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Pakistán.
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Travelling to Pakistán: what to know before you go

Pakistan has some of the world's most dramatic mountain scenery, where the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush meet, alongside the Mughal cities of Punjab and the ancient sites of the Indus valley. Hospitality is famous and food is a highlight. It suits adventurous travellers, trekkers and anyone interested in history, ideally with good local guidance.

Where to go

• Lahore. Pakistan's cultural capital.
• Hunza Valley. A green valley ringed by peaks above 7,000 metres on the Karakoram Highway, with the restored Baltit and Altit forts, apricot orchards that blossom in spring and turn gold in autumn, and the turquoise Attabad Lake.
• Karakoram Highway. One of the highest paved international roads in the world, running from the north of the country through Gilgit and Hunza to the Khunjerab Pass on the border with China, past glaciers, gorges and rock carvings.
• Fairy Meadows and Nanga Parbat. An alpine meadow reached by jeep and a hike, with an unobstructed view of Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth-highest mountain.

Best time to visit

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best times for Punjab and Sindh; summer there is extremely hot, and winter is mild. The northern mountains are a summer destination: June to September is the season for trekking, the Karakoram Highway and high passes such as the Khunjerab, while April brings blossom and October autumn colour to Hunza.

Staying online in Pakistán

4G coverage is good in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and other cities and along the main motorways. It becomes patchy in the mountains: parts of Hunza and Gilgit have signal, but remote valleys, trekking routes and high passes often have none. Wi-Fi is available in hotels and cafés in cities, and in mountain guesthouses it can be slow or depend on electricity supply. Phones and SIMs in Pakistan are subject to registration rules, so check how the rules apply to foreign devices before travelling. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.