Pakistan Historical Grand Tour — 12 Days

Fly from Islamabad to Karachi in the morning. After hotel check-in, spend the afternoon on Karachi's colonial and civic landmarks: Mazar-e-Quaid (the founder's mausoleum), Frere Hall, Mohata Palace Museum and the clifftop Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi. Evening stroll along Sea View and dinner at a Karachi seafood restaurant.

Drive east to Thatta district. Morning at Makli Necropolis — the UNESCO-listed Islamic graveyard covering 10 sq km — and the Shahjahan Mosque, the Mughal masterpiece of 93 glazed-tile domes. Lunch by Keenjhar Lake with an optional boat ride before driving to Hyderabad for check-in.

Visit the dargah of Shah Abdul Latif Bhithai in Bhit Shah and its museum of Sindhi music and manuscripts. Drive to Ranikot — the Great Wall of Sindh — exploring its massive Sann Gate and hilltop walls. Continue to Larkana via the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan.

Early morning at Mohen Jo Daro — the 5,000-year-old Indus Valley city. Walk the Great Bath, granary and residential streets before visiting the on-site museum. Drive south stopping in Hala for pottery workshops and ajrak printing ateliers before returning to Karachi.

Morning flight from Karachi to Lahore. After hotel check-in, spend the afternoon in the Walled City — Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque and Wazir Khan Mosque. Evening dinner at the New Food Street by Roshnai Gate.

Day trip from Lahore. Begin at Nankana Sahib — the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, founder of Sikhism, with its seven historic gurdwaras. Continue to Kasur to pay respects at the shrine of Bulleh Shah, the great Punjabi Sufi poet. Return to Lahore for dinner and the Fakir Khana Museum.

Drive south to Harappa — the Indus Valley Civilisation twin of Mohen Jo Daro — visiting the archaeological site and museum. Continue north-east to Sialkot, home of Pakistan's legendary football and surgical instruments industries. Visit a football factory floor before checking in.

Drive south-west to the Jhelum River — one of the five rivers of the Punjab. Take a short boat crossing on the Mangla Reservoir to Ramkot Fort, a 16th-century Mughal stronghold whose towers now rise dramatically from the waters. Return by boat and check in to the hotel in Jhelum.

Drive to Khewra Salt Mines — the second-largest salt mines in the world and a subterranean wonder of pink and orange halite formations, with a mosque and replica of the Great Wall built entirely from salt. Continue to the ancient Katas Raj Temples beside a sacred Hindu lake, one of the holiest sites of the Sikh and Hindu faiths. Drive to Islamabad for dinner and overnight.

Drive to Taxila for a morning on the Gandhara Buddhist trail — the Taxila Museum and the hilltop Julian Monastery. Continue to Hasan Abdal and Gurdwara Punja Sahib, one of Sikhism's holiest sites. Afternoon drive through the Khyber Hills to Peshawar, arriving for dinner at the old city's famous food street.

Morning in Peshawar's old city — the Sethi Museum, an ancestral haveli of a 19th-century merchant family, and the legendary Qissa Khawani Bazaar, the Street of Storytellers. Browse the Peshawari chappal shops and dry-fruit stalls before driving back to Islamabad via the Grand Trunk Road. End of tour.