Stand at the Alamgiri Gate just before sunset and the scale of Lahore becomes clear: the Badshahi Mosque's red sandstone rises across the square, the Lahore Fort's ramparts run behind you, and the whole Mughal ensemble sits in the middle of a working city of millions. This is a place where monumental architecture and everyday street life occupy the same few hundred metres.
Lahore suits travellers who are comfortable with crowds, heat and constant noise, and who would rather spend a morning in a bazaar or a shrine courtyard than in a lobby. It rewards curiosity about Mughal building, Sufi devotion, Sikh history and Pakistani literature and music, all of which are present in the sources below.
This guide covers the sights of the Walled City, the British-era buildings along Mall Road, the Mughal monuments scattered further out, and the museums that put the rest in context. It is organised so you can start with the strongest sights and work outward.
Top things to do in Lahore
1. Lahore Fort (Shahi Qila)
The fort is a huge structure where the Mughal and Sikh rulers built their imperial quarters, and it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Inside there is a small museum dedicated to the Sikh period of the 18th century. A friendly museum caretaker might agree to take you into the summer rooms underground.
Entry for non-Pakistanis is Rs 500. Combine it with the Badshahi Mosque directly opposite, and enter through the Alamgiri Gate.
2. Badshahi Mosque
Built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, this was long the largest mosque in the world. It is open from 8:00am to 8:00pm, and entrance is free, though the shoekeeper may ask about Rs 20 on exit; paying for shoe storage is not compulsory, and you can bring a bag to carry your shoes instead.
Try going late at night, when there are few people there. Since mosques are holy places, do not wear shorts, and women are advised to wear long or half-sleeved clothing and to carry a shawl to cover their head. Remove your shoes before entering.
3. Wazir Khan Mosque
An exquisite tiled mosque located near Delhi Gate. Its tilework is the reason to come, and it sits inside the Walled City rather than on its edge.
Pair it with the Shahi Hammam, which is also near Delhi Gate, and with a walk through the surrounding bazaar streets.
4. Shahi Hammam (Imperial Baths)
A Persian-style bathhouse built in 1635, restored in 2015, and covered with beautiful frescos. The restoration makes the interior decoration legible in a way that is rare in the Walled City.
It is close to the Wazir Khan Mosque, so the two fit naturally into one stop near Delhi Gate.
5. Alamgiri Gate
The iconic entrance to the Lahore Fort, located opposite the Badshahi Mosque. It is occasionally also called the Elephant Gate, because its two columns vaguely resemble elephant feet.
Use it as your starting point for the fort and the mosque square, and as a landmark when navigating the northern edge of the Walled City.
6. Shah Burj Gate
This gate is decorated with coloured tiles and is known as the "Elephant Gate" because royal elephants would enter here. Just inside is the Hathi Paer (Elephant Path), a staircase with very wide steps so that an elephant's feet could fit on them while climbing to the upper level of the fort, and the fort's wall outside the staircase is decorated with tiles including pictures of elephants.
Look for the tiled elephant panels on the outer wall, which are easy to walk past if you are not watching for them.
7. Tomb of Ranjit Singh
The tomb of the Sikh ruler of Lahore, located next to the square between the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque. It adds a Sikh chapter to a square otherwise dominated by Mughal building.
Visit it as part of the same stop as the fort and the mosque, since all three share the same square.
8. Minar-e-Pakistan
This tower, sometimes called the "Eiffel Tower of Pakistan", was built on the site where in 1940 the creation of a separate state for Muslims was recognised. It stands in a park in front of the fort and the Badshahi Mosque.
The park setting makes it a natural place to pause between the fort and the Walled City gates.
9. Data Durbar (Data Darbar)
A Sufi Muslim shrine to Lahore's patron saint, Hazrat Daata Ganj Bakhsh. This vast modern structure is always filled with people praying, collecting or bestowing alms, or eating at the huge charity langar, or soup kitchen.
