Pakistan is an amazing country and is not one of the easiest countries in the world to travel to, if you have traveled to Asia before but never to this particular region there are also a few things that you should probably know about the local culture and customs just to enjoy your stay a hundred percent now just before getting started with all tips want to preface this by saying that Pakistan is not at all what you expect it to be at the end, I will make the really important point that every single traveler coming to Pakistan needs to know about so make sure you hang around right until then alright.
Passport and requirement: Every single country has a slightly different set of visa requirements so make sure to check those before booking your trip passport so what to provide before coming here was a letter of invitation, also known as the LOI this is a letter provided by someone in Pakistan a tour company or a friend if you have one here attesting that you have been invited to come here that they will be taking care of you at all times yes it seems a little strict, and it is a piece of formality that you may need so make sure you check beforehand with your local embassy the LOI has to be a physical original of the letter which had to be mailed from Pakistan via DHL so that took a little while make sure you give yourself enough time to plan you will also probably find yourself filling out extremely long visa forms of 11 pages, and it included all personal details, as well as the details of all the countries, traveled in the history, once you have your LOI and submit your documents to the Embassy, processing your Visa may take two to three weeks.
Restricted Areas: Some areas in Pakistan are restricted, so you might need to apply for special permits to go there for example at Kashmir also known as occupying Kashmir mean it's an area of very high tensions here in India and Pakistan Azad Kashmir is one such area before going there you may need to apply for a NOC which is basically (No Objection Certificate) Note that this could take a week or more to process a lot of the most popular tourist areas, however, doesn’t require you to have a NOC, for example, if you go to Northern areas probably won't require NOC, but this could change so make sure you check before going places like Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi or some about of course you don't need a NOC however you check before coming just so you have all the right permits to go to the areas you may want to check out.
Dress and wearing: Wearing trousers that are loose so no leggings and jeans should be okay shorts are a no-go for women again it's not illegal to wear them, but you will get a lot of strange looks so long trousers number to wear a shirt that's a bit longer maybe covers your bum three sleeves I walk around in a t-shirt a lot of the time but if you want to feel comfortable if you're traveling in more remote areas I would suggest something that's a 3/4 sleeve however having said that in places like Islamabad perfectly comfortable walking around in jeans and a t-shirt, so it's really up to you, and it depends on the situation and location basically like a tunic style outfit with loose trousers should do the trick do you need to wear a headscarf in Pakistan, no you don't it's not like Iran which is quite strict about those things in Pakistan you don't need to wear the headscarf and many women especially in cities choose not to wear.
Nightlife and Alcohol: If you've done a bit of research about Pakistan you will know that it's the Islamic Republic which means that alcohol is illegal for the most part here no bars, no clubs, no parties as you may know them in the West, and no alcohol in shops so try and enjoy juices chai the local cuisine and have fun without the parties my question before coming here was so, is it impossible to get alcohol in Pakistan the honest answer is no it may be quite possible especially if you're not a Muslim if you're a foreigner it is possible to obtain alcohol here but as I said just come here to enjoy the culture without necessarily subscribing to some of the things that you might know from back home in the West.
Food: Pakistan's food culture is incredible and there are so many subtypes of local cuisines sweets and those things now get ready, there are a few things that you need to know about Pakistani cuisine before you try it first its species a lot of it is quite fragrant aromatic and quite hot so if you're not into hot boozy make sure you tell your hosts or your chefs that you need it a little milder now love your food a spicy so can just gobble it all up, but it just depends on your personal preferences another thing you should know is that Pakistani cuisine is very rich and hearty, so one serving is usually going to be enough to fill you up for a good few hours, Pakistan is a meat lover's paradise, so while you can't get things like pork here because it's considered prohibited which means sinful in Islam, there are so many other types of meat that are very popular in Pakistan chicken mutton, lamb, beef, pretty much anything you want cities like Lahore and Karachi are famous for their Street food scenes so go and check those out if your true foodie in terms of the way you eat and watch eat there are a couple of different schools first which is I'll try anything at least once even Street food restaurant food home-cooked food anything I'll give it a go however I appreciate that not everybody is blessed with a very strong stomach, so a lot of people say that if when you come to Pakistan you should be a little more careful with the food that you consume and make sure that all the fresh fruit or vegetables, in Pakistan the food is too good.
