Pakistan Historical Tour — 10 Days

Arrive in Karachi and spend the day exploring the city's colonial and cultural landmarks. Begin at Mazar-e-Quaid, the magnificent white marble mausoleum of Pakistan's founder, then Frere Hall set in its lush Botanical Garden. Visit Mohata Palace — a stunning Indo-Saracenic mansion turned museum — and the clifftop Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi. End at Chaukandi Tombs, the haunting 15th-century sandstone necropolis on the outskirts of the city, before dinner at a Karachi seafood restaurant.

Drive east on the Indus Highway to Thatta district. Spend the morning at the UNESCO-listed Makli Necropolis — the world's largest Islamic graveyard at 10 sq km — then visit the Shahjahan Mosque, one of the finest examples of Mughal tile-work in Sindh. Lunch by Keenjhar Lake with an optional boat ride before driving to Hyderabad.

Visit Bhit Shah's dargah of Shah Abdul Latif Bhithai and its museum of Sindhi music and manuscripts. Drive to Ranikot — the world's largest fort — exploring the Sann Gate and the dramatic hilltop ramparts. Continue to Sehwan for a visit to the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar before driving to Larkana for the night.

Morning at Mohen Jo Daro, the 5,000-year-old city of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Walk the Great Bath, granary, assembly hall and residential quarters with your guide before visiting the on-site museum. Drive to Sukkur in the afternoon — the city bridges the Indus at one of its most dramatic points. Visit the Sukkur Barrage and the island shrine of Sadhu Bela.

Long drive north-west through the Cholistan desert fringe from Sukkur into Punjab's Bahawalpur. En route, the landscape shifts from the flat Sindh plains to the golden dunes of the Cholistan. Arrive in Bahawalpur — the royal city of the former princely state — in the evening. Check in to the hotel and explore the local bazaar.

Drive 45 minutes into the Cholistan Desert to Derawar Fort — a colossal 18th-century Abbasi fort whose 30-metre bastions rise dramatically from the flat sand. Walk the perimeter of the fort and visit the adjacent Abbasi Mosque and royal tombs. Return to Bahawalpur via the desert jeep track, stopping at a Cholistan nomadic camp. Afternoon visit to Noor Mahal, the neoclassical palace of the Nawabs of Bahawalpur, and the Central Library.

Drive north to Multan, the ancient city at the heart of Pakistan's Sufi tradition. Visit the shrine of Rukn-e-Alam, one of the finest examples of Tughluq-era architecture in the subcontinent, then the tombs of Shah Shams Sabzwari and Bahauddin Zakariya. Explore the old city's famous Hussain Agahi bazaar — a labyrinth of blue-tile crafts, blue pottery and camel-skin lamps.

Morning in Multan's old city — visit Multan Fort and the Walled City gates. Drive north to Harappa, the lesser-visited twin of Mohen Jo Daro in the Indus Valley Civilisation. Walk the excavation mounds and the Harappa Museum before pushing on to Lahore. Arrive in time for dinner at the legendary Cooco's Den restaurant above the old city.

A full day in Lahore's Mughal heart. Begin at Lahore Fort — the great Mughal citadel with Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace), Naulakha Pavilion and the Jahangir Quadrangle. Cross the road to Badshahi Mosque, one of the world's largest. Walk through the Delhi Gate into the old Walled City, visiting Wazir Khan Mosque with its exquisite kashi tile-work, the Food Street at Gawalmandi for lunch, and the Fakir Khana Museum — Pakistan's finest private art collection.

Morning drive to Taxila, one of the most important cities of the ancient Gandhara Buddhist civilisation. Visit the Taxila Museum — home to the finest collection of Gandhara sculpture in Pakistan — then walk the ruins of the Dharmarajika Stupa and the Julian Monastery. Drive into Islamabad, ending the tour at Faisal Mosque. End of tour.