great experience staying at the Ramada by Wyndham. It is a great place to stay and the perfect base to see all the best things to do in Multan.
- Read our review of the Ramada by Wyndham Multan.
These are the hotels where we stay regularly in Lahore and can recommend for your visit.
- Gulberg, Lahore: Rose Palace Hotel
A friendly hotel choice we recommend (we’ve stayed here three times!) and a good base for your first night in Pakistan. A basic hotel but with large plush rooms and buffet breakfast. Gym onsite and a small shop and bakery just at the entrance to the hotel.
- Davis Road, Lahore: Grand Millennium Hotel
GMH has spacious comfortable rooms with great AC and a basic buffet breakfast upstairs. The location is closer towards the old city and a short rickshaw ride to Savour Foods and Anarkali Bazar. We have stayed here multiple times as well.
