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THE INDUS VALLEY TOUR
A cultural tour of Pakistan

Two of its main centers of the Indus Valley, a cradle of Civilisation, are located in modern day Pakistan. In addition, this region of the sub continent was also the center of the Gandhara period and later, during the medieval times; Lahore was the first Moghul capital. There is much to see and experience and our 12-day journey from the north to the south of this young and ancient country covers the rich archaeology, culture, and beautiful landscape.


DATES PRICES INCLUSIONS AIRFARE


Tour Summary
Map
Day
Place
01
Karachi
02
Karachi / Hyderabad
03 Hyderabad
04
Hyderabad / Sehwan / Larkana
05
Larkana / Moenjodaro / Sukkur
06
Sukkur
07
Sukkur / Bahawalpur
08 Bahawalpur / Multan
09 Multan / Harappa / Lahore
10 Lahore
11 Lahore / Islamabad
12 Islamabad

 

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive Karachi

Khush Amdeed and we are welcomed at Karachi airport and transferred to our hotel.
Afternoon city tour of Karachi, which commences with a visit to the modern DefenseMosque of Masjid-i-Toba to see the world's largest concrete shell dome. It thencontinues to New Clifton Beach followed by visit to the Quaid-e-Azam Mausoleumwhere the Father of the Nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, lies buried. Built entirelyof white marble, the Mausoleum has an impressive dome housing a huge crystalchandelier of Chinese origin. Next stop is the National Museum with its fascinatingdisplay of ancient relics of the Indus Valley Civilization and an excellent collectionof Gandhara art, before ending with a visit to a handicraft gallery.
Overnight: Mehran Hotel, Karachi (1 night)

Day 02: Karachi / Hyderabad (Drive)
Today we departure for the historical city of Hyderabad via the ancient townof Thatta. Situated 100 Kms east of Karachi, Thatta is an ancient town with aninteresting history dating back to the time of the Macedonian, Alexander theGreat, who used the port to rest his weary troops. The present Thatta was foundedin the 15th century. Under the Mughals it was a provincial capital and duringthis period there were as many as 400 institutions of learning in the city. Someoutstanding architecture left from the Mughal period remains in the religiousand historical monuments. Makli Hill is a large necropolis of mausoleums, madeup of stone tombs with geometric and floral carvings, which retain their indigenousbeauty of the colored brick enamel and glazed tile used in their construction.The great Mosque of Emperor Shah Jehan, built in the mid 17th century A.D., has99 domes with incredible acoustic quality. Continue our drive to Hyderabad.
Overnight: City Gate Hotel, Hyderabad (2 nights) (B)

Day 03: Hyderabad
Today we will make a full day excursion to Bhit Shah & Hala. Bhit Shah is famousfor the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif, one of the most famous Sufi poets of Indiansub-continent during 18th century. Situated about 50 Kms from Hyderabad, theshrine of Shah Abdul Latif is the hub of devotional activities including thesinging, folk music and dancing by his devotees from all the corners of Sindh.The special events are the evenings of every Thursday and his annual death festival,when Bhit Shah becomes the capital of Sindh. Situated at another 05 Kms fromBhit Shah is Hala, which is the most famous handicraft center of Sindh as wellas Pakistan. The New city of Hala is located about 03 Kms from banks of RiverIndus as the old city was destroyed during the disastrous flood. Even today thepotters in Hala produce the best of blue lined white ceramics besides the otherspecialties of Hala, which include pottery vases, birds & tiles, lacquer workchairs, beds and cots and wood carvings. We will also visit the Mausoleum offamous Muslim Saint, Makhdoom Nooh. The facade of his mausoleum is covered bysome of Hala's best blue and white tile work in floral and geometric designs. (B)

Tour of PakistanDay 04: Hyderabad / Sehwan / Larkana (Drive)
An interesting day ahead as we drive to Larkana via Sehwan. At Sehwan we visitthe shrine of great Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a famous Muslim Sufi Saint of10th century. The main attraction of shrine is Dhamal (sufi's dance) with folkmusic and colorful dress and this dhamal is at its full swing during the annualurs (death ceremony), when his devotees from all around Pakistan get gatheredhere. After visit to Sehwan, we will continue to Larkana and on arrival transferto hotel.
Overnight: Sambara Inn, Larkana (1 night) (B)