Dress modestly and allow time simply to sit and watch the courtyard rather than treating it as a quick photo stop.
10. Lahore Museum
The largest museum in Pakistan, established during the British Raj in 1864. It displays a complete cross-section of the culture and history of the region, with a fine collection of Buddhist art from the Gandhara period, Islamic artifacts, calligraphy, old manuscripts, arms, costumes and jewellery. John Kipling, father of the writer Rudyard Kipling, was curator in the 19th century, and the museum appears in the first chapter of Kim.
The presentation is old-fashioned and basic, and captions are sometimes in Urdu only, so read up beforehand if you want context. It sits on Mall Road, which makes it easy to combine with the other Mall Road buildings.
11. Shalimar Gardens
A three-tiered formal garden built in the 1600s and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located along the GT Road towards Wagah. Entry is Rs 200 for foreigners.
Because it lies out along the GT Road rather than in the centre, plan it as a separate trip rather than trying to fold it into a Walled City morning.
12. Tomb of Jahangir
Built in 1637 for the Mughal emperor Jahangir, in the Shahdara suburb. It is one of the Mughal masterpieces scattered outside the centre, in a neighbourhood that today seems a little dilapidated.
Combine it with the Tomb of Nur Jahan, which is also in Shahdara, so that one journey covers both.
13. Tomb of Nur Jahan
Also in the Shahdara suburb, this is the second of the Shahdara tombs and pairs directly with the Tomb of Jahangir.
Visit the two together in a single outing, since they share the same suburban location.
14. Chauburji Gate
An impressive, ornate four-towered gate dating to 1646, at Chauburji Chowk. It is one of the Mughal structures that survives in a part of the city that no longer looks imperial.
It is a quick stop rather than a half-day, so slot it into a route that is already passing through the area.
15. Mall Road
This road, also known as Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam road, is a central road constructed in the British era, which has many historic buildings. Among them are the General Post Office, the Lahore High Court, Punjab University (Old Campus), whose buildings were erected as early as 1858, and the National College of Arts, where Rudyard Kipling's father was principal and which offers a thesis show every winter, with Kim's Gun outside.
Charing Cross, Lahore's monumental square dating to the British era and now renamed Faisal Square, sits on this road surrounded by historic buildings, and the Lahore Zoo's main gate is just past it, opposite WAPDA House.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Alamgiri Gate and go straight into the Lahore Fort, allowing time for the Sikh-period museum and, if the caretaker offers, the summer rooms underground. Cross the square to the Badshahi Mosque, then walk the short distance to the Tomb of Ranjit Singh and on to Minar-e-Pakistan in its park.
Afternoon. Move into the Walled City to the Wazir Khan Mosque near Delhi Gate, and pair it with the Shahi Hammam and its frescos. If time allows, walk the gate circuit, beginning at Raushnai Gate between the royal mosque and the citadel and continuing through the preserved gateways.
Evening. Return to the Badshahi Mosque late, when there are few people there, and see the Alamgiri Gate and the fort walls after dark. Finish at Data Durbar, where the courtyard stays busy into the evening and the langar is in full operation.
Frequently asked questions
What should I wear when visiting mosques in Lahore?
Do not wear shorts to the Badshahi Mosque or any mosque. Women are advised to wear long or half-sleeved clothing and to carry a shawl so they can cover their head, and everyone removes their shoes before entering.
Do I have to pay to store my shoes at the Badshahi Mosque?
You may be asked to pay about Rs 20 to the shoekeeper on exit, but it is not compulsory to pay a fee for shoe storage. You can instead bring a bag to carry your shoes in after removing them at the entrance.
Which Lahore sights are on the UNESCO World Heritage List?
The Lahore Fort and the Shalimar Gardens are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
When is the best time to see the Badshahi Mosque?
The mosque is open from 8:00am to 8:00pm. Try going late at night, when there are few people there.
Decide which of these you want at the centre of your trip, check the seasons and the mosque timings, and start building your days around the Walled City first.