Sightseeing: In Pakistan, you can see landscapes like mountains, beaches, beaches, a beautiful combination of urban and rural life, there are also traces of ancient and historical civilizations of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, there are a few museums here to visit a lot of beautiful Mosques some old forts, there's so much history here you'll be spoiled for choice and most places are absolutely fine for you to visit no matter where you're from who you are female or male, but there are a couple of rules that you should probably follow in visiting places of worship like mosques, for example, women should out of respect put on a headscarf when visiting a mosque usually you also take off your shoes for both men and women if you're not sure about any of these rules just ask a passerby or the person-in-charge of the place you're visiting and ask them fully they'll give you all that you need.
Infrastructure: Pakistan is not as developed in terms of its public transport infrastructure as many countries in Southeast Asia, for example, or in Europe, so you may need to do a little digging a bit of research, there is a pretty decent bus network running across most of the country that can get you to some of the most popular spots in Pakistan especially the touristy places it doesn't cost that much to hire a private driver either, and it's going to cost you much less than it would in the West so don't be afraid to ask for prices about having your driver a lot of freedom of movement some places in the mountains or the Swat Valley requires you to have a car it's very difficult to get around with that one it reminds me a bit of pain what about driving on your own in short if you're not used to Pakistani traffic which you're probably not I just wouldn't recommend it just get a driver another obvious way to get around in Pakistan is by flying there are a bunch of airlines here that operate flights between all the major cities and even some of the more mountainous regions usually prices are quite elevated so consider whether going overland might be a better option.
Accommodation: This is an interesting one there are a couple of luxury hotel chains here in Pakistan such as this arena or the Pearl Continental or even the Marriott and those hotels really give you the highest levels of security while you're in the country then they're often quite barred away from everything around them with big fat walls and those hotels can cost you 100 200 300 dollars a night quite easily if you prefer more of the local flavor, and you want to support the local economy then have a Google search now a lot of these hotels are not going to be on booking if we're talking about more remote areas, you will probably find a lot of hotels on those sides for cities like an in Karachi so go for that, but it's not the same for the remote areas usually it's better to look through social media even recommendations from locals in fact a lot of the time you might be able to just drive up to a hotel and inquire whether there's room available and usually there is especially if you're coming here out of season in some of the more mountainous regions you shouldn't be paying more than 20 dollar per night for a simple hotel do note that Pakistan's tourism industry is very much in the emerging stages right now so there's going to be a lot of hotels that are under development but that perhaps doesn't yet provide the best service they could because they're very young and very fresh, so you may need to find yourself having to forgive a lot of fools but Pakistanis are so hospitable and so welcoming that you will very quickly forget about all the imperfections.
People of Pakistan: In Pakistan of course the industry is now increasing and growing but still, it's not necessarily an everyday occurrence to see a foreign tourist especially in the more remote areas of Pakistan whenever you show your face in some of those areas you will probably get quite a lot of tender love and care and probably a lot of requests for selfies people invite you for tea for chai for coffee for dinner people's homes, so it's really lovely makes you feel very welcome in this country.
Media Information: Pakistan is not at all what you know it to be it's not at all how the Western media portray it, is not a desert with camels running around it is not a horrible terrorist State with bombs going off at every single corner, Pakistan is a beautiful country with the most welcoming people come across anywhere in the world so before coming here make sure that you just forget all the information that has been instilled in you by media and just opens your heart to the love, the kindness that you're going to receive and the beauty that you'll see all around you, and still find yourself astonished, every single day at the small gestures of kindness and generosity that receive here every day.
Beauty and Nature: Baffled by all the natural beauty in Pakistan and how it's just not known anywhere, even if you have an idea of Pakistan right now, and you've never been here, I hope that you'll be positively surprised by your visit here.
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