Day 05: Larkana / Moenjodaro / Sukkur (Drive)
Morning drive to Sukkur with visit to Moenjodaro, enroute. Moenjodaro is thearchaeological site of Indus Civilization, which flourished here some 5000 yearsago. This is third oldest civilization in the world, being preceded only by thoseof Egypt and Mesopotamia. Moenjodaro excelled in practically every conceivablefacet of town planning. From the articles discovered here it is believed thatthe Iron Age had not yet dawned on the Indus Valley civilization. The vesselsdiscovered are of lead, silver, copper or bronze, whereas the weapons are madeonly of bronze. The museum displays interesting relics found during excavation,such as engraved seals, utensils, ornaments, weapons, sculpture, and pottery.Once the tour is finished in Moenjodaro, then we will resume our journey to Sukkurand on arrival transfer to hotel.
Overnight: Interpak Inn, Sukkur (2 nights) (B)

Day 06: Sukkur
Full day sightseeing tour of Sukkur. Morning we will make an excursion to KotDiji, which is a magnificient early 19th century fort built by Talpurs, the formerrulers of Sindh from 1789 to 1843. It is a well preserved fort perched on theridge of a steep narrow hill and is an interesting place to visit. At Kot Diji,we will also visit the pre-historic site located at the foot of the hills. Archaeologistsbelieve that Kot Dijians were the forerunners of the Indus Civilization and eventhe Indus Civilization borrowed or developed some of the basic cultural elementsof the Kot Dijians in about 2800 B.C. However, no when is sure about the originand destruction of Kot Diji Civilization. Afternoon, we will make a sightseeingtour of Sukkur, which has become a famous town in 10th century when Aror, theformer capital of Upper Sindh was destroyed due to earthquake. At Sukkur, wewill visit Minaret of Masum Shah (16th century), Faiz Mahal, an octagonal brickbuilding with a glazed brick dome. From here we will continue to banks of RiverIndus to see Mohana boat people who either live on their boats or in temperorymud huts on the banks of Indus. If time allows then we will visit various forts,tombs, shrines and mosques in the city. (B)

Day 07: Sukkur / Bahawalpur (Drive)
Today we drive to Bahawalpur via National Highway, which runs through irrigatedfarmlands and rich cultural countryside of Lower Punjab. On the way we stop atBhong, which boasts an extraordinary modern mosque started in the 1960s and winnerof the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. It is built in traditional style withextravagant use of gold leaf, mirror work and onyx; it is particularly famousfor its stylized Arabic calligraphy. A rich merchant Rais Ghazi sponsors themosque. After our visit of Bhong, we again take our way to Bahawalpur and onarrival transfer to hotel.
Overnight: PTDC Motel, Bahawalpur (1 night) (B)


Tour of PakistanDay 08: Bahawalpur / Multan (Drive)
After a short drive through the Bahawalpur city, we will drive to Multan, whichis a historical city and is known as city of Saints. On arrival at Multan, transferto hotel.
Afternoon city tour of Multan that commences with visit to Old Fort, which isan eloquent example of the proud history of this city. Among the attractionsinside the fort are the elaborately decorated shrines of Sheikh Bahad-ud-dinZakriya, Shah Shams Tabriz and Shah Rukn-e-Alam. Damdama, the highest point inthe fort, provides a bird's-eye panoramic view of the city, which has survivedthe destructions of invaders since Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C.Among the other places to visit are Eidgah Mosque and Hussain Agahi Bazaar.
Overnight: Sindbad Hotel, Multan (1 night) (B)

Day 09: Multan / Harappa / Lahore (Drive)
Today is our drive to Lahore via Harappa. Harrappa is the site of an ancientand important settlement of the prehistoric Indus Valley Civilization (3rd to2nd millennium B.C.) and stands witness to the 5000 years old cultural continuityof civilization in Pakistan. Harrappa was the cradle of one of the earliest civilizationsknown to man and conjures up images of fifty centuries ago, a period about whichvery little is known. An interesting and well maintained museum at the Harrappasite houses artifacts found in the area. Harrappa is located about 175 km fromMultan and about 30 km (19 miles) from Sahiwal. At the end of the visit to Harappawe drive to Lahore.
Overnight: Gulberg Kabana / Ambassador Hotel, Lahore (2 nights) (B, D)

Day 10: Lahore
Today is our journey into the cultural center of the Sub Continent. In just onecorner of Lahore is a heterogeneous example of Mogul, Sikh, Colonial and Contemporaryarchitecture. The historic Lahore Fort, built in the 11th century A.D., is theonly place where one can see different phases of Mogul architecture, as a longline of rulers made additions. Inside the Fort you visit many of the rooms, includingShish Mahal, the Palace of Mirrors. Overlooking the Fort is the Badshahi or RoyalMosque, beside the tomb of the philosopher and poet Iqbal, who infused the ideaof Pakistan among the Moslems of British India. Another interesting complex ofnearby buildings are the Samadh of Maharaja Ranajit Singh and Guru Arjun Dev,both solid gold tombs dating back to the Sikh era. The tour concludes with avisit to Shalimar Gardens, which were laid out during the reign of Shah Jehanin the early 1640's and are a tribute to the aesthetic and artistic sense ofthe Moguls.
In the afternoon continue the city tour of Lahore. Lahore Museum houses a richand varied collection of historical objects. This is the oldest museum in Pakistanand has many galleries displaying artifacts from the Gandhara, Buddhist, Jain,Mogul and Colonial periods. The famous statue of the fasting Siddhartha (Buddha)is also on display here. Next, you will visit Emperor Jehangir's mausoleum thatwas built in the 1630's and is another example of the talented Mogul architecture.Nearby is the tomb of Empress Nur Jehan, wife of Emperor Jehangir. In Old Lahore,the walled city of narrow, dimly lit alleys leading from Sarafa Bazaar (JewelersBazaar) to Kashmiri Bazaar, you'll find bargains in the local handicrafts, includingbrass inlay work. You will also visit the Golden Mosque and Wazir Khan's Mosque,which reflect the nobility of Persian design with floral designs, superb calligraphyand lofty minarets. (B, D)

Tour of PakistanDay 11: Lahore / Islamabad (Drive)
Morning we drive to Islamabad via Motorway and with visit to Khewra Salt Mines,enroute. Khewra Salt Mines, the 2nd largest Salt Mines in the world and whichwere discovered long way back in 326 B.C. when Alexander the great had a battlewith Raja Porus on the bank of river Jhelum. However, Dr. Warth introduced thescientific mining at Khewra in the year 1872 during the British Empire in thisregion. On arrival meet with the management of the Khewara mine and start yourtour with local guide. Most interesting part of the visit is to see the modelsof Badshahi Mosque, Mall Road and Lake Saif-ul-Muluk. Moreover it would be ascintillating experience to come across a small pound of the crystal water inthe mine. Later resume your drive to Islamabad and on arrival transfer to hotel.Afternoon we visit the old garrison town of Rawalpindi followed by a scene intomodernity at Islamabad. Visit Shakarparian (sweet hills) Garden, which givesyou a panoramic view of Islamabad before driving past various modern streetsand buildings - graceful with a touch of Islamic architecture. Your tour culminatesat one of the world's largest mosque - Shah Faisal Mosque, which also housesa University specializing in Islamic Philosophy and Law. During the tour we willalso drive past various Government Buildings, which are blend of modern and traditionalIslamic architecture.
Overnight: Regency / Marina Hotel, Islamabad (1 night) (B)

Day 12: Depart Islamabad
After an unparalleled insight into an ancient culture, transfer to airport foryour departure flight. (B)


Departure Dates

2008
English Speaking Departures
Jan 14, Feb 18, Mar 10, Apr 07, May 05, Jun 02, Jul 07, Aug 18, Sep 08, Oct 27, Nov 17, Dec 15

Inclusions

Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include
Accommodation using Tourist Class Hotel as mentioned or similar, including hotel taxes International Airfare
Meals as mentioned (B=Breakfast, D=Dinner) Departure/Airport Taxes
All Sightseeing and Transfers Visa Fees / Insurance
Entrance Fees to Museums and Sites Beverages/Tips
Services of local English speaking guide  

Tour Price

We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America).

Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate.

For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf
Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.

Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement
2008 US $ 2360 • CA $ 2360 US $ 290 • CA $ 290

Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour

Canada - West Coast CA $ 1600 USA - West Coast US $ 1400
Canada - East Coast CA $ 1400 USA - East Coast US $ 1200

Participants

This tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum of 15 participants.

Notes

Customised Itinerary

If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you.

Foreign Language Departures

Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures.


You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.

© Copyright 1999-2008 Bestway Tours & Safaris
Site last updated May 02, 2008
Photographs by Peter Langer & Mahmood Poonja Site by antoinette

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